Smiths Motor Group Avis 

I purchased a second hand Tesla Model 3 Performance from Smiths Nissan Peterborough. All of my queries were dealt with by Daniel Hadman.

I live over four hours away so getting him to run out to the car and send pictures, videos and check things over for me was no trouble at all for Daniel.

Using a third party finance company was also seamless and I had all required documentation from Daniel almost instantly to have the finance paid out on time.

The car was delivered and I’m over the mood with it. Unfortunately it was missing the charging cables but Daniel had brand new ones shipped out right away. I had some condensation in one of the rear taillights and this is being fixed by Tesla and being reimbursed by Smiths Nissan Peterborough.

Would I buy again from Smith Nissan Peterborough? Absolutely!

Thanks again for everything.

5 stars for the test drive, minus 2 stars from max 5 for not willing to negotiate a price and letting me walk out of the door, I was willing to purchase there and them and not go see second choice car mac-E if we could agree a buy today price, I made an offer then increased to my max limit but was turned down as they said the car had only been in 2 weeks, how many times have I heard that before, a little disappointed but still more cars out here and with the new RWD long range coming out I'm sure these 2 years old long range teslas will drop in price, anyway have agreed a price in a Mac-E long range but waiting to see if break disks will be changed by dealer to close the deal as they are worn.

Would never use these again, awful customer service! Ordered a new Hyundai Tucson hybrid ultimate for a cash purchase back in February 2024, delivery was suppose to be 19th April 2024. Not one phone call for any updates throughout I was contacting them, Paul Davies ignores emails and phone calls. I was called a day before delivery on 18th April to be told that they do not have the car and Paul Davies told me he will try and get the car that I ordered through other dealerships. He told me he spent 3 days looking for the car that I had ordered & couldn't find any. (LIAR)

Just so you know Smiths & Paul Davies, it took me 10 minutes to find the car I was buying and I have bought it from Wilsons Hyundai in Epsom which delivered the car to me within 5 days!
Smiths & PAUL DAVIES are liars & time wasters!! Waited 3 months and was let down No sorry at all, tried blaming manufacture!!

AVOID THIS DEALERSHIP & DEALING WITH PAUL DAVIES - Wasted a lot of my time & money.

If your looking for a New car on cash purchase I would highly recommend Wilsons Hyundai Epsom - These are great guys!

They get 1 star for the chap meeting you at the car park entrance where you drop it off to be serviced .
Don’t bother awful customer service the service department is not up to scratch
.Gad it in for a check rattle I suspected Tappets or lower oil chain.Left car with them got it back told it been fixed cowling clips re -attached with new clips . They didn’t tell me the radiator bolt had been sheared off or the crank case seal leaking oil this was from the day before and probably the only good thing that I took it back to garage that literally just the day before had fitted new clutch and seal .They checked the car over for me appologised for the crank case seal they hit from Millfield autos non Nissan seal which they’ve fitted correct Nissan seal and all ok .What it ant ok is the broken sheared off nut done by Nissan denied today by their service manager David who I’d been trying to get hold of since 19 March now march 28th !
I’m now going to rake it to small claims court
I took my car their as I wanted a professional definitive analysis of the problem after all their Nissan they should know.
A complete waste of £150 further I went through a puddle got water in passenger seat they said another £190 when I’d write can you get this out as part of the service .They said after unplug drain holes and there isn’t any
A real terrible experience and still have not got to the problem where the rattle comes from just experienced giving £150 to a garage that did not do proper work failed to notify relevant problems and a sheared off bolt done on their premises
Avoid this place like the plague .The best bit was the meet n greet car attendant the rest went rapidly downhill. A ….. 0 out of 10 and a terrible attitude by staff member a service manager apparently off on into work suffering with migraines I dunno if that’s a excuse for continued lack of responses or make me feel sorry I really don’t know ?
I’m £150 out of pocket and a broken radiator bolt
I’ve asked for a refund of this money and was told clips holding cowling on were replaced by Henry but told they were temporary attachments by David service manager telling me they’d charge me for 2 clips basically plastic from its I’ve given them a payment of £150 for cmon smiths Nissan is that customer service
And a sheared off bolt to boot
Please forward to my email your legal address for sending small claims N1 form

Last August, I travelled 35 miles to buy my 69 plate Nissan Micra. Upon viewing, the brake light was chipped and I was promised for this to be repaired before delivery.

