Beadles of Dartford

[Rowls1958]

Does anyone have any experience of these dealers, good or bad ??

 

[Wongo]

Bought mine there, had service and a tap replaced under warranty, no problems thus far.

 

[2haw]

Does anyone have any experience of these dealers, good or bad ??

I bought my first Cali there. Got a great deal but unfortunately he left before handover!

 

[subthree]

Does anyone have any experience of these dealers, good or bad ??

Is this who you ordered your 6.1 from?

 

[Rowls1958]

Yes

 

[Nick.C]

Does anyone have any experience of these dealers, good or bad ??

I don’t think they are Cali specialists so didn’t hold a big stock of nearly new campervans when we were looking. We did have our van’s first service there - all good. Also have brought Cali stuff from the parts department (18” sportline wheels, bike rack heavy duty mats etc) who couldn’t have been more helpful. My daughter is getting her 2nd mobility scheme car from them and they have been great sorting out the adaptations.

 

[Moore288]

Yes - sadly bad. Beadles don’t know the Cali and can’t or won’t fix anything properly. I suppose for a normal service and to buy new they are fine - but anything more and if say find another dealership in my experience.


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[jimmywease]

Similar experience for me: I got a good deal there, on an ex-demo Beach, but the sales staff were clueless at handover. I then gave up with them, after trying their service dept for a simple warranty repair.

This was June 2017 and I think they were having a change of ownership at the time.

 

[Amarillo]

Bad experience with the sales team for a pre-booked appointment April 2016.

Ended up buying from Martin at SMG Tonbridge.

Have had a good experience at Beadles in Sevenoaks with a body shop repair.

 

[Moose]

Purchased my van at Beadles, great price but felt like I was doing them a favour and clueless at handover.
Salesman also told me not to bother with VW service package or extended warranty!!!!!

 

[subthree]

Yes

Are you trying to get some help to resolve the mixed messages you have been given? Finally I have found a helpful person at VW which seems to have finally got my van to status 38.

 

[jimmywease]

Purchased my van at Beadles, great price but felt like I was doing them a favour and clueless at handover.
Salesman also told me not to bother with VW service package or extended warranty!!!!!

Yes - same here on service package & warranty. I managed to fight my way into an extended warranty after the sale, luckily.

 

[Moose]

Yes - same here on service package & warranty. I managed to fight my way into an extended warranty after the sale, luckily.

I decided in the end to get an independent warranty, but the firm I was with went bust last year
Now need to decide if to go with VW or an independent for extra warranty as van now very nearly 3 years old.
Even the guy in the service department apologised for the salesman I had, he knew who he was with out me telling him

 

[Shuftie]

Same here - clueless sales department, and REALLY poor aftersales. They tried to add VAT onto the price we'd already agreed with them on the day of collection! I'm still waiting for my AutoGlym aftercare kit more than a year later. I haven't been back.

 

[alison]

Does anyone have any experience of these dealers, good or bad ??

I have had a very bad experience with Beadles Dartford July 2019. They damaged the interior of my vehicle which I can confirm with before and after photos. (photos taken just before handover for repairs and photos taken on collection while on their premises). I took my vehicle in for roof repairs. A perfect working control panel was damaged by them(cost £850 to replace and they then broke the seal and casing of the original when I asked them to return it). Interior front post damaged on passenger side which was perfect before hand over, roof lining hanging down where they have pulled it away from the roof. Roof lining covered in oil marks. The oil marks are the only thing they don't dispute. There is also a cracked and broken bracket on driver visor which was perfect.

 

[jjpoppy]

Not good experience - shame I did not have access to this forum before purchase - I would NOT recommend them. - Service perhaps what I would expect if buying a second-hand works van, not what I expected when spending £50K - £60K on a vehicle!

 

[GraemeSmith]

We bought our van there in January, but it was only because they happened to have the specific options we wanted on an ex-demo vehicle. The van was missing a few things - a first aid kit and warning triangle and we were promised that they would be in the post.

I must have emailed them about a dozen times and talked to them on the phone in between. When you can actually get hold of a salesman it’s all “in the post yesterday”, or “oh, here it is, I’ll post it now”, or “I just took it across to the service department to post” etc, but after 5 months of the same pathetic excuses it’s wearing a bit thin

I also found some random cables loose in the engine compartment. Somewhere on this forum they were identified as heated windscreen adapters, suggesting that the windscreen may have been switched at some point, but the salesperson seemed disinterested in my concerns and didn’t bother to come back to me with an explanation like he promised.

 

[Rowls1958]

Are you trying to get some help to resolve the mixed messages you have been given? Finally I have found a helpful person at VW which seems to have finally got my van to status 38.

Hi, yes, would be grateful for name......thanks

 

[Rogerstone]

Our experience was bad, Cali went in for inspection after roof canvas became detached in two corners and we were told it had been in an accident and needed repair to roof not covered under warranty.
Cali was purchased from VW with 1,000 miles on clock, they have no record of an accident and we haven't been involved in any.
Took it to SMG and they carried out a replacement of the roof canvas under warranty , no evidence of accident damage whatsoever!
No apology from Beadles.
Steer clear and use SMG.

 

[Amarillo]

I wonder if the directors of Beadles would be interested to read this thread.

 

[WelshGas]

I wonder if the directors of Beadles would be interested to read this thread.

I think threads like this should be brought to the attention of the MD or owners of such Dealerships as well as VW UK and VW Headoffice.

 

[Mark13]

I have had a very bad experience with Beadles Dartford July 2019. They damaged the interior of my vehicle which I can confirm with before and after photos. (photos taken just before handover for repairs and photos taken on collection while on their premises). I took my vehicle in for roof repairs. A perfect working control panel was damaged by them(cost £850 to replace and they then broke the seal and casing of the original when I asked them to return it). Interior front post damaged on passenger side which was perfect before hand over, roof lining hanging down where they have pulled it away from the roof. Roof lining covered in oil marks. The oil marks are the only thing they don't dispute. There is also a cracked and broken bracket on driver visor which was perfect.

Similarly really bad experience.
Was referred to Beadles by VW Customer Care after major problems with another dealer. Long, painful and ongoing story, but, in short, damage includes torn roof canvas, roof and bodywork dents, oil marks on interior, door and roof trims pulled out. On the original problem - roof rust repairs - received assurance it was all complete, only to be able to still see patches of rust showing through. Surreal conversation followed, they really did try to insist there wasn't a problem, at one point arguing "we'll have to agree to differ" even when I was actually pointing at the rust and the damage.
Actually bizarrely, astonishingly bad, horribly time consuming and not unstressful. And ongoing.
Avoid.

 

[jjpoppy]

Our experience almost a carbon copy of GraemeSmith (above) - found the only way to get to speak to the salesperson was to hide the identity of my phone, or give a different name! - Items missing, and then 'in the post', 'currier has returned them' - yes had all that as well.
I must consider myself fortunate compared to GraemeSmith.
It was the VW dealership that took us to them - VW should have a better grip on their dealership, it must be tarnishing the VW brand in the UK.