Andrew S
03 May 2023
"I want to be clear from the outset, I do not like car dealers due to being stung and ripped off by them on previous occasions. However, I read several positive reviews and heard lots of good things about Hodgson car sales so I thought I’d give them a try. I visited the garage one early morning as they had three cars of interest - an Audi Q3, BMW X1 and a Ford Kuga. On arrival I was able to walk around the cars freely and was left alone, no pushy sales people harassing me which I greatly appreciated. I saw a gentleman who I later discovered was Peter just about to move the Audi so I seized the opportunity and asked to have a close look around and inside the car. Peter allowed me the freedom to look inside and out for as long as I wanted. He was very knowledgeable and I have to say the car was absolutely lovely. Peter explained the car in great detail, its history, condition, engine, economy etc. He also went on to explain the “covers everything” warranty that is included in each car sale. I was very cynical as I’ve heard about these warranties before and to be perfectly honest they are not worth the paper they are written on. However, Peter explained that the warranty was their own and not of a 3rd party such as RAC/AA etc. He said their warranty was exactly as it said on the tin - covers everything. He said if a wiper blade or bulb needed replacing bring it to them and they will replace it … Wow! This kind of thing is unheard of these days. I would never return my car for such a thing but it’s reassuring that this is the level of service they are willing to offer their customers. I asked to test drive the Q3 which was not a problem, it drove brilliant and had no issues whatsoever. I came back from the test drive and bought it immediately, I didn’t even look at the other two cars I had come to see as the Q3 was the cheapest in the country and had only covered 26,000 miles with full Audi history. It had just had its cambelt and water pump replaced at Audi which would have cost circa £1500. I did have a part exchange and I have to commend Peter because he did have a look around the car but unlike dealers I’ve dealt with in the past, didn’t go round it with a magnifying glass and pick fault with every minor scratch or stone chip! He asked me what I wanted for my car and he met my valuation which was great, no haggling or messing about. He agreed to settle my existing finance with no additional costs or fees. The Q3 had 10 months MOT remaining so most car dealers would not re-MOT it for the sake of two months but Peter offered to put a full 12 months MOT on the car which I gratefully accepted. Peter assisted with transferring my cherished number plate off my existing car and onto the Q3, he even made me up some new number plates to put on when the transfer had gone through! Other dealers have charged me £30 for this. Peter quickly sorted the finance and even got a preferential rate for me which I thought was a really kind gesture.
Peter kept in constant contact up to delivery date and worked with me and my busy work schedule. The car was ready for collection on the agreed date. Peter went through all the controls and even put me some fuel in!
When I returned home I discovered the parcel shelf was missing. I immediately contacted Peter who went to look for it in the garage. Unfortunately Peter could not locate it but offered to buy a new one for me. I never thought in a million years he would replace it. Most car dealers would just say “oh sorry about that” and that would be that. I looked online and replacement parcel shelves for the Q3 go for about £150-£250!
Peter contacted me a few days later and said the parcel shelf had a arrived so I popped along to the garage a few days later and within 2 mins of arriving Peter came out with new parcel shelf in hand and he even fitted it for me.
So, to summarise, my experience with Hodgson Car Sales has been nothing short of magnificent. Car dealers like these are a dying breed. If you want a new, reasonably priced car with excellent aftercare and good old fashioned customer service do not hesitate to visit these guys. I have even said to Peter I will be back in a few years when the time is up to get a new car. I am extremely grateful for the service you have provided.
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