Help with my car/getting compensation from the garage

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

I have a 2001 Zafira. I have done 77,000 miles and have had it since new. Every year, bar one, I have had it serviced at a proper Vauxhall garage. The only year I didn't, I had all kinds of problems with the computer, so it put me off and I went back to the Vauxhall dealer after that.

This year, last week in fact, I took the car for its annual service and MOT. As well as the service I had to have a lot of work done on the brakes, and new tyre. The bill was £1,150!!!

Today, only a week later, the car broke down. I called out the RAC and the guy took one look at the battery and said that the garage should have realised it was not functioning properly. It's the original battery that's been in the car since we bought it.

A new battery cost me £105.

Now, if the garage had checked it, we would obviously still have had to shell out for a new one - but I wouldn't have broken down.

DH is livid and is insisting that I get the garage to pay for the new battery.

I think this is unreasonable - after all we would still have had to pay for a new battery.

Is the garage supposed to check the battery at an annual service?

And what would you do/ask for?

Why on earth does your DH think the garage should pay for a new battery?

You haven't been made financially worse off and you would have had to pay for one had the garage noticed anyway.

No idea if "check battery" is on the annual service check list. Google implies that some garages check the fluid level but this isn't the only thing that makes a battery fail.

at £105 for a battery. Where did you buy it from?

I agree, SD. But DH is really cross about how much Vauxhall have been charging us for servicing!

thelunar - the RAC.

the point is, that if the garage had checked the garage, we would have had to buy a new one, so our bill would have been bigger.

But I wouldn't have broken down today.

I would phone the garage and tell them how disappointed you are. Point out that since they badly let you down this time you might have to get it serviced elsewhere next year. Ask them why they didn't check the battery and tell them what the RAC man said.

If they value your custom they should offer some small compensation.

IME dealership garages always rip you off pricewise. the battery would most likely have cost you more from Vauxhall so you may well have come out better off

Your battery would have been cheaper from Vauxhall I would have thought.

You had to buy one in an emergency from the RAC, so they could charge what they liked and £105 is a rip off!

So yes, I think Vauxhall garage should make up the difference.

Ring them without saying who you are and 'casually' ask... how much would you charge to fit a new battery?

herbietea - how do you check the battery? Without any specialist equipment, like the RAC man had?

I can open the bonnet and stare at it, but not sure what that's telling me!

Something to do with water levels, corroded terminals and, er, fizzing. [vague] I used to know.

the original price you paid seems very ott to me, did they break it down on the invoice so you know how much you paid for each bit of work done?

Yes, sea - it all seemed legit at the time, although - what do I know?!

I think it would be cheaper to take out a loan to buy a new car.