Unnecessary garage repair - does the liability lie with me?

Hammyman

I've had a starter motor that would start a car changed because it had become intermittent, occasionally needing a hit with a hammer and it was better to change it than find it had finally given up the ghost at 4am when finishing work. I took it to the garage and asked them to change the starter.

At the end of the day, the OP asked them to change a part and they did it. When a customer makes such a specific request, the garage assume that the customer knows what they're on about. If the OP had said it wasn't starting and they replaced the starter without testing then there's a point. However the garage did what was asked.

grizzly1911

Whilst the garage did as requested by the OP makes you wonder at their ethical competence.

Presumably they had to move it off their forecourt into workshop, presumably they had the key, turned it over and drove it in?

Customer care would suggest they should have at least queried the request??

Might be worth challenging them on it you never know they might "shave" the cost on the fuel pump job.

Trouble is you will never know as you don't know how much they make on the parts and what their labour/time cost should be for either..... bit like double glazing 55% off adverts, 55% off what.

pendulum

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Presumably they had to move it off their forecourt into workshop, presumably they had the key, turned it over and drove it in?

The car was towed to the garage because it wasn't working. It was still not working when the OP came to collect the car and it is still not working now due to the failed fuel pump. So what makes you think the garage were able to turn the key and drive it in?

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Customer care would suggest they should have at least queried the request??

No, it doesn't. Would you be happy if you instructed a mechanic to change the starter motor and he charged you £25 extra for diagnostics just to confirm that your starter motor was actually dead? I don't think so. You'd call it an unnecessary charge because you already knew you wanted the starter changed. Oh, and if you think the mechanic should have done the check for free, a mechanic's time is money and they earn their living from charging for their time.

The fault does lie with the OP for relying on the roadside diagnosis, which is basically just an opinion on what the problem may be based on a roadside diagnosis (without all the equipment and facilities a proper garage would have).

Hintza

I'm with the how can the motor be faulty group, it either turns over or it doesn't (had to hit plenty in the past with the old hammer...lol), so assuming the RAC guy checked that then the car possibly had two faults starter motor and fuel pump?

OP how old is this car? Is it a shed?

System

The garages attitude, quite rightly, may have been 'The customer wants us to replace the starter motor but is going to have the non-starting problem dealt with by somebody else'

The OP asked the garage to do a specific task. They have done as asked so no comeback on the garage. I see nowhere where it was stated that the garage was asked to rectify the non-starting problem.

cyclonebri1

!!!!!! wrote: »

The garages attitude, quite rightly, may have been 'The customer wants us to replace the starter motor but is going to have the non-starting problem dealt with by somebody else'

The OP asked the garage to do a specific task. They have done as asked so no comeback on the garage. I see nowhere where it was stated that the garage was asked to rectify the non-starting problem.

I think the OP is with you there, he/has stated so much as to not blame the garage, the op's real issue is with the RAC and the wrong or only partial diagnosis. It has to be said that the quality of their roadside assistance "mechanics" isn't what it once was.;)

steveo3002

does sound iffy...very poor diagnosis

dud fuel pump = car spins over when you turn the key but wont start

starter motor trouble = nothing when you turn the key

thegirlintheattic

I don't think the garage is at fault, assuming you didn't describe the problem and said 'I think it is...'. If you went in and said 'Change the starter motor' and they did then it's not their fault they assumed you knew what you were talking about.

I would complain to RAC.

koloko

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Gordon_Hose

He's given you a decent offer, bite his hand off.

Then get all your work done there from now on. And recommend it to your mates.