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[Auto Addict]

On my recommendation my mate bought one of these from Halfords a week ago - https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers-jump-starters/ring-12a-smart-charger-charge-and-diagnose?_br_psugg_q=ring+battery+charger

He'd got a £30 gift voucher and we used my trade card.

He tried charging his car with it, and after 18hrs it came up with fault code F03 (faulty charger).

We then tried it on his wifes car, after 6hrs, same thing, fault code F03.

Yesterday we took it back to Halfords, the gofor was behind the counter.

Us - We want to return this battery charger as it's faulty - came up with fault code F03.

Gofor - Did you charge it up first, it won't start your car unless it's been charged up.

Us - Er, it's a battery charger not a jump starter, it can't be charged up.

Gofor - You still have to charge them up.

Us - Is the manager about.

Manager comes ove.

Gofor - They want to return this, but they didn't charge it up first.

Us - It's a battery charger.

Manager opens box, takes out instructions and reads them from cover to cover.

Manager - No, it doesn't need to be charged up, what's a matter with it?

Us - Repeat we tried it on two cars, came up with fault code = faulty charger.

Manager - What do you want to do?

Us - Exchange it for another one.

Manager wanders off to the shelves, comes back and says none on the shelf, will look in the store.

After a while, the Gofor starts talking into his comms. device.

Gofor - What exactly was the fault again.

Us - We explain.

Gofor communicates this through his comms. device.

Gofor - What did you do to get the fault code up.

Us - We explain.

Gofo communicates this through his comms device.

Gofor - Manager says we haven't any in stock, what do you want to do?

Us - We'll have our money back.

Gofor communicates this through his comms device.

Gofor reluctantly refunds our money.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Oh dear!! Sounds about right!

Ive got to return an axle stand at some point, I'll avoid that branch, then!

[Andy B]

 
You just can't get the staff ....

[Auto Addict]

Oh dear!! Sounds about right!

Ive got to return an axle stand at some point, I'll avoid that branch, then!

Hope you didn't try it on the car without charging it up first

[Diamond Black Geezer]

haha!

Yeah, I work at a certain hardware store chain for my sins, who of course almost exclusively employ 17 year olds specifically chosen for their inability to talk to people, and lack of knowledge about anything. I'm forever watching incidents like that, and just sticking my oar in and offering a practical, instant solution that costs nothing, and lets the customer get on with their day, as opposed to the other.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I had a brake pipe burst on a car about 5 years ago and went to Halfords to see if they stock brake pipe. Young spotty gofor tried to sell me some clear plastic tube of the kind you might use for screenwashers. I explained what I needed and exactly what it was for but he insisted that he was pretty sure this would do the job just as well as metal pipe.
Funny in one way, but that level of stupidity could cause someones death.

[STEMO]

Serves you all right for going to Halfords for anything more than spanners or car shampoo.

[aaronjb]

Serves you all right for going to Halfords for anything more than spanners or car shampoo.

They don't really sell those anymore. So just car shampoo. And that's cheaper & better online.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I had a brake pipe burst on a car about 5 years ago and went to Halfords to see if they stock brake pipe. Young spotty gofor tried to sell me some clear plastic tube of the kind you might use for screenwashers. I explained what I needed and exactly what it was for but he insisted that he was pretty sure this would do the job just as well as metal pipe.
Funny in one way, but that level of stupidity could cause someones death.

Yeah....that'll sail through the MOT.

[aaronjb]

I had a brake pipe burst on a car about 5 years ago and went to Halfords to see if they stock brake pipe. Young spotty gofor tried to sell me some clear plastic tube of the kind you might use for screenwashers. I explained what I needed and exactly what it was for but he insisted that he was pretty sure this would do the job just as well as metal pipe.
Funny in one way, but that level of stupidity could cause someones death.

Yeah....that'll sail through the MOT.

In the "the car will sail through the reception area when it fails to stop" way..

[STEMO]

You really can't blame the youngsters on the till. They are put front of house with no technical training whatsoever. It's really hard, when you're put in that position, to keep saying to customers'Sorry, I don't have a fickin clue what you are talking about'.
Then you get a customer who has no idea what they're talking about either, and it makes for a dangerous and frustrating situation.


It will take something like a court case, where daft motorist has been sold plastic pipe instead of metal by daft sales assistant, resulting in an accident.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

The two things my MOT tester has a constant bee in his bonnet about are brake pipes and insecure battery. He even made me a battery clamp for my last Omega when I mislaid it and forgot about it until he spotted it during he test.

