Mechanic carried out work which he had already previously done!

larry53

as i said, i thought that this mechanic was a good family friend, so i trusted his judgement. i still feel that i have been taken advantage of but looks like there is nothing i can do. moral... dont mix business with friends / family!

Knackered

What about your own judgement? How could you forget getting it done when it was only 2 years ago??

zappahey

larry53 wrote: »

as i said, i thought that this mechanic was a good family friend, so i trusted his judgement. i still feel that i have been taken advantage of but looks like there is nothing i can do. moral... dont mix business with friends / family!

Why do you imagine it would be different in any other back street garage?

As someone said further up, if you want the garage to maintain a service history of your car, then go to a main dealer and pay their rates.

You might have a reasonable compliant if the cambelt was changed six months ago but, after two years, it's not reasonable to expect the mechanic to remember what he did on your car.

Frankly, you are being unreasonable.

Silk

Knackered wrote: »

What about your own judgement? How could you forget getting it done when it was only 2 years ago??

I can understand it ...theres a good number of people who just leave their car maintanence in the hands of the so called experts without worrying about details.
Easily done

Knackered

Silk wrote: »

I can understand it ...theres a good number of people who just leave their car maintanence in the hands of the so called experts without worrying about details.
Easily done

Hardly - getting a cambelt changed is a major job. I can't imagine anyone in their right mind getting this done and paying for it without knowing anything about it.

Silk

Knackered wrote: »

Hardly - getting a cambelt changed is a major job. I can't imagine anyone in their right mind getting this done and paying for it without knowing anything about it.

We will agree to disagree :beer:
I could name a long list of clients who wouldn't have a clue what a cambelt was or whether they had one changed. Esp when it was items that are replaced under recommended service intervals like pollen filters or fluid changes etc etc.
Maybe major jobs such as clutches or head gaskets etc are inexcusable for forgetting but cambelt would be easy to forget for them it would just go over their head

pendulum

larry53 wrote: »

as i said, i thought that this mechanic was a good family friend, so i trusted his judgement. i still feel that i have been taken advantage of but looks like there is nothing i can do. moral... dont mix business with friends / family!

The general concensus isn't that you've been taken advantage of at all. It's that you should take some responsibility for what has happened.

IF there's uncertainty about the cambelt being done, then the mechanic was right to do it again. If it snaps you'd need a new engine so re-doing the cambelt is the safest option. I'm sure your mechanic friend feels insulted and is just as angry as you are that you're blaming him.

loracan1

Silk wrote: »

We will agree to disagree :beer:
I could name a long list of clients who wouldn't have a clue what a cambelt was or whether they had one changed. Esp when it was items that are replaced under recommended service intervals like pollen filters or fluid changes etc etc.
Maybe major jobs such as clutches or head gaskets etc are inexcusable for forgetting but cambelt would be easy to forget for them it would just go over their head

If this list of clients wouldn't notice an extra £350 on their bill I question whether they should be allowed out in a car on their own.

Silk

loracan1 wrote: »

If this list of clients wouldn't notice an extra £350 on their bill I question whether they should be allowed out in a car on their own.

All down to individual circumstances and makes and models ..I assumed rightly or wrongly the £350 was including the service ...if the client always had other bits done each time ...say a service + a couple of tyres or a service + exhaust or + air con re gas etc etc it would be quite normal.
I've had clients that wouldn't bat an eyelid at a £350 bill but I've had others that would need smelling salts if it was over £100
Doesn't mean to say they shouldn't be allowed out on their own though

Ghostrider

How can it be the garages fault, he's paid to do the work you ask him, not maintain a record if service for your car.

It's the owners problem not the garage - morally and legally.