We have put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions which we hope will be of use to many users of this site!
If there are any more 'general' questions you would like me to add to this list then please send me a PM and I will do my best to answer it and add it to the list when I get chance!
Edit: Sorry for the HUGE post, I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread but could then appear to be spamming the forum I suppose? Anyway, its all in here, I will link directly to this post when required!
(Q1) WHO OR WHAT IS “FRF VOLVO”?
(Q2) WHO MAKE UP YOUR PARTS DEPARTMENT?
(Q3) WHO IS RUFE?
(Q4) OK THEN, SO WHY RUFE?
(Q5) DO I HAVE TO SPEAK TO SIMON/RUFE?
(Q6) SO WHAT DO YOU SELL?
(Q7) DO YOU SELL NON GENUINE PARTS?
(Q7b) YOU HAVE TOYOTA DEALERS IN YOUR GROUP, WILL THEY HELP US?
(Q8) HOW DO WE CONTACT YOU FOR A PRICE? (UK Customers)
(Q9) HOW DO WE CONTACT YOU FOR A PRICE? (Non-UK Customers)
(Q10) WHAT IS THE ‘C3’ DISCOUNT CODE ALL ABOUT & SHOULD I USE IT?
(Q11) SO WHERE DO YOU SEND PARTS TO?
(Q12) DO YOU ACCEPT PAYPAL?
(Q13) WHAT METHODS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
(Q14) WHAT DISCOUNTS WILL I GET?
(Q15) HOW DID FRF VOLVO START DOING MAIL ORDER?
(Q16) WHAT FORUMS ARE YOU ON?
(Q17) WHY DO YOU USE ORDER REFERENCE NUMBERS?
(Q18) CAN I RETURN A PART I NO LONGER NEED?
(Q19) CAN I RETURN ANY ‘SPECIAL ORDER’ PARTS?
(Q20) CAN I RETURN ANY RTI (SAT NAV) DVDS?
(Q21) WHAT ARE YOUR DELIVERY OPTIONS?
(Q22) WHAT IF AN ORDER DOES NOT ARRIVE ON TIME?
(Q23) WHEN WILL MY ORDER BE DISPATCHED?
(Q24) DO DELIVERIES YOU SEND HAVE FULL INSURANCE?
(Q25) MY ITEM HAS ARRIVED DAMAGED! WHAT SHOULD I DO?
(Q26) DO YOU SEND EVERYONE TRACKING INFORMATION?
(Q27) CAN YOU POST TO MY WORKS/FRIENDS ADDRESS?
(Q28) I WILL NOT BE HOME TO RECEIVE MY ORDER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
(Q29) WHAT IS A SURCHARGE & HOW DO THEY WORK?
(Q30) I HAVE BOUGHT AN EXCHANGE PART, WHAT IS THIS RETURN LABEL?
(Q31) WHERE IS MY INVOICE?
(Q32) WILL I RECEIVE A VAT INVOICE WITH MY ORDER?
(Q33) DO I HAVE TO PAY VAT ON MY ORDER?
(Q34) I HAVE USED YOU BEFORE, CAN YOU USE MY CARD NUMBER AGAIN?
(Q35) WHAT ABOUT DATA PROTECTION?
(Q36) I AM IN SOUTH WALES, SO DO YOU HAVE A PARTS DELIVERY VAN?
(Q37) WHAT ABOUT PARTS WARRANTY?
(Q38) I HAVE HEARD YOU CAN SUPPLY RADIO CODES?
(Q39) WHY DO YOU NEED MY REGISTRATION NUMBER/VIN NUMBER?
(Q40) YOU ARE A VOLVO MAIN DEALER, SO DO YOU FIT PARTS ON SITE?
(Q41) WHAT DO MEAN WHEN YOU SAY A PART NEEDS ‘SOFTWARE’?
(Q42) I HAVE LOST MY LOCKING WHEEL NUT ‘KEY’? CAN YOU HELP?
(Q43) DOES VOLVO UK HAVE A TECHNICAL HELP LINE?
(Q44) IS FRF-VOLVO-MAIL-ORDER-PARTS ALSO ON TWITTER?
(Q45) WHAT IS YOUR EXACT ADDRESS?
(Q46) I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT ITS NOT COVERED HERE!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HERE ARE THE ANSWERS TO ABOVE QUESTIONS:
(Q1)
WHO OR WHAT IS “FRF VOLVO”?
