Don't buy a CAT in France!!

rabenson · Post by **rabenson** » 05 Jul 2008, 13:30

My Wife is currently in France in our Citroen Xsara HDI. Just had a call to say that the exhaust's blowing so she took it into a local garage to be told that it's the Catalytic converter that's blowing. Fair enough I thought, Cat's are pretty cheap these days. NOT IN FRANCE THEY AREN'T!!!

Been quoted E670.00 for the part!!! ie around 500 quid!!!

Now I know that I can pick one up over here for about 70 quid so I had a look on the web to see if I could find anything cheaper. Cheapest that I could see in France after trawling around for an hour is E454.00!

So moral of the story is to check your cat before you take it abroad or you could end up paying through the nose!!

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 05 Jul 2008, 14:23

Bloody hell, I thought Ireland was expensive.

Maybe your wife is getting hit with a bit of "tourist tax"?

How about buying one in the UK and sending it by overnight courier to France?

rabenson · Post by **rabenson** » 05 Jul 2008, 14:49

Ross_K wrote:Maybe your wife is getting hit with a bit of "tourist tax"?

That was my immediate thought but she went to a (french) friend's local independent garage and he couldn't even match the price! Seems that the price of cats just hasn't dropped there yet...

Had we had more time, I would have investigated getting one sent over there but unfortunately it went at the end of her stay rather than the beginning - sod's law...

lolingram · Post by **lolingram** » 05 Jul 2008, 15:01

So moral of the story is to check your cat before you take it abroad or you could end up paying through the nose!!

An indy Frog garage would have by-passed the CAT with a piece of pipe for a reasonable charge - mine did on both our Xants...

rabenson · Post by **rabenson** » 05 Jul 2008, 16:06

lolingram wrote:
So moral of the story is to check your cat before you take it abroad or you could end up paying through the nose!!
An indy Frog garage would have by-passed the CAT with a piece of pipe for a reasonable charge - mine did on both our Xants...

Now that's worth knowing for the future!! I suppose it depends on the garage...

lolingram · Post by **lolingram** » 05 Jul 2008, 16:34

Now that's worth knowing for the future!! I suppose it depends on the garage...

As always!

Post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Jul 2008, 21:38

I think there is a niche market there for someone.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 05 Jul 2008, 21:46

I was thinking the same thing Peter!!

I'm still coming to terms with the idea that we've actually got an item
(just the one unless further evidence is forthcoming...) that is actually
cheaper in our rubbish country than anywhere else in the world!!

Andrew

lolingram · Post by **lolingram** » 06 Jul 2008, 08:34

I'm still coming to terms with the idea that we've actually got an item
(just the one unless further evidence is forthcoming...) that is actually
cheaper in our rubbish country than anywhere else in the world!!

Andrew

What an awful thing to read... but how sadly true. It was (not too long ago) a great one - what has happened? I would venture to suggest bad management.

Rant off.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 06 Jul 2008, 11:07

have you had the cat fitted yet if not ask to hace it de/catted
regards malcolm

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 06 Jul 2008, 11:08

have you had the cat fitted yet if not ask to hace it de/catted
regards malcolm

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 06 Jul 2008, 11:08

whoooops that aint happend for quite some time

Post by **CitroJim** » 06 Jul 2008, 11:52

citronut wrote:whoooops that aint happend for quite some time

No worries Malcolm

I reckon the cause may have been here. My internet connection has been very busy this morning with three separate MSN Messenger sessions and streaming music. All PCs in this house have been going full tilt. It's all quiet now so it should be OK...

I'm intersted to see if when my internet connection is very busy with non-forum traffic, it slows the forum down...

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 06 Jul 2008, 13:06

Who is your ISP, Jim? I'm looking for a reliable provider with a more generous usage allowance, which you must have if you can host the forum
and cater for family use.

I'm considering Demon but they seem to have some quite bad reviews.

For the record the forum seems to be reasonably quick at the moment.

Post by **CitroJim** » 06 Jul 2008, 13:55

Hi Richard,

I'm with Pipex. I've been with them since 2001, in fact ever since broadband came to these parts.

All that time they've been good to me although they're pricey. I currertly pay £28 a month including the very essential static IP address. They have always been very reliable and consistent. I'm on the Pipex MAX service at the moment although they did call me last week indicating that they are introducing usage limits and I'm running close to their proposal on my current service level. In the future I may have to move to their PRO service although that'll cost more

It seems with ISPs that you get what you pay for as as I say, for the bits that I desire, they've been good. Speed is less of an issue for me than solid reliability and touch-wood, Pipex have always given that. They have also been quick to sort out faults and seem to have a competent help desk.

If I were hosting the whole forum, It would not cope. I only host the forum back-end databases (this forum and the BX Club forum); the web server part of the forums sit on a hosted server with a very fast internet link.