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jbk



Member Since: 22 Nov 2015
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 181

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Santorini Black
Lookers Chipperfield Land Rover
Received the most shocking retail experience of my life from these people when buying a new car from them 6 months ago. Had to call them back recently for some warranty work, behaved just as badly again. Don't expect calls to be returned, don't expect them to answer questions clearly, don't expect them to be even be bothered to take your money for additional options on a car you want to buy.

My mind was truly boggled as to the incompetence and lack of interest from these people, you would have to try very hard indeed to match the shocking service they offer, dealing with them is like living in some alternate reality where the less money a business takes and more disruptive to a customer it can be, the better a business it is. If you have lots of time to waste and fancy a laugh at how shockingly behaved a business can be, go check these guys out!!
Post #563193 11th Sep 2016 7:38pm
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familymad



Member Since: 13 Dec 2011
Location: Bucks
Posts: 3459

 2016 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 HCPU Santorini Black
Utterly agree with your findings. 1951 80" S1 2.0
1995 110 300TDI
1995 90 300TDI
Post #563197 11th Sep 2016 7:46pm
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jbk



Member Since: 22 Nov 2015
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 181

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Santorini Black
Incredible huh!

This happened to be a) my first ever brand new car purchase and b) my first ever Land Rover product. Amazing to think of the lifetime customer value range that a new customer could represent, and how that figure, due to this experience has now most likely reduced to a big fat £0 from me. After all of the effort you made trying to catch me!! Bad business. Land Rover and Lookers dealer, where are your brains? (bullet to head emoji, yours and mine!, goes here!)

Physical dealership death knell, i hope.
Post #563208 11th Sep 2016 8:27pm
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Pickles



Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3748

Australia 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Keswick Green
Re: Lookers Chipperfield Land Rover
jbk wrote:
Received the most shocking retail experience of my life from these people when buying a new car from them 6 months ago. Had to call them back recently for some warranty work, behaved just as badly again. Don't expect calls to be returned, don't expect them to answer questions clearly, don't expect them to be even be bothered to take your money for additional options on a car you want to buy.

My mind was truly boggled as to the incompetence and lack of interest from these people, you would have to try very hard indeed to match the shocking service they offer, dealing with them is like living in some alternate reality where the less money a business takes and more disruptive to a customer it can be, the better a business it is. If you have lots of time to waste and fancy a laugh at how shockingly behaved a business can be, go check these guys out!!

Lol!!!....Great post, & well done to you for stating your experience.
I can't understand firms like this, business is so competitive, and sometimes it's not about the price, it's about how you're treated,....obviously these guys get a zero in that regard.
Pickles.
Post #563235 11th Sep 2016 10:10pm
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Jamie W



Member Since: 28 Mar 2012
Location: Herts
Posts: 30

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Galway Green
I am glad someone has posted this.
I have brought 2 vehicles from Chipperfield Landrover one about 13 years ago and another about 8 years ago. I used them for servicing and parts etc on the latest vehicle. My experience was good and no matter what my query was I was treated with courtesy and as a valued customer.

However when Lookers purchased the garage from the previous owners I noticed a change in the place, a few of the usual faces disappeared and a new breed of employee was in attendance- I am sure you know the types.

It appeared to me that I did not matter as a lowly Defender owner, after all I was not spending mega bucks on a Range Rover.
A friend said that Stratstones at Wooburn Green was a great little family owned dealer just like Chipperfield used to be. The problem is when these big multi franchise dealers get involved it becomes totally focused on profit and image and they move away from their grass roots.

JBK suggested giving them a visit to see their incompetence first hand - I would suggest life is too short to waste a nano second in the presence of such muppetry!!!

Rant over!!!!!
Post #571513 17th Oct 2016 2:46pm
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BarneyRubble



Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Naphill
Posts: 103

England 2010 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Stornoway Grey
How strange, Chipperfield is one of the best I have found (so far).

Tried Stratstones in Aylesbury, Wooburn Green/Burnham/Slough, and also Lancaster at Reading, and won't be going back to any of them again!

Admittedly I haven't purchased a car from them, only had service work (and then on the Discovery, not the Defender), but apart from leaving the car dirty the last time (which they then cleaned up and offered a full valet) I have always found their customer service first class. Barney

D4 - 2016 Graphite, Montalcino Red
Written Off - 2010 90 Hard Top, Stornoway Grey
Post #571581 17th Oct 2016 6:35pm
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megatoad



Member Since: 07 Jan 2012
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 358

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver
Sadly I have to agree that the Lookers takeover of Chipperfield has been a disaster.

I bought my first defender there 6 years ago albeit second hand. But have had it serviced by them ever since. In the dying days of December on a whim we ordered a 90. We specified that we wanted to pick it up in March as we were keeping it a secret from the family. They ummed an ah'ed saying it had to be a 65 plate, then finally we got a 16.

They wanted to drop the car off on our drive on the night of the 29th Feb just to make room for their RR clientele but spending that amount of money we wanted to pick it up from the Dealership and put our foot down.

When we picked it up it did not have the specified Dixon Bate hitch on the rear and it took 2 months to get the promised spare numberplate.

As for the service staff, they have all disappered from the desk and now there are pretty girlies, not always bad but Defender drivers know whats wrong with their vehicles and expect to discuss it technically with somone of experience. You also now get put through to an annoying call centre to book appointments.

Unfortunatly my other local option is Stratstone in Aylesbury who by all accounts (and experience) are no better that Lookers! He who dies with the most toys wins Smile

Defender 90 & 110, S1 80", Disco 1, S111 88
LRSOC & CVLRC
Post #571803 18th Oct 2016 2:30pm
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xtr2turbo



Member Since: 30 Apr 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
I remember being in Chipperfield dropping a car off for service a few years ago.

A brand new top spec Range Rover was being reversed into the showroom for a customer to collect that day and it scraped the rear wing on one of the sliding door to the showroom.

Based on what I heard and saw next I felt sorry for the customer as they were clearly going to rush a repair so the buyer wouldn't be any the wiser when he came to collect.
Post #571826 18th Oct 2016 3:51pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11018

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
More bad news for Lookers...some might not be surprised.

"Lookers fraud investigation results in £4m charge as other irregularities uncovered"

"Misrepresented bonuses and fraudulent expenses will result in Lookers posting a one-off cash charge of £4m in its 2019 results.

The car dealership group announced in March that it had identified ‘potential fraudulent transactions’ in one of its operating divisions and delayed publishing its results.

The investigation – carried out with Grant Thornton LLP – has found that some debtor balances in respect of bonuses had been misrepresented, as well as some fraudulent expense claims."

And likely more to follow:

" The Lookers board has also extended the investigation across all of its divisions, but this has been delayed due to the on-going coronavirus crisis.

However, the statement says some other irregularities have already been discovered and these are also expected to result in another charge."

And on a wider note:

" Accountants UHY Hacker Young have said they believe other dealers could be facing similar issues and admitted it has taken on ‘several clients’ in similar positions."

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/lo...rge/190843
Post #827509 25th Apr 2020 5:29am
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3328

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
None of the above surprises me, Supacat. Where wages are either reliant on bonuses or the bonuses are at the eyewatering director type level, I would imagine many companies accounts have been 'massaged' so those people can get their cash or shares.
Even Tesco's were caught fiddling the books to make sales look better than they were - albeit to prop the shares up - but no doubt to keep the Directors bonuses in the way they would like them.
As has happened to Lookers, the train will only roll so long before it meets the buffers.
Post #827536 25th Apr 2020 8:34am
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