FRF Volvo Ltd is a long standing family owned Volvo main dealer based in Swansea, South Wales, UK. Off site we also have two Toyota dealerships and also our own large FRF bodyshop who are a Volvo and Toyota authorised repair centre.
Here is the FRF Volvo official website, but please ignore the standard contact us form on there as you will always get quoted retail prices if you use that form... so you have been warned!
http://www.frfvolvo.co.uk
Please see Answers to (Q8) and (Q9) for how to contact us.
(Q2)
WHO MAKE UP YOUR PARTS DEPARTMENT?
- Jeff is our Volvo Parts manager.
- Simon, Mike and Graham are our Volvo parts advisor's. Jeff, Simon & Mike will be on hand to take your calls while Graham handles internal workshop jobs.
- Jimmy is our trade van driver, who also makes sure everything sent by Royal Mail gets posted as soon as possible. (we do have another driver too, but she is based in our Toyota branch, covering West Wales trade parts deliveries)
(Q3)
WHO IS RUFE?
Rufe is one of our parts advisors, Simon. Simon joined here in 1999 coming straight from a Nissan main dealer which closed down one day before he started here at FRF. He has a lot of experience with the Volvo brand and spends a lot of time on various Volvo related internet forums.
(Q4)
OK THEN, SO WHY RUFE?
The name Rufe is simply an old nickname of Simons originating from the fact he is 6’6" tall and was known to some of his friends as Big Hurf (Hurf being short for his surname) which then became Big Rufe… and eventually just Rufe!
(Q5)
DO I HAVE TO SPEAK TO SIMON/RUFE?
We appreciate that you may have found our details through Simon, or someone has told you to call and speak to Simon, but if he is not available when you call please simply go ahead and speak to who ever has answered your call. All of our parts department are highly skilled and time served Volvo parts advisor's. As long as we are aware you are an internet customer (quoting C3 will ensure this!) then you will get the same large discount that Simon has put into place for all of our internet customers, regardless of who you speak to when calling for a quote.
(Q6)
SO WHAT DO YOU SELL?
We are a Volvo main dealer so everything we sell are Genuine Volvo parts. We sell all parts and accessories for your Volvo. We offer exclusive discount to all of our internet customers generally making our prices cheaper than getting them locally, even once delivery charges are applied. Obviously it go’s without saying that the more you buy the more you save, and the fair delivery charges that we offer it means that it will often be cheaper (or at least marginally different) than buying even non-genuine parts.
(Q7a)
DO YOU SELL NON GENUINE PARTS?
No. We are a Volvo main dealer and will only supply Volvo Genuine Parts.
(Q7b)
YOU HAVE TOYOTA DEALERS IN YOUR GROUP, WILL THEY HELP US?
We do have two Toyota dealers in our Motor Group. The largest of the two is located in Swansea, a few miles away from our Volvo dealership, and the other dealership is based in Haverfordwest, which is out towards the West Wales coast and is quite some distance from us in Swansea.
Over the many years we have been supplying Volvo parts by mail order we have supplied only a handful of Toyota parts orders. Our Toyota parts manager has given Volvo forum members his trade discount on the few orders we have supplied but up until this point all Toyota orders have been sent from here along with Volvo parts we were sending out anyway. FRF Toyota have looked into doing what we do here in the past but to this date they have never concentrated on selling by mail order.
If anyone does have a Toyota second vehicle and would like trade prices on mail order parts then please contact us here at FRF Volvo (See Q8/Q9) & we will do what we can to help. We will then get the Toyota parts team to call you back with the prices you require and you can decide if you wish to proceed with the order. You will be invoiced directly by FRF Toyota for any Toyota parts you order.
As explained, we at FRF Volvo are on a completely different site to FRF Toyota and therefore we have no Toyota systems at all here, and none of us at Volvo will ever claim to be Toyota experts! This means we simply have no way to help you directly from here at FRF Volvo. I do know that you will be in good hands with our Toyota dealership should you choose to use them.
