This car business is expensive.

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Mandrake
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by Mandrake »

Gibbo2286 wrote:There is one aspect of the posts that I don't agree with, that of the garage informing you if they spot something wrong.

A good mechanic will have his eyes open whilst under the car even if he's just doing something as simple as an oil change, not because he's looking to hit you with more work but for the safety of the travellers and to cover his own ass.

Just suppose Boris's track rod end had dropped off a couple of days later and he'd fallen of one of those Scottish cliffs as a result, the fact that it had been in the garage would have given the ambulance chasing lawyers a free run to sue the pants of the garage.

Win or lose there would be endless grief for the mechanic and the garage owner.
Not sure that I can agree...

It's one thing to bring a serious fault to the owners attention if its obvious with casual observeration, some problems you'll spot right away as soon as the car is up on the hoist. I have no problem with that.

However identifying a worn track rod end is something that can only be done if you go out of your way to spend time testing them - just as Alex joked about, the pry bar must have accidentally jumped into their hand. :lol:

I don't agree that they would be held liable either, in the exceptionally unlikely scenario that you paint. The car went in for an oil change, not an AA check. Should they have also thoroughly checked the rear brakes and rear suspension while the car was in for the oil change as well ? I don't think so. Where would you draw the line. If he took it in for a general service and check up maybe, for an oil change no. Perhaps he did take it in for a general "service", in which case it would be more reasonable that other things were checked.

I wouldn't even mind if they were a bit over eager in checking things that they weren't asked to check if they weren't charging blatantly ripoff prices. The sad fact is that trades people get a bad reputation for a reason. I know there are good reliable honest trades people and mechanics out there, but they're not in the majority. :(

One of the reasons I like to do as much of my own car work as possible (apart from the satisfaction of tackling and solving a tricky problem, and the fact that I can be a bit of a perfectionist) is that I've just had far too many bad experiences with getting other people to work on my cars. In the overwhelming majority of cases they either over charge, don't do the job properly, or try to bullshit me. This accumulation of bad experiences spans two countries as well, so its not specific to the UK, and it's not specific to Citroen's being worked on either as I've owned more Japanese cars than French ones...

I've also had bad dealings with sky installers, boiler repair people, appliance repair people etc...apparently there is no money to be made in doing a good, competent honest job! Those that do generally love their job and have a passion for what they do (or are unusually contentious or fastidious) rather than seeing it as just something to pay the bills.

Whatever the situation was, there is no excuse for the amount being charged, and in my experience a willingness to overcharge and pad out a bill go hand in hand with a willingness to look for faults well outside the scope of what was asked for in an effort to generate more work.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by Rhothgar »

I would take it to small claims court to recover my money. One poster made a very good point in that they should not be looking for additional work. Small claims may not work if you agreed but I would see how they react.

It is truly shocking.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by daviemck2006 »

I would be willing to bet where Boris is, and if its the franchised dealer it would be an Arnold Clark branch. I have bought cars from them but never had a service or repair done at them, except one recall I had done on a fiat stilo. They have a shocking reputation for their poor customer service, they just want to sell cars and rip off the customers. Last time I bought a car from them, car was reasonably priced, but they wanted to and tried hard for me to buy all sorts of extras along with car which totalled up to over a grand. I refused every one and was away to walk out without buying when they said ok you can buy it with no extras and no warranty. That extra grand would have been enough to go to the pug main dealer a mile along the road, and get probably a better car for it.

Anyway, to get back to the shocking service I received. It was a Fiat stilo i owned (I know, why?) which at the time was about 4 years old and about 50000 miles. They were recalled for possible breaking of front springs which then ripped the tyre to shreds. I picked car up and service manager sas we did a safety check on your car whilst in. Your radiator is leaking, cost £££, your front brakes need discs and pads, ££££, you need two front tyres, ££££, two new wiperblades, ££££, new battery in remote control, ££££, and you air con regassed, cost ££££. I cant remember the exact costs but this all added up to well over £1000. I had never topped up radiator at that point and never did for the next year and 15000 miles till sold, Car was 3 days through mot with no advisories, fronts had 3mm brakes plenty of life, think I did another 12000 on them, same wiperblades stayed on til car sold, car was outside and the remote worked about 30 feet through glass and the car did not have aircon. I said well I cant afford all of that but I think I want the aircon done, can you book it in. he did book it in for next day. Then I told them what I thought of them and asked for the paper he was reading off. I was gonna go to trading standards with it, but he would not hand it over. Best bit was at lunchtime the next day I was phoned to remind me that i was getting air con done in afternoon! I was so shocked. It was unbelieveable. I have never set foot in to one of their branches since and never will.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by Northern_Mike »

daviemck2006 wrote:I would be willing to bet where Boris is, and if its the franchised dealer it would be an Arnold Clark branch.
Shark is spelt with "Sh" not "Cl"
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by Rhothgar »

Boristhespie would benefit from going to one of these spannering days there was talk about on the forum.

