Garage Surcharge on top of initial quote

droopsnoot

e30_1989 wrote: »

I've also asked to be given the old clutch as this was done based on their recommendation.

Usually this is because to swap the clutch means removing and refitting the gearbox, which is a fair bit of labour, so it makes sense to do it while the gearbox is out anyway. It's not usually related to the condition of the clutch, unless the cost of the clutch is very high, or you'd just had a new one fairly recently.


To be fair to the garage on that specific thing, I think I'd be a bit fed up if a garage was removing my gearbox and didn't at least suggesting swapping the clutch while they're at it. Just like most people change the water pump when doing a timing belt - the pump itself is not expensive compared to the labour of stripping things down.

System

e30_1989 wrote: »

Whilst I understand now what I was told on the phone, I felt, based on the sheer speed he reeled off his final piece, it was a deliberate attempt to baffle me with information I wouldn't be able to process in full

No, he's just sick to the back teeth of having to say it every time someone enquires so gets through it as fast as possible. If you didn't understand you should have asked him to repeat it slower. You'll find that when you're talking to a company about setting up a direct debit and they're reading out the direct debit guarantee they'll basically rattle through it at Mach 5 for the same reason, not to obfuscate you but because they're sick of repeating it dozens of times a day.

forgotmyname

Send you a picture of a crack that maybe thinner than a human hair?

You want your old clutch back, that adds another surcharge because the clutch will probably be a recon unit supplied on an exchange basis.

fred246

It all sounds very crooked. If we take the gearbox off and find it's damaged we will charge you extra. I should hope it is damaged or there is no need to remove it. The one time I have had a gearbox repaired/exchanged I found a gearbox re builder that also had a garage. It cut out the middle man. There was certainly no mention of the possibility of any extra charges.

unholyangel

You say they're holding you to terms and conditions, were these provided to you before you entered the contract?

Furthermore, at what point was a contract formed? If it was formed at a distance then they need to provide you certain information in a durable medium before you are bound by the contract - that includes the total price or where it cannot be calculated in advance, how it will be calculated. If it was in person they still need to provide info (including total price or if it cant be calculated in advance then how it will be calculated) but not in a durable medium.

Any information provided by the trader as required by the regulations is to be treated as a term of the contract and a change to that information, made before entering or after, is not effective unless its expressly agreed between the trader & consumer.

forgotmyname

fred246 wrote: »

It all sounds very crooked. If we take the gearbox off and find it's damaged we will charge you extra. I should hope it is damaged or there is no need to remove it. The one time I have had a gearbox repaired/exchanged I found a gearbox re builder that also had a garage. It cut out the middle man. There was certainly no mention of the possibility of any extra charges.

Not crooked at all. Your gearbox was obviously not damaged in a way to make in unusable otherwise your guy would have told you it needed a new gearbox. Would he have been a crook then?

When you buy a recon item they often want your item back to repair and sell to the next customer. If your item is beyond repair they need to purchase an item to resell.

ie a bearing has failed so simply fit a new bearing and your all good to go. But what if the housing the bearing fitted into was broken and the new bearing would fall out?? Where is the con/ripoff in that?

Simple solution but a brand new unit where they dont require an exchange item.

Jumblebumble

droopsnoot wrote: »

Usually this is because to swap the clutch means removing and refitting the gearbox, which is a fair bit of labour, so it makes sense to do it while the gearbox is out anyway. It's not usually related to the condition of the clutch, unless the cost of the clutch is very high, or you'd just had a new one fairly recently.


To be fair to the garage on that specific thing, I think I'd be a bit fed up if a garage was removing my gearbox and didn't at least suggesting swapping the clutch while they're at it. Just like most people change the water pump when doing a timing belt - the pump itself is not expensive compared to the labour of stripping things down.

And of course a new belt is likely to be tighter which will hasten the demise of a water pump with partially worn bearings

e30_1989

Originaly I was told it would be done Thursday 30th may, when I called that day I was told it would be delayed to the following Tuesday. Tuesday came, called for a time and was then told it would be wednesday (today). Heard nothing by midday, called and was told gear 2 isn't in stock.. took just under 2 weeks to find that out.. Now expected on the 13th June.

I was literally told the gearboxes are pre-reconditioned, now being told they are not.

I'm paying to use someone else's vehicle in the meantime and their lack of competency is now costing me.

I get what you're all saying regarding the surcharge and I'm willing to accept that, but that doesn't take away from the fact that their customer service and lack of transparency is absolutely appalling.

EdGasketTheSecond

I hope they dont turn out to be a dodgy company of the 'Heathrow Engines' type.

forgotmyname

Customer service maybe lacking or maybe your not giving them the time needed, or maybe the jobs longer than they expected?

I have spent 3 hours removing a single bolt where the entire job should have been less than 3 hours.
Then the jobs where manufacturers changed the part but failed to notify anyone.

Someone bought 2 cars and had to swap the engine/box from one to the other. They said they checked and the cars were made just weeks apart.

So i took the job and soon regretted it when the engine was indeed the same but the gearbox was different. Linkages moved from the top to the side...

So then its start stripping the interior out to fit the correct gear lever and linkages...