Hartwell Dunstable Ford

I travelled over 5 hours by train to collect what was supposed to be a brand-new Ford Transit Custom costing around £50,000. On arrival, the vehicle was dirty and had clearly not been properly prepared for handover. It was covered in tyre dressing, which had been rubbed over the damaged alloy wheels. This appeared to be an attempt by the team at Hartwells to disguise the damage rather than address it. On inspection, the van had damage to all four alloy wheels as well as a dent in the rear quarter panel. This was extremely disappointing to discover on a vehicle being sold as brand new. Hartwells have agreed to contribute up to £50 towards repairing the dent, which is nowhere near what I would expect when purchasing a new vehicle. Even more frustrating, they have completely refused to address the damage to the wheels, simply stating that it’s “just one of those things.” To make matters worse, I was effectively left with no real option but to take the vehicle. I had travelled over 5 hours by train to collect it, had limited means of getting back home, and had already spent over £500 on train tickets and other associated costs to complete the collection. Faced with those circumstances, rejecting the vehicle and returning home empty-handed was simply not a practical option. What made the situation even worse was the attitude of the sales manager. Rather than taking ownership of the issue or showing any genuine concern, he came across as dismissive, obnoxious, and completely uninterested in resolving the problems. After brushing off my concerns, he simply retreated back to his office, leaving me with the clear impression that he couldn’t have cared less about the condition of the vehicle or the customer experience. I find this attitude unacceptable. When spending £50,000 on a new vehicle, customers should reasonably expect it to be delivered in pristine condition, not with visible damage that they’re then expected to accept. The lack of accountability, poor vehicle preparation, dismissive management, and inadequate customer service have made this a thoroughly disappointing experience. I would strongly advise anyone collecting a vehicle from this dealership to carry out a very thorough inspection before accepting delivery. As things stand, I am now left with a dent and four damaged alloy wheels that I have to spend my own time and effort trying to get sorted on a vehicle that was sold to me as brand new.