Kwik Fit hard sell?

Joe_Horner

Horizon81 wrote: »

Should only be a matter of time before their 'company representative' appears on this thread.

Kwikfit_company_representative wrote: »

Hi there

You've just blown your cover, Horizon - you're Russell Grant, aren't you? :rotfl:

marleyboy

Johnmcl7

jc292 wrote: »

Wow so many replies, thank you! Seems I had a lucky escape then! :j I have the car safely back now still to be repaired.

It was the quite aggressive/pushy attitude on the phone that made me think something was up - that and the fact his quote (I think it was 570) was laced with comments like "and that's a discounted rate on the front pads too etc.", "the front discs are destroyed" (Really?), "you can take it away but you'll be driving a dangerous vehicle". Well maybe technically but I will get it fixed soon and I don't think it's as dramatic as that.

Anyway it was obviously not much of a discounted rate as I phoned up my local garage about the rear discs/pads and they reckon 160+VAT. That's a lot less than the 310 (inc VAT) Kwik Fit quoted for the same rear brake work.

Cheers!

I had a very similar experience with them so I'm not surprised. There was a fault with the rear brake and as Kwik-Fit were right beside me and I was wanting to get on with a long journey I thought it wouldn't be an issue to use them. They told me what was needing done to repair the fault on the rear brake but then I was surprised when they told me that the front brakes/pads also needed replaced as did the front tyres. These were less than six months old and I hadn't done that many miles on them, I pointed this out and apparently I'd been 'unlucky' as the discs had warped, needless to say they couldn't actually show me any of this damage.

The conversation became rather heated as I was given the warnings about driving a dangerous vehicle and they couldn't let me drive the car in that condition etc. so I told them either they repaired the rear brake or get the car down and I'd take it to another garage.

After they repaired the rear brake I noticed a slight grinding noise on tight turns from the same area where the brake had been repaired and took it to another Kwik-Fit who could find nothing wrong but strangely after they had the car for 45 minutes, the noise was gone.

Needless to say there were not any issues with the brakes or tyres, they were in good condition with a lot wear left.

John

Jamie_Carter

OddballJamie wrote: »

Although the main bulk of it (£310) was for the rear brakes which for the 140ps are £93 each disc from GSF, then you've got pads and labour on top. All depends on the model.

But don't forget that KF will pay the lowest trade prices, and not retail.

OddballJamie

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

But don't forget that KF will pay the lowest trade prices, and not retail.

Obviously they are gonna make profit wherever they can, they're a business at the end of the day. Most garages will add something on to the parts price.

I was pointing out that the main issue was with the rear brakes (which are expensive) and PoD was comparing the front brakes.

I'm not saying Kwikfit aren't expensive, but they are convenient and give free replacement pads when yours wear out next.

It's the same with anything, shop around before you buy.

salubrious

OddballJamie wrote: »

.

I'm not saying Kwikfit aren't expensive, but they are convenient and give free replacement pads when yours wear out next.

Take for instance a car I mot'd for someone last week, he took the car back to kwik fit for his rear pads to be replaced under the lifetime guarantee.

He came out with his brake pads replaced free of charge but a £260 bill for new brake discs - There was little wrong with the discs, they had just passed the mot and certainly didn't need replacing. I warned the guy to be careful that he didn't get talked into brake discs he didn't need, but what can you do.

Kwik fit's entire ethos is based around selling.

fivetide

salubrious wrote: »

Kwik fit's entire ethos is based around selling.

Most businesses sell. The issue here is with UP-selling. i.e. selling you extra things your neither wanted nor needed.

colino

Not to be pedantic, oh all right I will then, most businesses do not sell. If you go into a supermarket you go in and buy. If there is a dolly at a dump bin with pieces of cheese or sausage or whatever and you try a piece and you buy it, that is the only thing they have "sold" to you. KF stick out like a sore thumb because before wee Tommy people went along to their local general garage and asked them to fit a tyre. The garage, as a low volume user got a crap discount from the wholesaler so they just slapped on their normal 50% GP to the tyre and charged you the labour for the fitters slow, inexperienced changeover time. Motorist toddled off, grumbling how much crossplies cost nowadays.
KF came in as a discount tyre specialist and went way over the top as they expanded their range and with their structure the practice of overselling (up selling is when you buy a new tyre that you need and they sell you a chrome valve cover that you desire) has become the wicked stepmother that everyone hates, but somehow still feel obliged to visit.

fivetide

colino wrote: »

Not to be pedantic, oh all right I will then,

Whatever floats your boat...

most businesses do not sell. If you go into a supermarket you go in and buy. If there is a dolly at a dump bin with pieces of cheese or sausage or whatever and you try a piece and you buy it, that is the only thing they have "sold" to you.

Really? So are you telling me that if I went to Tesco they wouldn't have big signs saying "special offer" and "buy one get one free" they wouldn't have chocolate by the till to tempt me into a premptive purchase? They don't spend millions on advertising to get me into their store in the first place?

PC World will try to sell me a warranty I don't want. Specavers will try to convince me to have reactions lens I didn't go in to buy. Even a solictor will ask me about a Will if I go in to arrange a house purchase etc etc.

They sell like mad.

pstuart

fivetide wrote: »

Most businesses sell. The issue here is with UP-selling. i.e. selling you extra things your neither wanted nor needed.

If your interpretation of UP-selling includes lying then you're missing the point of most of the thread.