Pulman Group Reviews 

After a DISGRACEFUL experience of customer service from PULMAN VW, DURHAM, after 3 separate visits and 60 miles of wasted journeys, being given incorrect information and a totally unhelpful attitude, LOOKERS VW Teesside took only 20 minutes to assess, diagnose and commit to completing a sensor issue replacement (either via my cars current and valid warranty or as a goodwill gesture should the warranty not cover)
The job was successfully done a couple of weeks later at my service and MOT appointment in a very efficient, honest and highly competent way. ( Under warranty as it happened)
A big thank you to Ashleigh and Jen on the service team for their professional attitude to genuinely wanting to help
How the VW customer service experience from two VW dealerships has been so polar opposite is not a good reflection on the VW brand itself to be honest
This is my own genuine an honest experience which I am more than willing to discuss with VW in much more detail ( of which there is more) to evidence my comments.
Unfortunately both VW and Pulman did not respond to my request to be contacted on surveys that both had sent to me in the first instance
LOOKERS VW TEESSIDE
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fortunately my experience has enabled a few people who I know make their own informed choices and decisions on where they want to have their VW looked after
I’m sure readers of Trustpilot will do the same.

Durham Pulman
Durham Pulman
I have a current issue with a Golf which is still under warranty, the Golf has been with dealer for 9 weeks now due to information system error and no date or estimate date as to when part will arrive in, I have emailed branch manager C. Myhill on 2 separate occasions over the last 7 days with not even an acknowledgement from him, I find this very rude and unreasonable. Not what I expect from Vw dealership .. last week I was advised by service dept that the info system was due in 12 th May which is today but I have yet again not been updated , I have attempted calling today left my details and yet again no call back. I am genuinely fed up with chasing this up … PULMAN ARE INCOMPETENT AND RUDE

I am sharing the below email that I have sent to Pulmans VW dealership at Durham after a very disappointing visit for support today.

I will reach out further a field to Stockton or Newcastle for my new company car needs.

Email sent to Pulmans:

Complaint – Customer Service Experience at Pullman Volkswagen Durham

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to raise a complaint regarding the extremely disappointing experience I encountered at your Durham showroom today.

Only a few days ago I received my 26 plate new company vehicle, a Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line 1.5 Hybrid. As part of my company car scheme, I am required to nominate a preferred dealership to undertake all servicing and maintenance for the vehicle over the next three years. With this in mind, I visited Pullman Volkswagen Durham today intending to register your dealership as my chosen service provider. In addition, as this is my first hybrid vehicle, I hoped that a member of your team might briefly advise me on the most effective way to drive and manage the hybrid system.

Upon arrival, the receptionist was polite and attempted to assist by approaching colleagues in the showroom to find someone available to help me. Unfortunately, the response from the team members she approached was both surprising and disappointing. I understand that three separate members of staff declined to assist. One member of staff was standing close enough that I could clearly hear the exchange. I distinctly heard the comment, “That lady there?” followed by the response, “No, get someone else,” once the nature of my request was explained.

No member of staff subsequently came forward to assist me.

As a customer who had come to your dealership with the intention of establishing a three-year servicing relationship, I found this interaction dismissive and unprofessional. I was not requesting anything unreasonable—simply guidance on a new vehicle and the opportunity to register your dealership as the preferred service centre for my company car.

For context, my previous company vehicles have been BMW models, and the level of customer care consistently provided by their dealerships has been exemplary. Staff were always approachable, knowledgeable, and willing to spend a few minutes ensuring customers understood their vehicles. In contrast, the response I received today conveyed a clear lack of interest in assisting a customer or establishing a long-term relationship.

As a direct result of this experience, I will now be looking to nominate an alternative Volkswagen service centre, even if it requires travelling further afield, in order to receive a more professional and customer-focused service.

I felt it was important to bring this matter to your attention, as the interaction I witnessed today reflects poorly on the standards of customer service that one would reasonably expect from an authorised Volkswagen dealership. I trust that this incident will be reviewed internally so that other customers do not have a similar experience.

I would appreciate acknowledgement of this complaint and any response you feel appropriate.

Sadly Pulmans Durham have not responded but the good news is:

VW Uk and VW Germany have 😊

My negative experience began when I asked for a quote for a basic second-year service and was instead ‘steered’ into purchasing a two-year service plan. I was told my only options were to buy the plan or pay well over double the £200 I had paid for my first-year service, which I felt was a questionable way to do business.

