Halford's, a waste of time?

badabinbadaboom

Am I the only one who is amazed that halford's can actually do business when all there stuff is more expensive than a normal motor factors and thats if they have it.
Which they rarely do, and at times if you try to explain what your looking for you just get a blank look from the person behind the counter.
Their tools are also crap.

Lord Nikon

It's a boy racer shop that I can see.

fatboymsport

would not agree about the tools the are ok better than most of the chineese crap on the market at the miniute but as for buying anything there no there prices are crazy

MarkR

Three for two on autoglym stuff right now. Nothing wrong with that.

Lord Nikon

Thats not too bad for the Autoglym stuff.

Halfrauds have no real competitor and thats why they get away with the high prices. Motor Factors in general would never stock 1/10 of the stuff Halfrauds do, but sometimes it's nice to go in for a look around.

EPM

It's ok for the offers and stocking meguir's stuff but otherwise way overpriced and staffed by people who would be just as at home working in McDonalds for the most part.

I went in to get a new wiper for my car, found a Halfords own brand one I had used before so went to buy it. A guy - turned out to be the manager - said he'd reccommend another blade instead and I stupidly went along with it. Went to clip it in place and the bar was ever so slightly thicker than the one already on the car so it broke the assembly. I know its my own fault for clipping it in but the dude swore blind that it was better and for my car then denied all knowledge when I went back in with a big thick head on me:mad:

robtri

personally, I think halfords do a good job....
I wish when i was starting to tinker with cars there was a halfords around,
ok I know they are over priced, but a lot of that come down to overheads, look at their premises compared to an auto factors....
anyway, I rarely buy anything out of halfords and use my local auto factor,
but when youa re starting off tinkering they are great places to go... you can see all the different parts, look up the stock manuals and see the parts for your car...
you see other items there and might look at it and it might encourage you to give it ago at oing it yourself...

much better when you are starting off than going into an auto factor shop looking at only a counter and a load of boxes behind it...
just my opinion... halfords serve a purpose..

Mycroft H

I went to order a part in halfords. Gave them a ring beforehand. They said they didnt have it in stock but could order it. I Said that would be fine, then they said I had to pay before delivery.

Like what other motor factors operates like that?

Any i've went to you can pay when you get the parts but not halfords......

A gob****e in there once told me my petrol engine needed glow plugs. He said they preheated the engine. Bunch of idiots..... Cpl in maynooth is far better.

L-M

They are way overpriced, but they are open late some nights and as said above, they stock meguirs etc.

The tools are of a good quality and they do a nice socket set.

The staff in LImerick should be sent on a training course, they are fighting/shouting/bragging about doing donuts/ doing nothing most of the time.

geurrp the yard

If they invested a bit more time in employing proper staff, they would get alot more customers.And whats the story with the pink alloys that they sell.

Bandara

Can't see why people bash them all the time tbh

My missus car wouldn't start in blanch carpark on saturday afternoon, turns out the battery was banjoed. she walked into halfords in a panic, the bloke behind the counter left the shop and went to her car with some bit of kit to measure the battery power, confirmed that its the battery that the problem. He left her there, walked back (she was parked beside penneys which is a fair trek) and got a battery, installed it and she was motoring again.

The missus drove back to halfords to pay, the battery was €75 euro and the fitting cost her €6.99. You can moan and bitch about the price of the battery being dear or to fit a battery is really simple etc etc but on a Saturday afternoon in a busy shopping center to have someone diagnose the fault, install the battery and get her up and running it was bloody good service and all things considered I don't think €83 was excessive by any means. Neither me or my wife are mechanical people and when something breaks you really just need it fixed.

My first experience of them and its a thumbs up.

Masada

Halfords is great for things you need in a hurry and they often do good deals, If you have a trade card you can get 30% off too.
the big problem for me is the complete lack of knowledge in the staff. Ive heard them talking to customers in the past and filling them with complete bull, its shocking some of the things that come out of their mouths sometimes.

One time i was there a guy was asking for something for a Boxter engine, the halfords guy opens the book and looks for the Porsche section and then the customer said, "ah no, shes a subaru", then the halfords guy said, "haha, ya mad c*nt, they dont do boxters",

ROFL. i thought that was feckin brilliant.,:D

spadder

If your in the trade,get a trade card off them, about 20-30% off most parts.


I get alot of batteries, oils,filters, wires, switches etc. not bad on price with trade card.

