Our family have been customers of Benfield for many years and have bought numerous cars from them. The sales people are very polite, helpful and courteous, however, with regard to our recent purchase, last week, we found the sales manager to be very rude, ignorant and shallow. He slumped into the chair infront of us and proceeded to say that Benfield would not pay for the transfer of number plates.........that was not the issue, I had already paid for that at the DVLA office. He wanted us to pay £200 as a bond, against the log book of our part exchange, to ensure that we took the old log book to the garage, when the number plater transfer was compete. So much for trust in your customers!! Although it has now become company policy, on the day I agreed to purchase the car, there was no mention of the aforementioned £200, hence my reluctance to pay it......Private plate holders BEWARE!!! This conversation was brought to an abrupt end, when he jumped out of the chair and proceeded to walk away, shouting 'we cannot do anything else for you, we have done enough'!!! This man needs to remember who is paying his wages! The salesman, myself and my son were very embarrassed, as there were other customers in the showroom. The salesman apologised and got the general manager, who agreed to waiver the £200 (very kind of him eh?), but then instructed the salesman on the quiet, (I presume) to keep the spare key to our new car, until we produces the log book!..........AGAIN no trust in existing customers. I could not leave quick enough and I will NOT be going back.....Evans Halshaw for me, or another reputable garage. They have now lost themselves the sale of a new car for my daughter and a new car for myself, thanks to the attitude, rudeness and mistrust of the management at Benfield Gateshead. On a better note, the salesman Paul was very good, apologentic and kept me calm!!!!
