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why does it feel like garages rip you off ?

ChoiceChoice
edited September 2011 in Not Sports Related
Van just been in today for annual service and MOT.

Failed on the following

1 Tyre apparantly waiting to blow up
Crack in windscreen that seemed small and insignificant
Drivers seatbelt frayed that I'd never noticed
Rear brakes
And something under the bonnet that if it doesn't get replaced will cause an oil leek...

Total cost £550 without the tyres or windscreen done !!
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Comments

  • WSSWSS
    Really is an area you need to know and trust  someone who knows stuff about cars.
  • Friend Or DefoeFriend Or Defoe
    One of the reason why I don't own a car. There's some serious opportunists out there.
  • Leroy AmbroseLeroy Ambrose
    It feels like garages rip you off because garages rip you off.

    The MOT is a license to print money.
  • RugbyAddickRugbyAddick
    It feels like they rip you off because they do!! 
    This garage I last went to tried to rip me off. I had a problem with my lights, only the side lights came on and the headlights wouldn't so I took the car in. They tried to say that water got into the lights and killed off all the cables so it would have to be re-cabled. They put a price of around £1000 pounds on that. Now, I am 17 and I am skint as it is. I rang them up to check with they had checked something (I forget the name). They hadn't checked it. They then went to check it and it was loose from where I had knocked it by my feet. They changed the screws and made it tighter. That costed me less than £50.

    Ridiculous.
  • MacronateMacronate
    edited September 2011

    Took my wife's car to be serviced a few years back.

    They rang & amongst other things said the windscreen wipers needed replacing. Told them that was strange as I'd changed them the weekend before...silence.

    Took the car away without them doing any of the work.

    Also, "chipped windscreens". Scaremongering by Auto Glass and their poxy radio adverts. Had one for at least 2 years now and no sign of it getting any worse. Is that a fail on an MOT? 

  • WSSWSS
    When I got an MOT done down in Swansea when I was at uni, the garage did about (apparently) £450 worth of work without even asking me and then tried charging.  I paid the cost of the MOT, took the keys and left.
  • RossRoss

    Took my wife's car to be serviced a few years back.

    They rang & amongst other things said the windscreen wipers needed replacing. Told them that was strange as I'd changed them the weekend before...silence.

    Took the car away without them doing any of the work.

    Also, "chipped windscreens". Scaremongering by Auto Glass and their poxy radio adverts. Had one for at least 2 years now and no sign of it getting any worse. Is that a fail on an MOT? 

    It's a fail if it falls within a certain area of the windscreen known as the driver's view.
  • ChoiceChoice
    As soon as a vehicle fails its MOT it opens up all sorts of opportunities for them and there's no way of really monitoring it.

    I almost feel that when I take a vehicle in for any work that I want to tell them its fitted with various cameras for a tv show  
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    edited September 2011

    Never go to a garage you don't know who are offering a cheap MOT. You need to find a garage you can trust. I have eventually found one thatI know will not rip me off  - will only say something needs doing if it does. When you have that security you don't mind paying th ebills so much because you know they are needed but I also know that in the past I have been ripped off by garages - it is far too common and ideally the Government should have a  mystery shopper programme that would push up honesty levels.

    Also as per that poxy advert - if you are fully comp - the chip will be repaired for free. If you want to save on tires - you can try the increasing number of places offering part worn

  • ChoiceChoice
    Also id just taken a really good job for New Years Eve and then like magic this comes along and snatches it away. Just when you think somethings gone right theres always a nasty little surprise waiting to bring you back down to earth :( 
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  • Charlton_CharlieCharlton_Charlie
    If the chip/crack is smaller than a 5p piece it's not a fail.


  • RizzoRizzo
    Mechanics are generally a bunch of opportunist ripoff merchants. They know that the reason you're taking the car to them in the first place is because you know sod all about cars so they also know they can tell you that your big end is knocking against the head gasket and causing cros-mojination of the sub-woofers and you'll probably just ask how much it's going to cost to fix it.

    Took my car in for a service a few years back and they told me that the tyres were 99% worn and could go at any moment. They lasted 3 more years.

    Also told me the anti-freeze was low and wanted £35 to top it up. I may not know much about cars but I reckon I can tip a bottle of anti-freeze in for a damn sight less than £35!.

    Oh, and the same garage told me there was a serious leak in my radiator. Deeply supsicious of this I marked the water level and it was unchanged after a month. Glad I told them to shove it. My only real surprise there was that there wasn't a screwdriver-sized hole in the radiator when I went to pick it up.
  • ChoiceChoice
    edited September 2011
    Another thing - my MR2 needs a service and the garage I usually use just quoted me £270 plus VAT as "Japanese parts are more difficult to get hold of" ?!?!?!? (Wifes Citroen is usually about a hundred quid)

    Are these people serious ? An MR2 isnt a rare car and if these places dont stock Toyota parts then why not - there must be millions of Toyotas in the UK

    Also 2 weeks ago they quoted me £40 for an oil change, apparantly its more expensive for a Japanese car. Just rung them up as need it done before MK tomorrow and now they are quoting £62 lol ! It must have gone up as I need it done today. Pirates