(Q8)
HOW DO WE CONTACT YOU FOR A PRICE? (UK Customers)
Due to the technical nature of parts enquiries it is generally much better to call us and speak to us on the phone. We do answer private messages on forums when we can, but due to the large volume of calls we receive it can take us longer to reply to online enquiries than we really would like. For this reason we encourage everyone to call us for prices on either of our direct parts department telephone lines:
Tel: 01792 790066 or 01792 784272
(Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm, but not Bank Holidays)
When calling us please mention discount code
‘C3’
(Q9)
HOW DO WE CONTACT YOU FOR A PRICE? (Non-UK Customers)
Ideally it is better to call us on our international phone numbers:
Tel: 0044 1792 790066 or 0044 1792 784272
(Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm GMT, but not on UK Bank Holidays)
When calling us please mention discount code
‘C3’
However, we understand that many international customers will prefer to contact us by email, due to time differences, high costs of telephone calls and as English may not be your first language then an email may be easier. Just to be clear, this does also apply to customers in Republic of Ireland. For this reason non-UK customers can email enquiries to:
Non UK Customers email: frfvolvoparts@gmail.com
We may not reply on the same day as you email us, but we will reply at the first opportunity. You will receive an auto-reply but non-UK customers should ignore that message and wait for our reply. Please make it clear where the parts are to be sent so we can give you accurate delivery prices.
(Q10)
WHAT IS THE ‘C3’ DISCOUNT CODE ALL ABOUT & SHOULD I USE IT?
Simon used to handle all online enquiries here through forums and emails. This was great at the start when it was just a handful of messages every day, but very quickly this snowballed in to an unrealistic amount for him to be able to reply to. As parts enquiries are generally quite technical some messages demanded half hour of time or more to reply to, so time limited Simon to replying to around 20 to 30 or so emails a day, plus on top of these the many very quick one sentence emails added to this number.
Due to the great success of the mail order service it became not uncommon to receive 100+ emails in a day, and emails were then not being replied to for days. This drop in standards very quickly became a problem, so the decision was made to introduce a second direct parts telephone line and asking everyone to instead call us for prices.
This immediately made a positive difference as everyone is now able to get an instant response to all enquiries. Many customers assumed we would automatically apply the large discounts to every phone call we receive, but this is not the case as the phone lines are also open to ‘regular’ customers too.
Only our internet customers will get this high level of discount and only if they make it known to us that they are internet customers. All internet sales are made using a discounted sales account, which is account number C0003 on our system (you can see
C0003 is the account number on any invoice we provide to you). Simon set up this account with his discount structure in place so these discounts are automatically applied to all parts booked on to this account. Anyone who calls FRF Volvo for a quote and mentions ‘C3’ then gets the large discounts that Simon put into place for his internet customers, regardless of who you speak to when calling, so yes, the answer is you should use it!
(Q11)
SO WHERE DO YOU SEND PARTS TO?
Anywhere worldwide! The bulk of our orders are sent to mainland UK addresses but on average at least one order will leave from here each day of the week that is being sent outside the UK. Some remote parts of the UK have higher charges in place for some delivery methods, but we always do our best to cover all options to get parts to our mail order customers as cheaply and efficiently as possible, so through experience we are very skilled these days at using the best service for each individual customer.
(Q12)
DO YOU ACCEPT PAYPAL?
No. At present we regret that we do not. Please see the section below regarding the payment methods that we do accept.
(Q13)
WHAT METHODS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept cash if you are able to collect from here in person. Please do not post cash to us.
We accept all VISA and MASTERCARD cards.
We do not accept American Express.
We accept postal orders and cheques, but cheques must be guaranteed to the full amount of the invoice. If they are not guaranteed in full then we have to wait for the cheque to clear before we can dispatch your order.
We can not accept PayPal transactions.
International customers can use IBAN. Full information will be given in email quotes.
(Q14)
WHAT DISCOUNTS WILL I GET?
Discounts will vary depending on exactly what parts you are purchasing. It really is as simple as that.
We work on a cost-plus pricing scheme here, which is what makes our prices so competitive. We take the cost price of a part and add a small percentage to cover our costs. For example all brake discs and pads will have 30% off the Volvo retail price, while some accessories only have 10% off retail price,. We make the same small percentage on both examples. If Volvo alter the margin then we also alter our discount, so sometimes a retail price may go up but our price will come down, it has happened. We have a large discount range in place, and we can tell you exactly what that will be for any particular part when you call us. For these reasons though we can not offer any further discount on parts as we always apply the maximum discount from the start to all of our internet customers!
(Q15)
HOW DID FRF VOLVO START DOING MAIL ORDER?
