Mordaunt Group Clonmel, Opinions?

buachailldana

Hi all,

I have been looking to get a Volvo S40 for a few weeks now, 08/09, diesel. I have been struggling to find anything to be honest.

I stumbled across the Mordaunt Group in Clonmel on Carzone, and had a 20 minute chat on the phone with a salesman there. They specialise in sourcing cars from the UK, and bring them over ready to go for the Irish market.

For example; I told him that I want a minimum year '08 S40 diesel for under a certain amount, and they will source that car and bring it over. This is subject to a refundable deposit of €750 (subtracted from final cost), a currency fee of €265 if you purchase and an extended warranty with Mapfre for an extra €290 ish (12 month).

You can back out at any stage, up to and including seeing the car in Clonmel, and get your deposit back.

Now I have seen loads of info circulating on the internet about the owner, George Mordaunt, who by all means seems to be not actually the nicest man out there, but my question is.. Has anybody had dealings with Mordaunts, how has it been, any issues? Make me feel ok about this?

If I go ahead, it will mean that I get the exact car, and trim level, that I want with a warranty for the same amount of money (if not less) than I can see any equivalent car on carzone at the moment.

Thoughts welcome! Thanks.

Renegade Mechanic

We're generally not allowed to say bad things about businesses or their owners so Im going to keep my mouth shut.

Truckermal

Renegade Mechanic wrote: »

We're generally not allowed to say bad things about businesses or there owners so Im going to keep my mouth shut.

No need as there is plenty of info here allready for the OP just use search..

For Forks Sake

http://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?sort=best&date_to=&date_from=&query=Mordaunt&forum=47

buachailldana

For Forks Sake wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?sort=best&date_to=&date_from=&query=Mordaunt&forum=47

I have done the search, a lot of the results are from 3+ years ago, I was hoping somebody might have had recent dealings with them.

Yes, they have been rapped for misleading advertising and they have been fined for unfair dismissal, and they are probably bad people etc etc but I just want to know about the car buying aspect. For example, one of those threads relates to an issue with a Nissan warranty (Mordaunts were just messengers, albeit not very effective ones).

Has anyone bought a car there, has it given problems, have they sorted it? Again, I know there are limitations on what can be said on a public forum, but I will take lack of anything good to say as implied negative opinions of the garage!:rolleyes:

bazz26

I hate these 3rd party warranties that seem to be popping up all over the place. It stinks of the dealer washing their hands of any issues you have with the car from the moment you drive off their forecourt by telling you deal directly with the warranty company.

road_high

I've seen those little Mappfre booklets they give people and off you go!

veetwin

OP is there any reason you can't source a car in the uk yourself? It's not like it's a difficult procedure or there is a scarcity of cars over there. These guys will charge you a hefty premium for something you could easily do yourself.

dieselbug

buachailldana wrote: »

Hi all,

I have been looking to get a Volvo S40 for a few weeks now, 08/09, diesel. I have been struggling to find anything to be honest.

I stumbled across the Mordaunt Group in Clonmel on Carzone, and had a 20 minute chat on the phone with a salesman there. They specialise in sourcing cars from the UK, and bring them over ready to go for the Irish market.

For example; I told him that I want a minimum year '08 S40 diesel for under a certain amount, and they will source that car and bring it over. This is subject to a refundable deposit of €750 (subtracted from final cost), a currency fee of €265 if you purchase and an extended warranty with Mapfre for an extra €290 ish (12 month).

You can back out at any stage, up to and including seeing the car in Clonmel, and get your deposit back.

Now I have seen loads of info circulating on the internet about the owner, George Mordaunt, who by all means seems to be not actually the nicest man out there, but my question is.. Has anybody had dealings with Mordaunts, how has it been, any issues? Make me feel ok about this?

If I go ahead, it will mean that I get the exact car, and trim level, that I want with a warranty for the same amount of money (if not less) than I can see any equivalent car on carzone at the moment.

Thoughts welcome! Thanks.

Not much encouragement so far;)

buachailldana

veetwin wrote: »

OP is there any reason you can't source a car in the uk yourself? It's not like it's a difficult procedure or there is a scarcity of cars over there. These guys will charge you a hefty premium for something you could easily do yourself.

Not particularly, I have done some searching but as budget is probably around €10k max, it doesn't make a whole lot of financial sense for me to go over.

I would most likely have to take time off work, plus ~€300 on travel plus €1500 VRT on the 1.6, or €2000 on the 2.0. I could also get NVD to ship the car to Ireland directly for €425 + VAT, so not very cheap, but I would save having to take time off work. However.. this means I would have to buy the car without seeing it.

I said to Mordaunts.. Can you get me a '08 S40 for 10k, and they said yes. To do that myself, I would need to find a car ~£6000 to cover travel/transport/VRT. It also means that I get to look at the car (in Clonmel) and drive it and STILL say, "no thank you please give me my deposit back" if I don't like it.

