Estimated £250 final cost £834.

Joy_f

Hi everyone,
I wondered if you could all help me. My car went in for its MOT last week. My machanic had estimated that the work would cost around £250. He knew I debated about getting it fixed, but agreed to get it through its MOT based on that estimate. He has now phoned me to tell me that it has passed it's retest today, I can collect it tomorrow, and the bill is £834. The car was £1,400 last January, is 10 years old, has done 94,000 miles, so if his estimate had come anywhere close to the final figure I would of scrapped it and got a new car. At no point has he phoned me and informed me that the price was going to triple the estimate. Does anyone have any advice about what I can do?
Thanks in advance.

forgotmyname

Pay it or give them the car. What was the work? Fitting rear brakes to a Yaris?

Tyler119

It is normal practice for a garage to estimate the final cost. However this is a 233% increase in the estimated price. I would say this is unreasonable.

Further it is normal practice for a garage to seek permission to carry out woks on a car that results in the estimated cost increasing by a significant amount. Estimates are generally to fall within a 10% to 15% variation, up and down in cost.

However the garage has also carried out the work. They would have the option of undoing the work as you never agreed to such an increase in price.

Alternatively you could come to a compromise on the cost.

As for a invoice that breaks down the price so you know exactly what you are paying for. Get everything in writing as what is said in person / on the phone, unless witnessed, would be your word against his.

Joy_f

I don't yet know what the work was for, I know before the MOT it needed new brake shoes, the handbrake, and the ball joint on the left front wheel fixing, the rattle on the passenger door fixing, and the electric window motor replacing. This is what the £250 estimate covered. No other work has or was discussed, but I will receive a brake down of it all tomorrow.

mr_accountant

Totally unreasonable without your authorisation, upto £100 just on the limits of acceptable, but this is unreasonable, so kick up a stink and take someone with you who knows about cars.

arcon5

forgotmyname wrote: »

Pay it or give them the car. What was the work? Fitting rear brakes to a Yaris?

That's pretty poor advice!

arcon5

You need a breakdown and communicate with the garage.

If you need the car and are forced to pay mark it as paid under protest.