"Very disappointed - poor customer care"

On 28th April 2023, I purchased a vehicle from Pinetree Tonypandy, and paid for it outright. I should state that the salesman, Steve, was very helpful. When I went to drive the car out, I was unable to get it into gear. The salesman was nearby and when I explained my predicament, he got in and the gears worked. I drove out on to the main road and got a few hundred yards when the gears refused to function. I had to pull off the main road to get out of traffic, switched the engine off and tried again. Nothing. With stopping and starting and stalling in traffic, I got back to my home and immediately telephoned Steve to tell him of my problem. He advised getting the car back in order for it to be looked at. Had I not been officiating at a funeral that afternoon, I would have, but a good friend came out of his workplace and eventually got the car back to Pinetree. Initially, Pinetree were unable to discover the fault and advised me that the car had been sent to Swansea for an inspection. Again nothing found, until the salesman and a member of staff had the fault occur whilst they were driving it. Meanwhile, in order to go about my business I had shelved out almost £1000 on car hire over the next two weeks. My newly purchased car had been in my ownership for less than an hour. Without an explanation, I called in to Pinetree in person to find out what was happening. Now the fault was diagnosed and the faulty part was replaced. Eventually I was told that the car was ready to be collected and that the fault had been remedied. I called in to collect the car, only to be met with a disgruntled member of after sales staff because I had disturbed her lunch. Digging my heels in, I said that I was not waiting any longer and wanted my car as promised. She rummaged in a pot of keys and gave me them. But my car was nowhere to be found. No one knew where it had been put. Eventually another member of staff came to my aid and located my vehicle and it was brought to me. I drove it home, more than a little apprehensive, but everything seemed ok until I got home and then tried the windscreen wipers and the passenger wiper snapped in half. I looked closer at the wipers and there is no way that they could have passed the new MOT which had been issued. So far, a faulty clutch and damaged windscreen wipers. I took the car back to Pinetree again and it was finally discovered that the motor for the drivers side wipe was not functioning. How had this car ever been allowed off the forecourt. The salesman has been as helpful as he can be. However, after sales do not provide the customer care that I expect. Being told that phone calls have been made were untrue. I had a phone all when I was in Ireland and despite saying that I could not drop the car in that day or the next day because I was in the Republic of Ireland did not seem to sink in. At 17.08 last Friday afternoon, I received a call, but I not in the area at the time and I knew from previous experience that the workshop closed at 17.30. I really need a car to carry out my duties as a clergyman, but totally regret handing over my £5000+ for a vehicle which should not have been sold in the first place. Having had my fingers burned by another large car dealer, I had hoped for a better experience. Customer care is non-existent. So havin* paid out for the car, an additional amount for warranty, about £1000 for car hire whilst my “new car” was in the hands of Pinetree, and still awaiting a call to sort out the windscreen wiper motor, I am not a happy customer. If the car was presenting the faults already described, what else is going to happen or appear. This car was never properly checked and I question its MOT testing. I have even submitted an official complaint which has not even been acknowledged. My advice - stay clear. I will never even consider Pinetree again.

Thank you for your response, albeit two months in the coming. Just a couple of points:
1. You wrote to me pointing out that I should have used the complaints procedure instead of going to Trustpilot. I pointed out to you and copied to you my formal complaint sent to the email address on your own website, which you have now conveniently changed.
2. The initial fault was rectified eventually, but the subsequent faulty wiper was rectified once I was back in the country - certainly not at my convenience.
3. I was still left well out of pocket in this with no offer of recompense being made,

Had your handling of this made me feel like the so called “valued customer” I would have tempered my review accordingly. Unfortunately, you failed to do so and I stand by my original review. In view of the faults already highlighted and eventually addressed, I still feel that this vehicle was not properly checked and I question the MOT carried out as, at least one fault would have been an MOT failure.

"Avoid!"

My husband and I bought a car a couple months back. A week after having it is when the problems started, the car would overheat and go into limp mode/couldn't get up to speed. After eventually getting through to the aftercare team we were told we'd have to get the car back to them ourselves and no courtesy car was available, eventually after much 'pestering' we managed to get a courtesy car.

We were told the car needed a new engine and given a timeline of when we should get it back, that was 2 months ago since then its been delays after delays, new issues arising all the time, lack of communication.