If it costs him £100 in fuel, it's got to be worth it.

It's easier sometimes for people to be involved hands-on on a job than to read a book if they are not sure in the first instance.

What happened to that spannering day suggestion?
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by mooseshaver »

Rhothgar wrote:Boristhespie would benefit from going to one of these spannering days there was talk about on the forum.
+1 for this. I would like to partake in an engines for muppets day.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by Rhothgar »

I checked out the meetings page and it is listed under Technical Weekend.

It was supposed to be 25th-26th May but it doesn't seem to have happened. I might bump the post to wake Franklin up who I think was arranging it.

Just thinking about it. It would have been cheaper for boristhespie to say to them. Don't do the work - I'll take it to an independent MOT station for an assessment. Only then would you truly know what work needed carrying out which was likely to affect public safety.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by zipdip »

I once had worked all night and put my car into a big garage for a service,so I was fast asleep when the phone rings and the garage says you have a problem with the rear brakes which will have to be replaced,so I went down and the car is on the lift and this young mechanic shows me the rear disks that had a crusty rusty edge like all cast iron disks have,I said what wrong ,he says they are rusty,I cannot post what I said but it ended with off.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by boristhespie »

I can't complain about garage. It took me a long while and numerous sh1tty garages to find him. I did ask him to do a once over. So he found the tracker rods need attention. Apparently the tracking is off the scale. The wheels wobbled when he pushed them while up the lift. (i may be a sucker here but seemed right to me). So can't blame him for finding this. Was shocked to find he thought the tyre needs replaced. There is crazy paving cracking on the edge. Were small cracks but there.

I have had hard time with cars.

Bought this after last c5 lost power. Head gasket blew. But I had a Laguna where the timing belt went £1500 for pistons being resurfaced, then months later turbo went £1500 and we sold the car at 45000 miles.

The first c5 had about five windscreens. Due to smashes on road. The laguna has a broken window due to grass cutters strimmer and the timeing belt driving out of the garage. In france with c5 was in for service and the rear calipers crumbled €1500 (jinked figure that) and the garage parked a car just fixed immediately behind me as I backed out the garage after repair. Smack.

That's just some of the fun n games.

As for greese monkey days. Thanks for the heads up. Great idea.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by uhn113x »

Sean602 wrote:£90 for an oil change £350 to unscrew and fit a new track rod end !
I always thought I was in the wrong job! Bought a few cars for less than that.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by myglaren »

Just retrieved the car having at long last had the constant squeaking/squealing sorted.
The previous mob had several attempts and failed, mainly as they used belt dressing that was a temporary fix at best.

New alternator pulley and clutch, new camshaft pulley, new belt. £163 inclusive(£40 labour).
He also fixed (temp fix) the driver's seat which will be replaced soon, also tidied up the wing that never fits properly.
Very pleasant people and conveniently close to where I work.
The only hiccup was delivery of incorrect parts yesterday, right box, wrong pulley. Hardly their fault.

This came from a personal recommendation from three people I work with that have all been delighted with this garage.
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by myglaren »

Meant to add to the "Recommended" forum and forgot :)

It is hidden away somewhat behind Durham Road in Birtley. Turn in opposite the BP station and it is on the left of the right hand bend into the big car park.

Daniel's - bang in the centre of this link - light grey roof.

Turn in here.

Left at the corner, Gurgle didn't go any further.

I have his number if you want it but he/they are Polish so English isn't their first language although Daniel manages quite well.

He has only been there a short while and although the "Olivers" sign has come down from the big building he still has the old sign on his from a previous occupant. It backs up onto the Komatsu site, as does where I work. Only 100 yards away as the pig flies but about a mile to walk :(
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Re: This car business is expensive.

Post by taffy »

shame its only 282 miles from me :(
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