    And my double glazing needs replacing :(
  • NicholasNicholas
    Just sort the car out who cares about the rest!! Make sure you pick me up at 2pm sharpish tomorrow ok :)
  • ChoiceChoice
    Just sort the car out who cares about the rest!! Make sure you pick me up at 2pm sharpish tomorrow ok :)
    If you did a bit of driving once in a while (0 to date) then my vehicles wouldnt cost so much to repair. I will have to start charging you wear and tear as well as fuel
  • JaShea99JaShea99
    Get at least 2 quotes on every piece of work that needs doing/MOT and you'll soon work out which garages are reputable and which aren't
  • richie8richie8
    A lad I trained at work over a 6 month period one to one so we got matey,his brother was a mechanic at a main dealers and my car was coming up to a service that they wanted £650 + VAT,I asked him what do they do on this service and he phoned his brother.Basically an oil and filter change,and a fuel filter change,clean it and park round the back for four hours and then phone you to pick it up! I did it myself.
  • ChoiceChoice
    Get at least 2 quotes on every piece of work that needs doing/MOT and you'll soon work out which garages are reputable and which aren't
    I did.......this was the cheaper quote !
  • T_C_ET_C_E
    edited September 2011
    Any one wants a oil & filter change, get around here 30 minutes and a pint in the 'Lib' we'll call it a deal : )

    Not including parts : P
  • ChoiceChoice
    Not including parts : P
    Are they more expensive cos its a London post code ?
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  • adsads
    there are quite a few places that are just MOT centres and do no other mechanical work, so it's not in their interest to fail it to rip you off
  • ChoiceChoice
    edited September 2011
    there are quite a few places that are just MOT centres and do no other mechanical work, so it's not in their interest to fail it to rip you off
    true...but this thread is just highlighting the places that do mechanical work and are in a position to rip you off.

    any dodgy plumbing stories or other trades anyone ?
  • Chris_from_SidcupChris_from_Sidcup
    Also 2 weeks ago they quoted me £40 for an oil change, apparantly its more expensive for a Japanese car. Just rung them up as need it done before MK tomorrow and now they are quoting £62 lol ! It must have gone up as I need it done today. Pirates


    You seriously don't know how to change the oil on your car?! It's a 2 minute job.
  • IdleHansIdleHans
    It is, but it's a filthy one. Even £62 doesnt sound that bad - japanese filters are always more pricey (if they are using OEM), and synthetic oil likewise.
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    Air filter is so easy to change - buy the right one for your car on ebay - cost me about £6 including postage - very accesable -top of the engine. Undo a few screws, take the old one out, put the new one in, make sure tightly closed and fits properly - job done. Took me 10 minutes tops a couple of weeks ago. Some jobs are easier to do than others but bear in mind that a lot of garages will have an YTS type trainee doing your service who might not know much more about cars than you.
  • KetmanKetman
    Had my S3 in for a Service at Audi Maidstone about Three months ago, They did a Full service & Cambelt change, changed all the Disks & pads & charged me £2,002. I had a huge row that got Audi UK involved, the itemised bill showed they carged me £69 for a 10p fuse to cure a fault. In the end they offered to pay me back a load of money I just said it was no longer about money it was about trust & they had completely lost mine. In the end I have manged to get my next service gratis but hugely annoyed by the whole sorry episode.
  • ChoiceChoice
    It is, but it's a filthy one. Even £62 doesnt sound that bad - japanese filters are always more pricey (if they are using OEM), and synthetic oil likewise.
    The oil filter was £3, the oil was £25 and they charged around £30 for the labour - job done in about half hour. Yep could have done it but they make you believe that things are expensive and full of hassle to deter you, like the man says its messy and 9 times out of 10 you cant get the parts off a vehicle without having to arse about buying a new tool from Halfords 
  • ChoiceChoice
    Had my S3 in for a Service at Audi Maidstone about Three months ago, They did a Full service & Cambelt change, changed all the Disks & pads & charged me £2,002. I had a huge row that got Audi UK involved, the itemised bill showed they carged me £69 for a 10p fuse to cure a fault. In the end they offered to pay me back a load of money I just said it was no longer about money it was about trust & they had completely lost mine. In the end I have manged to get my next service gratis but hugely annoyed by the whole sorry episode.
    £69 for a 10p fuse ffs  

    Power to the people !
  • golfaddickgolfaddick

    As I usually do around 25,000 miles a year & my Honda service book recomends a service every 12,500 miles I get through 2 services a year !!

    Its also due an MOT & so its at the local Honda dealership as I type. 

    So far it need 2 new tyres (£180), new front brakes (£100) new wear wiper (£10) and a few other odds & ends

    looking expensive day - just hope we win tonight to ease the pain !!

     

  • RossRoss
    I just had a big service on my Clio. It's second cambelt and aux belt change, and with it being a 2.0 it needs to be done without fail and by a specialist or Renault.

    Renault charge £800 for the cambelt alone, so I went to a specialist in Dartford who charged me £650 for both. A long way to go for a service when I live in Ashford, but they used to work for Renault, are recommended by loads of people on a forum I go on, and they did a drop off and collect service to Bluewater whilst I waited.

    The moral of the story is sometimes you need to travel a little bit extra for that trusted service.
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