However when there is communication the staff are less than helpful, they name call most recently calling my husband a troll for stating he'd take this further go public etc and try to use examples of laws and acts (applied incorrectly) to try confuse or I assume intimidate the customer.

"Read this before you buy a car from these …..if you buy one hope you don’t have any problems afterwards"

Don’t know where too start really.after sales is absolutely appalling I wouldn’t buy a another car of these even if it meant not having a car.so let’s begin!!!!!!bought a Audi s3 of these guys back in January the 28th
Too be exact.a week after having the car it started too rough idle and near enough cut out.after nearly a fortnight of trying too contact after sales left numerous answer phone messages with no response.finally got through asked me too bring the car in for a code scan.lost half a days work too drive it there.tech didn’t know how too fix it so booked in too Audi.waited a month for it too go too Audi needed a courtesy car while it was in.after sales said they can’t guarantee a car(even though they had a month too sort one) as my partners mum is ill so rely’s on her car I offerd too pay Audi for a courtesy car myself which they advised they will try too sort one so not too.day before the car was meant too go too Audi not heard anything off them.when I called them I was told they had no cars.mad rush and 130 quid later managed too sort one.bear in mind Audi only wanted 30 a day.car was with Audi for 2 days.Audi contacted me too let me know it was ready.nothing from pine tree not even a courtesy call too see if every thing was ok.2 more half days lost driving back and forth Audi who also advised the codes had originally deleted also the the cars apparently have a Rac check but the brake pads are worn down too nearly 15% and disks are shot so more money for me too pay out on top.I had the car back and the issue was still there.spent another week trying too contact them too see what they was going too do promised call backs.no call backs.finally got a call a week last Friday saying it’s bank holiday they will sort it out on Tuesday when they are back.guess what another week later still not heard anything of them so as it stands I still have the car which by the way has been cutting out on us,happy too take 25k of us but no response from this lot still to tell us what they are going too do about it.it’s as if they just ignore us hoping we will go away .they will probably come back too this with some crap trying too defend their actions but the truth of it is they are shocking!!!!!!!by far the worst company I have ever come across,dodgy car sales the should be called.I wish I could give them lower than 1 star.before you say you don’t recognise us as a customer sv18 mgy is the original registration.there is a picture on their web site of us picking the car up.

"Dodgy garage. Avoid at all costs"

My daughter bought a car from these people only to return it for an oil leak. They kept the car for 10 days to fix it. When they returned it the oil leak was still there. So, she took it to an independent garage who told her the oil leak has tried to be fixed with sealant and classed it as shoddy work. She went back to pine tree cars who have just shrugged it off. She is now down 600 pound due to pine tree cars. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS GARAGE avoid at all cost. They are only interested in your money and selling sub standard cars.

"Terrible Service & Not Trustworthy"

I purchased a car which at the time of viewing had a vibration when the car was idle. I was advised this is normal yet upon purchasing the car I took it to a local garage who advised this is in fact not normal although to sales reps had advised me it was. I bought the car 3 weeks ago and it went back into the Pinetrees garage a week after taking possession of the car and still remains with them as now they admit there is a problem but have to pass it to Jaguar to investigate. I believe they knew there was an issue and fobbed me off. Be very careful when purchasing a car from them and check the car over first.

"Great car company"

Recently purchased a car from Pinetree for my day Nursery.
The staff were brilliant helping me choose the perfect car to transport children back and forth school on a daily basis, they went above and beyond their roles and got the car delivered to my Nursery with a new MOT & valeted to a high standard.
Such a quick & stress free purchase, I would purchase a car here again without a second thought.
Thank you Kay for all your help, 10/10 for Pinetree Car Superstore.

"Excellent service!"

Purchased a vehicle in February, brilliant service from sales staff, cannot fault the vehicle, my son is extremely happy with it. This is the second car we have purchased at Pinetree and will definitely recommend to family and friends.

"TWO FAULTY CARS"

We bought not one, but TWO faulty cars from pine tree. Honestly don’t know how they are still operating, their cars are useless! First faulty car had something so wrong with it that it could have blown up (that’s what the sales guy said). Second faulty car leaking huge amounts of water inside the car.