Rufe has been involved with internet forums for quite some time, using many forums for his own interests. Having owned modified Vauxhalls, and then a modified Volvo C70 T5 Rufe was often found on forums, at track events, rolling road days and general car park club meets all over the country. Rufe was a member of
www.VPCUK.org as a member, and not a trader. Another trader used the site at the time and was doing what we do now but when they left the site Rufe was asked by members to supply parts to them for varying reasons. This was back in 2004 and at the time it was only a small amount of orders being sent out, but very quickly Rufes name started getting known for mail order parts supply. The mail order service grew literally by the day, and it wasn’t long before FRF had to employ another person to allow Rufe to concentrate purely on internet sales. Now FRF benefit from a large volume of internet orders, and internet customers get treated as one large customer, so everyone benefits from this bulk discount we can offer. Also, as Rufe was a user of the forums BEFORE ever selling parts on them he understands forums and their users needs better than most others who have come along and joined up to sell on the sites. You will see other dealers trying to do what FRF do, but only for a short time, not appreciating the extremely high level of service required and competitiveness for this area of business. Rufe still uses the forums in his own free time, and of course his information can be invaluable to many Volvo owners.
(Q16)
WHAT FORUMS ARE YOU ON?
FRF Volvo is an official recognised trader on a number of Volvo forums. Rufe himself has a user account on each of the following sites (and FRF Volvo has a dedicated account Rufe uses on T5D5 site):
www.volvoforums.org (The official UK Volvo Owners Club forum)
www.VPCUK.org (Volvo Performance Cars UK)
www.T5D5.org (A site for modified and performance Volvo enthusiasts)
www.southwalesvolvos.com (For all Volvo owners, predominantly living in the South Wales region)
(Q17)
WHY DO YOU USE ORDER REFERENCE NUMBERS?
When you call FRF for a quote you are not under any obligation at all to proceed with the order. You are welcome to take our price and go and shop around (yes we all do it!) then come back to us once you are happy to proceed further. We can give you a 5 digit order reference number that you can use if you call us back to proceed with the order at a later date. When you call back simply give the person you speak to this number and they will then bring up your previous quote, and you can add or remove items as required. Order reference numbers stay on the system for at least 1 month from the date they are created, and very often a little while longer.
(Q18)
CAN I RETURN A PART I NO LONGER NEED?
We are quite flexible with taking parts back if they are not required, but we do ask that you let us know as soon as possible. The day you receive the order does not count, but from the next working day after this you have 7 full days to alert us that you have changed your mind. This complies with the
‘Consumer Protection ‘Distance Selling’ Regulations, 2000’.
We will in fact extend this time as long as it is within 18 days of the invoice date by the time you tell us that you are sending a part back. After this we can not accept a part back for any reason as Volvo UK do not allow us to return parts to them after this time, and unless it is a stocked item, we would not be able to accept it back. If we have supplied a part correctly then we have to point out that we can not refund any delivery charge that you paid to have it sent to you, and we can not refund any delivery charge that you incur returning the part to us, though that generally will go without saying! Special Order Parts can NOT be returned for any reason. Please see the FAQ regarding Special Order Parts.
None of this will affect your statutory rights.
(Q19)
CAN I RETURN ANY ‘SPECIAL ORDER’ PARTS?
No. Special Order Parts are specifically those parts that are unique to your vehicle. Examples include, but are not limited to, Keys, Lock barrels, etc. In these cases the parts are ordered to your own car and will not be any good to any one else so we can not accept them back or cancel the order once the order has been placed.
(Q20)
CAN I RETURN ANY RTI (SAT NAV) DVDS?
These can not be returned once the packaging has been opened due to copyright infringement laws. You are able to return them as long as the sealed packaging has not been opened, and standard return time rules are followed - See above section on
CAN I RETURN A PART I NO LONGER NEED?
(Q21)
WHAT ARE YOUR DELIVERY OPTIONS?
We have a number of delivery options in place for most orders, and we discuss the options available when you call for a quote.
For small and medium orders we use: Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded Delivery, prices vary, from around £1.00 to £7.99 for up to 2Kgs. 1st Class Recorded delivery items usually will arrive within around 2 to 3 days after they are posted, but 1st Class Recorded delivery is NOT a guaranteed time service.
For larger orders then we will generally use City Link 24. This will cost £10.00 and we tend to use this service for orders over 2Kgs and up to 20Kgs, and orders over 20Kgs up to 30Kgs cost £5.00 on top. City Link 24 orders are delivered the next working day, after they are dispatched. We can also offer slightly cheaper but slower alternatives where possible, for example orders up to 4Kgs will cost £7.99 for Royal Mail Standard Parcel Force but it takes around 4-5 working days.
The choice of delivery method will be yours but we do recommend going for a guaranteed delivery time service if the parts are required by any certain date, as Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded and Standard parcels do not have a guaranteed delivery time and the Royal Mail will not treat them as missing or late until 14 days have passed. So, to be safe it may be worth opting for City Link 24, or a Royal Mail Special Delivery option where possible.
