Not yet. I only wandered in there this morning. I don't suppose Richmond Southampton will be much better, but worth a try I suppose. I'll research the location of other dealers too in case I have to be flat-bedded, or if they are accessible.
It gets better.. the 12v battery issue IS a show stopper. Unless my currently ongoing attempt to charge the 12v battery using a smart charger succeeds they'll be having my car in on a flatbed.. Unable to charge the car either by granny or7kW ,various error messages regarding the car thinking it's still charging, the 12v level going down, and by the time I returned with the smart charger it will no longer turn on..
Incidentally, I've received an email from SAIC saying my airbag has triggered an alarm - about an hour ago, possibly when the 12v system went below certain parameters.
Better news! I disconnected the battery and charged it. When I reconnected after an overnight charge the car started up again ok, although it took a little while for one or two modules to initiate (I assume) judging by some of the advisory messages.
The warning light for the main to 12v battery module didn't come back on and the voltage has been maintained during a day out and a 120 mile round trip with plenty of use of AC.
Another anecdote to add to the 'have you tried disconnecting it?' collection of stories.. But no thanks to Richmond Portsmouth. A quick word with actual service personnel and a minute disconnection would probably have resolved it quicker, and it's what I'll immediately do if I ever seem that warning light again.