TOP THIS IF YOU CAN

System

Hi Gail, Renault dealerships are notorious in the Midlands for their extortionate prices. My mate HAD a 1999 Scenic with automatic transmission, and the gearbox failed. Reault wanted to charge him over £3000 to replace it. He took it elsewhere and was charged £1300. Apparently, all that was wrong was a small plastic part had broke, but was in such a place as it was impossible to replace, this is a common failing. My advise to you is sell the damn thing before it starts costing you loads.

celticsprite

hi,

re official ford garages.. other half (gullible wee soul) was told by the ford dealership that he'd used for yonks, always buying a new car every 2/3 years, that when his ka went in for a service it would fail the service if they didnt replace the slightly cracked number plate...
was charged a small fortune for a new number plate (he wasn't a moneysaver then so didnt shop around for anything) and they put it back in using old rusty screws!! >:(
I pointed out to him that this was daylight robbery. He at least changed garages when he bought his new car

cs

baked_beans_lady

Hi Gail, Renault dealerships are notorious in the Midlands for their extortionate prices.  

Just want to gently pointing out that not every Renault dealership is horriable. I live in the Midlands and couldn't disagree more to your comment about the Renault dealer, well, at least not my usual dealer anyway.
I am very sorry to read that some of you guys are not happy with Renault dealership. I have a Renault Scenic and I think my Renault dealer is wonderful unlike the Ford dealer I used when I had my Focus. For example, I tried to book my car in for annual service not so long ago, but got sent away - because my car only needs to be serviced every two years, therefore they told me "not to waste money unnecessarily". A light bulb went, they told me it would be more expensive to buy from them, better buy one from Halford and they even told me how to change it.
A dealer who doesn't want to rip you off? It's extremely rare I know and I appreciate their fair business attitude.

BazzaD_3

All I can say is...there is nothing like a Haynes Manual (lots of pics etc, tells you exactly what to do) and spare parts from a breakers yard or small parts dealer! I decided upon advice to use the book first...if it ain't in that find a local mechanic who specialises in your make of car, then pay them cash and become a regular!

;D

Freebie_Hunter_2

1 motorcyle, 1 little woman (around 27) and an MOT.

Took it in via my parts supplier (who charged me an extra £10 for the privellidge of riding it literally 50mtrs up the road and back!) and it needed work.

Did the remedials with Dad but missed the deadline 2 weeks so needed a whole re-test.
Woman decides to take it in herself thus saving a tenner and finds it's the local dodgy man (who has had several 'fires' in the last 10yrs!).
Always willing to give someone a chance to redeem themselves woman gives him a chance after thoroughly checking the bike herself with Dad.

Dodgy guy comes back with list of more things that need doing.

They now say the exhaust is 'too loud'.Errrr ... I have heard bikes a lot louder and why wasn't this pointed out last time? Remedials = new exhaust. ££££ Ching Ching
Torque arm loose. Nooooo ... I checked and tightened every single nut and bolt on that bike beforehand. Remedials = secure arm, no parts needed so hard to prove it has been done.
Rear brake rod incorrectly fitted. Hmmmm, do they really think i'm that stupid. You can't fit it incorrectly, it's impossible! Square peg in round hole?! No. Remedials = same as above but they seem to think I arrived on the last banana boat!
New number plate. I hold my hands up, it is a cut-down (made smaller) but again this wasn't mentioned last time. Remedials = new plate. ££££ Ching Ching
Suspension bush worn. No it's not and no way could it all of a sudden just go in 3 months when it hasn't been used. It's virtually brand new and all bushes were checked again beforehand. ££££ Ching Ching


Final results = £30 down and one seriously cheesed off Dad and daughter.

Conclusion = Woman walks in with old bike and lads think 'a good cash-in here'. What they didn't bargain on is a woman who knows her bikes and a Dad who has more years knowledge about bikes than the garage owner has been on this planet (or not if he genuinely thinks that brake rod isn't on right!).

..... And they certainly won't bargain on a rather angry big, burly, bearded man goes in tomorrow to collect his daughters bike!!

There's 2 lessons in this folks.
1, Listen to reputations
2, never underestimate a woman (coz she may have a big Dad!)

System

( 1st time had) i bought a lovely little red rover metro for my daughter, her first car
the guy who sold it told us that" he always looks after the young kids cos they can't afford the prices big garages charge and insurance is so high"(we paid £895 j reg ,bought 2002) and he only makes a few quid on them!
he gave us all the sales patter and we went away reassured it was fine and chuffed that we had not been ripped off cos he was such a genuine man
the little red car looked and drove beautiful......
THEN
(2nd time had) before it was due for an mot we took it to our ford garage( this is were hubbie got his car serviced) to have a service and pre mot
they gladly did this and took our£140 and then informed us that no way would it pass its mot and should be scrapped or pay £600 to repair the floor
can't they tell you before they do a service that it will not pass?
took it to a local garage and the cost was £400
we paid it cos for some strange reason we had got to love the little red car ::) and could not afford to scrap it after paying £895+£140
soon after unfortunately it was in a crash and written off
now we have a better car bought from a friend with no problems and haven't become attached to it at all!!!!
ma baker