The benefits of a car can often be outweighed by the headache of securing a good standard of repairs and servicing, as this case study attests.
Cheated By The Garage
Finding a reliable garage to carry out service and repair work on a car can be very difficult. Not knowing whether they are receiving a professional service or not, consumers are often at the mercy of car mechanics who sometimes exploit their ignorance with shoddy workmanship and bad practice.
Of the total number of complaints to Consumer Direct last year, car servicing and repairs accounted for just below 2%. However, although every year tens of thousands of customers complain about work not being completed, repairs being overlooked and about being charged for incomplete work, there are likely many more unaware they are being cheated.
The Filter Trap
When Donal left his car at a Belfast car dealership for its 40,000-mile service, he was well aware of the risks of taking a vehicle to a mechanic in UK. For this reason, he decided to perform his own little test. By marking the vehicle’s engine filters, he could check to see if they were changed afterwards to assess whether the service work had been carried out properly.
Upon completion of the service, the Newcastle native was handed a bill of around £275, which detailed charges relating to the filters. However, upon checking the marks made on the air and fuel filters, he found them to be still there. The work had not been done.
To add insult to injury, the bill also included a charge for the fitting of a new rear windscreen wiper even though the car didn’t even have one.
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As a result of the filter ‘trap’, Donal knew immediately he had been cheated, and so demanded to speak to the manager. He was promptly given a reduced bill of £175 and told that there had been a mix-up between the service and receptionist. He was also offered £50 off his next car service.
Unwilling to accept the situation as an unfortunate human error, Donal brushed off the sweetener and contacted Trading Standards. The dealership later pleaded guilty to two charges under the Trade Descriptions Act.
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Customer Vulnerability
The case study highlights how vulnerable consumers are when it comes to car servicing and repairs. They rely completely on the diligence of the mechanic to ensure the work is carried out properly. Donal was only able to spot the bad practice because he set up a trap for the dealership. Most customers would have been oblivious to the incomplete service and paid the money.
The dealership was charged because it is a criminal offence to make a false claim about work carried out. Serious offenders face prosecution, whilst those who fail to a lesser extent face warnings.
The Right To Complain
However, it was only through Donal’s ingenuity and basic knowledge of car maintenance that he was able to present a watertight case against the dealership. Most customers find it difficult to prove they have been cheated by a garage, and find their complaints often get them nowhere.
Under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, consumers have a right to complain if the service or repair work is not carried out with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time, and for a reasonable price.
Trading Standards will offer advice on what to do if you believe you have been the victim of substandard car repairs or servicing. They may also investigate the offending garage on your behalf.
Upon collecting my vehicle after all works were carried out, I realised that no one requested for my wheel lock key which is hidden, I asked the mechanic "Didn't you need the wheel lock nut to remove wheels so that brake fluid lines can be accessed for bleeding" he replied "NO. we use a pump" I asked if all works were complete and pollen filter replaced, he replied "YES".
Ever since the odour was still present, I contacted the branch again and was told to give it a few days. Eventually a few weeks had gone past and the odour just kept getting worse, I was told to take the vehicle back and booked on 24th Oct 2020, but due to the unbearable smell I decided to look into the issue myself. Upon removing the pollen filter I was shocked to see its condition (see pictures attached). The filter was not even replaced, in fact it is the original BMW pollen filter date stamped 16/02/2016. I could not believe my eyes, my family and I have been suffering every journey due to the foul odour, they lied to us.
As my car has had no issues untill it went into the garage is it their responsibility for them to obviously sort the situation out?.
I was phoned later to say while putting my car on ramp the drivers door was badly damaged due to ramp part falling against door which was neglect on part of mechanic.
This is very reputable garage.
What are my rights in this case.
I then rang off and IMMEDIATELY called the lease company who confirmed they only expected an OILCHANGE/FILTER PLUS INSPECTION. I contacted the garage direct IMMEDIATELY given the time it takes Servicestop to pick up the phone, and the garage confirmed they had flushed the engine already but not the pollen item, so I've cancelled this.
Not happy with the hiking of costs quite frankly relying on the customer's ignorance and equally dubious as to whether the engine flush had already happened. You need to reassess the invoice and send a new link.
As I type this I've had the phone to my ear listening to Servicestops jingle.