Upon delivery - the brake light was not repaired. Peterborough (SMITHS) Nissan had over promised and underdelivered. The car was taken back to SMITHS Nissan. Days after, the car was delivered and repaired.

2 months later, smoke was seeping through my bonnet whilst I was on the dual carriageway and out of town - I was terrified.

My car was towed to my local Nissan for repair. After calling Nissan for a courtesy car (which I am entitled to), I was told to call RAC for a car. After calling RAC for a courtesy car I was told to call Nissan - who I had just spoken to! This viscous circle continued until I became frustrated and decided the hassle and unhelpful staff was not worth the courtesy car.

Whilst I waited for my car to be repaired, I, in desperation, humiliatingly paid family, friends and taxis for lifts to work.
The car was repaired and returned to me after one week. However, after driving the car twice, the car began to violently shake when exceeding . Once again, I was out of town, on the dual carriageway and terrified.

I called SMITHS Nissan and was booked to bring the car in for a check. As my car was barely in a condition that could be driven, it was unable to drive to Peterborough, 35 miles away from home. I had therefore taken my car to my local Nissan. This was also communicated to SMITHS at the time. I was told it would take 6 weeks for my car repair.

After many many attempts and struggles of trying to get the courtesy car, Nissan provided a car 2 weeks after the car was taken for repair. After 5 weeks, I had called Nissan for an update on my car as I was hoping to collect it soon.

Unfortunately, no progress was made.

After waiting a month and a half without my car, I was told there was no progress, my car is still in the same position it was 5 weeks ago and no sign of repair taking place!

Thus, I asked for a refund for the car. 5 months since buying the car, 6,000 miles on the clock yet 3/5 of this time the car has been spent in the garage - meanwhile, I am still paying insurance for my car and road tax all whilst the value of the car also depreciates just to idly sit at a garage.

I have driven a courtesy car for longer than the car that I actually paid for!

SMITHS Nissan was spoken to by my case worker and refused to buy the car back. Their reasoning was “RAC didn’t bring the car to SMITHS Nissan after breakdown” and “the car is over 4 years old”.

1. The car was not 4 years old at time of purchase.
2. Originally, I was booked in to bring the car to SMITHS Nissan. However, the state of the car meant it was unable to drive 35 miles to Peterborough, therefore it was taken to the local Nissan. Peterborough Nissan was aware of this at the time as this was communicated to them. At no point was I provided the option of towing the car to Peterborough.
3. 2 breakdowns within 4 months after purchase - both times out of town on the dual carriageway. At neither breakdown was I advised to tow the car to SMITHS NissN due to risk of compromised rights in the future. This is a mutual understanding between both buyer and dealership and was not communicated to me.

I have worked extremely hard to buy this car; bought specifically from SMITHS Nissan for its good reputation and reliability. Instead, my car spent most of the time sitting idly in the garage! It has been a constant battle with this car since buying it from SMITHS Nissan.

This dealership failed to take accountability for their actions - not only this, but they were unwilling to rectify their mistake and give me a refund.

Edit/Update: 21/03/2024

Thank you Nissan for your response. As mentioned in my review, you have failed to take accountability and rectify your mistake. This has clearly been displayed in your response to my review.

I was hopeful when buying my car that I was buying from a reputable dealership, however post-sale service has been absolutely horrendous and unhelpful.

Thank you for your dismissive response, you have not only proven my review to be truthful but also deflected taking any form of accountability for this case.

