What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Stebbings, King's Lynn

CHOICE
There was a good choice of mainly mainstream brands, especially Vauxhall. We also found some Minis, VW Touaregs and even a new VW Golf GTI. Most cars were a year or two old; the oldest car was a Y-reg Freelander.

PRICES
The prices at Stebbings were competitive at about 4.8% lower than the trade guides.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
Yes, most of the cars we saw on the website could be found on the lot. Our salesman told us the website was updated daily.

HIDDEN CHARGES
The price on the windscreen was the price we'd pay, except for brand-new cars which incur a £38 registration fee. Road tax is extra.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
Three months' cover is provided, and extended cover is available. Stebbings says it services all cars to manufacturers' standards to preserve warranties.

FINANCE
Stebbings quoted an APR rate of 9.9%. Our salesman was happy to give us a quick quote taking our chosen Ford Focus and trade-in into account. He gave us all relevant information including the total charge for credit.

PART-EXCHANGE
We received a low offer of £4000-£4500 for our Mondeo, depending on the car we wanted to buy. This offer was valid for four weeks.

TEST DRIVE
We were offered a quick spin around the industrial estate in a car without number plates. To take a more extensive test, we'd have had to put trade plates on.

CONDITION
All cars on site looked clean and thoroughly valeted, and had no obvious damage or defects.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We had a good look around the site before salesman David asked if he could help us. He listened to what we were looking for and then helped us select the right car, but it took him a few minutes for him to find the Focus that we asked about. We also got a printed stock list of all the types of cars that we were interested in.

David was happy to value our Mondeo while we took a test drive. The offer of £4500 was well below the trade guide price and one of the lowest offers we received in our survey. Overall, we felt cared for and the service was quick and efficient. We were not pressurised into making a decision, and David was happy to let us wander about after we'd discussed finance.

VERDICT
With a good selection of cars at competitive prices, Stebbings provided a high level of customer service.

STEBBINGS
Hamlin Way, Hardwick Narrows, King's Lynn PE30 4NG
Web: www.stebbings.co.uk
Phone: 01553 661661