Concerns over garage

LudaMusser

Hi,

I took my car to a small garage that I’ve been using for about five years on Wednesday morning for an oil leak to be investigated, an oil and filter change and the tracking was also adjusted whilst there

When I went to start my car and leave my house on Wednesday morning to go to the garage I had to use my jump pack on it which resulted in the clock flashing 00:00, the radio needed tuning in and the trip mileage was 0000. I went on a short run on the way to the garage, no more than ten miles. The garage is only three miles away

The garage kept the car overnight on Wednesday and didn’t even call with an update, that’s never happened before but I knew they were busy so thought maybe work had ran over. I called yesterday morning (Thursday) and the car was ready. I picked it up at 4:30pm

Now, this is where I’m concerned. As I was driving home (3 miles) I noticed that the trip mileage was on 91. Not 9.1 as I have checked twice. I also noticed that the fuel gauge is a lot lower than I remember it to be. It was around half when I dropped it off, it’s now around a quarter

I haven’t mentioned this to the garage yet but the evidence cannot lie. My car has eighty miles extra on it and a quarter of a tank less than when I dropped it off. I was told they did a short drive to test the tracking but eighty miles could be two hours driving. I do have a hard wired dash cam which I will be checking later when I’m able to at my Dad’s but my main concern is that if the car has been through any average speed cameras or red lights I won’t be able to prove it’s not me, my city has introduced a lot recently. I also go to this garage as I trusted them. Dash cam aside, if it hasn’t recorded anything at all what would you do?

I can’t think of any reason for eighty miles and a quarter of a tank missing other than my car being driven, probably after work on the Wednesday 

TIA

Robbo66

"my main concern is that if the car has been through any average speed cameras or red lights I won’t be able to prove it’s not me"

Yes you can, if you get any letters through the post asking who the driver is or any fines for the time period that the car was in the garage then that's what you declare.

Jackmydad

Is the car something sporty, or unusual to prompt somebody to take the car for a longer "test drive"?
I stopped using one garage because they were using cars that were in for work to go and get spares for other cars and go home for lunch.
Personally I'd tell them what I had found, and that I wasn't happy.
Expect a denial, but they won't do it again.
If you ever use them again that is.
  

Robisere

LudaMusser said:

Hi,

I took my car to a small garage that I’ve been using for about five years on Wednesday morning for an oil leak to be investigated, an oil and filter change and the tracking was also adjusted whilst there

When I went to start my car and leave my house on Wednesday morning to go to the garage I had to use my jump pack on it which resulted in the clock flashing 00:00, the radio needed tuning in and the trip mileage was 0000. I went on a short run on the way to the garage, no more than ten miles. The garage is only three miles away

The garage kept the car overnight on Wednesday and didn’t even call with an update, that’s never happened before but I knew they were busy so thought maybe work had ran over. I called yesterday morning (Thursday) and the car was ready. I picked it up at 4:30pm

Now, this is where I’m concerned. As I was driving home (3 miles) I noticed that the trip mileage was on 91. Not 9.1 as I have checked twice. I also noticed that the fuel gauge is a lot lower than I remember it to be. It was around half when I dropped it off, it’s now around a quarter

I haven’t mentioned this to the garage yet but the evidence cannot lie. My car has eighty miles extra on it and a quarter of a tank less than when I dropped it off. I was told they did a short drive to test the tracking but eighty miles could be two hours driving. I do have a hard wired dash cam which I will be checking later when I’m able to at my Dad’s but my main concern is that if the car has been through any average speed cameras or red lights I won’t be able to prove it’s not me, my city has introduced a lot recently. I also go to this garage as I trusted them. Dash cam aside, if it hasn’t recorded anything at all what would you do?

I can’t think of any reason for eighty miles and a quarter of a tank missing other than my car being driven, probably after work on the Wednesday 

TIA

I am a retired workshop foreman from an independent garage and I champion independents, but something does not sound right here. Did the garage tell you the reason for the non-starting and the electrical problems, after the first visit? It may be that they disconnected the battery during the first visit, which would have produced the electrical faults you describe. Although considering the initial work (oil/filter/tracking) I fail to see why they would disconnect the battery during that work.I don't understand why the car would not start at that time: has it happened before?

The excessive mileage shown on the trip meter is suspicious and I can understand your concern: during my road test days, if I was faced with a repair job that required a longer than usual road test (not often) I would inform the customer at the time or by phone later. Certainly the amount of fuel used is a pointer to excessive, unauthorised use. If your dashcam proves that this is true, you have a decision to make.

How much do you value your relationship with the garage? If you value it enough, I suggest that you write to the owner/manager of the garage personally (mark the letter "Confidential for ----") and explain the course of events, clearly and without anger. State how surprised you are by this, as you have always held the garage in high esteem.

LudaMusser

For reference, my car is a 2005 Audi A4 estate. It is by no means a car that somebody would fall over themselves to go out test driving. If it was an RS4 I could understand it a little more

My car didn’t go to the garage for anything other than to hopefully fix the oil leak, tracking and an oil, oil filter and fuel filter change

When I went to start my car on Wednesday morning to drive to the garage it wouldn’t start, not quite enough power in the battery. I last used the car on the previous Sunday, I don’t think the battery is the best and this is the first time it’s happened. When I got to the garage I didn’t mention the car hadn’t started

I can’t think of any other explanation for missing fuel and eighty extra miles. It’s bizarre though as they have great reviews online. In a small city like this is would surely be a stupid and risky thing to take a customer’s car in this way, the chances of me seeing it are always there. I’m struggling to view the dash cam footage unfortunately but will try again over the wkend. I have no plans to use the garage again. Without dash cam evidence I think raising the issue with them carries very little clout

Thank you for the replies, I’m still considering what to do as I my trust has been abused