Ripped off!

[Bombardier]

Still attempting to calm down.

Today I had my local Indy fit new Padget Discs and Pads all round on my 2009 C180k, cost £515, I'm happy with that and have absolutely no problem with either the work or the price.
However when I went to collect it he asked me if I'd had my brake pipes replaced recently, I had them replaced last September when I took it for service at a local BMW, Mercedes and Audi specialist and I was informed that they needed replacing as my MOT was due a month later.
I showed him the receipt for £264 dated last September that clearly stated that I had front and rear brake pipes replaced.
What these cheeky *******s had done was to replace 3 inches of pipe from the brake caliper and then put a joint in on the front offside pipe!
Not what I had paid for and I drove straight to said garage and asked them for their thoughts, the garage owner without argument has agreed to have the car in and do what I paid for.
How many more unsuspecting car owners have these cowboys ripped off?

 

[John]

This is why you really have to go with a trusted inde...

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Still attempting to calm down.

Today I had my local Indy fit new Padget Discs and Pads all round on my 2009 C180k, cost £515, I'm happy with that and have absolutely no problem with either the work or the price.
However when I went to collect it he asked me if I'd had my brake pipes replaced recently, I had them replaced last September when I took it for service at a local BMW, Mercedes and Audi specialist and I was informed that they needed replacing as my MOT was due a month later.
I showed him the receipt for £264 dated last September that clearly stated that I had front and rear brake pipes replaced.
What these cheeky *******s had done was to replace 3 inches of pipe from the brake caliper and then put a joint in on the front offside pipe!
Not what I had paid for and I drove straight to said garage and asked them for their thoughts, the garage owner without argument has agreed to have the car in and do what I paid for.
How many more unsuspecting car owners have these cowboys ripped off?

And you are going to give it back to them to bodge with again?

 

[Bombardier]

I'm afraid I have to, I have to give them the chance to put it right.
After that all hell will break loose.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I'm afraid I have to, I have to give them the chance to put it right.
After that all hell will break loose.

I guess that they won't entertain a refund?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

I'd of asked for a refund, for future customers benefit what was the name of the dodgy specialist?

 

[Bombardier]

I'd of asked for a refund, for future customers benefit what was the name of the dodgy specialist?

Let me give them the chance to put it right, i have to do that and to publicly name them before they are given that opportunity would be unfair.
However as soon as the job is put right I'll gladly name the garage in Scunthorpe!

 

[Auto-mobile]

Where do you park your car, bottom of the ocean? I'd have been suprised if you actually needed the pipes in the first place, either way its terrible that these garages can get away with this. (Well almost)

 

[def90cars]

Let me give them the chance to put it right, i have to do that and to publicly name them before they are given that opportunity would be unfair.
However as soon as the job is put right I'll gladly name the garage in Scunthorpe!

Is he in the middle of Scunthorpe

 

[Bombardier]

Is he in the middle of Scunthorpe

I know who you're thinking of but no, the garage is east of the town and the road has a different point of the compass in it's title.
I've had the night to think about this now and am going to go back to them with 3 options as I don't trust them to carry out the work.
1, they refund me for the shoddy work that they've done and I take it elsewhere.
2, I take it to my local Indy for them to do the work and rip off garage pick up the bill.
3, I go to trading standards.

 

[rorf]

I certainly wouldn't trust them to do this job, they might put sea water in the pipes!

Demand a refund and take it to someone who is honest.

 

[ioweddie]

I'd ask for a refund, if they will not give it, then go to trading standards, local paper, facebook, and any other medium to highlight what they have or rather did not do.

 

[englishdas]

As pi$$€d off as you are, I think you are doing the right thing giving them the chance to correct it, and with the proviso that you are no doubt going to have their work checked ad soon as you leave their garage

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Is he in the middle of Scunthorpe

Clean over the head.

 

[kid-jensen]

And here we have the calssic dilemma of the average motorist...

To keep the repair places honest, you have to check if that've actually done the work.

Generally, this is probably 50% as difficult as actually doing the work yourself, so where does that leave you?

If you really don't want to get your hands dirty, pay top-dollar and take it to the main dealer. alternativey, DIY.

Anything in-between has the risk that you are so familiar with.

Running any car, not just an MB, is fraught with difficult decisions, especially this one...

 

[RichardF]

And here we have the calssic dilemma of the average motorist...

To keep the repair places honest, you have to check if that've actually done the work.

Generally, this is probably 50% as difficult as actually doing the work yourself, so where does that leave you?

If you really don't want to get your hands dirty, pay top-dollar and take it to the main dealer. alternativey, DIY.

Anything in-between has the risk that you are so familiar with.

Running any car, not just an MB, is fraught with difficult decisions, especially this one...

Main dealers aren't all squeaky clean, either trusted & reputable indy, or DIY.

 

[renault12ts]

And here we have the calssic dilemma of the average motorist...

To keep the repair places honest, you have to check if that've actually done the work.

Generally, this is probably 50% as difficult as actually doing the work yourself, so where does that leave you?

If you really don't want to get your hands dirty, pay top-dollar and take it to the main dealer. alternativey, DIY.

Anything in-between has the risk that you are so familiar with.

Running any car, not just an MB, is fraught with difficult decisions, especially this one...

So, when the main dealer advises you need pads and discs, you just bend over?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

If you really don't want to get your hands dirty, pay top-dollar and take it to the main dealer

Dear god, no

 

[kid-jensen]

Renault21ts wrote:

"So, when the main dealer advises you need pads and discs, you just bend over?"

In this instance, yes.

A trusted indy is ideal, but those are rare, and how do you build up that trust when you have no mutual history? If you don't live near one, it's bloody inconvenient.

If an UNtrusted Indy says you need pads and disks and it turned out you didn't, you're stuck with them. At least with the Main dealer, you can take it up the chain to MB UK. If you're determined enough...

Obviously if you DIY, you can set your own standards, but I get the impression the OP is not equiped for this..

 

[markjay]

Personally, I am less concerned about replacing parts that don't need replacing, than about paying for a job that wasn't done. Neither is great, obviously, but with the former at least you end up with a new part that would have to be replaced anyway further down the line (e.g. discs), with the latter you can end up with an unsafe car.