Garage MOT - Car Drama

machomanugget

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice. i took my car to a national MOT fitting garage to take them up on a cheap mot deal they have running.

I dropped my car off on a thursday afternoon when pre booked in. the car stayed there overnight as they didnt have time to do it all, anyway i recieved a phone call fri morning, its failed on a few things, we are busy so ill have a look at what needs to be done and ring you back with a price for the work.

Recieved another phone call sat morning telling me my car is on bricks and they have stolen my alloy wheels all 4 that had a locking system on them, stolen my alpine CD stereo the speakers amp and all the wiring out the car as well... i was told that others had been done as well, so i thought !!!!!! is this.. was told that they are going to sort it out... so as im disabled and my car is my only means to leave the house i got my dad to pick me up and take me down.

the person in charge wasnt there but my car was, as stated it was outside on bricks ,,, they were wating for the police..
later that day the police rang me, they told me mine was the only one that had been robbed and that no others had been.

policeman asked if i had the keys? i said no there at the garage along with the locking nut keys for the alloys, this was in the ashtray in the front console asi know to put it in when it goes to the garage for MOT etc to get the wheels off...

police told me there is no damage to any of the locks and windows damaged either?? how have they allowed this to be done to my car?

can anyone advice me what to get and ask for when i go down there today to see the boss...

many thanks

Steve

cyclonebri1

machomanugget wrote: »

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice. i took my car to a national MOT fitting garage to take them up on a cheap mot deal they have running.

I dropped my car off on a thursday afternoon when pre booked in. the car stayed there overnight as they didnt have time to do it all, anyway i recieved a phone call fri morning, its failed on a few things, we are busy so ill have a look at what needs to be done and ring you back with a price for the work.

Recieved another phone call sat morning telling me my car is on bricks and they have stolen my alloy wheels all 4 that had a locking system on them, stolen my alpine CD stereo the speakers amp and all the wiring out the car as well... i was told that others had been done as well, so i thought !!!!!! is this.. was told that they are going to sort it out... so as im disabled and my car is my only means to leave the house i got my dad to pick me up and take me down.

the person in charge wasnt there but my car was, as stated it was outside on bricks ,,, they were wating for the police..
later that day the police rang me, they told me mine was the only one that had been robbed and that no others had been.

policeman asked if i had the keys? i said no there at the garage along with the locking nut keys for the alloys, this was in the ashtray in the front console asi know to put it in when it goes to the garage for MOT etc to get the wheels off...

police told me there is no damage to any of the locks and windows damaged either?? how have they allowed this to be done to my car?

can anyone advice me what to get and ask for when i go down there today to see the boss...

many thanks

Steve

What can you get?, a solicitor on the case as soon as poss.
Disgusting, negligent and lying are a few words that sping to mind, let alone the issues of how long does it take to test a car? and how many faults can they actually find?

Based on that you will have further issues with them. sorry:A

Delivery_Driver

It sounds as if they have left your car outside unlocked.There have been similar threads on here before and the garage tried to avoid liability because you have your own insurance.
See what they have to say before you go in all guns blazing.They might do the decent thing and put it all right as well as the MOT being free if they have any decency.
If they don't then I'd be on to head office and the local paper pulling your best sad face for the photgrapher.They won't want such bad publicity highlighting that they don't take sufficient precautions with others property while in their care.

machomanugget

thanks, yes i understand what you are saying RE solicitors and the like... but the guy who rang me on saturday said to me they take full responsability for what has happened..

when the police rang me yesterday they said " that garage has some serious questions to answer to" regarding..

leaving it out all night when there was spaces inside the garage
no damage to anything outside locks doors boot windows
they had the keys and the locking nut for the wheels
they have left it out all night unlocked..
telling me other cars where done as well, when blatantly they were not.

i dont really want to pay for my mot atleast.. let alone 4 new alloys tyres lock nuts CD player amp speakers etc etc etc....

the bloke i spoke to yesterday there said have you got reciepts etc for all the parts? i said i dont think so its 12 years old and ive had it 4 and i purchased it off a friend.. mainly for the look and it had been looked after etc etc..

withabix

They don't need any receipts from you. They need to put the vehicle back into the condition it was in before they were negligent.

If that means they have to spend a lot of money supplying AND FITTING brand new things to the same specification or higher, that's their problem, not yours.

Also, ask them what time between 8am and 9am they are delivering your free hire car on Monday morning.

worried_jim

withabix wrote: »

They don't need any receipts from you. They need to put the vehicle back into the condition it was in before they were negligent.

If that means they have to spend a lot of money supplying AND FITTING brand new things to the same specification or higher, that's their problem, not yours.

Also, ask them what time between 8am and 9am they are delivering your free hire car on Monday morning.

Absolutely.

s_b

can i suggest you go back down and discretely take some photos in case they are needed in the days ahead
i too would suggest its an inside job (our outside before a pedantic comes on)
as said you need to tread really carefuly here as i know of a case where a customers vehicle was in the garage and it was arsoned they went to court and lost because it was deemed the garage proprietor had taken all reasonable steps apart from renewing his insurance

this is why i say photos in case they try wiggling tomorrow

Martyn_H

Really sorry to hear of your case. Avoid having MOTs done on the cheap as some garages probably recoup the money inventing problems that don't exist.

machomanugget

thanks people..

this was not a back street garage, this was a major nationwide company, yesterday when i went to see the damage i took some photos and saw that the boot was unlocked all the doors were locked even though it had been emptied by then...

Anyway i have been to the garage today, the guy admitted that he was held up on the phone and told the other guys that worked there to lock up and put the motors inside while he was on the phone, then after he was done he left leaving my motor outside...

He is coming to pick me up tomorrow am to go to Halfords and get everything apparently.. says it might take a few days to get all the mot work done, sort the new alloys tyres etc out and fit all the stereo speakers amp etc etc... free mot work which was 230 pound... and he says the rest will come to about £2000 which is more than the cars worth...

the police are ringing me later for an update but even the copper thought it was ectremely dodgy that it was only my car even though the garage people say it was more than 1 car but the other guy said it was only my car!

now the only things left to sort out is my 80 CD album collection, sat nav, incar charger, and a few other bits i had in the car.. that are not normally there when its left anywhere!

machomanugget

Hey, im back..

Took the advice given, its now tuesday been promised everything recieved so far nothing and still none the wiser about anything..

i made a log of everything that has happened, just sent it off to there head office.. awaiting some sort of response..

my attitude has changed now though after i was basically abused by one of there members of staff implying i was taking the !!!!? not good but there head office will now hear all about it as i get the impression is trying to be kept in house! even the police have said its dodgy..

wantonnoodle

I would ask for the insurance details of the garage. Particularly since they seem dodgy and reluctant to sort it out. It may give them a wake up call that you are serious.

That way, if they don't pull their finger out, you have got another avenue to go down.

Did you get a reference number from the police?