Group 1 Škoda Southend

Short but sweet experience. Saw the car passing by, they were very accommodating with a test drive despite not booking. Agreed to part-ex and within a day everything was signed. Thanks to Kieran for all his help.

What a great experience. Kieran at Group One Southend was patient, very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk with. From his speedy response, great video of the car and then ability to understand what I needed from the deal. The most enjoyable car purchase I have ever had.. and I have bought a lot of cars from a lot of dealers. The Škoda is fantastic, in great condition and with a warranty and service plan just leaves me to drive. I thoroughly recommend this dealership and Kieran as your point of contact.

We couldn't have asked for a better experience, all thanks to Gavin dyer. He took care of us every step of the way while we got our new car. A truly top-tier service where we gained not just a car, but a great new friend. Many thanks!

Started off really well. Made to feel welcome, my assistance dog was provided with a bowl of water and I got a cup of tea. Car was charged to 100% and appeared as described. We sorted the tax out. I had a nice drive home. However when I got home I found the charge flap wouldn’t open. So I used my debit card to open it only to find the actuator was broken, it had signs of pre-existing damage. I called to complain only to be told there’s no way this could have been a problem as they had charged the car up and it was fine. (So broke it whilst driving??) I was told it would get sorted but had to chase this. I was told it would all be taken care of and I didn’t need to worry about paying. Finally after some chasing an appointment was made but I had to wait six weeks to get it repaired. When I went to leave I was told no one could get hold of the sales team at Southend and I couldn’t take the car until the invoice was paid. We spent 30 mins trying various numbers until someone finally getting part to go around to sales to ask them to call. Communication was challenging to say the least, I tried getting hold of a salesman for over a week prior to appointment at Vertu, via phone and by email. I asked to speak to a manager on a number of occasions and was refused the opportunity. Group1 tried to claim this was a warranty issue and that would cover it but Vertu quite rightly said as the car had been supplied with the fault that wasn’t the case. So despite the promises and assurances they tried to squirm out of paying. In the end I had to cover the cost under the premise the money would be paid as soon as I’d sent the invoice in. This put me into my overdraft for which I’m likely to be penalised because a big dealership couldn’t get payment in place in the six week period they had. I had to chase the payment and it took several days. Not the worst car buying experience but far from the best. No offer of a gesture of goodwill was made. No follow up calls or emails. Other than that the car itself is nice, but given the flap actuator is a known issue I’m surprised it wasn’t checked upon arrival on site. It’s made charging a pain in poor weather.

I drive a lot of miles every week and was spending a fortune on diesel so popped down to skoda to see if there was a better option, Gavin Dyer sat me down and actually went through all the figures from the mileage I cover each week and what i was spending so he could figure out what car could dramatically reduce my monthly outgoing and put me in a lovely skoda enyaq and even found the best electricity provider to reduce my costs even more. And to top it off he gave my daughter a big teddy bear named Kodiack, thank you Gavin you went above and beyond 😄

Brilliant service and very happy with everything, Gavin Dyer was excellent very helpful would recommend

I had always found the staff friendly, helpful and honest, and the service plan offered good value. Unfortunately, my most recent experience changed that. When I took my car in for a recent MOT, I was told my service plan could not be located, and I was charged around £400. Despite numerous calls and repeated promises of a callback, I received no response. The issue was resolved only after a family member visited the dealership on my behalf, as I no longer live locally. I eventually received my refund, but the dealership continued to deny that I had tried to contact them, despite my many attempts. No apology was offered, and the way I was addressed during the refund process felt dismissive and patronising. Poor communication and a lack of accountability have unfortunately overshadowed what had previously been a positive experience. I will not be renewing my service plan when it expires.

Gavan was really helpful. Lovely service

Great service from Gavin Dyer at the Southend Skoda branch. Great communication, keen to help, had considered all my questions before I got to them and wouldn't release the car until he was satisfied with it. I'm very grateful.