The price for delivery for non-UK orders will vary considerably depending on what the part is and where it is to be sent. We have a number of options available to us including Royal Mail Airmail, DHL, Parcel Force Worldwide, TNT and others, so we can always get the most competitive price. We also allow customers to use their own couriers to collect parts if they prefer, if that is easier/cheaper?
(All prices stated are subject to change over time, but were correct when written. Royal Mail increase their postage prices slightly every year.)
(Q22)
WHAT IF AN ORDER DOES NOT ARRIVE ON TIME?
If an order does not arrive in the time frame we have told you when you ordered please do not hesitate to contact us! The sooner we know about a problem the sooner it will be that we can rectify it. We will do all that we can to ensure we keep our promises to all of our customers at all times. Remember though that 1st Class Recorded delivery is not a guaranteed time service, so if you need an order by a specific time please tell us this when you place the order so we can offer a guaranteed timed delivery service to you. All orders with City Link will arrive the day after they are dispatched. Unless otherwise stated ALL orders are dispatched on the day AFTER the order is placed. Please keep this in mind when ordering.
(Q23)
WHEN WILL MY ORDER BE DISPATCHED?
Due to the limited stock we keep on our shelf, & also due to the way City Link and other couriers operate these days, ALL orders will be dispatched on the
DAY AFTER the order is placed. We will tell you of any added delays when you place the order with us, as at times some parts have to come to us direct from Sweden taking an extra day or two to arrive with us before being dispatched to you. We regret that parts can not be sent direct to you from Sweden, they do have to come to us first. (there are other forms of backorder, but thankfully these are quite rare in general, but some parts can take a couple of weeks to arrive but again we can discuss this when you get a price or place an order).
When you have ordered multiple parts, you may be told that one (or more) parts have to come from Sweden. We will usually hold the complete order back until all the parts are here and can be sent together. If you prefer you can instead ask to pay an additional postage charge to cover any part this is going to arrive after the main order has already been sent out. Please ask when you place the order if you would prefer us to do this, or if you can wait then of course postage will work out slightly cheaper.
(Q24)
DO DELIVERIES YOU SEND HAVE FULL INSURANCE?
The standard delivery price we quote will include some level of insurance, and it depends on which service we use to send your order as to how much insurance it will have. Additional insurance can be purchased if required, please ask about this at the time of ordering. We really have very few issues with our couriers, or with the Royal Mail, but additional insurance can be advisable for certain orders. Glass can not be insured against damage in transit. We do package everything as best as we can as we understand that it’s better to pack it well the first time than have items arrived damaged!
(Q25)
MY ITEM HAS ARRIVED DAMAGED! WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Any item that arrives in a damaged box must be signed for as
‘DAMAGED’ and the delivering driver must be made aware of this. If the order is not signed for as damaged then no claim for damage in transit can be made against the courier. For orders that arrive damaged in a box that appeared to be in good condition when it was signed for, please contact us immediately. We may have to ask for photos to be emailed to us to help with any claim, but we will discuss the options available. Each case will be unique so we can only offer help over the phone if this is to arise.
(Q26)
DO YOU SEND EVERYONE TRACKING INFORMATION?
No we do not. We regret that at this point we can not do this automatically and it would take too much time to do this for every order we handle. However for tracked services, like City Link, Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded Delivery, Royal Mail Special Delivery, and all international orders, we do always retain a tracking number which we can give you on request (but only after the part has been dispatched). Please let us know as soon as possible if there is any reason for concern regarding delivery time and we can do all we can to chase it up, and we can then provide you with the tracking number where possible.
(Q27)
CAN YOU POST TO MY WORKS/FRIENDS ADDRESS?
Yes. We can send orders to any alternative address you wish.
(Q28)
I WILL NOT BE HOME TO RECEIVE MY ORDER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
We have the ability to leave a message for the delivery driver on the address label. While most delivery drivers will be happy to follow the additional instructions given, it is always at that drivers’ discretion whether they will do so or not. If you are not at home when a delivery is attempted and no alternative instruction has been given, then the courier company/Royal Mail will leave a card with contact information and details of how to proceed.
(Q29)
WHAT IS A SURCHARGE & HOW DO THEY WORK?