Their "pro" range tools are top notch.

hussey

they price match other stores also

BeardyGit

Masada wrote: »

Halfords is great for things you need in a hurry and they often do good deals, If you have a trade card you can get 30% off too.
the big problem for me is the complete lack of knowledge in the staff. Ive heard them talking to customers in the past and filling them with complete bull, its shocking some of the things that come out of their mouths sometimes.

One time i was there a guy was asking for something for a Boxter engine, the halfords guy opens the book and looks for the Porsche section and then the customer said, "ah no, shes a subaru", then the halfords guy said, "haha, ya mad c*nt, they dont do boxters",

ROFL. i thought that was feckin brilliant.,:D

Maybe if the customer had told the Halfrauds employee he had a BOXER engine, he might have known better. Or how about just telling him which model of Subaru, CC etc., like most normal customers?

For those in the dark, Subaru don't do BOXTER's, nor do Porche do BOXER's...

And I can't for a minute believe that the use of unct there is anything other than an embellishment to an otherwise completely unremarkable customer interaction.

whippet

why are people bashing the staff here? Halfords is a supermarket for car parts. You you ask a young fella working in Tesco about which baby milk would be best for your child !!

Fan Boys of any technology, brand etc will alway get a perverse sumg sense of self importance when giving out about those who don't have the same level of knowledge as them.

The most typical is people giving out about min wage staff in the like of PC World not being whizz kids about what they are selling. Most of these people want to do their job and get the hell home!!!

Where halfords works is when my wife can walk in and buy a full set of bulbs for her car with out any knowledge of what they even look like. It is a market for them.

Likewise, I wouldn't buy anything from a typical computer store, I can order with part numbers from a multitude of sources without having to pay for the Value-Added services like a bricks and mortar store

lifer_sean

Most of the "car accessory" shops (to distinguish from "motor factors") in Limerick are gone. Other than Halfords I can only think of one other. Halfords do stock some stuff that the motor factors don't stock, such as adaptors and cables for fitting non-standard stereos. For some items such as polishes etc they are same price / marginally cheaper than the factors, and have a better range.

As regards buying parts off them, well if you are stuck for something on a Sunday afternoon (yes I have a sad life !) then they are the only show in town. Otherwise I wouldn't dream of going there for parts.

afatbollix

its cheep as chips up north... i got 3 for 2 on de icing stuff... before x-mas... 1 bottle of de-icer a de-icer scraper and an other one for £2 it was prob a 5er down here... it got rid of some change in me pocket...

I need a set of wipers and i wont go near the place... I going to suport the local guy from now on.... and im sure hes cheeper...

Masada

Gil_Dub wrote: »

And I can't for a minute believe that the use of unct there is anything other than an embellishment to an otherwise completely unremarkable customer interaction.

Yeah, ok, now that you've had your rant, back in the aul chair there Victor Meldrew. Why would i care what you believe? Its a story from one of my many visits there, simple as that.

Its written exactly as it happened and even if the customer didn't give the make and model, the halfords guy should have known the engine configuration used by Subaru in this case. But no, he never heard of one.

Halfords should stop recruiting in the Phy Clinic and start getting in people with Actual motoring knowledge, not stuff they read in MaxPower.

BeardyGit

Rant? Puh-leeease! :rolleyes:

Look, here's the thing - you expect a shelf packing, cash register riding young-fella to actually have mechanical experience....get a flippin' grip, will you? You can't expect the staff they employ to be able to mind read, or short of that, to know which of the many hundreds or cars a customer might be talking about....

Those reference books they have around the place aren't sorted by engine code, are they? No. They're sorted by?.... Come on, you can do it! They're sorted by....?

Yes, congratulations, make and model of vehicle! A true braniac. So acklowledging that, and noting that they have a perfectly good set of reference materials available to them, why would they ignore those and start speaking in engine names...

Simple fact is that they won't. So don't expect it.....

L-M

lifer_sean wrote: »

Most of the "car accessory" shops (to distinguish from "motor factors") in Limerick are gone. Other than Halfords I can only think of one other.

Planet Auto in Superquinn and in Jetland. But other than that, most of them are gone. There was one in the Parkway and the Crescent and one down by the Railway station.

I thought Peugeot did a Boxer? Didn't know Subaru did a boxer/boxster/

stealthyspeeder

Limerick man wrote: »

I thought Peugeot did a Boxer? Didn't know Subaru did a boxer/boxster/

Correct me if Im wrong but isnt a boxter engine just a horizontally opposed engine and the boxster name is porshes version?

