Towbar on vehicle

greenfly

I recently had a towbar fitted by a local dealership and paid in excess of £1000 prior to the work being completed as they said they needed payment to order parts. I have two main complaints;

1. I was not informed during any part of the process that the bumper would have to be cut before the towbar could be fitted.
2. I am so disappointed with the standard of workmanship and that they were happy for it to leave the workshop looking like this. They have butchered the back bumper, it looks like they got the apprentice to have a go on his first day using scissors. The hole is not square and they have left all the raw edges. This is not professional work. The electrics were rubbing up against the raw edge so would have failed and become a hazard over time.

I immediately took the car back into the dealership and they suggested a trim which I would not accept as it just covers up bad work and does not resolve the electric issue. They decided to resolve the electric issue by securing it with a cable tie. They then suggested that they would get a new bumper and redo but could not guarantee that it would look any better which I also do not accept as it just wastes my time taking the car back and forth and I end up in the same position. We half agreed that they would get a new bumper and fit it, remove the towbar, leave it in the boot and I would get it fitted elsewhere. They will not give me a refund, and I will be out of pocket getting it fitted elsewhere. I have no faith in using the towbar and the fittings I can’t see if this is what they think is good work on the outside.

I have taken the complaint to Hyundai UK but no news yet from them and not sure I will get anywhere there. I paid by credit card, would a chargeback be accepted? Under consumer law they have to undertake work with reasonable skill and care and I do not believe they have done either. 

Any advice please? Thanks. 

Aylesbury_Duck

I can’t see a chargeback working because the parts have been supplied and fitted.  A route via credit card might be an option, but you need to exhaust the process with the dealer first.  What does “half agreed” mean?  You’ll need to be clear, and I think you should stop any work until you know exactly what’s going to happen.  Introducing ambiguity with “half agreements” in place will probably confuse matters.

What outcome do you want?

greenfly

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I can’t see a chargeback working because the parts have been supplied and fitted.  A route via credit card might be an option, but you need to exhaust the process with the dealer first.  What does “half agreed” mean?  You’ll need to be clear, and I think you should stop any work until you know exactly what’s going to happen.  Introducing ambiguity with “half agreements” in place will probably confuse matters.

What outcome do you want?

I’d like a refund ideally as they have made a huge messy hole in my new vehicle that wasn’t there previously.
We agreed that was the way forward, to fit the new bumper and leave the parts in the boot to end the conversation today as it was getting nowhere. On reflection I am not happy with that as a resolution as I will have to pay to get it fitted elsewhere. So I would prefer to return the parts and be refunded.  

molerat

Did you ask if a hole in the bumper would be needed ?  If not they have done nothing wrong in that respect, around 50% of tow bar fits need a bumper cut - some even need the bumper reinforcing structure cut - and it would be fairly easy to find out if yours did.  Why do you want it removed, you need a tow bar, right ?  I agree they have made an awful job of the cut but why is it not reasonable to get them to clean up the cut out, re-paint the area and maybe fit a trim ?  The cable has got to come out somewhere and tying it back with a cable tie is the only real option.

Wonka_2

Was this a Hyundai dealership ? And a Hyundai approved part ?

As others have found fitting towbars on recent cars it's essential to agree beforehand your expectations and whether they'll be met e.g. if you wanted one that didn't need the bumper 'butchering' did you specify/agree that ?

The reason for the initial question is that, if an approved part, there should be a fitting process and I can't imagine that this was followed given the pics.

Out of interest is any of the work visible to the naked eye or do you have to be laid under the vehicle to see it ? And if a trim is fitted to smooth off the edges/secure the wiring is there still a real issue rather than the fact it doesn't meet your expectations ?

Aylesbury_Duck

greenfly said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I can’t see a chargeback working because the parts have been supplied and fitted.  A route via credit card might be an option, but you need to exhaust the process with the dealer first.  What does “half agreed” mean?  You’ll need to be clear, and I think you should stop any work until you know exactly what’s going to happen.  Introducing ambiguity with “half agreements” in place will probably confuse matters.

What outcome do you want?

I’d like a refund ideally as they have made a huge messy hole in my new vehicle that wasn’t there previously.
We agreed that was the way forward, to fit the new bumper and leave the parts in the boot to end the conversation today as it was getting nowhere. On reflection I am not happy with that as a resolution as I will have to pay to get it fitted elsewhere. So I would prefer to return the parts and be refunded.  

You need to get in touch to ask them to stop work, then.  That's not a half agreement, you've asked them to fit a new bumper and leave the parts in the boot.  If they do that, they've given you the resolution you've asked for and your credit card won't intervene.

Tell them you want everything wound back to what it was before they started work, i.e. an intact bumper and a refund. If they don't agree, come back for more advice.  Depending on the exact circumstances you may not be entitled to what you want, but there's no point not asking in the first place.

Okell

Aylesbury_Duck said:

greenfly said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I can’t see a chargeback working because the parts have been supplied and fitted.  A route via credit card might be an option, but you need to exhaust the process with the dealer first.  What does “half agreed” mean?  You’ll need to be clear, and I think you should stop any work until you know exactly what’s going to happen.  Introducing ambiguity with “half agreements” in place will probably confuse matters.

