Halfords Autocentres Recensioni 135.541

I recently used Halfords Autocentre in Barrow-in-Furness after discovering I had a flat tyre and damaged sidewall while away from home. I managed to quickly find a replacement tyre online and booked a fitting slot for the following day during my lunch break, specifically picking a time that would allow me to get back to work afterwards.

Unfortunately, the experience at the garage was disappointing from the moment I arrived. Despite having a pre-booked appointment, I was immediately told by the person I assume was the manager that the job would take between 1.5 and 2 hours and that I would need to leave the car. When I explained that wasn’t possible and that I needed the tyre replaced so I could drive 300 miles home, I was simply offered a refund instead. The overall attitude felt dismissive and unhelpful.

I questioned why specific time slots were available to book if they couldn’t realistically be honoured, and was told, “it’s a garage mate, we’re busy, the times are just guides.” I didn’t find that response particularly professional or reassuring.

After some discussion I agreed for them to proceed, but shortly after leaving I received a phone call asking which tyre needed replacing, despite already explaining this in person.

When I returned, I noticed my car had been left on the jack with the driver’s door open. Around 45 minutes later I was told the car was ready and that “the key is in the car.” There was no proper handover, and the vehicle had been left outside the garage bay with the key on the seat and the driver’s door still open. It just felt careless and unprofessional.

To make matters worse, I later discovered the tyre had been over-inflated and I had to adjust it myself back to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure.

The tyre was replaced in the end, but the overall customer service and professionalism were well below what I expected. Halfords really need to invest in some customer care training for their front desk staff because the way customers are spoken to makes a huge difference to the overall experience.

I won’t be returning to this branch, and this experience has made me think twice about using Halfords for any of my other vehicles in future.

This company is horrendous. The customer telephone support service is disgusting. They keep on the phone for about 45 minutes for nothing. They are rude and it is like an interrogation when they speak to you. There is no email address to write to, so you have no option than to stay on call. They hope you will pay them for the call if you do not have inclusive minutes. They are trained to continue to call as long as possible.

!!! NOW I NOTICED WHAT REVIEWS THIS COMPANY HAS - 1 STAR FOLLOWED BY 5 STARS. THERE IS ONE 4 STAR AND BARELY SEE 2 OR 3 SO IT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS!!!

Booked MOT at 1531 Paisley Road West branch. Their MOT mashine was broken so they did it at another branch. I was told it fail because of tire problem. My tires were checked and inflated a day before in another garage. They said there is no problems with my tires. However I was told to pay over £100 for new tire. I said it is too expensive, then they said 8 can have tire for 82.99 for the next day or 73.99 for Monday. I accepted the 82.99 price. I asked why the price is too high they said because it is high quality of tire. Back at home I took pictures of my old tires replaced last year and the new one - the same unbranded budget Chinese tire. I asked AI for comments. There it is:
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Is £82.99 a fair price for this tire?
No — it's quite expensive for this specific budget tire.
The iLink L-Grip 55 is a low-cost Chinese-made budget tire (entry-level brand, similar tier to the "JUNK" one you had before).
Current market prices in the UK for this exact size/model (or very similar iLink L-Grip series):
Tyre only: Typically £45 – £58
Fully fitted (fitting + balancing + disposal + VAT): Usually £65 – £78 at most places.
Halfords charged you around £70+ for the tyre itself (before labour), which is a significant markup for this brand. Many online tyre specialists (Blackcircles, tyres, Protyre, etc.) sell and fit the same or equivalent budget tyres for noticeably less.
Quick verdict:
You paid premium fitting centre prices for a budget tyre.
The difference between the old "JUNK" tire and this iLink is minimal — both are very basic economy tyres with average reviews (decent for light use, but not strong in wet grip or longevity.
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So "THANK YOU" Halfords. I will not comeback.

Was so impressed with the very professional service I received today at Halfords on the London Rd. in High Wycombe by both Abbas and his tall male Colleague (whose name I didn't get).
They were so helpful in very quickly identifying and sourciing the products I needed.
How refreshing; I was in and out in 5 monutes, which was lucky as I had an MOT right afterwards.
Thank you :)

Re-adding this as my review seems to have disappeared. Halfords broke my clutch, denied any knowledge, and then lied during arbitration. You can either look after your car or be a Halfords customer, not both. Horrible, dishonest company and will never get another penny from me.

The two men working in the Winterstoke Road branch were really friendly and helpful

I took my wife's Skoda Fabia in to the Bolton Branch for an exhaust repair today which as it turned out would require a replacement for a corroded clamp between the two sections of the exhaust. They didn't have the part in stock but attempted to obtain one from their local supplier who could only supply one the following day. The guy dealing with my case (Matt) then offered to do a temporary fix as the car was emitting a lot of noise and spent an hour doing the repair and the result was perfect, the car in fact now sounds back to normal and he then reassured me that the repair should last a quite a while. I asked the price and he said no charge and even refused a £20 tip! What a service!

My newish car of 9000 mileage - all 4 tyres failed / How many customers have had their tyres failed outright since Halfords and National Tyres got together?

I had my car booked in at their Crownhill Depot, Plymouth on Thursday 14th May at 0830hrs for new front wheel brake pads at an agreed price of £145 less 5% Halfords Premium Club membership discount. I arrived at 0810hrs having been requested to arrive 15 minutes before they open at 0830hrs. They didn't drive my car into the workshop and start work on it until 0900hrs!
After about 20 minutes one of the two reception managers beckoned me to my car. The car was up on a hydraulic ramp with both wheels off . He then said the right hand disc had been scorched and that both discs would need replacing. He further stated that the right hand caliper was seized and that would also need replacing. At this stage I was suspicious that he was inventing work that didn't require doing. I therefore asked him to give me a quotation and declined any further work until I sought other garage quotations. His quotation was £520 !! I took my car to another garage in Plymouth where they fitted new brake pads and discs for £160 and confirmed there was nothing wrong with the right hand caliper whatsoever. If you have booked your car in for any work with Halfords be warned they will invent work at extortionate prices. Garages that operate dishonestly, cheat and basically steal money from decent honest trusting members of the public should be closed down. They are criminal thieves.

