What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Ron Skinner and Sons, Tredegar

CHOICE
The cars were all fairly new. Of the 800 or so cars on site, most were volume makes and models, but there were some 4x4s, MPVs and prestige brands, too. The cars were arranged by type, make and model, making it easy to find what we were looking for. Most had spec sheets clearly displayed.

PRICES
Prices looked pretty competitive; we worked them out to be around 6% lower than the trade guides suggested.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
Yes, and thanks to the spec sheets displayed in the cars, it was easy to find the models we'd spotted on the company's website.

HIDDEN CHARGES
There was an administration fee of £23.50 on all cars, which covers a valet, HPI history report and a mileage check.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
We were told that all cars were inspected before sale, and come with at least a year's warranty, if the manufacturers' original warranty has run out. It was also possible to buy extended cover.

FINANCE
All the business managers were busy when we visited, but our salesman was able to scribble some numbers on a piece of paper. We were told that the flat rate for finance was 7% – this works out at just under 14% APR.

PART-EXCHANGE
We were offered a reasonable £5500 for our Mondeo. This offer would hold for seven days and was valid on any car for sale.

TEST DRIVE
We were offered a 10-minute test drive around the industrial estate, which was less than ideal.

CONDITION
The cars had been valeted, but we spotted some scuffs and dents. The salesman told us that these would be removed if possible.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We almost walked out due to sheer frustration. Customers were waiting to be seen while sales staff and senior managers wandered around chatting and looking disinterested.

Eventually we found a salesman who was happy to talk to us. Neil gave us all the details we needed and was courteous, but it was clear he was busy and we suspected he was dealing with other customers at the same time. Ultimately, the supermarket had a good range of keenly priced cars, but it was let down by poor customer service.

VERDICT
A good supermarket for browsing and some low prices, but disappointing levels of customer service.

RON SKINNER AND SONS
Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, Tredegar, Gwent NP22 3AA
Web www.ronskinnerandsons.co.uk
Phone 01495 713400