Con artists - "Approved Garages"

hucker

The garage that fitted my parts was not a back street garage. It's part of a large chain. One that doesn't rip me off with markups. And when I googled your "law" I found that the garage may be held responsible if the part fails, that's all. 99% of accidents are driver error. The 1% caused by mechanical defects tend to be old worn out parts, not newly fitted ones. If the part was that rubbish, the mechanic would know by looking at it. You may continue to get ripped off if you wish, but I won't.

Oh and please do tell me where I can get a fake MOT!

Mercdriver

hucker wrote: »

And I voted to leave the EU, I will not abide by any EU regulation.

I didn't vote Tory. Does that mean I don't have to pay Council Tax? Of course it doesn't.

I bet you don't object to cheaper roaming charges when you're on holiday within the EU.

Joe_Horner

hucker wrote: »

[...] when I googled your "law" I found that the garage may be held responsible if the part fails, that's all.

Your google skills are lacking then. As I already gave you, section 76 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The definitive text is available here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/76

Note that the offence is committed at the point a non-approved part is fitted, not at the point it fails.

The penalty of that offence is laid out in Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. The "provision creating offence" (left hand column) is "RTA section 76(1)" and the penalty is a fine up to level 5 on the standard scale, so up to £5000.

If the part was that rubbish, the mechanic would know by looking at it.

What rot.

A brake pad made of compressed cow dunk and iron filings (ok, slight exaggeration but not far off some) can look almost identical to a real one but will disintegrate in use.

A suspension arm that's been incorrectly heat treated can look exactly like a proper one but will bend or fracture in use. In fact, if you take a genuine arm and overheat it, you'll destroy its properties without any visible change at all.

Even a headlight bulb with poorly positioned filament (by a few millimetres, which you won't see on inspection) will dazzle oncoming drivers by screwing up the beam pattern.

Oh and please do tell me where I can get a fake MOT!

No.

hucker

Mercdriver wrote: »

I didn't vote Tory. Does that mean I don't have to pay Council Tax? Of course it doesn't.

I bet you don't object to cheaper roaming charges when you're on holiday within the EU.

I'm a UK citizen, not an EU citizen. Besides, we've left, so all their laws can get lost.

hucker

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Your google skills are lacking then. As I already gave you, section 76 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The definitive text is available here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/76

Note that the offence is committed at the point a non-approved part is fitted, not at the point it fails.

I'll believe my search result, not yours. ROFL, you claim it's in a 1988 traffic act. I doubt that very much. Almost every garage fitted customer parts 10 years ago.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

A suspension arm that's been incorrectly heat treated can look exactly like a proper one but will bend or fracture in use. In fact, if you take a genuine arm and overheat it, you'll destroy its properties without any visible change at all.

Then the law should go after the people selling the substandard parts.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Even a headlight bulb with poorly positioned filament (by a few millimetres, which you won't see on inspection) will dazzle oncoming drivers by screwing up the beam pattern.

50% of cars have badly designed dazzling headlights anyway. Ever since LEDs were invented, and before that those xenon BMW things, they've been way way brighter than the standard 55/65W that used to be law.

Joe_Horner wrote: »

No.

Spoilsport.

Mercdriver

hucker wrote: »

I'm a UK citizen, not an EU citizen. Besides, we've left, so all their laws can get lost.

No we haven't left yet. Are you one of those that think we left the day after the vote?

All the laws still apply.

Do you also believe that £350 million a week is going to the NHS?

Joe_Horner

hucker wrote: »

I'm a UK citizen, not an EU citizen. Besides, we've left, so all their laws can get lost.

You do realise that any directives concerning vehicle safety will be replicated directly into our own laws, don't you?

Just because we're leaving (note, "leaving", we haven't "left" yet) doesn't mean you'll suddenly be able to drive round in cobbled together cars on bald tyres and sharp edges , belching out black smoke and enough CO2 to feed a rain-forest.

hucker

Mercdriver wrote: »

No we haven't left yet. Are you one of those that think we left the day after the vote?

All the laws still apply.

We should have left immediately, but the Tories conned us.

I obey my own country's laws, not ones made up by other countries.

hucker

Joe_Horner wrote: »

You do realise that any directives concerning vehicle safety will be replicated directly into our own laws, don't you?

Just because we're leaving (note, "leaving", we haven't "left" yet) doesn't mean you'll suddenly be able to drive round in cobbled together cars on bald tyres and sharp edges , belching out black smoke and enough CO2 to feed a rain-forest.

We already had our own vehicle laws. We don't need the EU ones.

Mercdriver

hucker wrote: »

We should have left immediately, but the Tories conned us.

I obey my own country's laws, not ones made up by other countries.

Are you as misinformed as you sound?

There was never any possibility of just leaving at midnight the day after the vote.


I shake my head in disbelief that anyone could be as stupid as to imagine that as being a possibility.

Anything relating to safety (and the type approval is safety related) will remain on the statute book after Brexit takes place.