January 2021 COVID-19 Lockdown Update

We Are Open Within Government Guidelines

Following the government's announcement on January 4th, the country is now under heightened restrictions in a national lockdown. We want to reassure you that with our experience from previous lockdown periods, our safety measures are as robust as ever and we will continue to offer customer service whilst adhering to the latest lockdown guidelines.

Sales

The government guidance for our industry is that showrooms must remain closed to the public but we can still offer the following services to sales customers:

• Bespoke video available on request for all physical stock
• Telephone and virtual appointments available on:
  • Monday to Friday 8.30 am till 6pm
  • Saturday from 9am till 5pm
  • Sunday 10am till 4pm
• 14 Day ‘no quibble’ money back guarantee
• Click and Collect & Home Delivery Available

We will additionally be offering COVID-secure contact-free Click-and-Collect and Home Delivery (free of charge up to 40 miles from the retailer, any delivery over 40 miles is subject to availability and additional charges) services for customers taking delivery of their new or used vehicle over the period of lockdown. Your dedicated collection time will be agreed between yourself and a member of our sales team, who will be in contact with you to arrange this to be completed safely.

Aftersales

We will continue to be open to our customers for Service, MOT and Repairs Monday to Friday from 8am till 6pm (7am till 5pm for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles). This will be with strict social distancing measures in place, to ensure the safety of our customers and colleagues we have modified some of Aftersales services as per the following:

• Collection and Delivery are subject to availability and please enquire with your preferred site to confirm this facility
• Courtesy cars available – arrival time from 9:30 am to allow for sanitisation of all courtesy cars
• Parts counter Sales – available on a Call and Collect basis only.

All visiting customers requested to attend with face masks and to use hand sanitisation stations where applicable. All payments are preferred via card, contactless or direct bank transfer. Cash payments to be avoided to assist with the spread of COVID-19, if cash is your only option please discuss with your adviser at point of booking.

Please note that any customers exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or requiring to self-isolate under the Government guidance please avoid visiting our businesses until such time as permissible under the Government guidance.

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Face Covering Notice Update

From Thursday 24th September it will also be mandatory for our colleagues to wear face coverings at all times.

The wearing of a face covering for Sales, Aftersales and Parts customers attending the business by appointment is mandatory. Please ensure you have this in place prior to arrival as in the interest of our colleagues and customer safety those customers arriving at the site without a face covering may be turned away.

It is important to note that some of our customers may be exempt from wearing a face covering. The conditions under which this may apply are listed below;

1. young children under the age of 11
2. not being able to put on wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
3. if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause them severe distress
4. if they are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
5. to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to themselves or others
6. to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and they do not have a face covering with them
7. to eat or drink, but only if they need to
8. to take medication
9. if a police officer or other official requests they remove the face covering

In line with the guidance from the government which states; “Shops and supermarkets will be expected to encourage compliance with the law (as they would do more generally) and can refuse entry. If necessary, the police have the powers to enforce these measures, including through issuing a fine of £100 (halving to £50 if paid within 14 days)”.

For further information please visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

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Advice from The AA regarding keeping your car in good health during the lock down

Leaving your car parked for up to a month

Fuel – Before parking your car up for a long period, it’s a good idea to top up with fuel. Not only will this help with other measures, but a full tank doesn't attract condensation, which could cause issues if allowed to build up over time.

Battery maintenance – If you can, connect your car's battery to a mains-powered battery maintainer. If you can't, start the engine once a week and allow it to run for about 15 minutes. This will re-charge the battery and help keep the engine in good condition. It’s important to allow the engine to run for this long so the battery can charge properly. In the case of petrol engine cars, it also helps to prevent engines from flooding with fuel. Never leave your car unattended with the engine running.

Brakes – Sometimes when a car's parked up for a long period with the parking brake on, the brakes can seize. To prevent this it's good practice to release the parking brake and move the vehicle a short distance back and forth, at the same time as running the engine. You shouldn’t leave the parking brake off unless the vehicle is on private land with the wheels securely chocked.

Electric vehicles – EVs and hybrid vehicles have 12-volt batteries, the same as conventional cars. However, they charge differently. Pressing the start button, so the ready light comes on, will operate the charging system. Doing this for 10 minutes once a week should keep the 12-volt battery topped up. Some electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can maintain their 12-volt batteries if they’re plugged in to the mains charger. Check your vehicle handbook for details on this.

Garages – Don’t run a car engine inside a household garage as the exhaust fumes can be toxic. If you keep your car in a garage, pull it out onto the drive to run the engine to charge the battery.

Getting back on the road

Before you start a car you haven’t used for a long time:

• Check that the MOT and car tax are still current.
  • Taxing the car will cancel any SORN.
  • If you need an MOT, you can only drive the car if it’s to a garage for a pre-booked MOT.
• Check tyre pressures.
• Check nothing’s nesting under the bonnet or has chewed through the pipes/hoses.
• Check all fluid levels, before starting the engine.
• Check the brakes, including the handbrake – they may have seized up if the car was left with the handbrake on. Try putting into gear and driving gently.

Credit The AA, please visit https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/laying-up to see the original article.