Ling says: "I graciously accept this HAT AWARD from the grumpiest of all motoring journalists (and Daily Telegraph star), Mr Honest John. This middle-aged man with such poor dress-sense has done more for the motoring consumer than just about anyone else in the UK. John personally replies to consumers as a matter of course, with fantastic advice which can always be trusted. There are few people in the UK with a greater knowledge about motoring, car dealing and saving money (ignoring Jeremy Clarkson, who just thinks he knows stuff). Honest John is like an ugly Esther Rantzen crossed with Anne Robinson, but I highly recommend HJ and suggest people visit his great website packed with tons of information about motoring issues, at http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/hatstandard/.
Thanks for the award, Mr Honest!"

More BLATHER
from Honest John:

Honest John has announced the companies awarded a prestigious Highly Approved Trader (HAT) Standard for 2010. Motorists from across the UK were called on to vote for their favourite service providers from a short-list, and now the votes have been counted and the results are in.

"We asked motorists to vote for the companies they felt went the extra mile when it came to customer service," says Honest John. "Recent reports, such as the Office of Fair Trading investigation into second-hand car dealers, have drawn attention to examples of bad practice in the industry. But I think it is time we put the spotlight on businesses that deliver excellent service.

"Motorists are under pressure from so many fronts, so it's more important than ever that they can find service providers they can rely on to give them the best deals, decent service and, most importantly, are trustworthy."

In a change from 2009's HAT Standard Awards, in which Honest John himself picked the recipients, this year motorists were asked to vote for their favourite service providers and the nominees encompassed all areas of the motor trade, from auctions to car supermarkets.

Ling Valentine of LINGsCARS.com topped the votes with the most recommendations, ahead of giants like BCA, AutoQuake, MotorPoint, Warranty Direct, and HPI.

"The HAT Standard this year truly showcases the businesses that support motorists with great service" concludes Honest John. "Drivers need a way to be able to find the organisations that can be trusted - and the HAT Standard does exactly that. Each HAT Standard winner has been voted for by real motorists who have enjoyed first-hand experience of excellent customer service."

He rants on further:

"Ling is certainly a controversial figure. But she engenders such unusually fierce loyalty from her customers that she has to be doing her job extremely well indeed and thoroughly deserves her HAT."