I wanted to take a moment to show my gratitude to the amazing team at SMITHS OF ILKESTON- VAUXHALL
for being absolute genuine legends.
I started driving just over 32 years ago, I've been to many dealerships in the east Midlands, but I've never had such outstanding, top class customer support and service from a car dealership in all my driving years.
Your knowledge, dedication, expertise, and genuine care for your customers truly sets you apart from everyone.
The moment i walked into your showroom i was given a warm welcome like an old valued family friend. Your ability to listen to what I wanted with my requirements along with your experience and knowledge of the trade is unmatched in my eyes.
Thank you so much to each and every one of your lovely team at smiths for ensuring that each time I've interacted with you it's been a positive and memorable one.
I'm sure you can see; I will be highly recommending to everyone to use smiths for any further cars in the future.

Kind regards
Stuart

Richard Allen was very professional completing the sale and part exchange deal. This was from my first contact to the day I collected my newer E-Class all the way through the sale. I am delighted with the car. Many thanks Richard.

I had my Dacia serviced at another garage but later found a warning light had come on but after returning my car and keeping it for another full day they could not identify what the warning light was connected to. Called Smiths Peterborough, where I had originally purchased my Dacia from, and arranged an appointment. From walking in to collection the reception staff were brilliant. A big shout out here to Dani who was so helpful and friendly. The fault was easily found by the mechanics (oil reset counter was not set to zero by the first garage after they serviced it) who also performed a free health check and identified my tyre inflation kit had expired, thank you to them as well. Without the free health check being done I may have found myself in a sticky situation had I needed to inflate my tire. I was kept informed all day and even sent a video by the mechanic, fantastic service.
In conclusion an excellent experience and a 10 out of 10 for everyone.

Didn't reset my service light properly and no longer do servicing on Saturdays so useless for working people.

Visited to look at SUVs, as considering buying one as a family car. Was ignored in Nissan, was given subpar advice in Dacia but at least I was approached.

A Massive thank you to Angus Ray for the way he dealt with our enquiry and supplying our new Renault Clio.the transaction went without any hitch. Very professional and a pleasure to deal with

Great customer service and sale from Matthew. Very happy!

I am beyond frustrated with Dacia/Renault customer services. Smiths peterborough and auto fix bodyshop in Peterborough. 2 warranty claims made on a 6 month old duster and both times they told me they were accepted, they weren't. They just couldn't be bothered to follow the process and did it under good will. The first time would of given me the opportunity to reject the vehicle as it was within 30days but the dealership ignored the advice to investigate further and perhaps send back to factory. They mucked up a simple warranty job on my bumper after having it a week and a half and decided to polish my bonnet and scratch it all. It's been back with them for 2 weeks now and can I get a response back on when I can have my vehicle back... NO! They are ignoring all requests for me rejecting the vehicle due to paintwork quality issues. No one is responding.

Edit: I have emails of proof to tell me both warranty claims had been accepted and was never told about it being done under good will. Dacia services told me the first warranty claim was not rejected aa the bodyshop didn't submit more images and investigation as requested. In terms of being kept upto date, I kept having to chase for updates and return of my car. I received my car with the bumper still not done correctly, the paintwork had indentations and the edge wasn't a smooth finish, director said this was down to the moulding of the bumper which is incorrect as I have taken photos throughout. They made an offer to buy back my vehicle and said they had no need for apology. They wouldn't release the funds until they collected the courtesy vehicle which left me without a vehicle and returned my £270 dog guard which is customised to the car with pieces missing. And no offer of compensation to reimburse me for this unless I buy another brand new car with Renault/dacia which means I would have to put yet more money out my pocket to cover the shortfall.
This will be going to the ombudsman

I had an outstanding experience at Smith's Renault in Peterborough, and it all began with a warm and friendly greeting from Tim Chandler. From the moment I walked through the doors, I felt like a valued customer. Tim's welcoming smile and genuine enthusiasm for Renault vehicles set the stage for what turned out to be an exceptional journey.

