FG Barnes Group Reviews 

122
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 32 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Customers frequently praised the staff for being helpful, informative, and kind, often going above and beyond to assist. Many found the sales process to be excellent, with friendly and personal service, and prompt responses to inquiries without being pushy. Reviewers appreciated the professional and approachable demeanor of the team, making the experience smooth and positive. However, some customers also noted significant difficulties with communication, reporting unreturned calls and a general inability to get updates or reach staff. A number of people experienced poor customer service, citing issues like unaddressed problems, excuses, and a lack of responsibility after purchase. Additionally, several reviewers encountered serious product faults, with vehicles breaking down shortly after purchase or requiring lengthy, repeated repairs.

What people talk about most

Service

Consumers find service to be ambiguous, with many reviewers reporting excellent experiences, particularly... See more

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, highlighting many as helpful, knowledgeable, and... See more

Product

People report ambiguous experiences with product, with many customers expressing significant dissatisfaction... See more

Customer service

Users describe ambiguous interactions with customer service, with many reporting significant frustration due... See more

Customer communications

Reviewers mention negative feedback about contact, with many reporting difficulties reaching the company, as... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We purchased a Jaecoo from FG Barnes Guildford. Sadly i had small accident in the car and needed it to be inspected urgently. Fraser in the customer service department was excellent in making arrangem... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Staff are absolutely amazing, so helpful and informative and kind. Couldn't do enough to help me. Very very reasonable price and the service they deliver is outstanding. Couldn't recommend them highly... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Had an appointment today with Danny. Fantastic customer service and efficient knowledge of the vehicle. Danny was extremely helpful and very approachable. I am extremely grateful for his help. I... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This company makes shopping for a used car a pleasant experience from first enquiry to completion of purchase. Sales team give friendly and personal customer service and are prompt to respond to enqu... See more


Company details

  1. Seat dealer
  2. Alfa Romeo dealer
  3. Fiat dealer
  4. Jeep dealer
  5. Nissan dealer
  6. Used car dealer

Written by the company

The FG Barnes Group offers a range of car brands in Guildford. Operating in the South East of England, offering new and used cars, as well as Aftersales and Motability.


Contact info

3.3

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

122 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Hasn’t replied to negative reviews

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3.3

All reviews

(122)

31 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing team who sorted everything with…

Amazing team who sorted everything with my new car very quickly. Would highly recommend.

18 January 2024
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you so much Samantha for your very kind 5 star review! We are so pleased you had such a fantastic experience purchasing your new car with FG Barnes. We wish you many happy years of motoring.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent experience

Very organised from start to finish. Honest and up front. Very approachable and you felt like you were working with everyone at the garage. Ian was fantastic.

24 January 2024
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you so much Alison for your wonderful 5 star review. We really appreciate you taking time out of your day to write this, and we are so pleased you had such a brilliant experience with FG Barnes. If there is anything else we can help you with, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Luca

Luca the staff member. He was just very kind, replied quickly without seeming pushy in any way. I was put off two other garages that had cars I was interested in but, I never even bothered to see them because of the way they spoke to me. I’ve recommended FG BARNES to a friend purely because of how Luca was to us.

17 January 2024
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Julie for your five star review, we are very happy to hear you were looked after so well and the whole process of choosing your new car was made easy for you. We're very glad to hear you would recommend us to other people. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto Luca. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Guildford, we hope to see you again in the near future!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

very bad after sale care

I am dismayed by the after-sales customer support from Barnes Group, purchased a car back in November, with a condition if any problem raise I will not get involved with RAC warranty, everything should be done by FG Barnes and the sales representative assured me if this is what I wish then they will do it, they will pick up the car and deal with RAC warranty. now the car is having issues and they are refusing to commit to their deal.

22 January 2024
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you for your review, we're very sorry to hear you had such a poor experience with us whilst dealing with your car and going through the process of sorting your warranty. Please do feel free to get in touch with us on the following number 01483 885885 and we will be more than happy to discuss the matter further with you and find a solution. Apologies once again, we look forward to hearing from you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ian Burgess yet again was excellent he…

Ian Burgess yet again was excellent he kept me up to date with any updates on my vehicle. I only had to call if I had any questions & he answered them for me nothing was a problem for him

16 December 2023
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Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Karin for your five star review, we're very glad to hear that you had such an easy and positive experience with us and that we could answer all your questions. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto Ian. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Vauxhall Guildford, we hope to see you again in the near future!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I found them to be very polite and very…

I found them to be very polite and very professional, but car is supposed to come with two working keys One set of keys does not work. This is now been over four weeks and I’m still waiting for the second set of keys.

