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Can a garage hold my car even though I don't owe any money?

124

Comments

  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    photome wrote: »
    Always one sceptic

    No, I have to admit it crossed my mind too, and if others were honest they would also admit to it.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
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  • WhiteHorse
    WhiteHorse Posts: 2,492 Forumite
    Sounds good, did you find out why the receptionist took that position?
    The receptionist is just another jumped-up jobsworth trying to make themselves important.
    "Never underestimate the mindless force of a government bureaucracy
    seeking to expand its power, dominion and budget"
    Jay Stanley, American Civil Liberties Union.
  • Wig
    Wig Posts: 14,139 Forumite
    McKneff wrote: »
    No, I have to admit it crossed my mind too, and if others were honest they would also admit to it.

    If I'm honest,.......................................

    I will admit....................



    I had no suspicions at all about the OP, and I was very surprised to see a sceptic post on this thread when I returned tonight.

    Wonder what the misunderstanding was....?
  • Wig wrote: »
    If I'm honest,.......................................

    I will admit....................



    I had no suspicions at all about the OP, and I was very surprised to see a sceptic post on this thread when I returned tonight.

    Wonder what the misunderstanding was....?

    more than likely body shop tell receptionist,

    BS "tell customer cant be moved, but only needs a new door and painting, lets make some cash out of this"

    RECEPT "yeh ok ill tell them we have to hold it it too dangerous to move"

    customer returns, not happy, obviously taken advice, receptionist tries to stand ground, customer wont budge and its nearly closing time and she wants to wash her hair and paint her nails quickly get manager, manager come out unknown to him what has happened, he goes off to the asks the body shop whats happening with the xyz, they say were just waiting for the customer to inform insurers we got it manager says whats wrong with it, body shop says nothing serious, manager not happy goes back gives OP keys. receptionist given another angle to work from rather than clearly trying to theive a customers car and drop the company in trouble had this been taken further by the OP.
  • TrickyWicky
    TrickyWicky Posts: 4,025 Forumite
    vax2002 wrote: »
    Just go and tell them you have come to collect it, when they say no ask them to repeat it in front of your witness then just caution them that you are placing them under arrest for theft and they must remain with you until a constable of the the law can be summonsed to take charge of the offender.
    Then if they dont buckle, call the police and tell them you have arrested someone for taking your vehicle without consent and that person is under your arrest.

    Technically its not theft though is it. The op TOOK the car to them. They haven't taken it from the op. There is a difference.

    Definitely a strange scenario though.
  • scheming_gypsy
    scheming_gypsy Posts: 18,410 Forumite
    People seem to like to blame the receptionist for a 'miscommunication', as though it was her her decided it had to stay there..
  • Sssssss
    Sssssss Posts: 1,094 Forumite
    what's wrong with people wishing someone should lose thier job over what could have been a simple mistake!

    the world is a nasty place! made so by the people who live in it!
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Xmas Saver!
    You only have the manager's word he didn't approve. It may be that the garage's policy is to "imply" to people they can't remove their cars (so that garage gets the work) and the BS or receptionist got a bit carried away and didn't know how to back down .............or it could have been a misunderstanding. Either way I wouldn't be giving that garage the work unless they were doing something VERY nice by way of apology.
    I'd also mention it to the insurance company.
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  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    duchy wrote: »
    You only have the manager's word he didn't approve.

    I was thinking that, these days far too many managers are stupid and so far up their own !!!!!!, that they cannot listen to anyone else.

    I reckon they tried to keep the car in order to avoid being the last people to touch it. Because if the door swings open and decapitates an innocent pedestrian, they'd be royally f**ked.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    Well I got to the garage last night and the same person was on reception. I asked to speak to the manager of the the dealership, and she said you will only get the same response I told you earlier. I just said to her I wasn't moving till I spoke to the manager.

    She went and got him, I explained the whole situation to the manager and from the sounds of it between the bodyshop and the receptionist there was a miscommunication.

    The manager couldn't apoligise enough and he's also going to contact Head office to see if he can get me some sort of gesture of good will.

    SO I was a happy bunny when I got home apart from the big bent in the side of my car.


    Again thank you for your comments they have been very useful.

    What was the "miscommunication?"
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
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