Worth knowing
Things people ring and ask
Anything that is not down here, the phone sorts out quicker than reading does. 020 8051 5448.
Where does the van actually go?
Harpenden and AL5 are the middle of it. Out from there we work St Albans, Luton, Hemel Hempstead, Dunstable, Redbourn, Wheathampstead, London Colney, Berkhamsted, Tring, Kings Langley, Houghton Regis, Hitchin, Stevenage, Letchworth Garden City, Leighton Buzzard, Flitwick, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Biggleswade, with the villages in between written out district by district on the round here pages. Some of that is ten minutes and some of it is a proper drive, so give us the road name and you will get a yes or a no before anybody sets off.
Is there a yard I can bring the car to?
No, and that is rather the point of us. There is no unit with a ramp in it and no counter to queue at — the van comes to the vehicle, on the drive, in the works car park, or at the kerb you managed to limp to.
What time can you answer the phone?
Any hour, though the middle of the night is meant for a car that genuinely cannot sit where it is until morning rather than for choosing between brands. If it can wait, tell us and we will put a civil daytime slot in the book.
How do I find out what it will cost?
Ring 020 8051 5448, or send the same number a WhatsApp. Tell us roughly where the vehicle is, what it is, and what has happened to it. You get a figure before the van is loaded, and there is no separate charge for turning up bolted on at the end.
Do I get a choice of tyre?
Yes. Say what you want to spend and whether you have a make in mind, and we will tell you honestly what suits the car and the miles you do. If that exact tyre is not on the van, you will be told what the nearest sensible one is instead of finding out afterwards.
Where should I wait while I am waiting?
Somewhere safe, with the hazards on. On a quiet close in Batford or Southdown, staying in the car is usually fine. On the M1 or the A1081, get out of the nearside door and behind the barrier. Give us a junction number or something you can see from where you are standing.
Can I pay at the end rather than up front?
Yes, when the work is done. Card is normal. Mention how you plan to pay when you book, so nobody is standing on a driveway discovering it is cash only.
Is a driveway fitting as good as a garage one?
The wheel comes off with the right kit, the new tyre is balanced in the van, and the nuts go back to the torque the car asks for. What a driveway cannot do is press a bent rim straight or weld a cracked alloy, and when that is what a job needs we say so instead of improvising.
Am I ringing a call centre?
No. Bumblebee is a Harpenden outfit and the number rings to somebody who knows where Hatching Green is and which way the one-way runs. There is no script and no national desk passing the job on.