Unexpected Repair Bill

frogtastic_2

Hello all,

My Renault Espace conked out on the way back from holiday on Sunday. The recovery guys said the alternator belt had snapped, and they thought this probably due to the failure of a tensioner.

Yesterday I took it to my local garage who said he would look at it this afternoon and give me a ring. He estimated the cost would be "a hundred and something". He didn't ring me back. I tried to ring at 4.45 (closing time is 5pm) and no one was there.

I rang this morning and he said he didn't have an update for me.

He eventually rang back this afternoon, at 2pm to say the car was finished, which surprised me as I hadn't given him the go ahead to complete the work.

I asked him what the bill was and he said he hadn't done it yet. I rang at 2.40pm as I left work and he told me the bill was £531! This consisted mostly of parts - belt, pulley, tensioner and £60 labour. I don't know if this is reasonable or not, I am finding out, but that's not the point.

His argument is that because the car isn't driveable, is worth too much to scrap and he can only use genuine renault parts so he would go ahead anyway.

I have only got £190 in my bank account, and would have told him I couldn't go ahead with the repair and i'd have to manage on the bus until I could afford it.

He won't back down - he wants payment in full - I can't pay him in full - i've tried negotiating with him but he's quite clear he doesn't want to do it. He shut up his garage locking my car inside.

Can you advise what I can do to get my car back? If he puts it on the front of his forecourt tomorrow, what would happen if I took the car with my spare key?

Can I ask him to remove the parts and give it me back as it was?

I am so angry with this guy!

Thanks

Ben

kwaks

Tell him to return the car to how it was, you did not agree to the work taking place and all he could reasonable charge for is an estimate.

He might be a bit more willing to re-negotiate when he realises he is to be stuck with lots of parts he can't return and a lot of wasted time.

mttylad

And contact Renault with your reg no & find out the exact cost of the parts.

I think you will find that they come in far less than he is charging.

(Unless it was the timing belt that went... )

property.advert

I'm not sure he can hold your vehicle hostage for work you did not authorise. I'd have been onto the old bill.

cyclonebri1

That seems a ludicrous amount for the job if it as you suspect just the ancilliary belt, tensioner etc. The original one hundred and something should have covered it. Ask him for a breakdown of the parts used and do as suggested by contacting renault for the prices, also check a decent motor factor as the belt and tensioner should have been available cheaper from there.

I suggest as others that he cannot charge for an unauthorised repair, especially when it's 3 times over estimate, and he has'nt called to explaim HIS error ;)

joanne_d_3

frogtastic wrote: »

Hello all,

My Renault Espace conked out on the way back from holiday on Sunday. The recovery guys said the alternator belt had snapped, and they thought this probably due to the failure of a tensioner.

Yesterday I took it to my local garage who said he would look at it this afternoon and give me a ring. He estimated the cost would be "a hundred and something". He didn't ring me back. I tried to ring at 4.45 (closing time is 5pm) and no one was there.

I rang this morning and he said he didn't have an update for me.

He eventually rang back this afternoon, at 2pm to say the car was finished, which surprised me as I hadn't given him the go ahead to complete the work.

I asked him what the bill was and he said he hadn't done it yet. I rang at 2.40pm as I left work and he told me the bill was £531! This consisted mostly of parts - belt, pulley, tensioner and £60 labour. I don't know if this is reasonable or not, I am finding out, but that's not the point.

His argument is that because the car isn't driveable, is worth too much to scrap and he can only use genuine renault parts so he would go ahead anyway.

I have only got £190 in my bank account, and would have told him I couldn't go ahead with the repair and i'd have to manage on the bus until I could afford it.

He won't back down - he wants payment in full - I can't pay him in full - i've tried negotiating with him but he's quite clear he doesn't want to do it. He shut up his garage locking my car inside.

Can you advise what I can do to get my car back? If he puts it on the front of his forecourt tomorrow, what would happen if I took the car with my spare key?

Can I ask him to remove the parts and give it me back as it was?

I am so angry with this guy!

Thanks

Ben

Hi.

I can help you out with rough prices for the parts the mechanic has put into your car as my husband has had to replace all of the same parts on his just last week.

Now...the car WE repalced the parts on is a Skoda Octavia so the prices may differ slightly but here goes :

Fan belt - £11
Tensioner £70
Pulley £37

Charge to fit these parts £60.

Giving a total of £178.

How he has managed to charge you £500 odd is beyond me !!!

Get back to him asap ask him to give you a breakdown of exactly how he arrived at the figure hes charged you and tell him that you are going to ask around other garages for quotes for the same job to be done.

Do this and then post back.

Joanne

somech

would need to see a breakdown of charges

he really should have phoned you with an excact qoute and gained your auth before proceeding

as you have not given auth you are within your rights to demand the car is put back to its original state minus a small diagnostics fee