Car repair rip offs

Chewbacca a similar thing happened to me at one of these well known tyre and exhaust chains. I had a small issue with the car so when having a headlamp bulb replaced I asked them to check it over. The result was an estimate of £900+!
I took the car and estimate to a local independent garage who checked the estimate against what was required. They told me that I had been quoted for parts my car didn’t even have and that what actually needed doing would cost less than £200.
Needless to say, I will never, ever go back to that original company even for a light bulb.

When my friends car had something wrong with it several years ago ( I can’t remember what it was that was wrong ) she took it to a local garage and asked for quote it was she couldn’t believe the price, and told her husband, he took it to same garage the next day and was quoted over a hundred pounds less

I’ll be taking my 2 yrs and 11 month old car for its MOT next month although I will be taking it to a local Kia specialist that has always serviced it before as it was an nhs lease car I was using for work and the recommended dealers to go to by the lease company. It will be interesting to see what they say if anything is wrong with it. As far as I’m concerned it’s fine but then I haven’t got X-ray eyes.

I'm on my own and have been ripped off time and time again until I met an old chum of mine who has a friend that works on cars and owns an auto parts shop too. He sorts me my car out for its MOT, as in N.Ireland we have to take it to an MOT centre to get tested. It has saved me an absolute fortune the last couple of years. Its hateful that the big companies still think it's ok to rip people off.

My dad taught me enough about cars so that I can at least seem to know what needs doing. I always talk some jargon in case they think they can pull the wool over my eyes.

Having said that main dealer wanted to fit 4 new tyres but when I went to local tyre depot they told me I only needed two and other two were ok for many more miles. So they aren’t all bad.

My son had a problem with work done during MOT by a well known company. Shortly after he had problems with car. Took it to a small local company who discovered problem with work that should have been done during MOT that hadn't been. My son sent strong complaint email to company and they didn't even argue, just reimbursed him for good part of bill.

We have a branch of a well known countrywide tyre and exhaust garage near us in London and I have to say they are always straight and if it’s something small they do it for free even though they’ve had it up on the ramp and spent time checking it over. I’m clearly very elderly and clueless so could be taken advantage of. We get the same fair treatment from our small local repair garage but unlike the other place they are not open all hours.
Caught short one dark Winter afternoon by a failed light bulb I drove into a tiny garage and he fixed it and wouldn’t take money for it. That was even before I was old and decrepit?

My experience was when, 2 years ago, I was looking for a new/used car. I had been looking on the internet for a few weeks but hadn't done so for some days so when passing the local main dealer decided to pop in. Having tried to sell me cars that did not meet my spec, eventually the salesman went to the back to speak to his manager and came back with a printout of a car that almost met my requirements. He said that it would cost £200 to bring it over ( non refundable if I didn't buy). I was almost certain that I had seen the car on a website and that the price was different so I said that I would think about it, rushed home, found the car at another branch of the dealers 5 miles away but£500 cheaper! I took a screen shot of the ad, photographed the quote I had been given and sent them to the Advertising Standards Authority. My complaint was upheld and they were rapped over the knuckles.

Personally, I would be tempted to write to their head office and m Get even consider the local press! This is disgusting exploitation of a female, irrespective of her age! You have every right to be hopping mad! I would be too! Pleased your DS stepped in and you are now all sorted.

I have a friend who drives an old, but very smart Mini Cooper, in perfect condition. She had a collision with a deer and the wing was dented. A local garage kept the car for several weeks and then told her it was a write off , and they had told the insurance company. When she checked, the insurance company knew nothing about this. She rang the garage and asked to have her car back and was told she couldn't, as it was in pieces. This is a lady not to be messd with; she reported the garage, got her car back and had the dent repaired elsewhere. We are convinced that someone at that garage was most taken with her top of the range imaculate car which is almost a classic, and decided they could pull the wool over her eyes.