Volvo sell some parts on an exchange basis. This means that Volvo UK require the old part back. To ensure they get the part back they charge the Volvo dealer who sell the part a surcharge as a deposit. We pass this surcharge on to the customer in order to make sure that we get the old part back from the customer. Once we get the old part back from the customer we get in touch to arrange the refund. We do not keep any payment information here on any file, so we have to speak to you to give you the refund, we can not do it automatically. We always discuss surcharges at the time of ordering, and explain how much it is we are charging as a deposit (varies depending on what part it is). As a dealer we get charged huge surcharges by Volvo, and we do not pass all of it on as they can be unrealistic, but we have to charge an amount that will ensure all customers return the old part. There is not a set time in place for returning old parts, we just ask that they are sent back to us in a reasonable time. We will often offer a return collection service of the old part(s) using City Link if you wish to pay us an additional charge to cover this, though all customers are welcome to make their own arrangements to return these parts if preferred.
(Q30)
I HAVE BOUGHT AN EXCHANGE PART, WHAT IS THIS RETURN LABEL?
When you purchase an exchange item you will find a label included, usually behind the address label. This has OUR address printed on one side, and your order information on the other. The ordering information is purely to help us when we get your old part back. The address label should be placed in the included self adhesive ‘labelope’ and then attached to the outer box if possible. If you make your own address label please make sure to return at least the section with your information on it so we know who has returned it!
(Q31)
WHERE IS MY INVOICE?
Your invoice will be included behind the address label, or for smaller orders the invoice may be in with the parts. You will always have an invoice. Please retain this for your records as it will help for any parts warranty reasons. We are very good at finding archived invoices when required, but if you have it to hand then all the better!
(Q32)
WILL I RECEIVE A VAT INVOICE WITH MY ORDER?
Yes. We ALWAYS include a full VAT invoice with all orders. We are a VAT registered company, FRF SOUTH WALES HOLDINGS LTD trading as FRF VOLVO, and ALL invoices will show this clearly, along with our company VAT number.
(Q33)
DO I HAVE TO PAY VAT ON MY ORDER?
That depends…
- All orders sent to UK addresses must include VAT. There are no exceptions to this.
- Orders sent to EU addresses will have to include VAT - unless they are being sent to a VAT registered business address outside the UK. For example garages in Finland can order VAT free, but we have to approve your VAT number first, and orders can only be sent to the VAT registered business address.
- Non-EU addresses do not have to pay VAT. Import taxes may apply, which we have no control of. Please check locally regarding this before you order if you have any concerns about import taxes.
(Q34)
I HAVE USED YOU BEFORE, CAN YOU USE MY CARD NUMBER AGAIN?
For security reasons we at FRF Volvo will NEVER keep anybody’s payment information on any file or record here. This means we can not automatically process a refund for any reason. Do not assume it has been done if you have not heard from us as unless you have given us your payment information again, it will not have been!
(Q35)
WHAT ABOUT DATA PROTECTION?
To speed things up for returning customers we do keep basic information on a simple secure database. This information consists of:
- Customers Name
- Customers Address
- Any alternative delivery address’s which may have been used
- Customer telephone number
- Vehicle registration number
If you have ever contacted us by email or through our previous webform that was in place then your email address will be archived in our gmail contact list which we may retrieve if required to get in touch with you. This is all the information we keep, and purely to help speed up the ordering process where possible.
Your payment details are never kept on any file and never will be.
(Q36)
I AM IN SOUTH WALES, SO DO YOU HAVE A PARTS DELIVERY VAN?
The simple answer is yes we do. However we are limited to only being able to deliver orders to Motor trade establishments (garages, etc). Our two vans cover most of South Wales. We can arrange to send orders by our parts van, free of charge, but only to garages. There is an FRF Vauxhall dealership in Bridgend that we visit every day, so we can leave orders there for you to collect from the parts department there but you do have to pay us at FRF Volvo before hand. We can discuss these options when you call us to place an order.
(Q37)
WHAT ABOUT PARTS WARRANTY?
Here is a summary of the Volvo Parts Warranty procedure. Please read this carefully and if you have any further questions please contact us and we can discuss this on the phone.
VOLVO GENUINE PARTS WARRANTY PROCEDURE:
[1] Volvo offer a Worldwide warranty on all parts supplied.
[2] All genuine parts supplied by a Volvo dealer have a minimum 12 month warranty period though some parts may vary from this. For example Car Batteries have a 3 Year warranty period. If a part is proven to have failed within this warranty period then Volvo will provide a replacement part free of charge to the customer.
