Paul C

Stoneacre MG Rochdale - awful service

As summarised below, the “service” provided to us by Stoneacre’s MG Rochdale garage in Autumn 2024 was at a level way below acceptable - that has driven us to post this review. We put the points reflected in this review in a recorded delivery letter sent on 28.11.24 to the Managing Director of the Stoneacre group. Despite our chasing through phone calls (to the garage and to Stoneacre’s Customer Relations team); through the business’ Contact Form; and by email, we have never had Stoneacre’s responses to the points below: The points arise from us having twice taken our MG ZS EV into Stoneacre’s MG Rochdale garage - in October 2024 (“V1”) and November 2024 (V2). We had bought the car from a dealer in Bury earlier in October – our main purpose in taking it to Stoneacre was for diagnostic tests to be carried out on the main battery (by an MG authorised dealer) within a week or two of our purchase. On both visits to MG Rochdale we provided a list of 6 or 7 items (including the main battery) that we particularly wanted the garage to look at. We provided those lists through the electronic check-in process and on a piece of paper handed over to reception when leaving the car each time: We were very surprised that the main outcome from V1 was MG Rochdale suggesting that we pay around £382 to replace the auxiliary 12V battery. That battery caused no problems of function from us buying the car until – as a precaution - we had it replaced by a different MG dealer in February 2025. After V1 it became clear that several items on the list that we had submitted to MG Rochdale (electronically and on paper) had not been addressed. After several emails and phone calls, the garage finally confirmed that the main battery had not been tested during V1. We were invited to take the car back (free of charge) for the items on the list to be completed. On V2 the garage’s report was not ready at the time of taking the car away. After the report was emailed to us, it was still not clear if the garage had tested the main battery or not. Despite phone calls, emails and the letter to Stoneacre’s MD, we still do not know if the car’s main battery was tested on that November visit (V2) or not! If the main battery was not tested on V2, we would obviously like to know why that is the case (given that getting the main battery tested was the primary purpose for twice taking our car to MG Rochdale). If the main battery was tested on V2, why have we had no report on that / no information at all as to how Stoneacre assessed the health of the main battery in November? Aside from the specific points above, we felt that the whole set up at MG Rochdale is designed to prevent customers from having contact with anyone who can talk knowledgably about what their car’s problem is / has been. For example, on V1 and V2 we asked the “frontline desk person” in what sense the 12V battery had “failed” on testing (given that we were experiencing no problems of function from it). The frontline desk person answered any requests for clarification in a way indicating that they had no real knowledge to share. It was no better when the “second line desk person” was called from the office just behind the desk. It was pretty obvious that both people were just going off the wording that had been provided to them – they could add nothing by way of clarification / insight. And we overheard other customers similarly getting nowhere when seeking clarification in relation to work that had been recommended for their vehicles. (When we did get the 12V battery replaced in February, by an MG dealer in Huddersfield, the total charge was £211.20. Stoneacre have not explained why MG Rochdale had quoted around £382 for the same job!) As far as Stoneacre’s “Customer Relations Team” is concerned, they appear to have no interest in addressing customer concerns. Our complaints were acknowledged by that team in December (2024) but we have had no update (or anything else) from them since then (despite our occasional emails asking when we might hear something substantive vis-a-vis our November complaints). … We had hoped that paying a premium for an MG-badged garage to do some important checking on our MG EV (especially getting the main battery checked out soon after we had bought the car) would buy us a more than decent service. But, as described, the “service” provided by MG Rochdale / Stoneacre has been at a level way below acceptable. And our numerous attempts to communicate with Stoneacre about this – over the last five months - have got us nowhere. Paul Cruthers +1 PS: after failing completely to deal with our complaints of November (2024), Stoneacre are now pestering us to book an MOT and service with them! (Despite our requests, they haven’t bothered correcting the spelling of the surname that they are using for my wife)