Thieving mechanic

cheapman1

Thanks, got the recorder downloaded!

AdrianC

How much was the set of shoes?
How much hassle are you willing to go through for that amount of money?

Is this the VW that you were leasing last year? Do the lease company know you're DIYing maintenance?

cheapman1

Hi

Shoes were around £30

I'm not so fussed about the money I paid him to do the work (which I should be). It's more that he has something that belongs to me, and he's swindled me and I'm very annoyed. So It'll probably drag out.

If I don't get them back, I'll threaten legal proceedings but will unlikely go that far as I don't have anything really to back me up apart from some photos. I'll just have to get on with It.

Yes, It is but I now own the vehicle. I used to complain about having to get the car serviced at VW, now It doesn't seem like such a bad Idea.

Thanks

AdrianC

OK, so you're going to get all het up and exercised over a £30 set of brake shoes that you don't actually need, and may well never actually need... But not actually het up enough to do anything, bar write a stroppogram (which will get ignored).

Or you could just shrug, write it off, and remember never to trust this git again, saving yourself a lot of time and blood pressure.

I know what I'd be doing.

interstellaflyer

arcon5 wrote: »

What makes you think you have no rights op?
You paid for a service and he didn't provide that.

Possibly because it was done as a foreigner?

cheapman1

I appreciate your advice. I'll probably end up following It and attempt to shrug It off..

I did, and still do want the new parts fitted to the car, So If I don't manage to get them back, I'd have to purchase a new pair.

I disagree that I'm not het up enough to do anything. It just seems the options are limited.

I'll give him some time. If I don't hear by tomorrow, I'll pay his house a visit. If no joy, I'll mention police (even though they won't get involved, and to be honest, even I admit It's a waste of their time).

Thanks

AdrianC

cheapman1 wrote: »

I did, and still do want the new parts fitted to the car

But the existing shoes are just fine, you said?

cheapman1

There's an improvement on how quickly the rear brakes respond but It's not to the standard I expect had the work been carried out as instructed and as I was told It was.

The handbrake has also been adjusted, stretching the cable more than It would had new shoes been installed (as such cable tension would not be required with new shoes). I've tested the vehicle on some hills and the amount of force required to pull the handbrake to a point at which the car holds seems even more substantial than before. A clue that lead me to inspect them in the first place.

They are now also making a creaking noise that they didn't make before.

Yes, they work. But that's not really the point for me.
Thanks

AdrianC

cheapman1 wrote: »

There's an improvement on how quickly the rear brakes respond but It's not to the standard I expect had the work been carried out as instructed and as I was told It was.

The handbrake has also been adjusted, stretching the cable more than It would had new shoes been installed (as such cable tension would not be required with new shoes). I've tested the vehicle on some hills and the amount of force required to pull the handbrake to a point at which the car holds seems even more substantial than before. A clue that lead me to inspect them in the first place.

They are now also making a creaking noise that they didn't make before.

Yes, they work. But that's not really the point for me.

New shoes will make zero difference to any of that. The ONLY thing new shoes will affect is how much longer before they wear out.

If you're replacing OEM quality shoes with cheap aftermarket ones, you may well find that the friction material on the cheap ones actually provides worse retardation (not that rear drums add much anyway), and more noise.

If the shoes have indeed been sanded, then they were either glazed through lack of proper use (quite probable) or the drums are scored. If the latter, then they'll take some time to bed back in - as new shoes would - and will only be contacting a part of the drum's wear face until then.

cheapman1

Thanks for the info, I'll bear It in mind.

At the very least, I could have sold the new shoes on If I chose not to fit them on the car.