Car garage increase prices

[activist3]

Hi All,
My Car is currently in the garage being repaired for a head gasket failure. When calling the garage he said the price would be between 300 and 500 depending on the work to be done. Over the space of the three days the car has been there i have been pushing for an idea of at which end the price will be...(presuming of course that it will be nearer the £500 mark). The garage has come back today and said £650 or £600 if paid by cash. Are Garages allowed to increase estimates without warning.
I didnt have any written quote.

Steve

[bengalknights]

As its a estimate then yes.

[forgotmyname]

You really needed to arrange a fixed price before letting them do the work.

If you didnt need it in a hurry and they fitted it inbetween their daily work it maybe cheaper. But could take weeks, If its a busy garage.

[Honeydog]

Generally, an estimate is a best guess based on experience and expertise. Where a contractor provides an estimate and a customer accepts it there is no obligation on the contractor to do the work or to limit the amount charged to the estimate. With an estimate the customer is obliged to pay a "reasonable sum", which may be higher or lower than the figure in the estimate itself. The only challenges the customer can then raise are as to how the amount was calculated, the amount of work done and/or that the contractor was negligent in their advice on the likely cost.

A quotation is a fixed price offer. Once it is accepted the price cannot be changed save in accordance with the quote (for example if there is a clause allowing variance if the cost of materials changes) or the customer seeks to vary the contract (if the work to be done changes the contractor is entitled to change the amount they charge).

HTH

HD

[activist3]

Thanks everyone. The issue i have is that i asked for the head gasket to be fixed and he has now replaced the thermostat and replaced another pipe which wasnt part of the requested job and that is why the price has increased...

[ossie]

Probably had your best interests at heart replacing thermostat if head gasket needed replacing. You would not have been too happy if engine overheated due to faulty thermostat after last episode and head gasket went a second time!

[corbyboy]

Originally Posted by activist3

Thanks everyone. The issue i have is that i asked for the head gasket to be fixed and he has now replaced the thermostat and replaced another pipe which wasnt part of the requested job and that is why the price has increased...

These jobs are all done when the head gasket is replaced. Probably timing belt and water pump too.

Why would they expect you to request each specific item. If your thermostat went after the head gasket had been replaced then it would probably have lead to your head gasket going a second time!

[activist3]

Originally Posted by corbyboy

These jobs are all done when the head gasket is replaced. Probably timing belt and water pump too.

Why would they expect you to request each specific item. If your thermostat went after the head gasket had been replaced then it would probably have lead to your head gasket going a second time!

Thanks for this. I suppose the point i am trying to make is that i was under the impression that these things were standard as part of a head gasket change and he is suggested they are extras which is why the price has gone up to £650.
I was using the higher price on here as the estimate (this is NOT the garage i used)
http://www.mgroversolutions.com/pric...-mgftf-non-vvc

[atrixblue.-MFR-.]

ive heared of garages charging a whopping £1200 all in to do a HG on a rover/MG.

depending on brand of meterials what was replaced and labour rates this may well be the max i would pay is about £650 to have it done right.

this would include.

multi layered steel headset,
head bolts (not reused a big no no on a rover/MG).
timing KIT
water pump.
thermostat
expansion cap and or new resevoir bottle.
rad flush,
oil flush,
antifreeze,
oil.
oil filter,
upgraded bottom oil rail.
headskim and pressure test.
sump gasket.
sump plug and washer.
test/replace rad fan swtich (making sure the fan kicks in before the head overheats too much)

[prowla]

It's an old trick - the original "estimate" is rarely going to be the actual price you end up paying. (It may also exclude VAT...)

[rev_henry]

Originally Posted by atrixblue.-MFR-.

ive heared of garages charging a whopping £1200 all in to do a HG on a rover/MG.

depending on brand of meterials what was replaced and labour rates this may well be the max i would pay is about £650 to have it done right.

this would include.

multi layered steel headset,
head bolts (not reused a big no no on a rover/MG).
timing KIT
water pump.
thermostat
expansion cap and or new resevoir bottle.
rad flush,
oil flush,
antifreeze,
oil.
oil filter,
upgraded bottom oil rail.
headskim and pressure test.
sump gasket.
sump plug and washer.
test/replace rad fan swtich (making sure the fan kicks in before the head overheats too much)

As I'm sure you're aware great debate rages about whether all that needs doing, but its certainly the belt and braces approach. Though £650 is steep. I think the mobile guys on the MG-Rover forums charge under £400 for all that.

OP has the garage started the work? Can you back out now?

[grizzly1911]

Originally Posted by prowla

It's an old trick - the original "estimate" is rarely going to be the actual price you end up paying. (It may also exclude VAT...)

^ ^ ^ The VAT element is a key point.

[pendulum]

Originally Posted by activist3

... and he is suggested they are extras which is why the price has gone up to £650.

It's funny how all the bits and bobs that either should or need to be changed add up. That's probably why he gave an estimate; you really ought to have asked for a quote. BUT...

Some mechanics will refuse to quote for jobs like this, because there may be issues encountered or other related problems discovered etc; and even if you DID get a quote, I doubt the mechanic would swallow the cost of any unexpected costs... instead you'd probably get a half job, with corners cut, that would probably last a while before going wrong again. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

You'd have been better off selling the Rover and getting a better car. But that isn't the mechanic's fault.

So far = no evidence of mechanic wrongdoing.

[sam1970]

I really feel sorry for every one I see driving a Rover...The HG of my wife's Rover went in 2007 (and the car did only 50,000 miles)..ended selling it to scrab yard as I could not bother spending over £500 on it just to go off again..last week the same thing happened to my friend's Rover...I am really glad that this cowboys business has gone bust

[rev_henry]

I have no idea where everyone is getting this £500+ idea from. These guys do it for £300 + travel and are highly recommended on the MGR forums.

http://www.dave-mgrovermobilemechani...k/services.php

I recently paid just over £400 for mine at an independent garage - I would have used the above but they're booked up weeks at a time!