The impreza has a horizontally opposed engine doesnt it? (apparently these lower the centre of gravity)

L-M

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

Correct me if Im wrong but isnt a boxter engine just a horizontally opposed engine and the boxster name is porshes version?

The impreza has a horizontally opposed engine doesnt it? (apparently these lower the centre of gravity)

Aye there is a boxer engine alright, I just didn't know there was a car called the same. Can't seem to find it either.

voxpop

landyman wrote: »

I went to order a part in halfords. Gave them a ring beforehand. They said they didnt have it in stock but could order it. I Said that would be fine, then they said I had to pay before delivery.

Like what other motor factors operates like that?

Any i've went to you can pay when you get the parts but not halfords......

Eh, i just asked about ordering a part from vw dealer and was told that it has to come from germany and I would have to pay be credit card before they ordered it.

Halfords are alright for what they are. You know what you are getting when you go there. The only problem I have with them is that they seem to regularly have a price on the shelves and charge a more expensive price when you get to the till

Run_to_da_hills

Halfords is the Mc Donalds of auto stores. They should have a 20% discount for pensioners on Thursdays.

Biro

Boxer engine is horisontally opposed cylinders. The Peugeot Boxer was just a random name given to a van. The Porsche Boxter is a combination of the words Boxer and Roadster, ie it's a Roadster with a Boxer engine.

Halfords rip off for a lot of things. Bog basic standard 55W bulbs for a Celica were €23 last time I looked. And for those people saying not to expect anything from the staff, if someone comes up looking to advise me on Sat Nav's for example, I expect them to know what they're talking about.

BeardyGit

landyman wrote: »

I went to order a part in halfords. Gave them a ring beforehand. They said they didnt have it in stock but could order it. I Said that would be fine, then they said I had to pay before delivery.

Like what other motor factors operates like that?

Any i've went to you can pay when you get the parts but not halfords......

A gob****e in there once told me my petrol engine needed glow plugs. He said they preheated the engine. Bunch of idiots..... Cpl in maynooth is far better.

Just had to pre-pay for parts for a Discovery from a Landrover main dealer. Also had to pay a deposit on a fuel pump in the motor factors because they didn't want to risk having a part stuck on the shelf that most likely wouldn't be needed by another customer. It's not unusual at all, especially the way things are now.

Gary ITR

Gil_Dub wrote: »

Just had to pre-pay for parts for a Discovery from a Landrover main dealer. Also had to pay a deposit on a fuel pump in the motor factors because they didn't want to risk having a part stuck on the shelf that most likely wouldn't be needed by another customer. It's not unusual at all, especially the way things are now.

Had the same thing myself when ordering a fuel filter for a mk2 Golf from VW. The part was only €25 IIRC

mike65

Waterford seems to be be coping with Halfords okay so far, all the existing factors - Deevy's, Deise Parts, Auto Factors, Scanlons, Joe Kelly, and couple of others who's names I've forgotton are all still going so I've yet to feel the need to try them.

As for those not knowing what a Boxer engine is, hang your heads!

Mycroft H

Gil_Dub wrote: »

Just had to pre-pay for parts for a Discovery from a Landrover main dealer. Also had to pay a deposit on a fuel pump in the motor factors because they didn't want to risk having a part stuck on the shelf that most likely wouldn't be needed by another customer. It's not unusual at all, especially the way things are now.

This was brake pads for a golf, hardly stuff thats going to be sitting on a shelf forever.....

_Kaiser_

Well to be fair, although Halfords isn't cheap for most things, I was in a motor factors in Meath this morning looking for new dipped bulbs (one of the Philips Extreme ones I put in only 3/4 weeks ago died on me last night! :mad:) and they wanted €50 for another set (that I paid €25 for online including shipping).

In fact the guy even asked where I got them and how much I paid, but he didn't offer to price match so I went with a cheap set to keep me going while I get decent replacements ordered from the UK.

maidhc

I like Halfords. I think I have bought brake fluid there in the past few weeks and the price was ok.

It is silly place, full of silly things, but i normally have a browse there once a month. As for actually getting a part for a car... forget it!

maidhc

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Well to be fair, although Halfords isn't cheap for most things, I was in a motor factors in Meath this morning looking for new dipped bulbs (one of the Philips Extreme ones I put in only 3/4 weeks ago died on me last night! :mad:) and they wanted €50 for another set (that I paid €25 for online including shipping).

