S & S Services

[jamesm]

Lots of good reviews here. Unfortunately, they don't match up with my experiences. Went to see them when I was looking for the car. They wouldn't give me a test drive in anything (at that point I had never driven one), nor were they interested in trying to find me a suitable car. Their attitude was "We will phone you if we get anything in". They never did.

After I got the car, I tried them again with a service query. They just didn't seem to have a clue. My girlfriend who was with me thought the place was like walking into the twilight zone.

My experience is that they were unhelpful, unknowledgeable and I will never go back to them.

[martin_allen]

I had an okish experience with them.

I got an ok deal on the car and was allowed a test drive no issue. The car was meant to be serviced etc before i picked it up.

When i arrived i checked the oil (black) and the filter (also filthy) the claim was it was only serviced "if it needed it" not as i collected it which i don't feel was in the spirit of things but the price was a good one. The excuse was it had beed serviced (by them) just 2k previously. Now i know these cars can dirty the oil quite fast but a 40k service should not have left the oil and filter looking like that after so few miles.

Also claimed it didn't need a cambelt until 60k and as soon as i checked the manual i found that was actually 50k... Went to Grieves for that and got a great price too.

There was also a mark on thw windscreen which i claimed wasn't there during the test drive but apparently was... no come back on that really.

They phone occasionally. Last time they were going to get back to me with a settlement figure but didn't...

so - ease of purchase - great, sorted out the private plate etc (it had one on and needed to come off although that wasn't explained until after i'd agreed to buy it) also great price.

Servicing and after sales though... not so sure about.

Might have just been an off day for them of course. They have always been polite and helpful I just feel a few things were missing/not explained properly at the time.

5t.

[oobster]

My experience, not that it really matters:

I bought my 03-plate red WRX from S&S and the actual sale process was fine. I dealt with a guy who isn't there anymore (name starts with a K I think - Keiran maybe?) and I used them afterwards for a service and fitting of my prodrive springs - again, all fine.

When I first went to see the car (before purchase) there was a crease on the front nearside wing - approx. 8 inches long. I (obviously) wanted this fixed before I came to collect the car which was done.

However, about a year later (approximately) some rust bubbles started to appear on the wing, right where the crease had been. I spoke to Lorna, and whoever the older guy is that owns the place and it was (grudgingly) agreed that the wing would be repaired at their cost.

I then organised with Lorna the date when the car could be booked in. Those that know me (and the car) will know that I probably suffered from OCD as far as the paintwork on the car was concerned, so I must have told Lorna at least 5 times (both on the phone and face to face) that the car MUST be perfect when I get it returned to me, and she assured me it would be and she would pass the message onto the people responsible for actually repairing the car.

Alas, all was not perfect. The wing looked like it had been rubbed down with a brillo pad (the actual rust bubbles were gone though). A couple of tar spots had been painted over, and several areas of the car were covered in overspray (weirdly the back bumper was the worst - this was furthest from the panel being sprayed). There was ridge of paint inside the wheel arch. You may say this is no big deal but when you ask, repeatedly, for a perfect job (both because the paintwork elsewhere on the vehicle was up to a good standard and also because I live a fair distance away from S&S which makes it pain to go back for remedial works) it tends to put you off the company.

I complained, and I was told by the older owner to bring it back & they would have a look at it "when they get a minute". Aye, right then. I sorted the overspray & the excessive swirls myself and then had the whole wing painted again properly at my own cost when the car was in a local bodyshop getting some other bits done a few months later.

After that I always used Ian Grieves and would continue to do so if I purchased another Subaru.