[STEMO]

The two things my MOT tester has a constant bee in his bonnet about are brake pipes and insecure battery. He even made me a battery clamp for my last Omega when I mislaid it and forgot about it until he spotted it during he test.

He probably thought 'Thick Irish bastid. I make him a fickin clamp and..........' 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

You might be right. Hes superb at his job and a hard little ficker, so I wont question his motives or judgement.

[tunnie]

I went in there once with one of the torx sockets that sheared off, an animal called Omegatoy destroyed it.

It was one of those life time warranty things, took it in when next passing:

Halfords: How the hell did you do that?

Me: No idea!

Halfords: Here is a new one.


Not quite same flow as AA's story, but they gave me a new one without quibble!

[STEMO]

I went in there once with one of the torx sockets that sheared off, an animal called Omegatoy destroyed it.

It was one of those life time warranty things, took it in when next passing:

Halfords: How the hell did you do that?

Me: No idea!

Halfords: Here is a new one.


Not quite same flow as AA's story, but they gave me a new one without quibble!

Like anything else, it depends who you speak to.

[Nick W]

I went in there once with one of the torx sockets that sheared off, an animal called Omegatoy destroyed it.

It was one of those life time warranty things, took it in when next passing:

Halfords: How the hell did you do that?

Me: No idea!

Halfords: Here is a new one.


Not quite same flow as AA's story, but they gave me a new one without quibble!

I broke the end off my 600mm long breaker bar, so took it back to the shop


Me(holding it up): this broke


Halfords: bloody hell, what were you undoing??


Me: wheelnuts


Halfords: here's a new one


The wheelnuts were on my work Canter, and the end broke when I was jumping on the bar. Nearly broke my ankle too.....

[Andy B]

I took a Halfords tool back because it broke (it was actually a ratchet spanner that the life time bit doesn't apply ... but the swapped it as they couldn't at the time find anything, anywhere, where it said ratchets were not covered)
Assistant ..... Have you got your receipt?
Me ..... no.
Assistant ..... you need a receipt
Me ..... It has HALFORDS stamped all over it
Assistant ..... OK, we'll swap it

 

[Mister Rog]

Stupid question time . . . . . . . .


















What's a Gofor ?     

[STEMO]

Stupid question time . . . . . . . .


















What's a Gofor ?     

Go for this, go for that............stupid 

[Auto Addict]

Stupid question time . . . . . . . .


















What's a Gofor ?     

Go for this, go for that............stupid 

 

[Mister Rog]

Stupid question time . . . . . . . .


















What's a Gofor ?     

Go for this, go for that............stupid 

Yep that's me.

But we all have our own skill sets and areas of familiarity. If I threw in some of mine this forum would have no idea.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I didn't know what it meant either.

Mind you I'm a little retarded.

[scimmy_man]

I didn't know what it meant either.

Mind you I'm a little retarded.

quoted just in case

[STEMO]

I didn't know what it meant either.

Mind you I'm a little retarded.

quoted just in case

No need to quote, it's common knowledge. 

[Sir Tigger KC]

I didn't know what it meant either.

Mind you I'm a little retarded.

quoted just in case

Quoted and highlighted just in case! 

Edit: Just in case it's not common knowledge in some quarters. 

[STEMO]

I didn't know what it meant either.

Mind you I'm a little retarded.

quoted just in case

Quoted and highlighted just in case! 

No need to quote and highlight, it's common knowledge. 
Edit: knob off with your edits. 

[omegod]

Halfords are one shop I've never had issue getting replacements or refunds from, Curry's however were right assholes when I returned a faulty hoover, argued for half an hour with them with no joy, turned out the wife had bought it from Dixons 

[ronnyd]

Halfords are one shop I've never had issue getting replacements or refunds from, Curry's however were right assholes when I returned a faulty hoover, argued for half an hour with them with no joy, turned out the wife had bought it from Dixons 

[STEMO]

Dixon's is/was Currys.

[omegod]

Dixon's is/was Currys.

Bloody pedant  ....whatever it was it was a different shop 

[STEMO]

Dixon's is/was Currys.

Bloody pedant  ....whatever it was it was a different shop 

I took something back to Dixons to exchange. They told me they had none in the shop and sent me round the corner to Currys. Same shop, so your missus should have had no problems 

[TheBoy]

With Halfords, it depends on the store.  I find the ineptness spreads throughout any given store.