Don't bother. Just get normal halogen ones.

itarumaa

Halfords is the immigrant heaven.

If you need some part you can just look it up in the catalog, pick it up, say hello to the cashier, say no when they ask if you want that part fitted, pay and thank you and out of the door.

Not much english needed:)

The motor factors other hand, quite nightmare sometimes,

I bet that is the reason for many to go to Halfords including me:)

L-M

I went into Halfords today for a quick browse. What did I see, only the same lot doing the usual, nothing. Standing around in a group, letting the whole shop here their bull**** conversation as usual. The manager must be a dope, because it's the exact same thing everytime I go in.

John Mason

halford quoted me a hundred and thirty euros for a new battery, my local car parts place gave me one for seventy - that is a ridiculous difference in price.

also the blanch shop doesnt take ulster bank laser cards:rolleyes:

i will never use them again

Andrewf20

I dont shop there anymore after I have seen on a repeated basis disgraceful prices for stuff vs the motor factors. Just the other day I got oil in the motor factors - 55yoyos for 4 litres, Halfords wanted 69 quid for the same oil. What a joke. Bulb for a beemer - motor factors - 3 yoyos, Halfords - 10 yoyos. Bye bye.

maidhc

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

also the blanch shop doesnt take ulster bank laser cards:rolleyes:

Same in Cork, but they do take UB credit cards!

mondeo

there is a hugh differance in price between Northern ireland halfords and republic. i saved myself 220 euro getting the very same alloys up north in belfast halfords compared to tallaght..... thats an unheard off saving....i was really happy and even rang halfords in tallaght afterwards to give them constructive critisicism...

A battery for my car was 125e in halfords tallaght and i got it somewhere else in a motor factors on old blessington rd for 60e.. less then half the price...another major saving..

Spark plugs, air filters, oil filters....about 25-30% dearer then motor factors.

People who buy these items in halfords have not got a clue!:mad:

VolvoMan

I was up in a Halfords branch one day to get some Autoglym. There was a guy out in the car park whose car was going up in smoke after he had attempted to change a fuse which he had just purchased there. Apparently, what I heard from people gathered around the car, the guy had went in and asked for a fire extinguisher when he had seen smoke at first and they wouldn't give it to him without paying for it!:eek:

Needless to say, it was too late by the time your man had got hold of a fire extinguisher from another shop in the complex and the car was burning for about 20 minutes at least until the fire brigade came.

In addition to the above, maybe with the exception of one occasion. I have always found Halfords to employ the most ill-informed, ill-experienced, and immature staff. On numerous occasions I have asked simple advice and the staff just simply shrugged their shoulders and said something along the lines of "I dunno, maybe?":rolleyes:

L1011

maidhc wrote: »

Same in Cork, but they do take UB credit cards!

This makes... little sense.. unless they're handling Laser cards as Maestro cards and UB aren't issuing Maestro?

Maestro is a weird one, auto fuel pumps in Pollet stations in Belgium have no problem taking my BOI Maestro but Esso in the UK refuse.

DJ Hafez

It's because the Old Ulster Bank Lasers had no PIN and the records need for the PIN to be processed properly. Think it's something stupid like that. I used to work in Halfrauds. Was grand like, a job...

mick.fr

3 months ago I went to buy some cleaning product for my MAF sensor.
So I asked the question to the guy and he replied to me:
"A MAF sensor, what is that? it does not exist I can tell you, and I know a lot about cars."
His colleague right after him said :
"Oh yeah he knows a lot about cars"

Alright guys lol, they are the chaps in Blanchardstown

Abelloid

Great quality tools, open late and Sunday, 15% discount with an AXA policy number, more with a trade card.

Suits me - if it's too expensive or not what you want don't buy it.

Stevie Dakota

What's the problem with Halfords? It is what it is, like Woodies, tesco, B&Q, you name it. They have some good deals and some lousy deals, like anywhere buy wisely. I can't believe that people who know about cars take exception when they are confronted by some clueless kid who works there! Go to a motor factors FFS!

Mycroft H

^ Yes but they should know the difference between a glow plug and a spark plug ffs

maidhc

And a guy in woodies should know the difference between Qualpex and Acorn piping, but won't... all those chain places are the same, but serve a particular function all the same.

