Garage carried out work without permission

NessieGB · 13 July 2017 at 6:51PM

Hello all,

I'm new to the MSE forums and I am just looking for some advice on a matter. My car was booked in for an MOT today. I had spent the entire day waiting for a phone call to tell me to come pick it up or that it had failed, but received neither. I continually checked the MOT website to see if there was any updates but there was none. No pass, no fails, nothing.

I finished work at 5:30 and went straight over to the garage before they closed at 6. my car was sat on the forecourt with the windows down and keys in the ignition, so I think to myself "maybe they've just mot'd it now".

I approach one of the mechanics and he tells me "Oh it's not been done yet, we've just finished changing the rear springs. Wont be ready till tomorrow, looks like it should sail through it no bother though."

I asked him how much the cost of repairs would be and he replied "You'll have to ask xxx tomorrow, after the MOT"

Now, their are a number of things in this story that have miffed me off.

1. I booked the car in for an MOT on Tuesday, I told him I wanted it done asap and he offered me a slot on Thursday and I told him this was fine and left. I only said I wanted the car booked in for the MOT, nothing else.

2. The fact that they have carried out these repairs without my permission. No attempt was made to contact me and I did not give them prior consent to do the repairs.

3. The car was never put in for the MOT that I had explicitly put it in there for. These repairs were carried out pre-preemptively, so to speak. I would be a bit more understanding had they MOT'd it and said "oh its failed on springs, do you want us to replace them?"

Basically I'm looking to see where I stand in this whole mess. I would rather not pay for springs that I didn't ask for. I would rather them tell me, through the MOT, that the springs are broken and then fix it myself with the help of my dad at the cost of parts, some sweat and a few cold ones for the old man. But the garage has completely removed my ability to do that and will most likely give me a gigantic bill.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

unholyangel · 13 July 2017 at 8:18PM

Tell the garage you didn't authorise the work so to put the old springs back in? Bear in mind I'm not a mechanic (know some basic stuff but thats it) so might not be possible but it would be the first option where it is possible.

One thing I'd keep in mind is would the garage charge for a retest if it had failed on the springs and you had done the work yourself?

This isn't one of the cheaper MOT places is it? Just I've found they tend to do things like this - its like they use the cheaper MOT price as a way to get customers in before stinging them on the repairs. Took me 10 years to find a garage I trust completely.

Jackmydad · 13 July 2017 at 8:31PM

I don't know what rights you have in this situation, but I usually tell the garage I use (and trust), to give me a call if it's going to be more than a few quid for something simple or if they find something that needs doing.
To be fair I'd probably have them do the work anyway, but I don't like them to just have a free rein. I don't like nasty shocks either.
So far, no fails since using this place, so we shall see.

MrJones1 · 13 July 2017 at 8:38PM

Before a garage carries out work on your vehicle they need to ask for your permission. If they have carried out work that you haven't authorized, you are not obliged to pay for the work that they have done.

What you should do is to contact the garage and state that they have carried out work without your permission. The only thing they have been authorized to do is to do a MOT test, which they have not done. I understand that you are afraid that you will get a big bill but you have not "purchased" the services they have done on the car. The fault lies with the garage. Ask them politely to reinstall the old springs, which is a reasonable request. You don't have to pay for this.

If they are not being reasonable you should get in touch with your local CAB, as they can give you the best advice.

AdrianC · 13 July 2017 at 8:48PM

So, basically, they started to look at it - realised the springs would fail, ordered a pair, waited for them to be delivered, changed them... and ran out of time... A pair of rear springs is probably only an hour or so's labour.

99% of people would rather that than have a fail, and have to book it back in.

Did you tell them not to do ANY work if it failed? Did you actually look the car over before taking it in?

NessieGB · 13 July 2017 at 8:52PM

To answer Unholyangel - It isn't one of the cheaper MOT places, just your typical independent garage. I had two options of MOT test centres close to my work. One was this one and the other was a National firm offering half price MOT's. I deliberately avoided the half price one, as I have heard stories about what some of them get up to, obviously my trust was misplaced.

Thanks for the advice MrJones. My current plan of action is to go into the centre tomorrow on my lunch and tell them I want the old springs replaced. I'll be on my motorbike so will record the interaction with my GoPro just incase they start playing silly !!!!!!s. Hopefully they play fair and I can have my car back asap.

Edited : AdrianC - I didn't authorise them to carry out any work. Had they phoned me about the broken coil springs and said "this is the price, what do you want us to do?" I would have told them either to go ahead with it, if the price was reasonable or tell them I'll collect the car and fix it myself. I do understand where you're coming from though.

Mercdriver · 13 July 2017 at 9:08PM

AdrianC wrote: »

So, basically, they started to look at it - realised the springs would fail, ordered a pair, waited for them to be delivered, changed them... and ran out of time... A pair of rear springs is probably only an hour or so's labour.

99% of people would rather that than have a fail, and have to book it back in.

Did you tell them not to do ANY work if it failed? Did you actually look the car over before taking it in?

I'm a bit surprised you would be happy for a garage to go ahead with work without first getting your approval and not doing what you had actually instruct them to do.

The OP has a very reasonable cause for complaint. The OP should ask what they expect to be paid for the work and to inspect the old springs. If they have thrown away the springs, then I'd be thinking that fair exchange is no robbery bearing in mind they disposed of the OP's property without the OP's consent. This might not be the most correct way to deal with it legally, but I think the OP has some strength in his position if the garage has disposed of the springs and use it to get the cost of what they have done dowm.

Richard53 · 13 July 2017 at 9:10PM

AdrianC wrote: »

99% of people would rather that than have a fail, and have to book it back in.

I think that's a reasonable attitude over something like a light bulb or headlamp aim, but a pair of springs fitted wouldn't be a trivial amount. I would have expected the garage to call me for the go-ahead over something like that, absolutely.

EssexExile · 13 July 2017 at 9:17PM

I would find out if they were going to charge a reasonable amount or not before demanding they put the old ones back. If the work needed doing & it's been done at a reasonable price then have a go at them for doing it without permission but don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

If you're polite about it you might even get a free MOT.

AdrianC · 13 July 2017 at 10:02PM

Richard53 wrote: »

I think that's a reasonable attitude over something like a light bulb or headlamp aim, but a pair of springs fitted wouldn't be a trivial amount.

Parts cost plus an hour's labour?

On most stuff with trailing arms, it's as simple a job as getting the back up, disconnecting the bottom end of the damper, and dropping the arm a snidge to allow the old spring to be removed, and the new inserted. Arm back up, damper on. Job jobbed.

If it's rear struts, it's more involved, sure. But that's unusual.

parking_question_chap · 13 July 2017 at 11:43PM

Given you asked for your car to be booked in for an MOT asap imo it is reasonable that the garage assumed that you wanted it to pass, and were ok with them doing the required work, assuming its not something crazy like replacing the whole chassis.

If you wanted them to ignore anything that needed doing and let it fail, you should have explicitly stated this, as it certainly isnt the norm.

Garage carried out work without permission

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