“I bought a used X5 from Williams BMW in Manchester - the salesman who dealt with me was Adam Graham.
The initial service was good - I bought from a distance and I got shown everything I needed to see, got progress updates on the car prep and paying a deposit was easy.
Williams wanted to arrange finance for me, which I didn’t need. In spite of knowing that, their finance manager, when presented with my broker arranged finance tried to convince me that paying more interest with them against a higher guaranteed future value was a better deal (I’m not sure that advice meets the FCA treating customers fairly principles, but there we are).
As part of the deal I arranged an extended warranty for £800.
I left Williams BMW to deal with my finance broker and between them, Williams got an invoice to the broker, who got it paid by the finance company.
Come time to collect, I paid the deposit, Williams told me I was paid up and ready to collect, and I collected the car.
The collection was a good experience, Adam was kind to my sons, which I appreciated.
The difficulty began a few weeks later when Adam called me, to tell me he had forgotten to include the cost of the warranty in the invoicing of the finance company and so there was £800 outstanding on the bill. I didn’t know what to make of that, so I said I’d sort something in a few days.
I had time to think and I was annoyed. I emailed Adam to say so - that it didn’t feel reasonable, this long after the deal, when we had shaken on the deal and I had collected the car, to come back and tell me there was something outstanding. I told him paying £800 just before Christmas because of someone else’s mistake wasn’t reasonable and I wanted to make a complaint.
I was then emailed by Craig Fenlon, who is a Sales Manager at Williams BMW. He made it clear in his note that making sure the car was invoiced correctly was my responsibility, this was my mistake to correct and if I don’t pay up within three days, in spite of my having settled up, collected the car, and in spite of Williams BMW attending the invoicing with the finance company, he will cancel my extended warranty.
I think this is a pretty poor way to treat customers. Firstly the mistake is pretty shabby. Trying to blame the customer for an invoicing mistake by sales is just bad form. Then the threats and bully-boy tactics just make it worse.
My experience of Williams was that when things are going well, they’re fine. To be fair, every business is fine when things are going well.
When something went wrong, they’re fine tried to blame me, took no responsibility for it, had no empathy, no understanding, and threatened and tried to bully me.
I would caution you against using them, conscious that there is an almost unlimited supply of BMW dealers to choose from in the U.K.
I’ve emailed the Williams Group Managing Director, Guy Adams, to complain in the hope he takes a more collaborative and reasonable approach. I will update this review if I need to.”
“When i brought my car in for mot was failed due to changing front tyres and just bulb on front light their charges are ridiculous, they would even let me take to get fix somewhere and said am not allowed to take coz failed mot, they found 2 things which were advisory in my car suspension, and misc and asked them if could talk to my warranty am sure was covered but the agent came back to me and said coz my car was old and lots of millage warranty cant cover. So refused to have them fixed and booked another appointment to look into fixing them and went ahead and called my warranty and they said firstly my car now old its 19 plate and millage was 78,000 and am covered for all that up to 100,000 millage and ti make it worse they said no one from bmw made any claims into things am telling them. So called them back bmw and told them and they said when bring my car they will look into it and if need be put claim in, now they come back and say or now wheel allignment which was never told about and they havent seen my car since done my mot how did they even come up with that?? Its frustrating that i feel like if they cudnt get any money fron previous repairs that would be covered bu warranty they come with other problems just make sure they get money off me. My confidence towards them gone and was thinking of swapping my car for another bmw but after this never. Put me off completely. We worked hard and break our backs but they dont carre if cant get money one way they made up problems that havent been told about to make sure they receive something. Totally feels like scam.”
“Appalling service! Booked in for MOT at 12 noon and the car is not checked until 4:30pm, did not get back to me with reasons it has failed until 5pm, half an hour before closing. When brought back for repeat MOT today (headlight realignment done), the car was parked outside the garage and technicians have not checked. The person who serve me was rude and blunt, quick to suggest I would need to have the headlight replaced when it wasn’t needed at my usual garage. Awful experience and I would strongly advise against getting any service from Williams. I would not be upgrading my car with them”
“Didn’t read review before I went, however it confirm the reception we received when I enquired about purchasing a new mini car.
We were in the area cos we were looking after the grad children (we looked Like come of the street) not taken seriously to purchase a new car. Told no negotiation on purchase price, price seen, price paid.
Not offered coffee or water, no person details taken, no interest in us,
Came away feeling a bit upset and annoyed ( deflated is a understatement)
Another sale person didn’t look up and acknowledge us, v rude personnel
I won’t be going back to Manchester Trafford centre show room, I take my purchase to another dealer.”
“Absolutely appalling service. Paid a deposit online for a used car. No contact whatsoever despite me ringing numerous times to arrange pick up. Wasn’t ready first 2 times I arranged to collect. Didn’t get the full reg of the car until the day I should have collected. Arrived to find large mark on bonnet the sales manager and sales person disagreeing as to whether the car has been serviced and MOTd (it hadn’t) I asked for my deposit to be refunded and am still waiting 6 weeks later. Emails not returned phone calls not taken. Escalated with my bank. Buyer beware.”
“DISHONEST !!!,
DISHONEST !!!,
i bought a brand new X5, on the day of collection there was quite a large mould stain in the back seat, i quickly showed the salesman the stain, he then got a guy from the garage to wipe it off but failed, then i said to Russel Drake (Salesman), please take a note of this stain and i will see if it comes off in time (Bearing in mind this is a brand new premium car), a time after the stain would not move, i have tried everything but failed, i then contacted Russel Drake and he now denies all knowledge of the stain, this is my third BMW i have bought from Russel at Williams Bolton, i will not be buying another BMW full stop, this has left a sour taste in my mouth, i am shocked at the service, he offered to try and clean it again IF i get my car serviced at Williams Bolton (i live in Chester), i should not have to fix a brand new car, disgusted !!!”