The Bicester one, for example, is a proper waste of space.  They can't even sell you the right bits. They can never find stock if you click and collect. And the manager is a lycra brigade, and can't comprehend the idea of anything having an engine.

I avoid it like the plague.

[VXL V6]

Mainly just get cleaning stuff etc from Hellfrauds, but when the well priced genuine GM Astra air filter was cancelled by the seller as they had no stock (23 remaining when I ordered) I called in at Hellfrauds and grabbed a 'Cooper' one for £2.00 more off the shelf...
 Well it's not my car!

[Diamond Black Geezer]

What was funny was a time when looking for work I applied for a job there, and didnt even get an interview. This is someone who's been tinkering with cars since as long as I can remember, theres a photo of me somewhere with a wheelbrace working on a HC Viva's rostyle at about aged 4!

Now I never claim to be any sort of mechanic, I'm just a tinkerer willing to learn, but thats sort of symptomatic of the level of person they want to employ, I'd imagine if an ex mechanic of 20 yrs experience applied they'd turn the down. They actually want the Currys/generic Phone Shop/fast food brigade, we all know the types, blank stare, as little personality as possible, to scan stuff through the till and anything else more challenging just 'go and ask someone'

And I really wanted that Halfords staff discount, too!!! 

[TheBoy]

They want people they can pay minimum wage to, and won't complain.

But then retail is Donald ducked anyway.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I knew less than SFA, but was still one of the 'better informed' kids who worked there.

Sounds like thing have not improved much over the past forty years.

[aaronjb]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I feel so young! Keep it up, Opti..

[Sir Tigger KC]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I feel so young! Keep it up, Opti..

 

[78bex]

Their wiper blade paper folder thingy has gone high tech
Looks like an Ipad & you enter your Reg to return data on consumables
The device I used refused to swipe or scroll down, so it`s utterly useless 
So iI go & find a gofor & ask her what  I need for swmbo`s Audi
we return to entering the reg & she decides all they have are rear blades for this car
Then I enter my reg & you guessed it, the first line of blades displayed are for Mig rears
The device then locked up & greyed out, but my Gofor was wired for sound & contacted Q
Q was up by the till & shouted down to her that  "Pad don`t work Shannon, your gonna have to look it up on this till " I think I mumbled " Oh fudge " But Shannon bless her walked behind the parts counter where the old paper thingy was hiding & looked it up old school 

[BazaJT]

Was down near our local store not long ago and there was a young lass pulling/pushing/twisting the front wiper blade on a Jag XF trying to work out how to remove it from the car while a young lad[the second half of the "fitting" team]was laying wiper blades out on the floor[out of their packaging] to be ready to compare with the removed one-if she ever managed to remove it!!

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Similar to where I work, I'd like to think I'm one of the 'better informed' idiots there... but 80% of it is what I know from outside of work, by just living and listening, not any training I've received from work. There's an intensive trainig program, that's the irony, takes about 10-odd hours to complete... none of it relevant to the job! I've never needed to know any of it! But we then get the newbies who after a month can't place orders, or look stuff up on the system, or check for incoming stock etc... and this is basics they should be taught first week. So lack of training is the main gripe, and if they're off to uni in 5 minutes, why bother?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Was down near our local store not long ago and there was a young lass pulling/pushing/twisting the front wiper blade on a Jag XF trying to work out how to remove it from the car while a young lad[the second half of the "fitting" team]was laying wiper blades out on the floor[out of their packaging] to be ready to compare with the removed one-if she ever managed to remove it!!

Ah, yes, let's get some lovely grit from the tarmac stuck to these blades to scrape all over the glass windscreen!

Right, I take back my previous post, they're just morons! 


Actually, last time I went in there for anything other than a browse I grabbed a guy and asked him about removing my head unit, and all credit to him, he was sound, knew what he was talking about and sat with me for a good ten minutes with the correct metal tools and plastic pry levers fiddling without damaging a thing, no charge, I wasn't even after buying anything, he was just being helpful for the sake of being helpful.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Was down near our local store not long ago and there was a young lass pulling/pushing/twisting the front wiper blade on a Jag XF trying to work out how to remove it from the car while a young lad[the second half of the "fitting" team]was laying wiper blades out on the floor[out of their packaging] to be ready to compare with the removed one-if she ever managed to remove it!!

Too be fair, changing windscreen wipers is often akin to doing the Krypton Factor!   

