Nighthawk Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I think the majority look back and regret their first car, its good because the next car can be a great one rather than love first car and always think from then on "it's a great car but doesn't compare to..." Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristriple Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 That's true! My second car was a mk 1 focus collection. Greatest car ever made! No quite, but proves your point. Sent from my KFTT using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduke Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Used to have a trade card through a vauxhall forum went there all the time then was brilliant tools where discounted too until my van went in for a service in vw and came back without it, Wasnt happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattwbrfc Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 44 pound for a number plates with GB on! Rip off! Sent from my iPad using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philf1 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Wtf? Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Expensive, yes but where else can you buy bulbs, fuses, tools and nick nacks for your car up to 8 weekday evenings and all day Sat & Sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nighthawk Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Can buy virtually anything online 24/7, oh and also cheap. Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Can buy virtually anything online 24/7, oh and also cheap. Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Then you have to wait a couple of days. I talking about that little job you have to finish on the day and can't find a spare fuse at 6 in the evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgsy Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Don't use Halfords much nowadays, find them very expensive compared to other local options, I tend to buy everything from eurocarparts as they do tools/detailing stuff etc. I would use Halfords as you say in an emergency, most things can be planned and bought in advance. Last time I used them was about 3 years ago when I needed a 32mm socket to service a neighbours car, couldn't find one anywhere local and managed to find one in Halfords so it solved a problem and got the job done that day, cost about 20 quid from memory, but it wasn't my money paying for it so all OK!! Sent from my Zetec S using the FOC for Android app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merv130 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Companies with stores will never compete with online sales. Halfords does itself no favours though when they haven't got half of what you need and the staff really don't understand what they're selling in the first place. No wonder eBay does so well. thats a very big generalisation there, a lot of them know more than the customers they serve in my experience 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nighthawk Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 thats a very big generalisation there, a lot of them know more than the customers they serve in my experience That doesn't say a lot about them or worse the customers. Just because they know more than a clueless customer doesn't make them experts either.Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 That doesn't say a lot about them or worse the customers. Just because they know more than a clueless customer doesn't make them experts either. Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Agreed, my local Halfords is staffed mostly by school-leavers, probably on thier 1st car or they don't even drive, mostly, in my experience they know very little about cars/ the products they sell and the products are way overpriced compared to elsewhere - as others have said if you are in a hurry for something and can't wait for something to be sent online (probably for 1/2 the price) Halfords probably made more money years ago when people did not have so many options/ the competition was not so strong (from online/ local) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merv130 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 admittedly there there used to be a lot of part time students there (still is in some circumstances), but there is also a lot of highly skilled individuals there as well, especially since the downturn in the economy and jobs are scarce. The prices are what they are purely for convenience. who else is open after 5 during the week, to 6 on a saturday and all day sunday. If you need a product asap and can't wait on it being delivered it is available within driving distance but at a higher price. I can tell you now they make more money than they ever have, there current hit rate of fitting bulbs blades and batterys out of the stock they sell is somewhere in the range of 40%-50% and that is pure profit. again some of you say it is expensive, try bringing your car to a dealer and seeing how much they will charge for a bulb change? that is what their pricing is aimed at beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgsy Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I do think we car enthusiasts sometimes forget the majority of people that drive cars a) have no real interest in cars b) have no interest in learning how to do things or simply cannot be bothered or can but don't have the confidence. To the common motorist the services that Halfords offer like bulb/wiper/battery changing at a small cost are good value and convenient. Personally I have trouble letting anyone near my car to do jobs let alone a Halfords representative Sent from my Zetec S using the FOC for Android app 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickiW Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Never had a good expierence in any of there stores...took all my will power not to knock out a spotty teenager who took 45mins to put in one bulb!