Richmond Portsmouth - MG Dealer Discussion, Opinions & Experiences

[Stuart Wright]

This thread is for discussing Richmond Portsmouth. Please ask questions here and share only your genuine opinions & experiences.

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[Bill Hoal]

Bought my MG ZS Exclusive from Richmond Portsmouth in December 2020. Really good sales team, very professional and human. I purchased a service plan with the car which I subsequently asked to change when I heard about the newly introduced low mileage plan. Richmond didn’t have any details of the new plan (and still don’t) so they cancelled my plan before the 1st direct debit was taken and have sent me 2 emails since letting me know they are on the case and will send me details when they have them. No problems with the car at this early stage in my ownership and I’m happy with the after sales attention to date.

 

[rikm1]

Just bought my MG5 EVSW Exclusive in Red (only one in stock). The sales team were friendly and helpful.
I had swatted on YouTube MG podcasts and Tom and Kate reviews helped so they had an easy sale.
Lots of IT issues and it took about 10 days from order to collection.
Still awaiting a protect pack to come in before it can be fitted.
Overall happy with the service in these strange times.

 

[HarryTheGreyhound]

Bought our MG5 SR from Richmond Portsmouth. Found them helpful and friendly. Good support, and they responded promptly and well to a minor issue with the infotainment unit. No complaints here.

 

[dave f]

collected our zs ev from them on lease,found them very helpfull and they even included a granny charger and type 2 cable and floor mats,excellent.

 

[Silver estate]

Just put a deposit down today on a EV5 excite after a very nice test drive and chat to Rory (sales man ) and Mathew (his boss)
Both honest polite and helpful

 

[Jomarkh]

Great choice, did they throw in any extras like a Type2 cable?

 

[Silver estate]

Great choice, did they throw in any extras like a Type2 cable?

Not that I know of , I did ask if the demo was coming up for sale though ?

 

[Lucky5]

Have ordered my 4 Trophy with them and have been very helpful and are keeping me in the loop on delivery albeit not much info yet. Sam has been very accommodating and they took my 5 Excite in back in December as I didn’t want it at home whilst we are having building work done. I have an old Golf to run about in until the new car arrives so all good so far

 

[SueH]

My MG4 has a 12 volt red battery warning light and on testing a sub 12v reading, so I took my car in today to see what they could do. I also need a software update and the gearbox breather sorted.

Bear in mind the 12v battery issue is a potential show stopper the earliest they could book me in was the 4th September! I could have left the car with them but they couldn't promise any response. So I'll be keeping my multimeter to hand along with a 12v battery charger.

Perhaps the issue will resolve itself? Would temporarily disconnecting the 12v battery possibly help reset the issue?

 

[Alb]

Have you contacted other dealers? That level of delay is completely unacceptable.

 

[SueH]

Not yet. I only wandered in there this morning. I don't suppose Richmond Southampton will be much better, but worth a try I suppose. I'll research the location of other dealers too in case I have to be flat-bedded, or if they are accessible.

It gets better.. the 12v battery issue IS a show stopper. Unless my currently ongoing attempt to charge the 12v battery using a smart charger succeeds they'll be having my car in on a flatbed.. Unable to charge the car either by granny or7kW ,various error messages regarding the car thinking it's still charging, the 12v level going down, and by the time I returned with the smart charger it will no longer turn on..

Incidentally, I've received an email from SAIC saying my airbag has triggered an alarm - about an hour ago, possibly when the 12v system went below certain parameters.

Better news! I disconnected the battery and charged it. When I reconnected after an overnight charge the car started up again ok, although it took a little while for one or two modules to initiate (I assume) judging by some of the advisory messages.

The warning light for the main to 12v battery module didn't come back on and the voltage has been maintained during a day out and a 120 mile round trip with plenty of use of AC.

Another anecdote to add to the 'have you tried disconnecting it?' collection of stories.. But no thanks to Richmond Portsmouth. A quick word with actual service personnel and a minute disconnection would probably have resolved it quicker, and it's what I'll immediately do if I ever seem that warning light again.

