Setting The Standard

Winners of Honest John's HAT Standard 2010

Honest John has announced the companies awarded a prestigious Highly Approved Trader (HAT) Standard for 2010. Motorists from across the UK were called on to vote for their favourite service providers from a short-list, and now the votes have been counted and the results are in.

"We asked motorists to vote for the companies they felt went the extra mile when it came to customer service," says Honest John. "Recent reports, such as the Office of Fair Trading investigation into second-hand car dealers, have drawn attention to examples of bad practice in the industry. But I think it is time we put the spotlight on businesses that deliver excellent service.

"Motorists are under pressure from so many fronts, so it's more important than ever that they can find service providers they can rely on to give them the best deals, decent service and, most importantly, are trustworthy."

In a change from 2009's HAT Standard Awards, in which Honest John himself picked the recipients, this year motorists were asked to vote for their favourite service providers and the nominees encompassed all areas of the motor trade, from auctions to car supermarkets.

"The HAT Standard this year truly showcases the businesses that support motorists with great service" concludes Honest John. "Drivers need a way to be able to find the organisations that can be trusted - and the HAT Standard does exactly that. Each HAT Standard winner has been voted for by real motorists who have enjoyed first-hand experience of excellent customer service."

The HAT Standard winners in 2010 are:

Ling Valentine of Lings Cars topped the recommendations by generating 131 votes.

Honest John says:

"Ling is certainly a controversial figure. But she engenders such unusually fierce loyalty from her customers that she has to be doing her job extremely well indeed and thoroughly deserves her HAT."

www.lingscars.com

Motorpoint UK is an independent supplier of new and nearly new cars from branches in Burnley, Derby, Peterborough, Glasgow and Newport South Wales.

Honest John says:

"Motorpoint's directors, David Shelton and Gary Warren, and I used to stand together on the auction floor nearly 20 years ago. They have taken that experience and incorporated it into Motorpoint's no-nonsense approach - buy stock as cheaply as possible, take a small profit and pass the rest on in big savings to the customer. Offering ‘nearly new' cars, independent imports and bulk-buys from manufacturers, Motorpoint has been at the forefront of providing great deals in the UK."

www.motorpoint.co.uk

Warranty Direct is the UK's leading provider of direct consumer warranties specialising in used car and extended warranties.

Honest John says:

"In the past, aftermarket warranty insurers were happy to take your money, but prone to use ‘wear and tear' exclusions and low claims limits making them of little real value. This all changed when Duncan McClure Fisher decided to come in and clean the business up with simple, straightforward and proper underwriting of risks. Duncan realised that Warranty Direct needed to be transparent - telling customers exactly what is and isn't covered for them to see in black and white."

www.warrantydirect.co.uk

British Car Auctions have over twenty auction centres nationwide and is Europe's largest vehicle remarketing company. BCA makes finding and buying quality used vehicles easy from a variety of vendors including: dealer part exchange, fleet, lease and ex rental.

Honest John says:

"I have been to more BCA auction halls than I have had hot dinners, and watched the business change. Over the years it has grown from one site to an international remarketing organisation, raising the standards througout Europe. BCA is more than just an auction house, providing added benefits, such as ‘Sure Sell' for private sellers to sell their vehicles without risk or hassle."

www.british-car-auctions.co.uk

Drive the Deal is a new-car-broker that supplies new UK cars to customers at cut rates by negotiating volume deals with franchised dealers.

Honest John says:

"Drivethedeal is run by Richard Sanders, one of the last few real gentlemen left in the car trade. He prides himself on making the best genuine deals with UK dealers for his customers. Through Drivethedeal, new car buyers can shop with peace of mind, knowing that they are getting genuine bargains, sometimes at very substantial discounts."

www.drivethedeal.com

DSG Auto is an online car and van leasing company for the business customer.

Honest John says:

"DSG Auto has a fine reputation, well deserved. This is a leasing company that delivers on its promises because it puts customer service at the heart of its business. As partners with some of the UK's best vehicle finance providers, DSG works hard to ensure it finds the best deal on the car or van its customers want. With DSG, customers know they are getting the best value on the right vehicle for their business, taking the stress out of buying company vehicles."

www.dsgauto.com/

HPI has been checking vehicle histories since 1936 to help prevent motorists from getting ripped off.

Honest John says:

"The HPI Check is the first line of defence for used car buyers, confirming whether a vehicle has been stolen, written-off or is has outstanding finance, as well as offering a mileage check as standard - arming buyers with the information they need before a purchase. Over the years HPI has constantly expanded its offering and now provides CO2 certificates with every check, helping consumers make greener buying decisions, as well as being the only check to offer a guarantee in the event of data being inaccurate. HPI has also long been working within the industry to make used car buying the safest it's ever been. HPI is the first name in vehicle history checks, helping consumers protect themselves from the risks of used car fraud."

www.hpicheck.com

AUTOQUAKE IN ADMINISTRATION

Autoquake was awarded a HAT in 2010. On 17 March 2011, the company was placed into administration. In light of this, we have decided to suspend the company's HAT award.

The company was awarded its HAT because it provided good value combined with a seven day money-back guarantee, giving buyers confidence to buy online. The website allowed buyers to view up to 40 photos of each car, enabling them to see appraise every inch.

www.autoquake.com

To qualify for HAT, businesses must:

• They have been trading for minimum of three years
• Where applicable, be signed up to the appropriate SMMT code of practice
• Be able to demonstrate a thorough and transparent mechanism for handling customer complaints

To be successful in receiving a HAT standard a business must generate 25 genuine customer recommendations. This can be achieved through:

• a link on the nominee website, which we are able to track
• a link on our website for each nominee, which we are able to track
• point of sale form that is completed in store
• letters/emails that have been received by the nominee in the last twelve months.

Terms & Conditions

The HAT standard clearly recognises ongoing customer service records based on feedback directly received from Honest John readers, emailers, backroomers and results from surveys and is current at the date each HAT standard is awarded.

Honest John reserves the right to withdraw the award at his discretion should he have reason to believe that standards have fallen. Honest John's decision is final.

Honestjohn.co.uk Ltd can not be held accountable for the actions of a third party including those organisations that receive Honest John's HAT Standard.

Customers should check www.honestjohn.co.uk/hatstandard for the current status of each recipient of the HAT, any customer feedback on the companies receiving the awards or any other organisation can be sent via the website www.honestjohn.co.uk or directly to Honest John at letters@honestjohn.co.uk

For further information see the website or contact:
Sarah Thomas Publisher : sarah@honestjohn.co.uk.