Stoneacre Worksop

Heavens to Betsy, what a shower of shi*ehawks!

Bought Monty (my 04 plate Stilo) May 22. June 30th and 1,600 miles later, alarming squealing noise happening intermittently. Sounded like brakes to me. I was en route to Birmingham airport to collect my bloke and had to then drive back to Retford.

I then had a round trip to Huddersfield on the Monday, Retford to Nottingham to Worksop and Worksop - Chesterfield on Tuesday and back to Birmingham airport Wednesday, then Birmingham to Chesterfield and back to Worksop on Thursday. (Yes, I am ruddy knackered after all that driving - drove to Suffolk and back over the weekend for pleasure, too).

I didn't have the chance to drop the car in till Monday evening. The squealing was intermittent on the way back from the airport so I hoped it was due to rain or something. On Monday's trip to Huddersfield it was constant. Bloke had a look and said the left rear disc was grooved, probably a stuck caliper. My old mechanic is in Honley and said the same (over the phone - no time to look at it that afternoon).

Dropped by Stoneacre Monday night. Had a quick word with the guy who sold it me to check the warranty position: he was eating a pasty when I arrived and didn't even bother to swallow before replying. He advised me to speak to their service department.

The manufacturer's 3-year warranty expired in March, and there was no warranty attached to the car when I bought it. Is it unreasonable of me to expect that my car would be fit for purpose and would not develop a brake problem within six weeks of ownership, given age and the fact that when bought it had only 34,225 miles on the clock?

I was further told that they would not be able to fit it in until Friday at the earliest and that they had no courtesy cars due to the local flooding.

Took it round to Motorsave in Worksop on Tuesday after I got back from Nottingham (it was juddering like mad on braking by that point so I knew I shouldn't be driving it) and they had to order in a caliper and rear pads and discs (recommended replacing both sets, although my bloke said later that that is unnecessary - he used to be a mechanic years ago). The caliper had to be couriered up from their main depot as Stilo parts are not common, but it was all done within 24 hours with no fuss and bother and for £305 (I paid £15 for the courier charge on the caliper).

It does seem that once they've sold you the car they don't give a monkey's whether it works or not. Gits.

Another happy Stoneacre customer...

Have a search for Stoneacre and you'll see what others make of them.

I had heard they weren't very popular...it's a shame, cos I love my Stilo! I'd buy another in a flash when it comes time to replace Monty.

Well, it will probably have to be a Brava instead as they've discontinued the Stilo...

Hello Tigerlily

Yep, seems that Stoneacre are bringing joy to their customers up and down the country!

What is wrong with this company? Do they employ chimpanzees? I guess they pay poor wages and keep their sales team on tight commision, the whole outfit seems very John Wayne, very Wild West, very bloody Cowboy!

What's even more interesting is that the staff they have go unpunished and untrained, they are moronic and they bad ones are making the good ones look bad too.

If their is a Senior Manager or Director of Stoneacre or is that Ballacher out there, you should REALLY be paying attention to forums like this and improve your operation from top to bottom.

Tiger, it's a Bravo by the way, the Brava is discontinued too. I take it you saw what flavour his pastie was as he spoke to you with his mouth full? Animal.

Hi Tigerlily,
If it were me, I would write a friendly letter to the dealer Principal enclosing the bill for the work done.
They might argue that brake material is `wear and tear` but at least it gives you a chance of some recompense and them the chance to put things right.

It just seems so unusual that a car bought at a main dealers would have no warranty put on it at point of sale.

Just speaking generally as it were....
It would be a shame IMHO to seem to tar the Stoneacre group with the same brush, just because there were (allegedly) issues with a manager behaving badly at another dealership.

I mean, there are more than likely a lot of good Techs working away in there and maybe other staff that care about customer service.

Regarding the pasty, perhaps the poor bloke was just trying to snatch a working lunch or working through his break.

Hope you get it sorted anyway,

Regards

Oilrag

You're not an employee are you ???

of any company?

They can`t afford me

( Hang on, just enabling pm`s...just in case)

No, My field was the human mind and its interaction with society.

( Thats as near as you`re going to get)

Regards

Warranty dont cover discs at this age.

Normally a secondhand car is only covered for 30 days unless otherwise indicated.(some kind of contribution would of been nice from the garage though)

Fiat deliver in 2 days from main warehouse,not that 'stilo parts are uncommon',you paid extra for next day delivery which is your choice.

Custard, I would have titled that " Perkins Prima coming up to cruising speed"

At 5.25 pm? I know they work them hard, but still!

And £15 for next day delivery on the caliper (the discs and pads were in stock and would be there first thing in the morning anyway) was a damn sight cheaper than the £32 a day car hire from Enterprise, as I had to have a car for work.

I'm just stating the facts.

Salesmen work normally until at least 8pm so 5.25 would be feeding time at the zoo

During the sale you should have been offered an extended warrenty either as additional cost or puchase incentive. When you refused this the salesman should have told you that you would only have the 30 days cover.


To be fair about the courtesy cars its only viable to have so many courtesy cars. Their excuse may well have been legitimate and not their fault.

Would have expected them to offer the labour or something atleast as a gesture of goodwill tho.