Who is responsible?

ashpan

I stupidly used Servicing Stop as i needed the convenience of a pick up and drop off for service & MOT
On return my car was damaged inside and out by the garage, they took photos prior to pick up so it was easy to prove
Servicing Stop have over charged me considerably according to my local garage
I have taken up the dispute with my credit card company which im so glad i used
So, as i paid Servicing Stop is my issue with them or with the garage?
What are my rights re credit card cover etc
The garage promised to call me with a date for work to be done but a) despite several calls they’ve not responded to my requests for a repair and b)i really dont want to let them have my car again, can i insist on a local body shop doing the repairs?
Feeling very stupid but determined to not allow them to get away with it!!!

eskbanker

ashpan said:

So, as i paid Servicing Stop is my issue with them or with the garage?

Should any complaint arise following car servicing performed by Servicing Stop Ltd, all subsequent communications that are made concerning the resolution of the complaint should be restricted between Servicing Stop Ltd and the customer. The servicing garage should not be contacted by the customer with the intention of seeking resolution or remuneration. For full details about our complaints policy, click here.

https://www.servicingstop.co.uk/terms_and_conditions.html

ashpan said:

I have taken up the dispute with my credit card company which im so glad i used

[...]

What are my rights re credit card cover etc

If you've already taken this to your credit card company as a dispute then they'll let you know of their findings, which may depend on whether it's processed as a chargeback claim or a section 75 one.

ashpan said:

On return my car was damaged inside and out by the garage, they took photos prior to pick up so it was easy to prove
Servicing Stop have over charged me considerably according to my local garage

Damage to your car is something that Servicing Stop (and/or your card company) should accept liability for, but alleged overcharging may be more problematic - are you saying that they exceeded their quote or that you (now) feel their quote was too high in the first place?

born_again

This thread may make good reading

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6562738/advive-sought-on-pursuing-servicing-stop-in-courts/p1

ashpan

eskbanker said:

ashpan said:

So, as i paid Servicing Stop is my issue with them or with the garage?

Should any complaint arise following car servicing performed by Servicing Stop Ltd, all subsequent communications that are made concerning the resolution of the complaint should be restricted between Servicing Stop Ltd and the customer. The servicing garage should not be contacted by the customer with the intention of seeking resolution or remuneration. For full details about our complaints policy, click here.

https://www.servicingstop.co.uk/terms_and_conditions.html

ashpan said:

I have taken up the dispute with my credit card company which im so glad i used

[...]

What are my rights re credit card cover etc

If you've already taken this to your credit card company as a dispute then they'll let you know of their findings, which may depend on whether it's processed as a chargeback claim or a section 75 one.

ashpan said:

On return my car was damaged inside and out by the garage, they took photos prior to pick up so it was easy to prove
Servicing Stop have over charged me considerably according to my local garage

Damage to your car is something that Servicing Stop (and/or your card company) should accept liability for, but alleged overcharging may be more problematic - are you saying that they exceeded their quote or that you (now) feel their quote was too high in the first place?

They did exceed their quote but Ive never had a car serviced before and was shocked to find the difference between what SS charged and what the local garage would charge! No idea what to do about this. I’m a pensioner and feel I’ve been ripped off especially as they’re not responding to my messages

Ergates

As a general rule, you'll pay more for convenience, and you'll pay more to have your car collected and delivered - so using a local garage will usually be cheaper than a company like Servicing Stop.  For the amount quoted, I don't think you'll have much recourse - as you were given a quote and accepted it.