9 January 2024
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Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Stephen for your feedback, our service team and managers have investigated into this for you and have confirmed that 2 working key's were provided for you. However, we do have a set on order for you which has been communicated to you already by our service team. Please feel free to get in touch with us on the following number 01483 885885, if you would like to discuss the matter further and a member of our team will be able to assist.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had a great experience and found my…

I had a great experience and found my desired car hassle free. Good service all round . Well done .

10 January 2024
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Joseph for your five star review, we're very happy that we could help you find your ideal car and your overall experience with us was positive. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto the team. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Guildford, we hope you enjoy your new purchase!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Luca - highly recommended

Highly recommend Luca who had endless patience as I completed my purchase over the phone.
Thank you :-)

This is the highest level review I give as I believe we are all constantly growing and improving and need something to aim for.

8 December 2023
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Vicky for your four star review, we're very glad to hear that you were able to find the right vehicle to suit you preference. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto Luca. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Used Cars, hopefully next time we can make it a five star experience!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had a fantastic experience with FG…

I had a fantastic experience with FG Barnes Group Nissan Guildford. The team helped us purchase our dream Nissan Qashquai . From the moment we walked into the dealership, the team were attentive, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure we got the perfect vehicle for our needs. The team patiently answered all of our questions, explained the features, and even took the time to demonstrate how everything worked. Sales team professionalism and friendly demeanor made the entire process enjoyable. I left the dealership with my Nissan Qashquai and a big smile on my face, all thanks to this exceptional salesman's dedication and expertise. I highly recommend them to anyone in search of a great car-buying experience!

16 December 2023
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you very much for your kind five star review, we're very happy to hear that you were able to find the right car and that all of your questions were answered. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto the sales team. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Nissan Guildford, we hope you enjoy your new purchase of the Nissan Qashqai. We hope to see you again in the near future!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well it was all down to Ian Burgess

Well it was all down to Ian Burgess. He was amazing from start to finish. Made the whole process enjoyable, easy to understand and he’s a very personable and professional guy, a true gentleman and I would recommend anyone who wants a Vauxhall to ask for him.

10 January 2024
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Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Jon for your five star review, we're very happy to hear the whole process was made easy for you and that all your questions were answered. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto Ian and we're very glad to hear you would recommend us. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes Vauxhall Guildford, we hope to see you again in the near future!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Nissan Barnes Guildford poor service

We have had a really poor service from Nissan Barnes Guildford. We put our trust in their services which has not only resulted in continued problems with our car but additionally extremely poor treatment from the manager (Vicky T).
Agreeing having work completed on our car we obviously had a few questions to find out the condition and what we were paying over £500 for. Vicky had no time to explain, repeatedly telling us she had other customers to deal with.

£680 later were still having issues with our car- I have to make several attempts of pressing the starter button before the engine turns on. I was told this was normal and if I want the car looked at again I will need to pay another £130 diagnostic fee.

Getting the car to start was the problem we had when we first took the car to Nissan barnes. We was told there was a water leak and due to the car heating up it shut down. Nissan barnes couldn’t turn the car on so they contacted us and told us we needed a new thermostat which needed to be done to even be able to switch the car on- we was therefore charged £550 plus £130 diagnostic fee. Following this, we was told all had been fixed, collected car, drove out and shockingly the next day it wasn’t starting again. We returned car, told it could need a new engine for £5000. This caused me alot of worry as we can’t afford to pay this. Spoke to the mechanic who reassured us it didn’t need a new engine (Nissan shouldn’t have put this on our evaluation form!) and it was just the ignition that needed fixing. I needed reassurance as I couldn’t have the car break down with my two year old and as I’m 30 weeks pregnant.They said they would keep the car and do serveral tests- they then reassured us car was fine. We took the car back and it failed to start again. Rang Nissan Barnes who told us this was a different issue and if we wanted them to sort it we were required to pay another £130 diagnostic fee!