[3] If the part was originally supplied AND fitted by a Volvo dealer then this parts warranty will then extend to cover the labour too (to be carried out at a Volvo dealer). However if it was not fitted at a Volvo dealership then unfortunately any labour charges will not be covered by parts warranty. The customer will require a supporting labour invoice to establish this.
[4] Procedure for Parts Warranty When a Part is Suspected to Have Failed:
[4a]- The customer must visit their local or preferred Volvo dealer with a copy of the original parts invoice and explain they believe a part has failed within the parts warranty period. We at FRF Motors can supply you with a copy of the original Parts Invoice if required, upon request.
[4b]- A parts warranty form will be completed and signed by the customer. The form can be obtained from the dealer who is handling the parts warranty claim, OR we at FRF Motors can provide a copy of the form if required, upon request.
[4c]- The dealer who the customer visits may be able to carry out initial diagnostic tests to determine whether the part has failed or not, and can then decide how to progress.
[4d]- If the dealer is unsure if the part has failed, or has no way to know without sending the part for further testing by Volvo, then they may decide to charge the customer for a replacement part if they are to be supplied to the customer. The cost of this part will then be refunded in full to the customer once Volvo confirm the part has failed. If Volvo UK decide the part has not failed then the dealer may or may not refund the purchase of the part bought in error.
[4e]- If the part is an electrical item then it usually will not be able to be refunded if the new part was fitted to a car.
[4f]- The time it takes between sending the part off to Volvo to be tested and then getting confirmation does vary, but this is usually around 1 to 2 weeks in total.
[5] If we at FRF Motors have supplied this part to you by mail order and you have no way to get to a local dealer we can accept the part sent back to us here at FRF Volvo providing the customer pays for the part to be returned to us as we can not cover the costs for the transit of any parts if being claimed under parts warranty.
[6] This is because Volvo UK will always suggest that the customer is to visit their most local dealer in the event of a parts warranty claim, so therefore will not cover any expenses involved with the transit of parts.
[7] A parts warranty form will be sent to the customer to be completed in full as indicated on the form. This is to be returned to us as quickly as possible, by post, email or fax. FRF Motors will then send the suspected failing part to Volvo UK for testing.
[8] If a replacement part is required to be issued the procedure in place is that the customer is to pay for the part, again on the basis that it will be refunded in full once Volvo approve the warranty claim. If the claim is rejected then Volvo will return the part to FRF Motors, and then FRF Motors will return the part to the customer if required. The customer may be required to pay for any costs to return the part to them.
[9a] NON-UK Customers -
WITHIN The European Union:
If any customer WITHIN the EU suspects a part that FRF Volvo has supplied has failed within its warranty period then any Volvo dealer in the EU can help them, regardless of in which member country the part was originally purchased. If your local dealer says they can not help you then please tell them to speak to VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICES of your country and they will tell your Volvo dealer how to proceed.
[9b] NON-UK Customers -
OUTSIDE The European Union:
Unfortunately we regret that due to Volvo market restrictions the same International parts warranty can not cover customers who are outside the EU. We can process a parts warranty claim but only if the customer returns the failed part to us (at their own expense) and also pays for a subsequent delivery of the replacement part. FRF Volvo will not be able to pay any postage charges for a part that has failed under warranty.
If you require any further help with any of the above, please do not hesitate to ask us for further information.
(Q38)
I HAVE HEARD YOU CAN SUPPLY RADIO CODES?
Yes we do, and at no cost. We have supplied many radio codes free of charge to Volvo forum users over the years but there are some things we have to point out:
[1] We can only supply radio codes for UK vehicles.
[2] We only supply radio codes to people who email us, not over the phone. Please email
frfvolvoparts@gmail.com and ignore the auto-reply you may receive.
[3] We will ask for your registration number and VIN number in order to proceed.
[4] If the code supplied does not work then it is likely that your radio has been replaced at some point in the past. This is not a problem but if this occurs please then take the radio out to find the following information (sometimes these codes may not be on a sticker, but etched into the metal body of the radio):
-Model Number: eg: SC-801
-Serial Number: eg: VO12345A1234567B, OR: M12345678
-Part Number: eg: 3533711
[5] If this second code does not work then it is likely the radio has been re-coded at some point and no Volvo dealer will be able to help, but this is very rare.
[6] Remember that some other Volvo dealers do charge for this service (some upwards of £30 per code) and we offer this service as an extension of the discounted parts supply scheme through the Volvo forums, and as a thank you for the continued support we receive from the forum members.
[7] We reserve the right to NOT supply a radio code if we so choose, at our discretion.
