Cardiff car dealership goes into administration
ONE of the main dealers in Suzuki and Mitsubishi cars in Cardiff has gone into administration.
Jenkins Garages (Wales) Ltd, which traded as Jenkins Suzuki and Jenkins Mitsubishi on Hadfield Road, closed at the end of November, with administrators appointed last Monday.
The news is a blow to around 30 employees at the car dealership, who were left without jobs just four weeks before Christmas.
Customers who had paid into a service plan over the past 12 months have also been left out of pocket, unsure if they will see their money again.
The Jenkins Group website was updated just days ago, saying: “The time has come for us to announce that Jenkins Group has been sold, and as a result we are no longer trading.”
An angry former employee said staff were gathered together one afternoon of November 26 to be told the company was closing that same night.
The employee alleges the company had been looking for a buyer since October and had kept staff in the dark about the future of Jenkins Garages right up until the last minute.
They said: “Staff were first told in October that the company had run out of money and they were looking for a buyer.
“Talks with a buyer failed early in November but staff were told right up to closing day that there was a buyer and all of them would be taken on by the new company.
“[There were] no apologies from the Jenkins family and no thank you either for years of loyal service.”
The Jenkins Group website announced any service plans taken out by customers would cease immediately. A service plan allowed customers to pay regular amounts to Jenkins Garages which would be put towards their next service.
One customer said he had paid £300 into the service plan and didn’t think he would see his money again.
Another said: “I just discovered, via Google and Facebook, on trying to book my car’s MoT and service that they have gone into administration.
“[There was] no mention whatsoever of this on their website. I have paid out over £200 for a service plan this year, which is now worth nothing and, as I paid via standing order, I probably won’t get anything back.”
Jenkins Group assured customers their manufacturer plans would be honoured at other garages in South Wales, including J&J Motors in Bridgend (Suzuki), Nathaniels Mitsubishi and Colley Mitsubishi.
However, Wayne Griffiths, from Nathaniels, said while his company would fully honour any service plans taken out directly with Mitsubishi, he could not guarantee the same for customers who had taken plans out directly with Jenkins Group.
He said: “We will compromise to try and minimise any customer being out of pocket.
“We are trying to work with customers on an individual basis.”
Mr Griffiths also confirmed he had taken on some of the former employees from Jenkins Garages.
“The closure of Jenkins Garages is a bit of a shame, to say the least,” he added.
Jenkins Group also announced on its website that both Suzuki and Mitsubishi will be opening in Cardiff at new locations in 2020. It said: “You’ll still be able to see some familiar faces at the brands’ new homes next year.”
When contacted for comment, Jenkins Garages said: “In respect of the customers who have taken out service plans, the manufacturers are fully aware of them and will honour these plans with adjacent franchised dealers and the new company which takes on the franchises in Cardiff.”
Tri group, in Shrewsbury, is acting as the administrator for Jenkins Garages (Wales) Limited.