We had to wait a week for the first car to get ‘prepped and AA checked’ only the find when we go to pick it up a week later nothing had been done with it and the car was still stinking full of dog hair hadn’t been cleaned. It had the ‘AA Check, MOT and service’ but they seemed to not notice a crack in the coolant which was draining as soon as it was filled up, and gas getting in the pipes that we noticed after driving the car for 10 minutes. They tell us the car is no good and they got us out of the deal after paperwork signed and car brought home. Very apologetic and helpful services received from sales staff which fooled us into buying a second one.

We go back and pick a second car we really liked (as we was desperate for a car and they were good with the first one). Again waited a week for it to have the ‘checks’, went to pick it up yesterday all looking good at least it had been cleaned this time. Drove it 2 minutes down the road, parked it on hill and the car flooded with water in the passenger footwell, and I mean it was a lot of water.

Drove it back to the garage to say this car is leaking and the ‘leak specialist guy’ laughs and says the sunroof was open. We go home embarrassed but relieved it wasn’t faulty. Only to then drive to Cardiff the same day after the sunroof was closed properly by the garage and again car leaking all the way home huge amounts of water after only being parked in the rain for an hour. We get home and the car is absolutely soaking wet inside. Water was dripping from the sunroof all the way down to the footwell. Soaking ceiling and footwell. The sunroof drainage system is broke. They clearly knew about this and sold us this faulty car on purpose.

It only took us less than 10 minutes to notice both of these cars were faulty and they are telling us that all the mechanics who did the checks, AA checks, services and MOT’s on both cars over a week for each car couldn’t pick up these issues!!!!! When two useless people (us) who know nothing about cars picked them up in 10 minutes.

DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM PINETREE. Absolutely wasted our time, wish I’d listened to the negative reviews in the first place. We are just lucky we picked up the issues in the day of collection when some people we know didn’t spot issues on their cars until it was too late!

The only good thing I can say is that Mo was absolutely amazing the whole time. What a cracking sales man he is a credit to the company and it wasn’t his fault the mechanics failed to pick up these issues!!

You’ve been warned not to go there.

EDIT: won’t let me reply to their response. What a complete joke of a response. You are all complete liars everything you just said in your reply is completely wrong. We were told the first car could have blown up due to gas getting in the pipes and it would cost you £3000 to repair and you deemed the car not sellable and had to go to auction. You did not offer to fix it for us due to it costing you £3000!

Then the second car we have video footage and proof that the drainage system is broken and it wasn’t because the roof was left open taking it a while for the water to drain out what a complete lie!!! My husband sat in the car in the pouring rain and watched as the rain was dripping through the drainage system into the car inside and recorded it and showed your sale consultant. When we returned the car the following morning you confirmed the drainage system on the sunroof was broken and you had to take the whole roof off to fix it so we had to wait another week for the car (we had waited 2 weeks in total so a third week was not possible with my husband needing a car to get to work!) so we asked for our old car back due to needing one desperately. Plus we had lost all faith in your cars with two of them being faulty with things that we picked up in 10 minutes and your mechanics couldn’t pick up! So don’t go writing your garbage reply when we have all the proof and evidence that the cars were faulty when you sold them to us.

"Aftersales issues/dangerous powersteering failureand lack off communication"

Well where do I start. Sales was ok so my son bout the seat ibiza until a problem with power steering failed at 60mph. Contacted bridgend they said I have to ring Tonypandy store.
They then said warranty is nothing to do with them and is rac warranty.
We have left numerous messages to pintree as the cost of repair is £1300 and rac will only pay £1000 and pinetre not giving and responsible on pay the shortfall when we bought the car they said any issue bring it back and they will sort it out. Reponsonse was if he can spend that much on a car then he can afford 300 quid. He ain't been in collage or work due to no transport and take 3 weeks to fix car. Now £300 pound they want him to pay. What they don't have is and customer service please avoid and go else where. Worse than trade centre wales. As I see you have responded fast on here but then still no call or correspondence.

"told us we had warrantee on the car"

told us we had warrantee on the car, when we questioned it we were told it was through RAC, and then we were told only £1000 is covered and we have to pay the outstanding. and every time we try to contact them we get no reply, and when they do answer they’re rude!!!! awful service in my opinion.