Actually, I've just been talking to my OH about this and we think that the OP has a case of age discrimination against the first mechanic!

Metra Sun 25-Oct-20 10:05:30
I took a screen shot of the ad, photographed the quote I had been given and sent them to the Advertising Standards Authority. My complaint was upheld and they were rapped over the knuckles.
Well done you, and good or you for telling others. Chewbacca was fortunate in that she was able to have her son take up her cause. It shouldn't have to be that way.

The anecdotes of small businesses is inspiring, to them, well most of them, know that if they treat a customer fairly that customer will come back time and time again.

A few years back I had a puncture and took it to “well known garage” as it was Sunday and not many places were open. He jacked the car up and removed the spare tyre which was on. Then he went to see what they had in stock. He came back with a tyre at a ridiculous price. When I objected to the price he said he’d have another look.
I quickly put the Spare tyre back On the car, removed the jack and drove off.
I’d haves loved to have seen his face when he returned. Little did he know the little old lady was a mechanic’s daughter!

Always find a little independent garage if you can.

Quite a long time ago now, I sent my car to a Ford agent to have its annual service & MOT. I made the mistake of giving them my credit card number for the payment. They rang me up during the day to say they'd had to replace the radiator, as it was leaking, and the bill was just over £500! To my knowledge there was nothing whatsoever wrong with the radiator, no leaks, no nothing. I'm certain a mechanic must have stuck his screwdriver in it. I tried to get redress, but no-one would listen to me, even though I tried Trading Standards and even Ford themselves. Needless to say, I never used that garage again, and I've never had a Ford since.

Definitely complain to the highest level in that company . We spend too much energy regretting not getting stuff sorted.

Name and shame this group. Report it to trading standards and the head office of this group. It’s the only way to treat this system. Good luck with it! ?

I suspect it is the same company that I had a problem with a couple of years ago.
I went in to have a tyre changed & the manager told me there was a problem with a large car part- I cannot remember what it was now as I am not into the mechanics of cars. He quoted about £400. Said they could do it then & there- no problem!
I said I would talk to DH about it first & he still tried to scare me into having it done.
I take my car to a local garage for services so I went along there. They told me there was nothing whatsoever wrong.
I wrote a letter to the main offices of the firm but heard nothing back.
Needless to say I have never gone back there. I'm not usually much of a feminist but I'm sure they would not have tried it on with my husband!

It is worth looking on the internet for what you could expect to pay for a decent job on any particular part of your car. I do know that for tyres different brands can vary enormously in price so could that be the same for exhaust pipes? Perhaps the one you were being offered was gold plated!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I got so fed up of garages charging lots for small things. I now go on YouTube and can do most of the niggly stuff myself like changing all the bulbs, fuses, wipers etc. I recently cleaned my daughters very cloudy headlights as it was due an MOT and I knew it would fail as they were quite bad. After sanding the headlights and using a buffer attached to a drill, they are sparkling again. It took some time but was worth it, the car passed the MOT. It’s amazing what you can find on YouTube to save you money with regard to your car.

How about going onto the Facebook page and naming and shaming. Places like they should be shut down.

My friend and I both elderly widows, find sharp practise common for woman on there own. Be it car repairs, plumbing, electrics or any form of household maintenance.

Many years ago, I let a friend's son use my car as his had a problem and he was needed at work, coach company owner/driver. On return he told my friend, I should not drive it as the cam belt was dangerous. I looked at my maintenance log and found manufacturer recommended replaced after 32,000 miles. My mileage was just under 80,000 miles and the cam-belt had never been changed, even though garage instructed to follow manufacturers guidelines at every annual service. I never drove that car again neither did I ever use the garage repair service again. The RAC recommended that in future, when parts required/needed to be replaced, I ask the garage to return the replaced parts.

Does Trading Standards have an interest in this sort of thing?

Don’t take it personally. They overcharge everybody! A small local garage will do a better job and do it cheaper every time.