Unbelivable...

Wig

So just to clarify, the garage has agreed to cover the cost of the AA inspection if the AA guy says the car is fine apart from a flexipipe failure? When is the big day? Had you contacted trading standars they might have paid for the AA test.

herbert_goon

Hi
Waiting to arrange the big day, but it's likely to be next saturday - I have to work :-(

Savvy_Sue

Another place it's always worth looking for advice on cars is Honest John, in The Back Room forum.

natanddan1

did you have any legal cover with your insurance? most policies now include legal cover and i know they will take the matter on for you. A short letter from a solicitor usually sends the company running to sort the matter out, and of course its free.
I got my legal cover to write to halfords after they gave me brake fluid instead of power steering fluid, it coused £1500 of damaged and although i put it in the car i still succeded in halfords coughing up the full amount for the car to be fixed at a main dealers. (with out liability of course).

might as well use it if you have it.

herbert_goon

UPDATE

Well, after several phone calls and letter, today my car is being repaired f.o.c.!

:T :rotfl: :j :beer:

The areas manager inspected the car and found the original report to be wrong.

Original said:

New discs front and back
New pads front and back
Replacement brake hose

Todays said:

New pads front
New hose

They are doing the work as we speak and fingers crossed I can *finally* get my car back on the road today!!

Thanks KwikFit!

webmasterpolo

total scam!

Wig

So you didn't do the AA inspection. And will you be informing trading standards?

If it were me I'd be there at the time of repair and ask for the old front pads and ask them if they are *actually* under the limit or are you just changing them to give me a bonus. then I'd keep the pads and measure them @ home to see if they are under the limit. This would then show that the only thing wrong with your car was a single hose (which is what I suspected earlier given that it just had passed it's MOT).

I would then inform trading standards of everything, including that the front pads were not under the limit but have been changed as a geture of goodwill.

I suppose seeing s you have said they are doing it now it is not going to be possible to get the old front pads back as they will have discarded them by now.

And I assume this is the

"NATIONAL TYRES & Autocare" chain of tyre/exhast/brakes fast fitters? oops, sorry not NATIONAL TYRES, I just saw you said KWIK FIT, so you see that your earlier clues made me think it was 'National'.

Don't let them get away with it, report them to trading standards. Just think of all the people they do this to every year and get away with it. You have a chance to make a difference, report it to BBC Watchdog aswell.

P.S. Thanks for the update!
P.P.S. The above red and font size is for the benefit of National Tyres & Autocare so they are not misrepresented by me here, it is not a reflection of any anger on my part @ Herbert the OP.......

madfrenchgirl

Wig is right! Dont do like my friend did! Report them please!

If you think about it for a bit they tried to con you and now they are just bringing the car back to where it was before the con... The only thing you are getting for free is the hose!

Plus you went though a lot of hassle and pain for what? A free hose replacement? I would definetely not let this go. they are not even trying to flog you with something else mroe!

herbert_goon

Hi all and thanks for your posts.

wig
Sorry - didn't mean to mislead you "national chain" not "National chain"!

wig+madfrenchgirl
The front pads required changing due to contamination by brake fluid not wear. I also benfited from the work they did when they pinched it, wheel alignment, central locking and a valet :-) (the most satisfying part)

I did speak with trading standards in Worthing on several occasions and they noted the incident. They said that the problem was with the individual and not company policy etc. Not sure about that one....any suggestions? AFAIK nothing has come of my report.

I did meet the regional manager who said the Worthing manager (he's the one who "borrowed" the car) has moved to another branch and the guy who did the inspection would be disciplined.

I could go to the police but I am not sure a) I have enough evidence or b) they would be interested or c) I want to get that much involved!

Would you seriously advise watchdog then? I haven't watched tv for years.....

Poppycat

I remember couple years back when I took my car in for service and MOT. But the garage couldn't do MOT and had to get another garage to do it. The following night I got a knock on the door, two coppers there, they asked me if I was registered keeper of a Blue Fiesta blah blah, I never no my registration but said I have a blue fiesta. They said it was parked on a certain street 10 minutes walk from me and that it had been broken into. Some scum bag broke the passengers windows and tried to see what to knick. Fortunately someone reported this.

Apparently mechanic thought to borrow my car for I assume to get home with. Garage had to pay to replace glass but it wasn't the same glass, it had slightly blue tinge to it.

It makes you think what the hell these garages do with our cars. Its about time Trading standards ran regularly checks on garages and I wouldn't object to pay an extra £1 on top of garage bill (if I knew I could trust them again) if it paid T&S to do the checks and get these cowboys closed down once and for all.

I never go to garages now because I don't trust them, as I use an oldish cars I get a mate to do my car and pay him a reasonable rate, but I know he wouldn't rip me off.

I heard some of thse companies get paid bonus for extra work, which is completely immoral it adds incentive for them to do work that ain't needed.