Halfords Autocentre complaint

Takmon

JWP89 said:

Spank said:

Why? It's seems to be a perfectly reasonable question that you have not answered 

I thought my - nevertheless he’s the expert and me the novice - comment might have covered the answer. 

It's worrying how someone who works for the NHS and is on the road driving a car who has access to the internet in unable to do some basic research on cars to at least know if the tyres require replacement or not (which is legally the drivers responsibility anyway). 

JamoLew

would have thought the tyres and pads would have flagged as at least advisory on the MOT -- you did, didn't you (ponder)

born_again

k3lvc said:

nowadays may 36k mile cars will be on 2nd if not 3rd set of brake pads (and maybe even discs)

I would be seriously worried about any car that went through pads & disks that fast. 
Mine is on 16K ans is not even halfway down on the pads.

Mancunian_Nick

I took my car to one in Manchester yesterday for its MOT. It failed on 2 counts even though they passed it this time last year and it's hardly been off my driveway - maybe 600 miles driven at most. According to them, the exhaust flexible joint (presumably the front end) had an excessive leak of gasses and the manager then proceeded to tell me that the rest of the exhaust was corroded and would *all* need replacing and quoted me £397.17! You could have knocked me over with a feather. How could 2 parts corrode that badly in a year when they were fine in 2020? Of course I don't have a car lift so can't raise it up to see so they must play on this. As for the windscreen wiper blades, the offside (passenger side?) has excessive wear according to them BUT, the manager said, they don't do them individually now so would need a pack of 2 for £43. Odd that as their quote says £34 and in very tiny writing below their health report, I now notice the above pricing may be subject to a discount when repairs are taken together. Please speak to your centre manager for further details. Oh yes, speak to the very guy I suspect is ripping me off and lying to me! 

So later after arriving home and calming down a bit from the shock, I spoke to a very good online friend who works for Europarts (UK) and I asked him for a quote. They currently have a 40% discount scheme running at the moment (SALE60). Firstly he told me you *can* get single wiper blades and quoted me £12.29 after discount applied. Admittedly not including fitting but even so. As for the exhaust ... both middle and back sections £163.98 and after discount - £107.98! I also happen to know Halfords get their parts from there so get them even cheaper! So how much for the front section and fitting? Well if Halfords are to be believed, and I don't (!) then the front section and fitting will lay me back £289.19, the difference between their quote and the 2 parts of the exhaust they had in stock. Crazy and ridiculous. Needless to say, I won't be having the work done *there* again! 

My suspicion is it's a new manager (I'm not 100% sure) trying to get his bonus because usually they've been very good in the past and I've had no complaints at all. Shame that's not still true.

Aylesbury_Duck

Mancunian_Nick said:

I took my car to one in Manchester yesterday for its MOT. It failed on 2 counts even though they passed it this time last year and it's hardly been off my driveway - maybe 600 miles driven at most. According to them, the exhaust flexible joint (presumably the front end) had an excessive leak of gasses and the manager then proceeded to tell me that the rest of the exhaust was corroded and would *all* need replacing and quoted me £397.17! You could have knocked me over with a feather. How could 2 parts corrode that badly in a year when they were fine in 2020? Of course I don't have a car lift so can't raise it up to see so they must play on this. As for the windscreen wiper blades, the offside (passenger side?) has excessive wear according to them BUT, the manager said, they don't do them individually now so would need a pack of 2 for £43. Odd that as their quote says £34 and in very tiny writing below their health report, I now notice the above pricing may be subject to a discount when repairs are taken together. Please speak to your centre manager for further details. Oh yes, speak to the very guy I suspect is ripping me off and lying to me! 

So later after arriving home and calming down a bit from the shock, I spoke to a very good online friend who works for Europarts (UK) and I asked him for a quote. They currently have a 40% discount scheme running at the moment (SALE60). Firstly he told me you *can* get single wiper blades and quoted me £12.29 after discount applied. Admittedly not including fitting but even so. As for the exhaust ... both middle and back sections £163.98 and after discount - £107.98! I also happen to know Halfords get their parts from there so get them even cheaper! So how much for the front section and fitting? Well if Halfords are to be believed, and I don't (!) then the front section and fitting will lay me back £289.19, the difference between their quote and the 2 parts of the exhaust they had in stock. Crazy and ridiculous. Needless to say, I won't be having the work done *there* again! 