Voodoomelon

Halfrods is fantastic for little things like clips, connectors, wireds, fuses, all those little things. I love that little aisle. I also got a great deal on a 2 tonne jack and a set of jackstands, €50 I think, maybe €60. It's also good value for certain fluids, like windscreen wash, car wash, brake fluid, certain oils etc. I also have a quality set of rachets from them, they were only €19.99 and i've got loads of use out of them, as well as a decent compact subwoofer amplifier for cheaper than online prices.

If you stay away from the bot racer aisles, its a decent shop in my opinion.

bladebrew

but what about all the ads on tv for them,(i think they sponsor the car shows on dave) theres your car seat fitted..theres your sat nav fitted..etc,they certainly dont like doing that! one guy in there pointed out they could sell a grands worth of alloys while they were fitting my stereo for free (came with free fitting) so they obviously work on comission, the fact they could lose a sale like that isnt my problem its the companies,

its certainly a nice place to look around but id rather give a local mechanic a few quid to fit something than have to return twice to get "free fitting" and a bit of attitude,nothing like the ads on tv:(

DJ Hafez

bladebrew wrote: »

so they obviously work on comission

Nope... At christmas they had small offers we could avail of alright, like selling an expensive satnav and carrycase would get you 2euro commision. It's the store managers that push you selling the expensive stuff rather than providing a service which is a shame really. I think the most i've seen on the commision sheet was 6.50 for selling a set of alloys worth well over 1k.

Plus ordering alloys was a balls on the system and always ended up getting delayed along the way somewhere because they were passed from different shipping companies and whatnot.

The free fits are perfect during the week but why alot of the staff complain is because most people want to book in for a Saturday or Sunday when the store is at its busiest and that means that there are people off the shop floor out fitting when they are clearly needed inside. The head office then wasn't prepared to pay for more staff unless sales figures showed they needed it. If the Head Office people took some time to come in on a Saturday to see how crazy the place can be and how long customers are waiting they might reconsider it.

The amount of sales that I lost out to Currys because there wasn't enough people on the floor to help with SatNavs was unreal. I was giving SatNav demo's to 5 people at a time at some stages and some wanted more swaying while others were content on buying the product and walking away then to get the product for another customer because they haven't decided on it's features yet or whatever is a balls. Someone else is looking for another product/service then and the sale is lost. I refused to move from the SatNav cabinet some days coming upto Christmas.

I miss working there in a way, had a laugh with all the people and I enjoyed the work. It's the niggly bits, mostly from head office that would annoy me, but I suppose that happens in most retail chains!

bladebrew

DJ Hafez wrote: »

Nope... At christmas they had small offers we could avail of alright, like selling an expensive satnav and carrycase would get you 2euro commision. It's the store managers that push you selling the expensive stuff rather than providing a service which is a shame really. I think the most i've seen on the commision sheet was 6.50 for selling a set of alloys worth well over 1k.

Plus ordering alloys was a balls on the system and always ended up getting delayed along the way somewhere because they were passed from different shipping companies and whatnot.

The free fits are perfect during the week but why alot of the staff complain is because most people want to book in for a Saturday or Sunday when the store is at its busiest and that means that there are people off the shop floor out fitting when they are clearly needed inside. The head office then wasn't prepared to pay for more staff unless sales figures showed they needed it. If the Head Office people took some time to come in on a Saturday to see how crazy the place can be and how long customers are waiting they might reconsider it.

The amount of sales that I lost out to Currys because there wasn't enough people on the floor to help with SatNavs was unreal. I was giving SatNav demo's to 5 people at a time at some stages and some wanted more swaying while others were content on buying the product and walking away then to get the product for another customer because they haven't decided on it's features yet or whatever is a balls. Someone else is looking for another product/service then and the sale is lost. I refused to move from the SatNav cabinet some days coming upto Christmas.

I miss working there in a way, had a laugh with all the people and I enjoyed the work. It's the niggly bits, mostly from head office that would annoy me, but I suppose that happens in most retail chains!

ok i stand corrected so:o obviously your a good salesman:),maybe thats what this guy was on about he wanted to make a big sale to make the store look good,to have sales staff that are dedicated with **** all comission is brilliant! in fairness the day i wanted the stereo fitted was busy,but even when i came back during the week they were unsure about leaving the floor!

i can see head office being a problem alright maybe there only looking at weekly figures even though the place is bonkers on a saturday,hence the issue with free fitting! cheers