 

[John169]

Our Trophy LR is booked in for its first service this month. I tried telling them about the software issues (LKA, BT connection dropping, constant safety system faults) I want resolved and that the LKA pushing me into the path of oncoming cars is dangerous. I am told that they cannot do any diagnostics during the service and the first available appointment is in November. Three months to wait for an appointment is totally ridiculous. The sales experience of buying from them last year was excellent, but the worst customer service I have ever experienced from any car dealer virtually guarantees I will never buy another MG. In this forum, many people have had all the problems I reported fixed by software updates, but I am told there are none available for my car.

Unfortunately, the only dealers within a one-hour drive from us are all Richmond and equally unhelpful. I am even tempted to try booking the car in during our holiday.

I seriously recommend that you avoid doing any business with them if you can. I wonder whether their Hyundai or Skoda servicing is as dire?

 

[SueH]

I think they are seriously under-resourced for the sales they have made, although the mechanic I spoke to once seemed to know his stuff. Nor am I sure if the SAIC head office have quite sussed the expectations of their new market when it comes to service levels.

I've now got to get a re-calibration of the front camera following a broken windscreen change: I'll update here with my experience.

 

[Wheado]

Our Trophy LR is booked in for its first service this month. I tried telling them about the software issues (LKA, BT connection dropping, constant safety system faults) I want resolved and that the LKA pushing me into the path of oncoming cars is dangerous. I am told that they cannot do any diagnostics during the service and the first available appointment is in November. Three months to wait for an appointment is totally ridiculous. The sales experience of buying from them last year was excellent, but the worst customer service I have ever experienced from any car dealer virtually guarantees I will never buy another MG. In this forum, many people have had all the problems I reported fixed by software updates, but I am told there are none available for my car.

Unfortunately, the only dealers within a one-hour drive from us are all Richmond and equally unhelpful. I am even tempted to try booking the car in during our holiday.

I seriously recommend that you avoid doing any business with them if you can. I wonder whether their Hyundai or Skoda servicing is as dire?

In case it helps, I had mine booked in for Service at Richmond Bognor and they told me it needed all the software updates and so I needed to leave it all day with them just to ensure enough time (maybe not so easy of coming from far away).
In the end the technician doing the software updates had been off for a few days and expected still to be so for a few more and they offered to either rebook the whole thing or keep the original appointment for the service on 29/7 and a follow up for the software updates (which I took and is scheduled for next week (22/8).

 

[John169]

I have been told that the first service takes three hours and that leaves them no time to do any diagnosis or software updates. I was then categorically told that there are no software updates available for my car. This despite numerous people in this forum reporting updates being applied to their cars. When I complained that I wanted a dangerous fault investigated, I was told that the first available appointment was in three months. I was offered an appointment in Bognor in 'only' two months time! I was told that the diagnosis required the car to be with them from 1000 to 1800 and they would then send a report to MG, which MIGHT result in software updates being offered (at a future appointment). It would take me an hour at least each way, so my day out would be 10 hours away from home. When we bought the car, we were told that OTA would be implemented soon, but they also told me I would not wait more than a week for a service appointment. I am used to car dealers telling me the truth, so did not expect to be lied to to gain a sale.

 

[Shrink Proof]

I seriously recommend that you avoid doing any business with them if you can. I wonder whether their Hyundai or Skoda servicing is as dire?

Don't know anything about Hyundai, but my experience as a former Skoda owner is that the servicing is excellent.

But that's only because the garages get A LOT of practice dealing with Skoda faults...

 

[andi]

We've had to have a new bumper through insurance, when the garage brought in an outside contractor to do ADAS set up, they did a great job. We had a lot of trouble with LKA and breaking on cruise control for no apparent reason. The car is 85% better, so much so we forget the LKA is on.
They did ADAS static. I believe MG service centres do it "dynamic" on road. So there is a definite difference.

 

[Silver estate]

Very poor show ,
Phoned them to say I wouldn’t becoming to the event last weekend and the receptionist said she’d get sales man to phone me back
Yer right call back was this Wednesday
Very poor show and I was out the cab at the time
Money staying firmly in my pocket

 

[derek31a]

Like most comments here the sales team in Portsmouth are very helpful and friendly, but at the risk of being put at the back of a long queue the service times are extremely slow. Booking times seem to be at least a 2 month wait, much longer if the parts are not in stock/available. I haven't been in lately to get a service and a software update to try and alleviate the awful LKA! NOT HOPEFUL ?