Tuesday 29 November 2011

Win a Free Tank of Fuel



Excitement is mounting as we approach the half millionth feedback entry on the Good Garage Scheme’s website. To celebrate such a momentous achievement, the Good Garage Scheme is rewarding the lucky customer who submits the 500,000th feedback with a Free tank of fuel.  With fuel prices as they are these days, that’s quite a prize! 


On average almost 100,000 motorists each year have their say and comment on the service they received at a Good Garage Scheme garage. The invaluable feedback and testimonials then help other consumers make an informed decision. 
We aim to help put the motorist in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing a garage.


The Good Garage Scheme website is currently displaying over 484,000 feedbacks so it won’t be long before we can announce the lucky winner.

For your chance to win a Free Tank of Fuel, make sure you fill in a feedback next time you visit a Good Garage Scheme member.  To locate a garage you can trust near you, visit www.goodgaragescheme.com


Tuesday 22 November 2011

Driving in Autumn – Be Safe in Fog

“Fog slowly clearing” has been a familiar phrase in the UK’s weather reports this week.

The Good Garage Scheme would like to remind motorists to be vigilant and take extra care when using the roads in dense fog conditions.
 •    Slow down – It’s difficult to gauge how fast you are going when driving through thick fog.

•    Listen carefully - Wind down your window if unsure of oncoming traffic at junctions and listen for other vehicles.

•    Use your horn – When driving round blind bends, use your horn to warn other drivers that you are approaching.

•    Avoid using full beam in fog at night  - the light will reflect back off the fog and reduce what you can see.

•    Park safely – if you need to park, use a car park or other off-road location.




It’s even more important to make sure your lights are working before you set off. If you need someone to check your any of your lights, especially your fog lights, visit your nearest Good Garage Scheme member at http://www.GoodGarageScheme.com and find one near you.

For more Driving Tips for Autumn, please visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/tech_tips.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Fair Fuel Campaign Fight in House of Commons

Yesterday the Commons approved a backbench motion challenging the Government to help drivers with the rising cost of fuel.

Campaign group, Fair Fuel UK, and Tory MP, Robert Halfon, gathered over 100,000 signatures on an e-petition demanding that the Government call off a 3p increase in fuel duty due to come into force in January 2012.

The Business Secretary, Liberal Democrat, Mr Vince Cable, indicated yesterday that there wasn’t an easy answer and that he did not wish to raise the expectation of motorists.

The Good Garage Scheme supported the Fair Fuel UK campaign through its social media network and encouraged followers to sign the petition. We continue to support motorists and offer sound advice on saving fuel through our website’s ‘Fuel Savings Tips’ page. Some handy tips include:

•    Service your car regularly
•    Check your tyres
•    Drive at an appropriate speed

For more information, visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/driving.

To find the cheapest petrol in your area, visit http://www.PetrolPrices.com.
Enter your postcode to find the lowest UK petrol price in your area. The site lists over 10,000 petrol stations and is free to use.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Collecting your Vehicle After a Service or Repair

All Good Garage Scheme members promise to perform services to a strict Code of Conduct and will always have a customer’s best interests at heart.

The fifth item on the Code of Conduct states the garage must “… make parts replaced during service or repair available for inspection by the customer.”
Any reputable garage should do this anyway, but motorists visiting a Good Garage Scheme can be assured that they will be treated fairly.

If you wish to see any parts that have been replaced during a service or repair, it is your right to ask and the Good Garage Scheme member’s duty to show the parts. It is all about building a relationship with the garage. After all, you are entrusting them with the second most expensive item you own after your home.

You will receive a checklist for work carried out as proof of a job well done and have the opportunity to fill in a feedback card or online feedback following your experience.

There are almost half a million feedback entries on the Good Garage Scheme website offering consumer choice when looking for a garage you can trust. Visit the Good Garage Scheme’s website at http://www.goodgaragescheme.com and find a garage near you.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Lorraine Kelly Helps Women Drivers

The team at Lorraine Kelly contacted the Good Garage Scheme because Lorraine's viewers and readers said that looking for a trusted local garage is a problem car owners regularly face.
We are proud to appear in the well-known presenter's magazine, “At Home With Lorraine Kelly”, offering an introduction to the Good Garage Scheme's website where drivers can locate a local trusted garage from over 2800 member garages across the UK.

Lorraine’s readers have also had an introduction the Good Garage Scheme’s new Android App, now available to download free from the Android Market.
The Android app is a welcome addition to the already popular iPhone App.
 Within months of the release of the iPhone app, expert reviewers at The Sunday Times selected the Good Garage Scheme’s app as one of the 500 best apps available in the world and included it in their prestigious guide, The Sunday Times App List.
If you haven’t already downloaded the free iPhone app for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, visit here.
 
Find a garage you can trust wherever you may be.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

More speed, more fuel, more accidents


Following the traumatic collision on the M5 last week, the debate over the potential motorway speed limit increase has been re-opened.With seven people killed and fifty-one left injured on the Somerset motorway on Friday evening, the reality of an 80mph motorway has to be addressed more realistically.

The current speed limit of 70mph was introduced in the 1960s and although cars of today are much more capable of reaching higher speeds, reaction time for drivers remains the same.
It is inevitable that faster motorways will cause more serious accidents. As previous government statistics have shown, someone hit by a car travelling at only 40mph is 90% more likely to be killed.
The Good Garage Scheme has always been keen to help motorists save fuel and if the new law raising the speed limit is to be implemented, motorists will be spending more on fuel and also increasing CO2 emissions.
 The consultation for the implementation of the speed limit increase begins this year with a view to raising it in 2013.
Do you have an opinion on the speed limit increase? Would you be able to increase your fuel budget due to higher speeds? Let us know by commenting on this blog.

Friday 4 November 2011

Drive Safely on Bonfire Night

Driving conditions are more challenging at night with and according to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, casualty statistics show that 40% of collisions occur in the hours of darkness.

 The Good Garage Scheme hopes that anyone celebrating Bonfire Night this weekend has an enjoyable time and advises motorists to be safe and plan ahead.
 Check local websites for event information
Find out all you can about your local Bonfire Night celebrations ahead of time. Many organised displays will list times, prices and locations of free car parking facilities on a website.

 Local Road Closures
Leave in plenty of time to arrive at your local celebrations so that you don’t miss out on the best places to view the fireworks. Roads may be closed nearer to the event and you may need to park further away from the venue than normal. Don’t forget a torch to guide you through any unlit pathways.

Drive Slowly
Young children excited to see fireworks and bonfires may not be used to walking in the dark evenings. Drive slowly and take extra care when driving this weekend to avoid any accidents.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Driving in Autumn – Whatever the Weather

Plan ahead
Autumn weather is a mixed bag. We may have rain, sleet, snow or icy conditions. As we enter into the month of November, the Good Garage Scheme advises drivers to plan their journeys in advance and add extra time to prepare your car before setting off.
 



Keep an emergency kit
Be ready for the winter weather and keep the following items in your car:
•    Ice scraper
•    Torch with spare batteries
•    Blanket
•    First aid kit
•    Shovel
•    Road atlas
•    Mobile phone and charger






Be aware of the weather
Take a few minutes to check the weather forecast and traffic reports for your journey.
Visit the Met Office website and listen to local radio broadcasts for weather and the
the Highways Agency website to check the traffic at Highways Agency website.


In case of trouble
Download the Good Garage Scheme’s free app so that you are never far away from a garage you can trust anywhere in the UK. The app, featured in The Sunday Times ‘App List of Top 500 Apps’ is available free from both the App Store and the Android Market.