Terrible experience with a local independent

[Howard]

i said as much about 20 posts ago... too many lecturers in here ,

And 59 posts ago , you said this .....

19... so much to learn... so little time

 

[lil.smartie]

I think the garage are being honest, we are waiting for an exhaust for a customer at the moment that we ordered about a month ago from our supplier. He was in turn waiting for some CDi catalysts from his supplier and we put in a huge order for a show. This is a 1 guy company who hand makes the exhausts and this CDi one has been a total pain of a job from start to finish but when I'm told it will be done by Weds and then he's let down as parts don't arrive till Weds PM it's never going to happen! There is nothing I can do about it, getting mad at my supplier won't help, him getting mad at his supplier won't help as they are waiting for stock too!

All I need now is his welding kit to break this afternoon and I'm back to square 1.....

Give the garage a break, I'd guess from you own good previous experience there that they really are trying their best but have been let down further down the line for whatever reason. Try talking to them, or get someone else too if you will get too angry talking as that's the best way to get it sorted faster!

Kate

 

[ms500]

you buy a car last friday and have to immediately take it to a garage because the fuel tank leak has been getting steadily worse (or your words to that effect). Face it - you have bought a 'nail' (whether knowingly or not) and are miffed that somebody could not perform a miracle.

No, I did expect that work would need doing, I only paid £650 for it.

 

[amwebby]

I don't understand why you were relying on a £650 car that you had just purchased, that you knew needed work doing on, to pick up VIPs. Let's face it, the car could have failed to get to the airport for any number of reasons and, if even it did make it, doesn't sound like the sort of car to impress such important people.

 

[ms500]

I don't understand why you were relying on a £650 car that you had just purchased, that you knew needed work doing on, to pick up VIPs. Let's face it, the car could have failed to get to the airport for any number of reasons and, if even it did make it, doesn't sound like the sort of car to impress such important people.

I don't mean 'VIPs', I just meant it was an important errand I had to do.

The car is mechanically sound, I drove it over 300 miles home and it worked fine, never had any problems and it's never failed to start. The transmission is smooth and there is no smoke or misfiring from the engine.

 

[amwebby]

Then why book it in for a major piece of work, that had a strong possibility of taking longer than estimated, just before such an important errand?

 

[IanA2]

I don't mean 'VIPs', I just meant it was an important errand I had to do.

I had to pick up some extremely important people from Bristol airport tonight, and thanks to this garage I am now carless and unable to meet them. My day ruined.

Well that's clear then

 

[sweeney]

why don't you just let the subject drop ( amwebby) and others...

talk about flogging a dead point !

 

[lil.smartie]

I'd chalk it up to experience, work on cars can take longer than first thought. Once you have owned cars for a few more years you will learn to recognise this and plan accordingly!

The same job can sometimes take 2 hrs on one car and 4 on another and until the work is started no one knows, they weren't trying to mislead you but simply gave you their 'best guess' which no doubt was an educated one but was just that a guess or estimate!

Kate

 

[gina2201]

Personally I would not go along the trying to cause hassle or trouble for your garage, as everyone has said and knows, things do go wrong, wrong parts do get sent, more issues arrise once parts come off etc etc. I'm sure we have all been on the end of this.

I was only 18 when I bought my first Merc, I bought it in the rain, at night and without all this experience, and yes I DID know this was a no no by said experts, luckily it was good one but age of the person? Why would this car not suit a 19yo? Please explain? Would any of mine suited me, no one said otherwise, infact quite the opposite? Or should I be more suited to a "Saxo or Corsa?"
Oh, and "important people" might well have been his family, are they not important? He never said they were celebrities or the Queen, (mind you, they are all human anyway so shouldn't matter).

I digress, I shall sssh now....Good Luck in getting car fixed and resolved!

I agree if you have a garage that are friendly and helpful you should stick with them, (mine are very nice to me, let me drop my car off and they often start work on that day or the next without prior notice - and they let me have a courtesy car).

 

[Carrotchomper]

Or should I be more suited to a "Saxo or Corsa?"

Yes.

 

[JonnyCJ]

Having had..

...many many Italian cars in my life you learn that to have a good independent on your side is one of life's luxuries. They want your repeat business and a little back scratching from you when it comes to things like unforeseen delays means that next time you go in for a small job it tends to get done with "nah, don't worry about it mate, only took 10 mins".

I've had an Italian specialist working on my cars for 20 years and he's become a good friend due to mutual give and take.

 

[The G.F.P]

so whats the latest news on the errand, did it get done and have you got the car back yet

 

[franey]

Hey dude, If you don't get it back in time, I have a 300d you can borrow, runs on veg oil so you can pick 'em up on the cheap!!
Good Luck

 

[Shude]

BTW I do like the title of this thread: "terrible experience".

I took a car of mine to a small, family-owned workshop in West Yorkshire who while welding something around the handbrake area managed to set fire to the interior. The headlining had molten stalagtites of plastic hanging from it, there was ash everywhere and the car stank of burned plastic for weeks afterwards. It needed new backseat cushions, new headlining, new carpet and the replacement of a lot of small plastic items that had simply melted. Also needed about 50 magic trees hanging in it.

That was a pretty terrible experience I can tell you.

 

[prprandall51]

BTW I do like the title of this thread: "terrible experience".

I took a car of mine to a small, family-owned workshop in West Yorkshire who while welding something around the handbrake area managed to set fire to the interior. The headlining had molten stalagtites of plastic hanging from it, there was ash everywhere and the car stank of burned plastic for weeks afterwards. It needed new backseat cushions, new headlining, new carpet and the replacement of a lot of small plastic items that had simply melted. Also needed about 50 magic trees hanging in it.

That was a pretty terrible experience I can tell you.

Yes, yes, yes. But did they return the car to you at the stated time?

 

[ms500]

I still don't have it back, yesterday they said it would be done by today but they still haven't rang. It seems their suppliers have let them down

 

[ms500]

BTW I do like the title of this thread: "terrible experience".

I took a car of mine to a small, family-owned workshop in West Yorkshire who while welding something around the handbrake area managed to set fire to the interior. The headlining had molten stalagtites of plastic hanging from it, there was ash everywhere and the car stank of burned plastic for weeks afterwards. It needed new backseat cushions, new headlining, new carpet and the replacement of a lot of small plastic items that had simply melted. Also needed about 50 magic trees hanging in it.

That was a pretty terrible experience I can tell you.

I take it they paid to have it fixed though?

 

[glojo]

On BBC news this morning there was CCTV footage of someone that was allegedly smoking in their van... they were carrying acetylene which apparently had a very slight leakage. Boy did the explosion look impressive. It certainly made me think about this thread and what has been said, plus I would guess petrol vapour would be more volatile.

Regards
John


Edit
What advice has your solicitor given you regarding taking them to court?

 

[Howard]

I still don't have it back, yesterday they said it would be done by today but they still haven't rang. It seems their suppliers have let them down

So not their fault then ?

Out of their hands you might say ?

As opposed to a personal vendetta against you ?