Not all garages try it on

I took my 206 in for its first service recently to the main dealer. Mentioned I'd seen the low brake fluid light a couple of times so could they just check it over - expecting the 18k mile old pads to be knackered. Got it back "All fine, fluid just needed topping up" apparently. Set off, got to 70 on the bypass - braked for the roundabout, front end dives left, and then, bizzarely it felt like the back end was pulling right. They had closed by this point, so I drove home gingerly, testing it a couple more times to make sure I wasn't imagining it - they felt spongy as well. Got home, phoned up, booked in for the day after next. Took it back, waited an hour, got it back "Yea the mechanic couldn't make it do it" - that MUST be bollocks, it was incredibly obvious "But we've changed the pads as they only had about 1,000 miles left in them" They never mentioned that after the service... Me, gets in car to go home, drives off, brakes feel *totally* different, like brand new - whatever they did was not just pads. I suspect a majorly obvious cockup that they rectified and chucked new pads on to cover it so they could say they had done something - but I can't prove that.

In summary, I'm using another dealer next time.

And the dealer was happy you paid for work you didn't have to - so all ended up OK for them. You were ripped off. Unauthorised work = no payment to any normal person.

I used a Vauxhall garage and Trading Standards ended up sending cars through in order to gather evidence. A car I used was returned overfilled with oil by 3/4litre, spark plugs not changed, air filter not changed, unauthorised work on the back brakes which were damaged and not working after the service, then failure to carry out a correct MOT. They were reported for that too. Each part was precisely marked and pictured first. Most garages in my experience do try it on, I have seen it time after time. There are very few genuine people about now. In some of the fast replacement and supplying establishments they are pressured by the management - so each corner of the car is worth so much and they are taught sales techniques to screw the customer for as much as they can. If they push it too far they can even offer finance with high interest rates. You need to open your eyes a bit more as I could show you many garage prosecutions.

simon ( snipped-for-privacy@u2.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Mmmm. Sounds like it.

He got a job done that he'd been planning to do himself, but he stayed clean and got the part cheaper than he otherwise could have done.

I'd like to be ripped off that badly, please.

In article , simon writes

FWIW I no longer use main garages as I've also had same bad experiences with them (Audi and Volvo) and now what I can't DIY there are a couple of mechanics down the road and with what they "don't" charge I often wonder why I even bother to touch it at all:))

That said, why do main dealers just f*ck and c*ck up things like they do?. Is it just a rip off intent or can't they any longer get the staff?.

All of the young blokes I know and a fair few of them are keen on cars just do NOT want to get their hands dirty under the bonnet or underneath anyway let alone having any idea what goes on underneath those areas anyway.

So is a contributory factor that there are insufficient motivated young people entering the industry?..

you hit the nail on the head Tony, there is a very big shortage of young apprentices entering the motor trade these days, the age gap has widened, there are a lot more older mechanics & the trade is crying out for young blood. I started as a young VTS and worked my way through the ranks and still doing it 25 years later. And your right the youngsters just don't want to get their hands dirty, we've had so many youngsters come through but don't make it. At our garage which is an independent, we all muck in, which means sweeping up, the look on some of their faces when you give them a brush is priceless, its painful watching them trying to use it ! they are quick enough to hold their hands out though at the end of the week for payday, but not all are bad we've had a couple do their apprenticeship to move on to pastures new. the colleges these days have to start from scratch and teach them to read & write again before they even begin to know how a motor vehicle works. very sad times I think.

tony sayer wrote: [...]

Very much so! It's true for all of industry, IMHO largely because of how "hands on" people with lots of skills are so poorly regarded in this country.

Chris

Couldn't agree more, but I don't think this is anything new. It's easy to blame "the yoof of today" but when I was involved in the motor trade

I've always tried to find a good reliable independent, and they do still exist. These days I have a company car and shouldn't bother as it's not me getting ripped off but the company, but it annoys me when they get ripped off. It used to go to a small independent who were useless, couldn't fault find the simplest of things and everytime it went in unnecessary work would be done, like new tyres when the old ones had loads left on them. Problem here is I don't get asked. They ring the fleet administrator who's never even seen the car, for authorisation, and they always give it. Rip-off heaven!

Occasionally when it was something these bone heads couldn't figure out, it went to another local independent, and they are brilliant. Know what they're doing, never anything unnecessary, always do a good job. Take the wife's car in there now if it's something I can't do.