I conintued to communicate with the garage over Facebook Messenger. They had the car on the 22nd August. On the 30th September they said they would finish pricing the job up tomorrow. After me messaging them three times I got a reply on the 8th October saying it “with forged parts you are looking at 2 grand buddy” my reply was “head blown off, money is really tight, what is the £2,000 exactly for?” Garage then called me and confirmed it would be forged rods, pistons basically getting the car back on the road but replacing some core components with forged parts hence why it was so expensive. I agreed to get the work done. 13 October I was told the car would be done in 2 weeks, 26th October I was told the car would be another 2 weeks. On 30th November garage messaged me to pop up and go over some final details. Popped up and faced with a bill of £2,882 and it still needed to get mapping done which was going to be another minimum £300. So in total the bill came to £3182. Since the original quote of £2,000 I was never informed that it was going to cost more. The car is still not finished and they have said it would be ready on this Wednesday / Thursday.
Essentially I have paid and I have expressed my feelings toward the garage sincerely and politely to make sure I don’t upset anyone or come across as aggressive etc.
What can I do?
They obviously don't charge me for the fix they did - but they did it without my approval and I am not happy.
Can you help?
Less than three weeks later the turbo goes again and the garage has it back in for longer than we had it back, did another two oil changes and engine flush and we had it back three weeks later in July 2017.
Within 4,000 miles (and March 2018) we were getting noise from the engine so we took it back to them and they took a look and recommended that there may be a bit of sludge and we were driving it too gently and should put our foot down to clear it.
We drove it as normal but six weeks later the car makes an awful noise and my wife has to stop and get RAC to recover her home.
I paid for the car to be taken to the garage and they say that it is a build up of oil sludge in the oil pump pipe and the engine is wrecked, essentially writing off the car.
I mentioned that we had paid for two full oil changes and two engine flushes when the turbo went on (as required by the warranty) and their reply was basically "tough" these things happen and they weren't to know.
I feel the advice given by the mechanic directly led to the engine malfunction (as if he had properly assessed it we would not have driven it until it was flushed properly.
Frustrated as we also took it in to have an MOT after he said it was OK and over £200 later the car is a write off. After spending £800 on the turbo fitting and full kit and not even having last a year, or even a few thousand miles, we feel conned that something like sludge has killed the engine after being promised that FOUR flushes were done in total over the two months they had the car in and out of the garage.
Surely this should not have built up in such a short time, and if it had the garage that did the engine flush, and were notified of the noise, should bare responsibility.
Hoping that someone can help point us in the right direction or let us know if we are wasting our time perusing this?
Thank you, Jonathan
When I first got the quote he told me I won't need a service as putting all the fluids is included. I feel like he is trying to bump up this invoice. Should I pay & take it to the small claims court. I have tried to talk to the garage but they are refusing to discuss it.
I explained again, the driver would have used the wipers on collection as the weather was wet and If he did not report that only one wiper was working, then I can only assume they were were working normaly.I asked if the engine bay had been pressure washed as at a glance it looked very clean and could water have got into the wiper motor ? following the valleting service he said no but I did not go back to my car to check at that point as it was now back in the workshop.
The manager then asked one of he`s staff for a price for a wiper motor, the cost was £195 he said he would fit the motor for free but I would have to pay for the part.
This is when the dispute began. I told him I was upset by the news and felt I was put in a position, to now prove that the wipers were working properly when the car was collected. I said If I had to pay I would look to be getting a refund via a small claims court. I left the car with them as he agreed that it was not in a safe condition to drive even though the paper work I was handed after excess payment was made states " YOUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN THROUGH QUALITY CONTROL CHECKS DURING THE COURSE OF THE REPAIR AND HAS PASSED THE FINAL QUALITY CONTROL EXAMINATION"
I rang AXA when I got home and told then what had happened.
They rang me back after an hour and said they had spoken to the manager. They will now have to get a report from the manager and send it to AXA`s engineer to give a verdict. The person I spoke to did say the manager might have overlooked the wiper on first inspection. I am still waiting to see what is going to happen now.
I can only say the whole following a front end collision.
My car was collected from my premises to the repair garage. I had been using the car for a week after the collision as the damage was not Great and all the normal functions were working, lights, horn, indicators, windscreen wipers, hazard warning lights. I would not have used the car If I thought it was not safe to drive.
The car was collected from my home 8.30 am and weather light rain.I signed for the collection in my kitchen as the paperwork was handed to me on my drive and was getting wet. The car was taken and a courtesy car given.
I called the Garage after a week had gone by and asked when I could get It back. I was told the repair had begun and they were awaiting parts but would be a few more days.
I went to collect my car a few days later.
The repair work looked good. I gave the car a cursory inspection, I asked the receptionist If she would just watch while I tried the lights indicators etc. She came outside and confirmed the light were functioning ok and said all the necessary checks would have been done. I went back into the office and paid my excess.
I came out of the office and got in my car to drive off, It had starte
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