Sarah L

Stay away - nothing but trouble!

I purchased the above Mini from TMS Hinckley on 15th March 2024 and to say it has been a disappointment would be putting it mildly! I live on the Marina at the rear of TMS and saw the vehicle on returning home from work. I was taking a look at the car and, as is the way with car sales, Nick arrived and started selling the vehicle to me further. Nick simply gushed about the vehicle (and more fool me for falling for it) and went on and on about the amazing condition, how the previous owner had never held back when looking after it and how she spent money on looking after it when needed. He continued to explain how TMS complete a long list of checks as a multipoint inspection and how it would be in tip-top condition and last me moving forward. He showed me receipts of things that had been completed by the previous owner, service records and other things. We brought up the fact that the front tyre was borderline, and he told us that this would be new on purchase and would be included on the work they were doing on it. TMS then had the vehicle for 1 week, apparently prepping it for me, even through (as I live on the Marina) I could see that nothing was being done and it wasn’t until the last minute (including several calls asking if I could extend when I am due to collect) that anything was actually done to the vehicle. On collecting the vehicle it just got worse and is still continuing. I took the keys, started the car and the Brake Pad Warning light came straight on. Nick was off sick at this point and I was therefore dealing with the Manager Eddie. I actually thought dealing with the Manager that this would translate to better service, but unfortunately not. I pointed this out to Eddie who tried to tell me that it’s just that the sensor had been triggered or that the pads were borderline and it was just telling me. Really?? So, someone can spend £7,000 on a vehicle and he is trying to blag and tell them that these things are normal! He genuinely expected me to be ok with this and not request the brakes be done. As I had no option and had signed over my previous vehicle, he said to take the car and they would book me in for my brake pads to be done over the next couple of days. So, I was then driving round with a vehicle, with a safety warning (which sent my anxiety through the roof) and with the fact that every time I started my car the warning had to be cleared for me to drive without it staring at me. This was just the beginning of what has been an absolute nightmare of a journey. I did not receive a call regarding booking my car in and it took me physically having to go in four times before it was even booked in. I also mentioned the tyre that was never changed at this point, over and over and kept being told that it would be done as it was agreed prior to purchase. For you records I still have not had this tyre changed and will need to purchase one, which is totally unacceptable having purchasing the car less than 6 months ago. Eventually I was told that my car had been booked in for the brakes pads and tyre to be done. I had to take the day and work from home, which was less than convenient, as I work in Coventry and obviously need my car for work. I dropped my car off, happy in the fact that the issues were being addressed and I would be all good by the end of the day. In the afternoon I receive a text message with a link to an inspection! On calling to see why this had happened I was told that I was booked in for inspection and not to have any work done! I was obviously super disappointed and very irritated by this.To make matters worse, their own inspection picked up on over £900 worth of work that needed to be done, including the brakes, on my apparently well looked after and inspected vehicle!! It would be interesting to know how TMS could have possibly done any inspections, never mind Nicks ‘multi-point’ amazing inspections or put a legal MOT on my vehicle when their own checks are showing as all this work needs completing! I told them I didn’t understand why the inspection had even been done when I was booked in for my brake pads and tyre and Tom, in the Service Department told me that they had no idea what I meant and that I wasn’t booked in for these things! I again had to turn up face-to-face to get any feedback on this and was told, again, that they would do my brakes (this was only £400 of the work that needs completing accordingly to TMS’s own inspection). Yet again, I had to rearrange my work to be able to stay home and drop my car in on 12th April. I waited all day again and collected by car being reassured that everything was fine. Two days later and the warning lights are on my dash yet again. I then go back in 3 times to TMS and was told everything from ‘it’s because the brakes haven’t bedded down’, ‘it must be because the sensors haven’t been reset’ and ‘it’s because it’s a Mini and we don’t have the right equipment’. The last excuse is by far the most worrying as they are selling the vehicles but apparently don’t have the correct equipment, really? They have literally behaved like a stereotypical used car salesman and tried every single excuse in the book, including those that are not even slightly plausible. They have treated my like an idiot and it’s sad that a company I felt comfortable using feel this is an ok way to behave and treat customers. Again, my car went back in and just before I dropped it off another sensor came on telling me my tyre pressure is low, which it wasn’t as I had checked it when I picked it up and put petrol in. I was then told that it was a sensor issue and apparently one of the mechanics magically came up with the correct equipment to fix it. Two weeks later and again, my sensors came on. I went again, back to Tom who took it in and reset it again. They are trying to cover issues that are clearly there by resetting the warnings and not repairing the problem that is triggering the sensor in the first place. I bumped into Nick (my Salesman) on one of my visits who is asked if I was ok. I literally said ‘are you serious?’ as I can’t get over the way the dealership has treated both me and my vehicle! It has gotten to the point where I go in and the Receptionist and staff roll their eyes. This is not only unprofessional but completely unfair as I shouldn’t be having to go in in the first place. I know in the grand scheme of things that £7,000 is not a lot of money to TMS when people spend a lot of money on vehicles but to me it is. There is still an issue with my nearside rear tyre as it doesn’t hold pressure for long enough and my tyres are requiring air every couple of weeks. I saw Nick outside the dealership two months ago and he told me he would call me. This never happened. I then saw him a few days later and he said ‘I’ll give you a call’ and I said ‘you told me that last time and things still aren’t right’. He assured me he would call me to resolve things and, not surprisingly, I still have not received this call. I am driving around in a vehicle that by TMS’s on inspection needs at least £500 of work doing, a new front tyre and who knows that doing to fix the issues with my tyres/pressure as something is clearly wrong in that the pressure is dropping so rapidly. I am paying for this car and not getting any of the service/support promised or any support at all that you would expect from using what is supposed to be a professional dealership. I can no longer go in personally, as it is making me ill. I already suffer with my mental health and having to pursue this is making me so low and anxious and is adding to my already ongoing health issues. Every time I get into my car or even think about it I get scared. Knowing that you are driving a vehicle that has problems is a big worry and also the fact that I am already worried about my MOT next year, as it clearly won’t pass, even though none of these things are my fault is completely unacceptable. By their own admission, there is a large amount of work to be done, and it concerns me that they are happy to let me drive around like this. How a company (and also Nick as a person) can sleep at night knowing they are treating people this way is unbelieve and I really thought such as company would provide way better service than this. I need my car fixed. I need to draw a line under this and get on with things, as this is just making me ill. I should not have to be spending my time wondering what is going to go wrong next, whether I am going to break down and dreading my MOT when I have spent £7,000 with them.