Servicing Stop
For over 10 years, Servicing Stop has matched busy drivers to garages. It offers “unbeatable prices” and a “hassle free” car servicing experience however, some customers say that it’s been anything but.
Among them is Sara, who works nights picking up blood samples from vets around the country. Her car was collected for a service at 9am but only a few hours later, she was told by Servicing Stop that it would need additional work costing nearly £1,000. Worried that she would not get her car back in time for her shift, she agreed to pay for the work. She told Watchdog:
“I need my car back at the latest by six o'clock. I'm self-employed. If I don't work, I don't get paid.”
Before she could pay however, Sara was asked to write a review for the company, and was confused why she needed to review a service before she had seen the work. She told Watchdog:
“I'm in a rush, so I'm like okay – let's just get that done, because if I don't pay, I'm not getting the car back.”
By 6pm, Sara still had not heard from Servicing Stop, so she had to cancel her shift. The following day – still with no answers – Sara travelled to the garage where Servicing Stop had sent her car.
When she picked it up, there was not a mechanic in sight, and she was not sure who, if anyone, had actually carried out the work on her car. She decided to take it to a different independent garage to be reassured.
The independent garage told her that the engine oil had not been changed, which was part of her service and also that at least three out of the six additional jobs agreed with Servicing Stop had not been done.
Sara was appalled, and told Watchdog:
“They are putting people at risk. It's really, really that simple.”
Gill works as a carer, and relies on her car to get to her clients. She booked her car in for a full service in early February 2023, costing around £130. However, shortly after the car was collected, Gill received a call saying there was additional work to be done.
Gill told Watchdog:
“For the whole lot it was £422.33. The day after. I checked the oil, only half on the dipstick. I opened the brake fluid, it's not even being cleaned, I was devastated.”
Gill complained to Servicing stop, but in the absence of a resolution, she took her car to a different garage. The mechanic there confirmed that the brake fluid and the oil cleaner, for which she had been charged, were not topped up. Gill told Watchdog:
“These people are just, you know, taking money from people and not doing anything. I couldn't sleep at night knowing what they've done to me. Because it hurts.”
Jeff Peters is a Senior lecturer in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering at Coventry University, and told Watchdog of the serious implications of car servicing not being carried out correctly. He said:
“For some people that's going to be the only time in the year that someone's going to go over their car and check that it's safe.”
In a statement Servicing stop told Watchdog:
“We are writing to express our deep concern and sincere apologies regarding the complaints made against our company. We are truly saddened to hear about these isolated incidents, and we want to assure you that we take each complaint seriously. We are committed to understanding and addressing the concerns raised by our valued customers.
“Firstly, we would like to provide some context about Servicing Stop. We operate as a platform business, similar to Just Eat in the food industry and Uber in the transportation sector. Just as these platforms do not own their own food outlets or taxis, we do not own the garages. Our role is to connect motorists with thousands of reputable garages across the country, offering a convenient and reliable service.
“Over the years, we have proudly served hundreds of thousands of motorists, and the fact that we continue to grow through repeat business and recommendations is a testament to the quality of our service. However, we must acknowledge that, sadly, on isolated occasions, some customers have experienced issues with the services provided by certain garages within our network. We take immediate action by investigating these complaints thoroughly and, when necessary, removing the garages from our network.
“As a platform business, we fully understand and accept our responsibility to audit and ensure the quality of our garage network. We are determined to continuously improve our auditing processes, and we remain fully accountable for any shortcomings. We are deeply committed to investigating the specific complaints you have highlighted, resolving them promptly, and offering sincere apologies to the affected customers.
“Whilst we acknowledge and address these unfortunate incidents, we want to emphasise that they do not represent the majority of our customers' experiences. The vast majority of motorists who have used Servicing Stop have had excellent and hassle-free experiences. Furthermore, we are proud to provide services that are not only reliable but also cost-effective. Our prices are consistently lower than those of the majority of service outlets in the UK. In addition, we offer the added convenience of collecting cars from customers' homes or workplaces and returning them on the same day in most cases.
“Our dedicated hard-working workforce are bitterly disappointed that a few isolated examples are portraying the business in such a poor light, it’s not proportionate to the satisfied motorists we serve, notwithstanding this, we all accept there is always room for improvement and together we will continuously endeavour to enhance and improve upon our service to assist UK motorists to save time and money.
“It is of utmost importance to us that motorists can trust Servicing Stop as a platform that prioritises their satisfaction. We understand the significance of the complaints raised, and we are fully committed to rectifying any issues and improving our services even further. We will continue investing in our auditing procedures to ensure that all garages within our network meet the highest standards of quality and professionalism.
“Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention, and please rest assured that we are taking immediate action to address each complaint and ensure a satisfactory resolution.
“Once again, we sincerely apologise for the complaints brought to our attention. We value the opportunity to address these concerns and demonstrate our dedication to providing an excellent service to our valued customers. We are determined to regain your trust and confidence in our platform.”