Them exceeding the quote may or may not be an issue.  A quote for a service would generally only cover the expected costs - labour, oil, filters etc.  If, whilst performing the service, they discover other issues that need dealing with, those would be additional.  This is quite common, but the garage would normally contact you about any additional matter before carrying out the work.   On the other hand, they shouldn't just be invoicing you more for the already agreed work (i.e. the service).

eskbanker

ashpan said:

eskbanker said:

ashpan said:

On return my car was damaged inside and out by the garage, they took photos prior to pick up so it was easy to prove
Servicing Stop have over charged me considerably according to my local garage

Damage to your car is something that Servicing Stop (and/or your card company) should accept liability for, but alleged overcharging may be more problematic - are you saying that they exceeded their quote or that you (now) feel their quote was too high in the first place?

They did exceed their quote but Ive never had a car serviced before and was shocked to find the difference between what SS charged and what the local garage would charge! No idea what to do about this. I’m a pensioner and feel I’ve been ripped off especially as they’re not responding to my messages

Your age is irrelevant when it comes to exercising consumer rights, and the time to make price comparisons is before buying a service rather than afterwards?  However, as above, if they added further charges without seeking your authority then that should be open to challenge....

Murphybear

eskbanker said:

ashpan said:

eskbanker said:

ashpan said:

On return my car was damaged inside and out by the garage, they took photos prior to pick up so it was easy to prove
Servicing Stop have over charged me considerably according to my local garage

Damage to your car is something that Servicing Stop (and/or your card company) should accept liability for, but alleged overcharging may be more problematic - are you saying that they exceeded their quote or that you (now) feel their quote was too high in the first place?

They did exceed their quote but Ive never had a car serviced before and was shocked to find the difference between what SS charged and what the local garage would charge! No idea what to do about this. I’m a pensioner and feel I’ve been ripped off especially as they’re not responding to my messages

Your age is irrelevant when it comes to exercising consumer rights, and the time to make price comparisons is before buying a service rather than afterwards?  However, as above, if they added further charges without seeking your authority then that should be open to challenge....

Of course age is irrelevant and so is your sex.  Or should be.  Speaking as a woman I’ve had a lot of shop staff being very condescending to me especially when technical things are the subject.  

I was looking to buy a laptop and the attitude of the salesman was appalling.  He treated me as if I were a child and couldn’t possibly know my ROM from my RAM.  Getting more and more annoyed I thought “shall I tell him I did a Physics degree, which had Computing,  at the University of London then taught evening classes for computer beginners  then worked at the country’s largest University in the Maths & Computing Faculty” so I did.  He went bright red then had the goodness to look ashamed.  I bought my laptop elsewhere 

When my husband and I look for technical things the sales people, nearly always male, home in on him and ignore me.  I have a solution these days if we are in a Department store, I disappear and look at the Estée Lauder counter instead 

ashpan

My car has been damaged by the garage, neither Servicing stop nor the garage are responding to my calls and emails asking when they will repair - who is responsible SS or the garage? 

born_again

ashpan said:

My car has been damaged by the garage, neither Servicing stop nor the garage are responding to my calls and emails asking when they will repair - who is responsible SS or the garage? 

Garage.
SS are just a 3rd party booking agent.

eskbanker

born_again said:

ashpan said:

My car has been damaged by the garage, neither Servicing stop nor the garage are responding to my calls and emails asking when they will repair - who is responsible SS or the garage? 

Garage.
SS are just a 3rd party booking agent.

That's not what the Ts & Cs say:

You are contracting with Servicing Stop Ltd...

and the clause quoted earlier clearly indicates that post-transaction activity needs to be handled via SS.

ashpan

eskbanker said:

born_again said:

ashpan said:

My car has been damaged by the garage, neither Servicing stop nor the garage are responding to my calls and emails asking when they will repair - who is responsible SS or the garage? 

Garage.
SS are just a 3rd party booking agent.

That's not what the Ts & Cs say:

You are contracting with Servicing Stop Ltd...

and the clause quoted earlier clearly indicates that post-transaction activity needs to be handled via SS.

SS aren’t responding to my emails 
their customer support  stock response “yadda yadda ….. respond to you in 5-7 days” that’s been 10 days now - what can I do other than let M&S credit Card sort it out?