Tim Chandler was not just a salesperson; he was an accurate guide throughout our process of ordering our new Renault Megane E-Tech Techno+. He patiently walked us through every step, ensuring we had a clear understanding of the options available to us. Tim's extensive knowledge of Renault cars was evident, and he took the time to answer all of our questions, making us feel confident in our decision.

What truly stood out was the personalised approach. Tim took the time to understand our needs and preferences, helping us configure the perfect vehicle to meet our requirements. He wasn't just interested in making a sale; he was dedicated to ensuring we made the right choice for our needs.

After we placed our order and drove away with the anticipation of our new Renault Megane, the exceptional service continued. We received a follow-up email from Richard Swords, which showcased Smith's Renault's commitment to customer satisfaction. Richard's email was not a mere formality; it genuinely conveyed their interest in our experience and their willingness to assist with any future needs.

In summary, Smith's Renault in Peterborough is a dealership that truly understands how to provide exceptional customer service. Tim Chandler's warm greetings, expert guidance, and personalised approach, combined with the follow-up care from Richard Swords, make this dealership a standout choice for anyone considering a Renault purchase. I wholeheartedly recommend them for their commitment to ensuring a positive and memorable car-buying experience.

Still waiting on a call back from Mike! After no contact for two weeks waiting to hear from you! I called the dealership and conveniently Mike was unavailable to speak to so I left my name and number, almost a week later no call back.

I spent 6 months researching the Hyundai model and spec that I wanted, this included the sellers and getting a feel for market. I believe that my patience was worth it, navigating through the minefield of second hand sellers I realised that an approved Hyundai car was the best option and slightly cheaper cars are a false economy. Smiths of Peterborough were exceptional at every stage of my purchase: professional, courteous, fair, understanding and a truly first class service. The quality of my 4+ year old car is outstanding; full service history, bought and sold at the dealership, warrant included, no additional fees and the bodywork, wheels and tyres are what I wanted and expected. The sales person Paul Davies was a gentleman and extremely professional and a credit to the company. I live 120 miles away and the car was delivered and my experience was painless and actually enjoyable - thanks

Had my service last week at Smiths Renault Peterborough.Very happy with the service.Girls on the front desk very helpful,friendly and efficient.

I bought a vehicle from Smith's Peterborough and if this review was based on the sale, it might be different. One year on and it's time for a service. To start, booking online mentions service for EV starts at £159. (According to staff, it's actually £179 because they can set their own price) I was told £209 on the day so I went with it expecting that meant a major service. Waiting in their showroom for it to be done, I get a text telling me of a perished tyre and brake pads down to 5mm all needing to be replaced. I decline. I've only added around 6000 miles since buying the car. It pretty much came from them in that condition which they might have seen on their pre sales check that they do. In the service book, I see they've carried out a minor service. No checks on the suspension or any linkages. No check on equipment supplied instead of a spare wheel. Under that heading on their report, all they state is "Boot Full". The boot was most definitely not full and they couldn't be bothered or didn't know. A battery report should be included. It was not. Various other problems discovered also. I have sent several messages to the Service Manager only for my messages to go unanswered. I was told they are not EV specialists, so why would they take on the work? I feel ripped off and fobbed off. I certainly believe in the following "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." You'll not be seeing me to service the vehicle again unless there is a drastic change.

EDIT in response to reply

Thank you for the refund of the extra money taken. The "service" that was carried out on the vehicle could have been done by anyone with eyes and a set of vernier calipers. I still have no battery report (I suspect staff just glanced at the battery health indicator in the vehicle). I don't know the health of any linkages or the steering system or suspension as none of that was included as it should have been. If you were going to mention the tyres were perished, you might have mentioned all 4 as supplied with the vehicle as they all were slightly perished. Only two were mentioned and quoted for.

Brought myself a Megane mk 4 GT Nav with low mileage and great condition. Managed to get the car in less than a week after test driving. Great experience, friendly staff.