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wase16ll Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 tbh, there are a few makes/models out there that could easily take 45+ minutes to change a bulb...the designers need to be made to carry out basic maintenance on models they design before getting the design approved...been a few times ive been tempted to take a baseball bat to dealer head offices ;) my point is simple...if your going to offer a bulb fitting service, at a charged rate, then suggest you train the staff to carry out that service correctly...i've done 2 more bulb fittings that were incorrectly fitted by Halfords since my last post on the subject... all very well saying its a competitive price, but it isnt when you have to pay extra to get it done properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Agree with the above. On a Golf mark 4 it takes an hour to change a front headlight or sidelight bulb, disconnect bonnet release, remove grille & front bumper, remove headlight to fit bulb the re assemble, Phew. There are few cars like that, whatever were the designers thinking of. It's all down to experience fitting bulbs, wipers etc. some are good at it and some are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merv130 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 there is staff training, but lets be honest here it would be impossible to train an individual on every different make and model of car out there. A lot of it is learn from on job experience, and people make mistakes the odd time, no one is perfect. In this situation though they should have went back to the store, where it would have been sorted for free, with some form of compensation. (their customer service is excellent now since the new CEO took over, they will bend over backwards to sort stuff out and give vouchers etc) at the end of the day, car enthusiasts, as found on this forum are not Halfords target market. and VickyC what does the individuals complexion Have to do with his ability or lack there of to fit a bulb into a car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wase16ll Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 see it far too often mate, they go to Halfords for the convenience, pay the extra to get it fitted...more often than not, they know nothing is wrong till mot comes around and it fails on poor alignment/pattern... all the customers i have dealt with on this problem, are regulars that dont want to call me out for what they believe is a straightforwatrd task...as i take their cars for mot, then its far simpler for them to let me deal with it there and then rather than effing about with failures, taking it back and then arranging for retests. soon as im aware Halfords fitted the bulbs, i explain they should take it back, as yet, none have purely for the same reason they went to Halfords in the first place...convenience...but bet your last pound, they wont be going back there again. most recent problem...vauxhall meriva...quite simple, but when i took it apart to fix, to start with the rubber seal was missing and then not only was the bulb fitted wrong position, it also had not been pushed into the retaining clip.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merv130 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Well I can tell you for a fact that, it isn't nation wide and considering that each store does 300-400 plus fits a week there is no way anyone can say most of them are fitted incorrectly. Fair enough you will always get the odd mistake, and its sounds like the store closes to you needs to sort out a member of staff or two. Over here in N.I. it is a bit different to yourselves, in that we have dedicated mot centers, so if there are any problems with bulb fitting then the customers will come back to the stores complaining about it, which is a rare occurrence. alignment is a different matter, Halfords stores have no way of setting bulb alignment and it is up to the customer to get it checked as part of a pre mot check. A lot of the time, before cars even come to Halfords stores, the customers have had an attempt at fitting it themselves which can explain the lack of rubber seals in come cases, although I would imagine a few are dropped down into the engine bay by the Halfords guys and the customer isn't informed, hard to prove though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nighthawk Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 It is nationwide, I am nowhere near the others and have similar poor experience with them. I had a rust hole and they suggested duct tape or silicon sealant to fill it Sent from my HUAWEI Ascend P2 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wase16ll Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 i cover an area that sees about half a dozen halford stores, so its not just one store we're talking about plus, a badly fitted bulb puts the alignment out by the very fact the pattern is wrong...it throws light out all over the place..so not only is it a nuiscance and a danger to other road users, its also an mot failure re the rubber boot...particular customer is a young lady, i know for a fact she wouldnt have attempted it, i also know they lost or incorrectly fitted the boot as she said he had to retrieve it from under the car whilst fitting the bulb. what gets me, is the hard work is usually getting to the bulb to change it..once you have done that, then actually fitting the bulb is very simple task once you know how, there are a very limited number of ways headlight bulbs are attatched...so i very much doubt its ignorance, its more often than not just a lazy and shoddy job im sure they do get it right on many occasions, but they also get it very wrong on far too many to.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I think the problem is that Halfords are trying too hard to be a 'jack of all trades' but by doing so are sliding away from their core business. Fair enough they are trying to help motorists that can't or won't carry out minor maintenance on their own cars but getting someone who doesn't have basic mechanical skills themselves to do the tasks is silly and potentially dangerous. When the stores can't even get their bulb compatibility charts right it doesn't exactly instil trust. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickiW Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 there is staff training, but lets be honest here it would be impossible to train an individual on every different make and model of car out there. A lot of it is learn from on job experience, and people make mistakes the odd time, no one is perfect. In this situation though they should have went back to the store, where it would have been sorted for free, with some form of compensation. (their customer service is excellent now since the new CEO took over, they will bend over backwards to sort stuff out and give vouchers etc) at the end of the day, car enthusiasts, as found on this forum are not halfords target market. and VickyC what does the individuals complexion Have to do with his ability or lack there of to fit a bulb into a car? It was a observation on my part same as a blonde or wearing glasses etc...end of the day you dont want to be the first person a newely qualified doctor gets to do brain surgery on. ....a bulb put in wrong could cause an accident or cost you alot of money if you fail nct/mot if they are not confident or 100% know what they are doing ASK SOMEONE THAT HAS A CLUE! !!!! Simples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickiW Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 And spotty boy kept dropping the bulb because he was rubbing his greasy face!!!! Pmsl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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