(Q39)
WHY DO YOU NEED MY REGISTRATION NUMBER/VIN NUMBER?
Quite simply there are usually a number of options for most parts we supply. To be sure of ordering the correct part we therefore will generally have to ask for your vehicle registration number in order to find the relevant information on the Volvo database. This database will not include any personal information, but for most cars is very detailed and tells our parts department everything we will need to know. At times the registration number will not be recognised by the Volvo database so we will have to ask for the full 17 digit VIN number. The Volvo database is not linked to the DVLA at all, so if a registration number has been changed at some point then the system will keep showing the old registration number until it is changed manually by a Volvo dealer employee. We can update the system for you if required.
(Q40)
YOU ARE A VOLVO MAIN DEALER, SO DO YOU FIT PARTS ON SITE?
Yes. We have a full large workshop here. We can fit any part that we supply if required. Geographically this is of course not going to be an option to most of our mail order customers, though for those who are close enough to us to find this is an option then please ask when calling to speak to our service department, or call them direct on
01792 310999.
(Q41)
WHAT DO MEAN WHEN YOU SAY A PART NEEDS ‘SOFTWARE’?
Put simply, some parts will require programming to the vehicle before they will work. Programming involves having updated Volvo vehicle software installed to the vehicle. The car and the new part have to be together to do this, so we can not send a part pre-programmed. We can tell you the price for the software itself but you will need to check with the location who are doing the programming for you to find out how much they will charge you for the labour to do this. You would pay for the software at the location who do the programming, not to us. All Volvo dealers (including us at FRF of course) can carry out software installation, and some independent Volvo specialists also have the correct equipment to do this. The charge to do this will depend entirely where you go so we can’t speak for any other dealer with regards to their price for labour for software related jobs.
(Q42)
I HAVE LOST MY LOCKING WHEEL NUT ‘KEY’? CAN YOU HELP?
Not directly I am afraid. If you have a wheel key information card (folded up A4 thin white card) then all the information you need is on there, including the unique key code, the phone number to order, etc.
If you do not have this information card then it does get more difficult. The best solution we have found is to take a good digital photo of one of the security wheel bolts still on the car and email this to McGard, who make these for Volvo. They have proved very good at creating a replacement ‘key’ from a photo. They will confirm how to order in their reply email. To go down this route please send them your photo to:
info@mcgard.de
(Q43)
DOES VOLVO UK HAVE A TECHNICAL HELP LINE?
Yes. Volvo UK are able to answer the questions that dealers sometimes can not! We have a lot of information that is generally enough to help the average person, but at times even our information can be too limited for what some customers may wish to know the answer too. For example we always know the correct parts to supply (that is never something we would use this line for!), but may be someone wanted to know an exact thread size of a part that is not stocked or is no longer available. We would never have that level of technical information about a part, as we have part numbers and prices etc, but Volvo have a premium rate technical line that some people have used to their advantage.
The number to call for this kind of technical information is
01327 303630 but be warned
premium rates will apply. This technical line is run by Volvo UK and is nothing to do with us directly at FRF Volvo, or any other Volvo dealer. Rates have varied over the years but they are given in full when you call that number before being redirected to the premium rate line if you so choose after hearing the applicable charges.
(Q44)
IS FRF-VOLVO-MAIL-ORDER-PARTS ON TWITTER/FACEBOOK?
Yes. We do have a
Twitter account for FRF Volvo Mail Order Parts. Due to the technical nature of enquiries we will ask the majority of people sending requests on there to call us so we can give a full reply, though we will try to answer basic questions directly there. Our user name on Twitter is
@frfvolvoparts and yes we do follow back! At the time of writing this our Twitter account is very much in its infancy, but we hope to increase our profile on there when we get chance!
We can also be found on
Facebook if you click the banner below!
(Q45)
WHAT IS YOUR EXACT ADDRESS?
The address to use for any written correspondence is:
FRF VOLVO LTD
Parts Department
Valley Way
Swansea Enterprise Park
SA6 8QP
The postcode here is also the correct one to use for sat nav's if you wish to find us! (other post codes are sometimes listed on various Google searches, but ignore those they will take you to other random locations!)
(Q46)
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT ITS NOT COVERED HERE!
We have tried to answer all the most common questions we get asked, and we will no doubt add to this list as time goes on. If though you wish to ask us something not covered above then please call us on our direct lines:
01792 790066 or 01792 784272
(Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm, but not Bank Holidays)
When calling us please mention discount code
‘C3’
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING. WE HOPE THIS HAS HELPED