In saying all of this.. I do realise that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, and the general comments about this place are far from inspiring!!

bazz26

These third party warranties are more like insurance policies. A component has to break or fail before they will consider replacing it which might not be as clear cut when faced with some issues. You really need to scrutinize every word of the small print before accepting the terms.

But to be fair I can understand that some people just don't have the time or other reasons to go to the UK themselves and vet out a car and are happy to pay someone here to do the donkey work for them.

eddiemunk

My girlfriend works in a nearby dealership to the car dealer mentioned recently he took a deposit of 700 and never found a car for the man and didn't return the deposit she heard I wud avoid dealings with insolvant companys will end in disaster

Stavros Murphy

eddiemunk wrote: »

My girlfriend works in a nearby dealership to the car dealer mentioned recently he took a deposit of 700 and never found a car for the man and didn't return the deposit she heard I wud avoid dealings with insolvant companys will end in disaster

Well there's the first bit of positivity. Another car dealer slating another car dealer. I'm going with that's a "point in favour".

The otherwise deafening silence is a bit odd though. :D

00833827

buachailldana wrote: »

I would most likely have to take time off work, plus ~€300 on travel plus €1500 VRT on the 1.6, or €2000 on the 2.0. I could also get NVD to ship the car to Ireland directly for €425 + VAT, so not very cheap, but I would save having to take time off work. However.. this means I would have to buy the car without seeing it.

Besides taking time off work you will be paying all of those costs anyway, they are all just rolled into the 10K you are giving them.

Why not give Niall McCarthy in Irishtown a call or Premier Auto's at the rink - they essentially do the same thing in that they source and sell UK imports - if you tell them what you want i bet within a couple of weeks they will have what you want. I know a couple of people that have dealt with McCarthy and I have not heard any thing bad about him - Premier Auto's I cant vouch for but again, heard no horror stories (I have no affiliation with either).

At least you wont have the stress of perhaps the deposit not coming back or the uncertainty of dealing with a dealer who has mixed reviews.

MuppetCheck

A workmate bought a car from them almost 3 years ago now (Kia Ceed SW). The car was mint and had items like climate control and cruise control which the Irish model didn't have at the time, the cruise control being the reason she went for the car as it was motorway Cork to Clonmel each day.

The car was covered by a Kia warranty so she was covered that way. The cars been faultless and if the car was right, had manufacturers cover to fall back on and priced competitively I wouldn't see the issue tbh.

Now the owners book however I would have a different opinion on altogether.

eddiemunk

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Well there's the first bit of positivity. Another car dealer slating another car dealer. I'm going with that's a "point in favour".

The otherwise deafening silence is a bit odd though. :D

I am not a dealer my girlfriend is a receptionist at a dealer in clonmel number 1. a man came in to buy a car and told how he had givin a deposit to them to find him a diesel mondeo and he got no car and was refused his deposit back... it has been well publicised that mordaunt are 18 million under water and also recently were taken to court and ordered to pay 72k damages to a former employee for unfair treatment. so whatever about how honerable or not the owner is theres an impending treat if the company goes into liquidation your deposit is gone if not worse.

Stavros Murphy

eddiemunk wrote: »

I am not a dealer my girlfriend is a receptionist at a dealer in clonmel number 1. a man came in to buy a car and told how he had givin a deposit to them to find him a diesel mondeo and he got no car and was refused his deposit back... it has been well publicised that mordaunt are 18 million under water and also recently were taken to court and ordered to pay 72k damages to a former employee for unfair treatment. so whatever about how honerable or not the owner is theres an impending treat if the company goes into liquidation your deposit is gone if not worse.

I was messing btw, I just didn't want to post anything controversial.

JohnBoy26

buachailldana wrote: »

I have done the search, a lot of the results are from 3+ years ago, I was hoping somebody might have had recent dealings with them.

Yes, they have been rapped for misleading advertising and they have been fined for unfair dismissal, and they are probably bad people etc etc but I just want to know about the car buying aspect. For example, one of those threads relates to an issue with a Nissan warranty (Mordaunts were just messengers, albeit not very effective ones).

Has anyone bought a car there, has it given problems, have they sorted it? Again, I know there are limitations on what can be said on a public forum, but I will take lack of anything good to say as implied negative opinions of the garage!:rolleyes:

Did a leopard ever change it's spots

Stavros Murphy

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Did a leopard ever change it's spots

leopard is up on insolvency Ireland at the mo..same spots and all..

Tony2014

<Signing up to anti-recommend isn't ok. Boards moderator>

MuppetCheck

Heard him plugging his new book (second one) on the radio the other day.

RayCon

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Heard him plugging his new book (second one) on the radio the other day.

Sounds like a Country version of Bill Cullen

mullingar

RayCon wrote: »

Sounds like a Country version of Bill Cullen

Yes and this time next year he will be the Irish importer of Tata or some woeful chinese car.

biko

and done.