[TheBoy]

Their wiper blade paper folder thingy has gone high tech
Looks like an Ipad & you enter your Reg to return data on consumables
The device I used refused to swipe or scroll down, so it`s utterly useless 
So iI go & find a gofor & ask her what  I need for swmbo`s Audi
we return to entering the reg & she decides all they have are rear blades for this car
Then I enter my reg & you guessed it, the first line of blades displayed are for Mig rears
The device then locked up & greyed out, but my Gofor was wired for sound & contacted Q
Q was up by the till & shouted down to her that  "Pad don`t work Shannon, your gonna have to look it up on this till " I think I mumbled " Oh fudge " But Shannon bless her walked behind the parts counter where the old paper thingy was hiding & looked it up old school 

They've used that for years now.  And if the one near the wipers isn't working, use the one near the bulbs for eg - they are all the same

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I feel so young! Keep it up, Opti..

 

They decided my services were no longer required when I was found to have 'borrowed' stock without permission.

Six Raleigh Grifter bikes to be precise.

[Nick W]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I feel so young! Keep it up, Opti..

 

They decided my services were no longer required when I was found to have 'borrowed' stock without permission.

Six Raleigh Grifter bikes to be precise.

Grifters, the diesel equivalent of kid's bikes

[ronnyd]

Was down near our local store not long ago and there was a young lass pulling/pushing/twisting the front wiper blade on a Jag XF trying to work out how to remove it from the car while a young lad[the second half of the "fitting" team]was laying wiper blades out on the floor[out of their packaging] to be ready to compare with the removed one-if she ever managed to remove it!!

I must admit that i find removing and refitting wiper blades a complete Krypton Factor experience.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

For me new wipers is only a once every 4-year hassle 

[TheBoy]

I worked at Halfords in 1977/78.

I feel so young! Keep it up, Opti..

 

They decided my services were no longer required when I was found to have 'borrowed' stock without permission.

Six Raleigh Grifter bikes to be precise.

Grifters, the diesel equivalent of kid's bikes

I was a Chopper man.  Weighed more than an Omega, but kept you fit!

[TheBoy]

For me new wipers is only a once every 4-year hassle 

Bugger me, I do mine annually, and that's more because I'm to idle to do it more often.


That reminds me, the Jag wipers are starting to squeak a bit, must change 'em.

[Andy B]

I changed the blades a good few times on my R Class because the driver's wiper kept chattering across the screen at anything above about 50mph
I eventually changed the arm for a new one ..... sorted!  Presumably the spring had become weak.

[Nick W]

For me new wipers is only a once every 4-year hassle 

Bugger me, I do mine annually, and that's more because I'm to idle to do it more often.


That reminds me, the Jag wipers are starting to squeak a bit, must change 'em.

I change them when they stop working effectively, that's about 20,000 miles or three years. £8 for all three.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Omega and the superior Signum wiper blades are only a few quid on ECP......TB's favourite.

[TheBoy]

For me new wipers is only a once every 4-year hassle 

Bugger me, I do mine annually, and that's more because I'm to idle to do it more often.


That reminds me, the Jag wipers are starting to squeak a bit, must change 'em.

I change them when they stop working effectively, that's about 20,000 miles or three years. £8 for all three.

I change 'em when they start to get noisy. It pisses the hell out of me

[VXL V6]

Couple if times a year on the daily, so about every 15k I suppose.

[aaronjb]

For me new wipers is only a once every 4-year hassle 

Bugger me, I do mine annually, and that's more because I'm to idle to do it more often.


That reminds me, the Jag wipers are starting to squeak a bit, must change 'em.

I change them when they stop working effectively, that's about 20,000 miles or three years. £8 for all three.

I change 'em when they start to get noisy. ItEverything pisses the hell out of me

Alright, Angry of Brackley 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

After giving some positive words to Halfords, I helped a new work colleague change her battery the other day. She got the (undersized  ) battery from Eurocrapparts but when I opened the bonnet I said "what's that?!" There was a headlight bulb sat floating around on the scuttle! Turns out Halfords had sold her two bulbs and their free fitting service weren't able to install one (there is a clip missing, so the bulb falls out the lens, I bodged it so at least she new has two headlamp bulbs pointing forwards but told her to source the proper clip asap. But one can only presume she got charged for two, the second left essentially 'outside' in the rain for several weeks until I spotted it!

Ohhh dear, Halfords.