What Car? guide to car supermarkets - Trade sales, Slough

CHOICE
Trade Sales says there is up to 2000 cars on site. The focus is on small family cars and superminis, but some executives, 4x4s and luxury cars were also on display. Most were no more than three years old, and there were some pre-reg models as well.

PRICES
Prices looked very competitive: we worked them out to be 7.5% lower than those listed in the trade guides.

DID IT HAVE THE CARS WE SAW ONLINE?
We thought we'd found some of the cars we'd seen on the website, but it was obvious that it hadn't been updated.

HIDDEN CHARGES
There is an additional fee of £61 to cover administration charges.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG?
Every car comes with a 28-day warranty. You can buy extended cover starting at £300 for a year.

FINANCE
We couldn't get a quote for finance on our visit, and were told that we'd need to commit to buying a car before they would provide us with any numbers. We did find out that the typical rate offered is between 6-8% flat, so about 11.5-15.5% APR.

PART-EXCHANGE
When we asked for a trade-in value for our Mondeo, we were told that Trade Sales only provides valuations once customers are happy to buy a car. They said that the figure quoted in a price guide would be close to what we'd be offered.

TEST DRIVE
Test drives were available, we were told, but only if we were committed to buying a car.

CONDITION
Most cars were clean and tidy and had been valeted. Some were dusty, though, and one had mud trodden into the driver's foot mat.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Trades Sales staff were friendly and offered assistance as soon as they spotted us, but with their no-frills approach they need to be sure you're going to buy a car before they'll leap into action.

The site is a great place to browse, but not so great if you need some help and advice. During our visit, salesman George was pleasant and informative, answering all of our questions.

Overall, the cheap prices come at the cost of customer service, so don't be surprised by their laid-back approach.

VERDICT
Lots of cars and keen pricing, but the staff didn't seem interested in helping us unless we committed to buying a car.

TRADE SALES
336-357 Bath Road, Slough, Berks SL1 6JA
Web: www.tradesales.co.uk
Phone: 08701 220220