Recently had a new car though, so had to go to Main Dealer for it's

Just went for it's 10000 service and under warranty thought it would have to be dealer again, but, oh joy, it was sent to my favourite local independent!!!

Moral: Don't trust main dealers, there's no incentive on the workshop floor to do a good job, find a good small independent. They do exist. At least here in Derby they do.

IME National Tyres are very good. I only ever use them for tracking and the odd cheap oil change as I do most other things myself, but they consistently do a good job, point out any other problems on the vehicle without pressure to get them fixed etc. I happily send my mum down there on her own to get her car tracked, and she's one of the least clued up person for cars on the planet, and she doesnt' come back with car that "needs" 4 new dampers.

Same could be said about any job that doesn't involve sitting in an office looking at a computer or working in a shop.

It makes sense to check things like lights before having an MOT done.

Care to name them?

Thus spake simon ( snipped-for-privacy@u2.net) unto the assembled multitudes:

Utter bollocks. Read the OP again. The dealer offered *not* to bill him for the unauthorised work. He chose to offer to pay. They accepted. How, exactly, is that being ripped off? Fair play to both parties, I say.

According to contract law, yes, but if the customer volunteers to pay, that's his right and his business, not the dealer's fault.

It isn't rocket science to me either, but some people are either too tight, too stupid, or too far shoved up their own butt to appreciate that the customer and service agent is a two way contract...

Correct. It would work for me...

As it will be in the future and has been in the past.

Heh.

I'd replace "independent" with "dealer," since there are some excellent dealers out there. It's just a pity that they tend to be the exception to the rule.

My current place use a mix of main dealers and independents.

Pah then your fleet administrator deserves to have his, her or their ears cut off.

I'm guilty of not really wanting to get my hands and shoes messed up with the oily bits under the bonnet, but I'm also tight. When I worked with the fleet in a previous office I introduced a number of "novel" ideas such as checking the tread depth of tyres. Now being a data junkie I logged everything and could produce tyre wear charts and suchlike with a few clicks of a mouse.

Boring, yes, but it meant that I knew the wear rates and importantly the mileage and tread depth of the fleet. So when a dealer rang up to say, "it needs two new tyres on the front, mate" I'd be able to say, "are you sure? They were at 4.5mm when we dropped the car off this morning."

Saved around 20% of the service costs over a year, which with 30 odd vehicles, was a not inconsiderable sum.

Nope. The secret is to find a main dealer willing to work with you and of the understanding that if they try to rip you off, you'll go elsewhere. After about a year most of the dealers stopped trying to change brakes, tyres, exhausts and shockers every service...

Nope. You're missing the point, in that the original posted knew that the work needed doing and wasn't going to rip off the dealer.

Both parties are happy.

You need to relocate to somewhere less pikey then.

No, there are a lot of genuine businesses and people about. Unfortunately, it's people like you tarring the image of those genuine individuals. You're not helping.

Yes, there are con men and women about, of course. But the trick is in avoiding and exposing those, rather than adopting a blanket "I don't trust anybody" attitude.

This is the case across *all* sectors of business.

Yes that's true too.

The responsibility for this is spread across all sorts of avenues, from the dealers to the finance companies to the customer. The customer is always able to say "no" and walk away. We could even blame the culture of "have it now, pay for it later, never, whatever."

This would be a pointless operation though. Buyer beware and all that. Having a car serviced isn't a lottery if you're prepared, but modern machinery is too tough to fall apart if services are skimped on and consumers are too unaware, lazy or well off to know any better.

You don't think that the cost to make and sell a Subway is really £1.99 do you?

It was the side repeaters that went and not getting the usual rapid=20 flashing when a front or rear goes, she thought they were OK.

--=20 Conor

"No trilogy should have more than four books" - Arthur C. Clarke

I had a bit of a run in with these locally. Took 3 goes to get the front wheels balanced - the third time I was stood behind the person doing the job. One wheel was 15 grams off on one side, the other wheel was 5 off one side and 10 off the other. To be fair I has got a new wheel cheaper than anywhere else that had them instock, and I had to have it done there and then. Also, there where no problems with getting the wheel rebalanced, not even asked for the receipt (but then again the car is bright yellow :-) ). I`d be wary about trusting them to balance the wheels correctly, I can`t see how it can take 3 goes to get it right!

Conor ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Yessss... and...?

And what? It's not my car.=20

--=20 Conor

"No trilogy should have more than four books" - Arthur C. Clarke