Dispute with a garage

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Okell said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

CCRs require certain pre-contractual information and without this the consumer is not bound by the contract.

Also for a contract to be formed offer, consideration and acceptance are required, @Okell might have more to say on whether this occurred. 

Yes but I think here the key is whatever discussion was had between the OP and the AA discovery man.

I suspect it was along the lines of "I can tow it to the nearest garage for you for them to repair - that's the service we provide.  If you don't want them to look at it you'll have to arrange for it to be towed to your home yourself and you sort it out".  It depends on exactly how the conversation between the two of them went and the OP hasn't been terribly forthcoming.

We once broke down in the middle of nowhere (about here Scotland - Google Maps ) and the local AA recovery man was also the only garage repair service within a 30 mile radius. 

I've also had to do a call out within quarter of a mile of my house when the clutch cable snapped.  I was presented with "I can either tow it to the nearest repair garage to be fixed or drop it off at your house as it is.  But it's then your responsibility to get it to a garge to be fixed".

I didn't really feel I had much of a choice in either case, but I did fully discuss my options with both recovery men before agreeing to what they suggested.

It all depends what was said and what instructions were left with the garage.  (I can't believe no instructions were left with the keys)

Thanks @Okell

I've always been towed home so correct me if I'm wrong here but AA picks up OP and car, drops both at garage, that's the end of the AA's job?

What does the AA have to do with the garage carrying out work? Are they acting as some kind of intermediate between the OP and the garage to arrange repairs? 

Okell

We've only had to make use of AA or RAC recovery when we've had the cover through car insurance and not directly with AA/RAC themselves.

My (very limited) understanding is that you can get different levels of cover.  For one of the more basic levels of cover it seems to me that they will tow you to one destination of your choice within 20 miles of the breakdown.  For a higher level of cover they will tow you to anywhere in the UK apparently.

I think the key to this lies in the exact content of the dialogue between the OP and the AA man - and I don't think the OP has been clear about this.  They may have a case that the work should not have been or they may not.

On the two occasions we had to make use of the AA/RAC we were quite happy for them to take our car to the nearest garage that could carry out the repairs as it couldn't be driven.  If they'd towed us home (over 500 miles in one case!) we'd would have had to arrange the repairs ourselves and arranged getting the car to a garage.  We weren't going to do that.

I don't know what arrangement there might be between recovery staff and local garages.  When we broke down in Scotland the recovery service that acted as agents for the AA also happened to be the only garage for miles around that could repair it.  there was nowhere else.

When I broke down quarter of a mile from home it was towed to a locally well known garage whcih i could easily have chosen myself.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

It’s odd because OP says the garage was closed but someone must have spoke to the garage. 

If a garage finds a random car outside their place they don’t just figure out what is wrong with it and fix it. 

Sadly I don’t think OP is coming back but on the off chance they do, OP it would be interesting to know what either you or the AA said to the garage. 

Ergates

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

It’s odd because OP says the garage was closed but someone must have spoke to the garage. 

If a garage finds a random car outside their place they don’t just figure out what is wrong with it and fix it. 

Sadly I don’t think OP is coming back but on the off chance they do, OP it would be interesting to know what either you or the AA said to the garage. 

Someone must have given them the keys too.  Perhaps they were posted through the letterbox with a note explaining the problem.

sheramber

Ergates said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

It’s odd because OP says the garage was closed but someone must have spoke to the garage. 

If a garage finds a random car outside their place they don’t just figure out what is wrong with it and fix it. 

Sadly I don’t think OP is coming back but on the off chance they do, OP it would be interesting to know what either you or the AA said to the garage. 

Someone must have given them the keys too.  Perhaps they were posted through the letterbox with a note explaining the problem.

Possibly , but the OP has not been willing to answer that question for some reason.

Okell

sheramber said:

Ergates said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

It’s odd because OP says the garage was closed but someone must have spoke to the garage. 

If a garage finds a random car outside their place they don’t just figure out what is wrong with it and fix it. 

Sadly I don’t think OP is coming back but on the off chance they do, OP it would be interesting to know what either you or the AA said to the garage. 

Someone must have given them the keys too.  Perhaps they were posted through the letterbox with a note explaining the problem.

Possibly , but the OP has not been willing to answer that question for some reason.

Yes.  And I think what we haven't been told is the key to this.

(I must admit I've looked more closely at our breakdown cover through our car insurance and I am confused as to what is and isn't covered.  The key is in whatever discussion the OP had with the AA technician )