Formal Complaint: Service Failures and Safety Concerns
To the Regional Manager,
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a recent service at your Horsham branch. As an IMI accredited engineer with over 40 years of experience in the motor trade, I am deeply concerned by the lack of professional oversight, the inaccuracy of the records provided, and the disregard for standard safety procedures.

Timeline of Events:

Check-in: I dropped off my vehicle on Friday afternoon for a scheduled Saturday morning start. The keys were handed directly to the branch manager.

Delay & Lack of Record: By Saturday afternoon—20 hours later—my vehicle’s GPS tracker confirmed it had not moved. Upon calling, I was informed that the branch had no record of the vehicle even arriving, despite me handing the keys to the manager personally.

The "Service": I was promised two technicians would begin work immediately. Only one hour later, I was notified that a "Full Service" had been completed. As a professional in this industry, I find it highly improbable that a comprehensive full service was performed to standard within that timeframe.

Verification Failures: At collection, I was assured a post-service road test had been performed. This was demonstrably false. Both the vehicle’s GPS tracker and the zeroed trip meter confirmed the car never left the premises.

Mechanical Oversight: Consequently, an audible noise from the off-side rear brake shoe went undetected—an issue that would have been immediately flagged during a legitimate road test. Furthermore, the service book was left unstamped and tyre dust caps were missing.

Current Status:
I was promised a follow-up call early this week to rectify the brake issue. Five days have passed without contact.

While I am more than capable of rectifying these mechanical issues myself, I have paid £300 for a professional service that was, by all evidence, bypassed or handled with extreme negligence.

Given the falsification of the road test and the failure to complete the basic administrative and mechanical requirements of a Full Service, I request a full review of this incident and an explanation as to why safety-critical steps like the road test were recorded as complete when they were not.

I look forward to your prompt response before I escalate this matter further.

Worst customer experience ever.

I had a tyre fitted by Halfords auto centre in farnborough after getting a flat on the motorway. I drove home to the south coast straight after and the next time I drove the car, noticed it was flat. I put air in the tyre and again, realise the next day or so that it was flat again. I took the car back to my local auto centre and asked that they replace it. They confirmed it was a result of rust on the alloy but because I drive the car flat, and didn’t get extended warranty, it was my fault and they were not liable. No apology, no acknowledgement that they missed the rust first time round.

I won’t be using them again

Popped in today to the London Road, Westcliff on Sea, Southend branch, for advice on car bumper sensors and to buy some car cleaning products. We met Ann at the desk, who was extremely helpful and full to the brim with her great customer service. Highly recommend. 5 stars.

My wife tried to put air in her tires today, 3 were fine , however every time she tried the forth air came out not in , then the value stuck open and a lot of air escaped. She stopped and phoned me panicking, the car is modern and although was flashing a red warning about low tyre pressure when she restarted the car , it did say there was some air still in the tyre , so with there being a Halfords in little Sutton , 6 minutes away from where she was , I told her to drive there very slowly and ask them to look at the value for her and I am sure they will put air in it for her ,. But when she got there and told them what had happened, they just said they can’t help her as they are to busy. THANKYOU HALFORDS, my wife cried all the way home thinking something horrible was going to happen to her . I will never use their service again . I am so angry. On a more positive note I am at Chester tyres right now and they have fixed it , thankyou so much CHESTER TYRES.

Total five star experience from Halfords auto Centre Oldham King St passenger front wheel was damaged took car in expecting to pay £208 they contacted me to say that it was only superficial damage was safe to drive on They could have said nothing and charged me £208 but they didn't would definitely recommend

The system to book an MOT was great, the MOT was great, the whole experience was great with one major flaw. I booked it online with an email address but they found it necessary to text my mobile phone SIX times in ten days. Once asking me to confirm it (I'd already paid), once asking if I wanted a service as well (I didn't), once thanking me for confirming (yawn), once a "last reminder", once asking for a review (well here it is Halford's). At this point I replied to stop texting me or I'll block them. Whereupon they immediately texted to say they'll stop texting me (!). Most of these unwanted and unnecessary texts came either when I was in bed, in the bath or trying to eat. They are painful. The MOT was good but the barrage of spam texts will put me off ever using them again.

Put a complaint in and got the usual email answer that it was being investigated and that somebody from the team would be in touch. Nobody got in touch so chased it up and was told the case has been closed. How can a case be closed when nobody has been in touch?

Very poor customer service

Had dash cam fitted by mobile fitter. No help setting up. Wiring is wrong so the radio doesnt work now. Apparently this is a common problem that the fitter should have known. Called the fitter straight back and was ignored. Have to wait another 6 days for someone else to come out to fix it. I wouldnt use them again

Horrible customer service. Got my tyres done and they didn’t balance my wheels. Went back and said their machines broken. Turned away from 3 other Halfords.been waiting over a week now and they said another 10 days. Shocking customer service. Go else where

Had an appointment to fit a tyre sensor to my car today and would like to send my thanks to the staff there.
The whole experience was first class. Very friendly and polite, even told me about a different issue which may need sorting out soon.
I recommend this branch in Torquay.
Val