What outcome do you want?

I’d like a refund ideally as they have made a huge messy hole in my new vehicle that wasn’t there previously.
We agreed that was the way forward, to fit the new bumper and leave the parts in the boot to end the conversation today as it was getting nowhere. On reflection I am not happy with that as a resolution as I will have to pay to get it fitted elsewhere. So I would prefer to return the parts and be refunded.  

You need to get in touch to ask them to stop work, then.  That's not a half agreement, you've asked them to fit a new bumper and leave the parts in the boot.  If they do that, they've given you the resolution you've asked for and your credit card won't intervene.

Tell them you want everything wound back to what it was before they started work, i.e. an intact bumper and a refund. If they don't agree, come back for more advice.  Depending on the exact circumstances you may not be entitled to what you want, but there's no point not asking in the first place.

This ^^^

But if the dealer/garage think that it's already been agreed that they'd (1) fit a new bumper, (2) leave that parts in the boot, and (3) not pay a refund to the OP, then the OP has obviously shot themself in the foot...

greenfly

Wonka_2 said:

Was this a Hyundai dealership ? And a Hyundai approved part ?

As others have found fitting towbars on recent cars it's essential to agree beforehand your expectations and whether they'll be met e.g. if you wanted one that didn't need the bumper 'butchering' did you specify/agree that ?

The reason for the initial question is that, if an approved part, there should be a fitting process and I can't imagine that this was followed given the pics.

Out of interest is any of the work visible to the naked eye or do you have to be laid under the vehicle to see it ? And if a trim is fitted to smooth off the edges/secure the wiring is there still a real issue rather than the fact it doesn't meet your expectations ?

Yes, it was a Hyundai dealership with Hyundai parts. I have not had a towbar fitted before so did not know the process. I accept that’s perhaps poor planning on my part but it would have been nice to have been advised the process before agreeing or starting the work especially when it comes to making modifications to my vehicle. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

molerat said:

Did you ask if a hole in the bumper would be needed ?  If not they have done nothing wrong in that respect, around 50% of tow bar fits need a bumper cut - some even need the bumper reinforcing structure cut - and it would be fairly easy to find out if yours did.  

I think they should inform, I'd imagine very few people know much about cars and that a tow bar might need a bumper and the trader is the expert who should be providing all the required information. 

However I would ask who is looking at the underside of their bumper?

I agree it's not the tidiest job going OP and £1000 is a lot to pay (got ours off eBay for less than £200 and paid a local mechanic to fit) so I perhaps it's fair to expect a high standard of workmanship.

Consumer rights goes down the path of repeat performance and then a price reduction, I'd haggle for some money off, the issue won't bother you as time passes  

Phoenix72

greenfly said:

Wonka_2 said:

Was this a Hyundai dealership ? And a Hyundai approved part ?

As others have found fitting towbars on recent cars it's essential to agree beforehand your expectations and whether they'll be met e.g. if you wanted one that didn't need the bumper 'butchering' did you specify/agree that ?

The reason for the initial question is that, if an approved part, there should be a fitting process and I can't imagine that this was followed given the pics.

Out of interest is any of the work visible to the naked eye or do you have to be laid under the vehicle to see it ? And if a trim is fitted to smooth off the edges/secure the wiring is there still a real issue rather than the fact it doesn't meet your expectations ?

Yes, it was a Hyundai dealership with Hyundai parts. I have not had a towbar fitted before so did not know the process. I accept that’s perhaps poor planning on my part but it would have been nice to have been advised the process before agreeing or starting the work especially when it comes to making modifications to my vehicle. 

Genuine question, where did you expect it to go if not via a hole in the bumper, given the size of bumpers these days?

Wonka_2

greenfly said:

Wonka_2 said:

Was this a Hyundai dealership ? And a Hyundai approved part ?

As others have found fitting towbars on recent cars it's essential to agree beforehand your expectations and whether they'll be met e.g. if you wanted one that didn't need the bumper 'butchering' did you specify/agree that ?

The reason for the initial question is that, if an approved part, there should be a fitting process and I can't imagine that this was followed given the pics.

Out of interest is any of the work visible to the naked eye or do you have to be laid under the vehicle to see it ? And if a trim is fitted to smooth off the edges/secure the wiring is there still a real issue rather than the fact it doesn't meet your expectations ?

Yes, it was a Hyundai dealership with Hyundai parts. I have not had a towbar fitted before so did not know the process. I accept that’s perhaps poor planning on my part but it would have been nice to have been advised the process before agreeing or starting the work especially when it comes to making modifications to my vehicle. 

In which case either 

a) ask to see the fitting guide (or search for it online) and whether they complied with it ? If they didn't then are they able to redo the work this time following the guide with a result to your satisfaction 

or b) if they complied with the guide then maybe your expectations are too high and it's time to find/pay for an expert where you can see examples of their work - again user forums should give you an idea of what is possible