Kwikfit

HoneyAndLemon

Is there anyone I can report Kwikfit too?

Basically my partner brought our car in for a service last Wednesday, as the MOT was today. We went for the full service as we got the car 2nd hand in January with no service history so wanted to cover all bases. This would cost £145 kwikfit said. We've both only started driving this year and this was our first MOT and we're a bit clueless with cars so thought we could trust this well known company to keep us right.

So a couple of hours later they call me and after inspection they said the car needed £700 worth of work or it definately wouldn't pass the MOT. The car is barely worth £700 as it is. They said tyres were illegal, brake pads and discs all worn away etc etc. I was nearly sick. We have had a stressful few months as it is with a miscarriage, and other things and this felt like more bad luck. I told them to go ahead, but after mentioning it on facebook, lots of people started telling me there was no way it could need that much work. I phoned kwikfit (this was about 20 mins later) and told them to stop. The guy got really aggressive, basically spoke to me like an idiot, and said I'd have to pay for the time they spent taking it apart etc, and that I couldnt pick the car up until the morning as they were closing soon.

So OH picked the car up the next day, and said we would only be paying £145 for the service and no more. They also spoke to my partner quite rudely when he picked it up, again making out like it was going to fail the MOT without the extra work,and that we didnt know what we were talking about.

So today, the car had the MOT. I've been worried sick all week panicking about it failing and that we would have to pay out to get it fixed. We can't sell it as partner needs it for his job now.But the car passed the MOT with no issues whatsoever.

I honestly think kwikfit were just looking to make money out of us. They saw our 'R' plates (which must be displayed in northern ireland for a year after passing test) and knew we were inexperienced in all this and saw an opportunitity to scam us. To think that if I hadnt posted on facebook and people convinced me not to do it, I would have trusted them and we would have been out £700 sickens me.

I have sent a complaint through their website but wondered if I should be reporting them to trading standards or anything?

mr_sharma

Sorry to hear. Maybe contact their head office? I'm not sure if Kwik Fits are franchises and therefore individually owned and operated but I'm pretty sure there's a code of conduct across the company.

Trying to add on costs seems common-place for lots of different services and, as you say, if they can get away with it, they will.

Glad you didn't have to end up paying over the odds though, bloody hell!

Slowhand

There will be contact details on your MOT Certificate.

sillygoose

I would put it down to experience or you will just waste your time going back and forth between the MOT tester, Kwikfit and whoever. Almost every day someone tries to rip me off in some way, it seems honest work has gone out of fashion in preference to the quick buck.

Most people that have been on the road a while know well Kwikfit's tricks, they have been exaggerating work needed for as long as I can remember, just a shame no one warned you first as your new drivers.

A local independent or small chain branch will often beat the big chain for deals and need repeat business more than a quick ripoff.

Kwikfit only survive because of the large branch network and cut price deals they offer lease and company car fleets for sole business. I have to use them for this reason but I use their mobile service which are quite competent - Going to the branch is worse than going to prison!

sillygoose

Slowhand wrote: »

There will be contact details on your MOT Certificate.

?? but Kwikfit didn't do the MOT which was OK... the dangers of speed reading eh?

muddyl

A close friend works for them and hates the way they behave.
He is a very honest mechanic and only does what need to be done , the amount of times he has later been questioned about the extras he supposedly fited that obviously were not really annoys him.

Unfortunately kwikfit work on a bonus system for each branch. So "some" will do whatever they need to hit these targets.

Slowhand

sillygoose wrote: »

?? but Kwikfit didn't do the MOT which was OK... the dangers of speed reading eh?

Nope...there will be contact details of VOSA for example who oversee MOT's. The danger of not knowing what you're talking about eh?

sillygoose

Slowhand wrote: »

Nope...there will be contact details of VOSA for example who oversee MOT's. The danger of not knowing what you're talking about eh?

Erm... the MOT was OK... it was the SERVICE by KWIKFIT that the op has a problem with.. now who looks daft?

Slowhand

sillygoose wrote: »

Erm... the MOT was OK... it was the SERVICE by KWIKFIT that the op has a problem with.. now who looks daft?

The point is a VOSA regulated garage claimed £700 of unnecessary work was needed in order to get the car through an MOT. VOSA is the place to take the complaint to. The contact details for VOSA are on the MOT.

sillygoose

Slowhand wrote: »

The point is a VOSA regulated garage claimed £700 of unnecessary work was needed in order to get the car through an MOT. VOSA is the place to take the complaint to. The contact details for VOSA are on the MOT.

VOSA do regulate MOT stations, they don't regulate servicing garages to my knowledge so I don't suppose they will be terribly interested. I could be wrong though! (I read it that the MOT was done elsewhere from Kwikfit so the op has no complaint with that place.)

artbaron

Next time, instead of taking your car to kwikfit to get work done, hit it with a brick and flush £150 down the toilet. Same result and saves time.