During the service, I was contacted and informed that the rear brakes had rapidly deteriorated, showing 80% wear compared to just 10% recorded at the first-year service point. This was despite similar incurred mileage and time between services, with no change in driving style or journey types. Notably, the front brakes showed only minor wear. I was quoted £445 for the rear brake work, plus an additional £234 for a brake fluid change and a Haldex oil change. Mind blowing prices!

Feeling suspicious, I did not authorise the work and contacted the dealership to express my concern that no investigation had been carried out into the unusual and accelerated deterioration. I was disappointed that the only response had been to recommend further chargeable work. I was subsequently told the wear could be due to driving style or corrosion from the vehicle being parked, neither of which applied in my case. This is further supported by the fact that the front brakes showed no unusual wear or corrosion.

I was then informed that this issue has been seen before on Skoda Karoq and Kamiq models and was advised to contact Skoda UK, as they had previously contributed towards the cost for other customers. Skoda UK responded, basically suggesting that excessive rear brake wear compared to minor on the front is not unusual, and they did not dispute Pulman’s comments that Karoqs and Kamiqs can be affected by this issue. They also stated that brake discs and pads are excluded from warranty cover as wear items, which did not recognise my actual concern.

My concern is not that brakes wear over time, but that the level of rear brake wear in year two was both highly accelerated and inconsistent with their condition at the end of year one, as well as with the front brakes over the same period, which remain in good condition. This raises questions about whether the components are fit for purpose. Unfortunately, neither Skoda nor Pulman appear willing to acknowledge or properly address this concern.

Prospective buyers and owners of Skoda Karoq and Kamiq models should be aware of this expensive and concerning issue.

This is my second car from this company and I intend to keep on using them. I always deal with the salesperson Dave.A better person you could not wish to meet. He will bend over backwards to help you get what you want without being pushy. Nothing seems to phase him. If you are looking for a Skoda go see Dave you will not be disappointed.

Bought a 2018 Tiguan with a 2 year warranty on it.
Called VW assist when the car went into limp mode. There was a sensor problem. Was told I could take it to any VW garage but I'd heard bad reviews about pulmans and that is the closest.. so I got the fault cleared.. in total the car went into limp mode 4 times.
I eventually went to pulmans at Durham with the car in limp mode.. but due to it being lunch time they were too busy having lunch. So I booked it in.
I was told that if there was no fault on the car when they plugged it into the diagnostics I would be charged 95. There was a fault and it had to be fixed and I still got charged. Very slightly confused as to how I can get charged when there's a fault..
So seriously.. if you're going to buy a VW.. don't go to pulmans cos they will rip your eyes out and take your kidneys with them..

Pulman Seat Sunderland

Ordered the wrong car waited nearly six months then we got told you signed the order too I don’t know how many times. We gave a review but guess what it hasn’t been uploaded no wonder they have over 4 stars when they pick and choose which reviews they show! i know the review was there as the manager said he had seen it! They are an absolute disgrace don’t go there for your motability car! We lost out on probably £2k of extras yet still paid the same amount for the car we received and we live with the consequences.

This company is absolute rubbish ,i enquired about a new vehicle over 2 weeks ago PAUL from VW durham called to-day 9th march apologising for delay in getting back to me ,Iwould rather go elsewhere ,

Should be a 0.
Took my vehicle to Pulman Seat Sunderland (same group) for a service.
It was washed without permission and looked like they’d used wire wool to do it.
I was told they hadn’t caused the damage and that ‘no one else had complained’.
They denied me costs for a machine polish that I was happy to arrange myself and promised to sort.
3 months later they had my car for 2 days and washed it again causing yet more damage then waxed it leaving wax all over the glass and tried to say they’d had it machine polished.
Absolute cowboys.
The faceless, voiceless Service ‘Manager’ (Lee Morris) is a disgrace.
Staff had the audacity to call me a liar.
His method of dealing with complaints is to ignore calls and emails and never get back to you hoping you will go away.
Eventually got half the cost of a machine polish that they could have paid for when they first caused the damage.

Buying a car - they’ll take your money with a smile.
Anything else - AVOID.