Never knew this was a different issue let alone having to pay a separate diagnostic fee for them to even investigate further an issue that was already there when we took the car in the first time!

29 September 2023
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you for your feedback Natalie - firstly our apologies for any inconvenience that you feel has been caused to you. This is never our intention as our customers are incredibly important to us. We have spoken with the Leadership Team at FG Barnes and asked them investigate this issue.

Our understanding of the situation is that in early September, the car was recovered to us as it was shaking when being driven. The car was diagnosed as requiring a water outlet housing for the coolant system. This was replaced and the car was tested and then collected by you.

Two weeks later, the car came back in as it had an intermittent starting fault. The vehicle was driven to us, we carried out a software update, charged the battery overnight and tested the vehicle - the vehicle started each time. This work was carried out free of charge. This issue was not related to the water outlet housing issue that the vehicle came in for originally.

Given the above information, we feel we have acted with all due care and diligence when the vehicle has been in for repair, including completing a software update, battery charge and testing free of charge.

We are able to take the vehicle in for further diagnosis for the stop start fault, however as this fault is intermittent, and as we have not experienced the fault when testing, we would have to do further diagnosis which is chargeable – this option has been offered to you.

We also appreciate that you are a repeat customer and we have completed work for you before free of charge – we hope to see you again in the future so we can assist you with all your vehicle needs.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Bought a used MG from these guys

Bought a used MG from these guys, great experience,best trade price for my old car, George Hunt you worked your Magic, no pressure selling, totally pleased with the experience.

17 June 2023
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Derek for your five star review, we're very glad to hear you had such an easy and positive experience whilst choosing your new vehicle. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto George and the rest of the team. Once again thank you for choosing FG Barnes MG, we hope you enjoy your new purchase of one our used MG's.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I would give 0 stars if I could

I would give 0 stars if I could. Their customer service is appalling, left several messages and phone calls for the service manager (Nathan Bye) to call me back - still waiting!
After a cock up that they are at fault for they refuse to take responsibility. They don’t know how to service Vauxhall cars, if you value your car at all I wouldn’t take the risk!

31 May 2023
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you for taking the time to send us this feedback Rachael – we are really sorry that you feel that you have had a negative experience at FG Barnes.

We passed your feedback onto the Service team at Vauxhall Guildford – they have been in touch with you via email.

As we have not serviced your vehicle for the past few services, Vauxhall Customer Care will need to cover the issue with your previous service and therefore we cannot take any further action on this matter.

We do hope that Vauxhall Customer Care can resolve this for you and hope you will consider servicing your vehicle with us in the future.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Grace at Carsave FG Barns was so…

Grace at Carsave FG Barns was so helpful, friendly and professional I couldn’t ask for more 100+%

5 May 2023
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Thank you Julia for your five star review, we're very happy you had a positive experience whilst visiting Car Save Group Guildford. We will be sure to pass your kind comments onto Grace!! Once again thank you for choosing Car Save Guildford!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worst car dealer experience ever

Worst car dealer experience ever. Had to take my vauxhall to dealer since it had a complicated fault which my local garage could not fix. Explained the problem upon dropoff and faults were noted on the form. Informed the team I was NOT interested in general checkup just wanted the fault repaired. Waited until late afternoon, they didnt bother to call me so I called them. They had done general checkup and hadnt really looked at the fault but said it was probably caused by the thermostat which they could replace for £350. Too car back to my local garage where the very competent guy was very doubtful about the thermostat being the cause but had it replaced anyway for less than half the money. It didnt make any difference with the fault and had nothing to do with it.

