pinetreecarsuperstore.co.uk

Very disappointed - poor customer care

On 28th April 2023, I purchased a vehicle from Pinetree Tonypandy, and paid for it outright. I should state that the salesman, Steve, was very helpful. When I went to drive the car out, I was unable to get it into gear. The salesman was nearby and when I explained my predicament, he got in and the gears worked. I drove out on to the main road and got a few hundred yards when the gears refused to function. I had to pull off the main road to get out of traffic, switched the engine off and tried again. Nothing. With stopping and starting and stalling in traffic, I got back to my home and immediately telephoned Steve to tell him of my problem. He advised getting the car back in order for it to be looked at. Had I not been officiating at a funeral that afternoon, I would have, but a good friend came out of his workplace and eventually got the car back to Pinetree. Initially, Pinetree were unable to discover the fault and advised me that the car had been sent to Swansea for an inspection. Again nothing found, until the salesman and a member of staff had the fault occur whilst they were driving it. Meanwhile, in order to go about my business I had shelved out almost £1000 on car hire over the next two weeks. My newly purchased car had been in my ownership for less than an hour. Without an explanation, I called in to Pinetree in person to find out what was happening. Now the fault was diagnosed and the faulty part was replaced. Eventually I was told that the car was ready to be collected and that the fault had been remedied. I called in to collect the car, only to be met with a disgruntled member of after sales staff because I had disturbed her lunch. Digging my heels in, I said that I was not waiting any longer and wanted my car as promised. She rummaged in a pot of keys and gave me them. But my car was nowhere to be found. No one knew where it had been put. Eventually another member of staff came to my aid and located my vehicle and it was brought to me. I drove it home, more than a little apprehensive, but everything seemed ok until I got home and then tried the windscreen wipers and the passenger wiper snapped in half. I looked closer at the wipers and there is no way that they could have passed the new MOT which had been issued. So far, a faulty clutch and damaged windscreen wipers. I took the car back to Pinetree again and it was finally discovered that the motor for the drivers side wipe was not functioning. How had this car ever been allowed off the forecourt. The salesman has been as helpful as he can be. However, after sales do not provide the customer care that I expect. Being told that phone calls have been made were untrue. I had a phone all when I was in Ireland and despite saying that I could not drop the car in that day or the next day because I was in the Republic of Ireland did not seem to sink in. At 17.08 last Friday afternoon, I received a call, but I not in the area at the time and I knew from previous experience that the workshop closed at 17.30. I really need a car to carry out my duties as a clergyman, but totally regret handing over my £5000+ for a vehicle which should not have been sold in the first place. Having had my fingers burned by another large car dealer, I had hoped for a better experience. Customer care is non-existent. So havin* paid out for the car, an additional amount for warranty, about £1000 for car hire whilst my “new car” was in the hands of Pinetree, and still awaiting a call to sort out the windscreen wiper motor, I am not a happy customer. If the car was presenting the faults already described, what else is going to happen or appear. This car was never properly checked and I question its MOT testing. I have even submitted an official complaint which has not even been acknowledged. My advice - stay clear. I will never even consider Pinetree again.Thank you for your response, albeit two months in the coming. Just a couple of points:1. You wrote to me pointing out that I should have used the complaints procedure instead of going to Trustpilot. I pointed out to you and copied to you my formal complaint sent to the email address on your own website, which you have now conveniently changed.2. The initial fault was rectified eventually, but the subsequent faulty wiper was rectified once I was back in the country - certainly not at my convenience. 3. I was still left well out of pocket in this with no offer of recompense being made, Had your handling of this made me feel like the so called “valued customer” I would have tempered my review accordingly. Unfortunately, you failed to do so and I stand by my original review. In view of the faults already highlighted and eventually addressed, I still feel that this vehicle was not properly checked and I question the MOT carried out as, at least one fault would have been an MOT failure.

Date of experience: Apr 28, 2023