My suspicion is it's a new manager (I'm not 100% sure) trying to get his bonus because usually they've been very good in the past and I've had no complaints at all. Shame that's not still true.

Quite easily.  Corrosion doesn't only happen when the car is being driven.

As for the rest of your post, it's just a matter of different places with different subjective opinions and different prices for the remedies.  Nothing to see here.

MattMattMattUK

born_again said:

k3lvc said:

nowadays may 36k mile cars will be on 2nd if not 3rd set of brake pads (and maybe even discs)

I would be seriously worried about any car that went through pads & disks that fast. 
Mine is on 16K ans is not even halfway down on the pads.

It always depends on the type of driving, 16k with mostly motorway driving the pads will barely be worn in, 16k in central London at rush hour and they will be knackered. Although you would expect discs to last a lot longer than pads. 

oldagetraveller1

Exhaust systems usually rot from inside out. Therefore any water/moisture on the inside would cause corrosion even more rapidly if the car was not used and that water boiled off and exit the tailpipe as steam. Really visible with a cold ambient temperature.

mattyprice4004

oldagetraveller1 said:

Exhaust systems usually rot from inside out. Therefore any water/moisture on the inside would cause corrosion even more rapidly if the car was not used and that water boiled off and exit the tailpipe as steam. Really visible with a cold ambient temperature.

Yep, exactly this. 
Not being driven often leaves water sat inside the exhaust, rotting it through while sat on the driveway. 

MattMattMattUK

Mancunian_Nick said:

I took my car to one in Manchester yesterday for its MOT. It failed on 2 counts even though they passed it this time last year and it's hardly been off my driveway - maybe 600 miles driven at most. According to them, the exhaust flexible joint (presumably the front end) had an excessive leak of gasses and the manager then proceeded to tell me that the rest of the exhaust was corroded and would *all* need replacing and quoted me £397.17! You could have knocked me over with a feather. How could 2 parts corrode that badly in a year when they were fine in 2020? Of course I don't have a car lift so can't raise it up to see so they must play on this. As for the windscreen wiper blades, the offside (passenger side?) has excessive wear according to them BUT, the manager said, they don't do them individually now so would need a pack of 2 for £43. Odd that as their quote says £34 and in very tiny writing below their health report, I now notice the above pricing may be subject to a discount when repairs are taken together. Please speak to your centre manager for further details. Oh yes, speak to the very guy I suspect is ripping me off and lying to me! 

So later after arriving home and calming down a bit from the shock, I spoke to a very good online friend who works for Europarts (UK) and I asked him for a quote. They currently have a 40% discount scheme running at the moment (SALE60). Firstly he told me you *can* get single wiper blades and quoted me £12.29 after discount applied. Admittedly not including fitting but even so. As for the exhaust ... both middle and back sections £163.98 and after discount - £107.98! I also happen to know Halfords get their parts from there so get them even cheaper! So how much for the front section and fitting? Well if Halfords are to be believed, and I don't (!) then the front section and fitting will lay me back £289.19, the difference between their quote and the 2 parts of the exhaust they had in stock. Crazy and ridiculous. Needless to say, I won't be having the work done *there* again! 

My suspicion is it's a new manager (I'm not 100% sure) trying to get his bonus because usually they've been very good in the past and I've had no complaints at all. Shame that's not still true.

The thing is if you have the skill (and the tools) to change parts in your car yourself you have always been able to do things much cheaper. To change an exhaust you need a ramp, you will need other tools, you have the disposal cost of the old exhaust, depending on the car it could take a couple of hours. Halfords will not be passing their buying discount on to you, that is how they make their money.

In order of cost, with cars it is Main Dealers always being horrifically expensive, then non approved dealers, national chains (Halfords, Kwik Fit) then independents. Only the last group of those worry about their reputation, so tend to work to keep their customers, they are also not paying licensing fees etc. The other options is of course some kind of cowboy, or to do it yourself depending on what the task is. I have been driving for more than twenty years and have never paid a garage to change wiper blades, I buy them myself and replace them, which takes less time that it would take to write this post.

Paully28

My partner had a service from them where the garage suggested new brakes and discs, only to suddenly change their mind when we mentioned that they had previously been fitted by the same garage and hence where subject to their 'brakes for life' guarantee.