18 January 2023
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

Good afternoon, Paul. We are so sorry that FG Barnes could not resolve your issues to match your expectations. As a rule of procedure, we carry out our own diagnostics to verify issues stated by other garages. This being said your thermostat housing was cracked and needed repairing be continue further checks. I can only apologise there was a breakdown in communication on our behalf as a company. Hopefully we get a chance to change your mind in the future with a new outlook on our business.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very friendly and Colin smith was…

Very friendly and Colin smith was excellent and very helpful, nothing was to much trouble, would definitely come back again. Mr Edward wort

20 January 2023
Unprompted review
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Reply from FG Barnes Group

Hi Edward, thank you so much for your amazing review! I will make sure your feedback gets passed on to Colin. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Customer service staff attitude is appalling. …

Customer service staff attitude is appalling, my partner purchased a brand new mg3, we realised it hadn't been PDI inspected on collection and we had to return with the vehicle for this to be carried out, collected car and found black handprints all over the headlining! They promised to organise valeting of damage and never did so we had it carried out at our own expense. 18 months after ownership battery died unexpectedly over a four day period, basically staff suggested we left the car unlocked and might as well have called us liars with their attitude! Now five weeks later the car smells damp inside and has all sorts of electrical issues with dash, called FG Barnes again and the attitude was its not likely to be covered by warranty (on a car that's done just 4k miles) and that we'd have to pay £134 for diagnostics, utterly appalling staff attitude. We're now taking the car to a different dealership to have the problems investigated! FG Barnes also told us that we would have to pay for a new battery as its not covered by the warranty despite having a guarantee for x number of years and all this from the service receptionist who is apparently is also an expert mechanic with a crystal ball! Would give zero stars if possible, don't take your vehicle to this garage and I'd strongly advise looking for a another lo Al dealership who are polite, helpful and competent! Will never buy from or use FG Barnes services again!!!

28 December 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Avoid FG barnes maidstone at all costs

Avoid FG barnes maidstone at all costs.

After braking down on a motorway we got our car to this dealership as it’s the only one in Maidstone. The car still under warranty.
3 months it took to diagnose. The staff kept lying to me that they were looking at it but weren’t. I’d even had a date for a service and MOT three weeks after the brake down which they could use as the slot for diagnosing the problem. Once diagnosed it took 3 months for them to figure out that couldn’t get the parts anymore. So a new engine was agreed. No idea why as the car is worth less than a new engine. The car got given back 3 weeks ago. I took it back twice as I could smell fuel and it was losing fuel whilst I was driving. This was denied and it was just excess fuel at the back of the engine. The smell was still bad and they put a cleaning bomb in the car to take the smell away. However it was still present. Today driving to Tunbridge wells from Maidstone the smell got worse and worse. Then steam coming from the bonnet. I pulled over and there’s fuel all over the new engine bay. I’m fortunate enough it’s not caught fire. Thank god it’s minus degrees.
This has gone on since march this year. So many complaints and still they put me and my family in danger.
Do not trust this company or garage.

14 December 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Incompetent FG Barnes Canterbury

As most of the reviews about this company confirm, this is a company to steer clear of. There have been too many issues to list them all but basically, I found a car that I was interested in and put down a deposit to secure it. Went for a test drive and took a mechanic with me. Found an endless number of problems with the vehicle and reported them to the sales department. Sales manager Stuart got involved making excuses but basically, he hadn't had the vehicle thoroughly checked before putting it up for sale. He took the car off the market and refunded my deposit. I said I would still be interested in the car if the work required was carried out but he said he didn't think they would be selling it again and it would probably go to auction or to another dealer who was prepared to do the work. I asked him to let me know either way but he didn't. The car has now reappeared on their website at a much higher price then I had agreed to pay but I doubt all the work has been done because it wouldn't be cost effective. So I feel the reason he didn't get back to me is that the car still has issues but they are hoping whoever buys it will not do as thorough check as I did. This is definitely an Arthur Daley set-up and they should be avoided at all costs. Look at some of the other reviews and you see there is a familiar pattern emerging with this company. Not to be trusted and incompetent staff especially sales manager Stuart.

15 September 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Yet again

Yet again, Service Manager (Guildford) has failed to respond to any of my messages. My van that you had for 3 weeks whilst I was on holiday, returned with the exact same problems it arrived to you with. The fact that you don't even acknowledge my emails, or attempt to phone me regarding these issues will leave me with no choice but to involve a third party to settle this. Extremely disappointed as this van is my business and having to ask customers to jump start my vehicle is embarrassing!!!!!

8 October 2022
Unprompted review
FG Barnes Group logo

Reply from FG Barnes Group

We're sorry that you've had difficulties. Our new Service Manager has contacted you and hopefully we will be able to resolve the ongoing issues with your van once and for all.

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