Halfords

Halfords often get bad press. Personally I've never had anything but good service. Prices may not always be the cheapest but it's worth looking on their website as there are often good deals to be had.
This week I needed to buy a child booster seat for use in my taxi (Heathrow job next Wednesday all the way to Bangor) so checked out Argos, Asda etc and then checked Halfords on-line who had one for £9.99 but with a special web price of £7.99. As I was going to Rhyl and I knew there was a branch there, I popped in to see what they were like. Nothing special but does what it says on the tin. In stock at £9.99. So I went back to the car, got on my phone, got Halfords website and reserved one at £7.99. Reserved goods are available from 1 hour after reserving but I went straight into the store and quoted my reservation number. The girl said 'oh that's just come through, I'll get it for you' which she duly did, job sorted.
Once you've reserved an item you can opt to be sent details of their offers weekly. Sometimes there are weekend only offers, so maybe worth a look.

I can't complain about the helpfulness of my local Halfords but the prices are by and large over what I can get elsewhere. I usually shop around starting with the accessory shop about 200 yards from my home. I very often end up buying online although I would prefer to give my money to local businesses.
Sometimes the helpfulness is worth paying the extra cost, sometimes it isn't - like the difference of a Boxer water pump for £35 from Halfords or £16 (inc p&p) online which arrived the following day.

Swings & Roundabouts

Frank

Just bought a Bosch battery for the car.
£120 Halfords
£78 Motor Factors

Same battery, same warranty.

PB

The big benefit I find with Halfords especially travelling so much is their instant warranty wherever you are. Doesn't apply to that many items but I had a leisure batt fail I had bought down South and it failed when I was camping in North Wales. They would not entertain anything other than return South. I can understand it from their point of view. But that was just not an option. My friend had a 2yr Halfords batt fail after 23 months and the local store to us at the time changed it on the spot no questions asked.

Just noticed this topic. The staff at my local Halfords have been very helpful without putting any pressure on me to buy.

I'm wary of Halfords since they charged me £7.50 to change a £9.99 headlight bulb. Unfortunately I needed it at tea-time on a winter Saturday when there was no alternative. 

Nora

I've known garages charge over £30 to do that. It's very difficult on some vehicles and you might have to book it in to have it done and that could be a week or more wait. With hourly rates at main dealers often around £70 per hour, £7.50 is not that bad.


I was a store manager for them for 13 years, many years ago, still have a soft-spot for them!

If it had happened during the week it wouldn't have cost me anything. I take your point about hourly charges but this took less than a minute to do. My cousin was with me and she said go to Halfords, they changed her daughter's bulb for free!

Nora

Halfords will usually fit something straight away, a garage rarely will. It's the price you pay for convenience and not being able to fix it yourself.

Traficlady wrote:If it had happened during the week it wouldn't have cost me anything. I take your point about hourly charges but this took less than a minute to do. My cousin was with me and she said go to Halfords, they changed her daughter's bulb for free!

Nora

My daughter has bought bulbs, windscreen wipers, etc from our local Ford dealer's spares dept and managed to get their guys to fit them for free. 
Amazing what they'll do for a 24yr old blonde that they won't do for an old fogey like me!  

rogerblack wrote:

Traficlady wrote:If it had happened during the week it wouldn't have cost me anything. I take your point about hourly charges but this took less than a minute to do. My cousin was with me and she said go to Halfords, they changed her daughter's bulb for free!

Nora

My daughter has bought bulbs, windscreen wipers, etc from our local Ford dealer's spares dept and managed to get their guys to fit them for free. 
Amazing what they'll do for a 24yr old blonde that they won't do for an old fogey like me!  

Lifes very unfair at times

Short skirts, blonde hair and a sweet smile. Perhaps us guys need to rethink things:hugegrins:

minky58 wrote:Short skirts, blonde hair and a sweet smile. Perhaps us guys need to rethink things: hugegrins:

Nah, I've tried that and it didn't work. Besides, the blonde wig made my scalp itchy . . .  

Blast it, should I have tried a blond wig?

Nora