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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off by this?

24 replies

peacelover · 18/08/2010 15:10

Went to Kwikfit today to get my car fixed. Booked an appointment beforehand. Phoned DP and told him where I was and as it was next to his work asked him to walk along and meet me when he was finished and I would give him a lift home. It is my car as DP can't drive and I deal with everything myself. Car was fixed and I went to pay just as DP arrived. As soon as he turned up, the mechanic started speaking to him instead of me even though DP knows NOTHING WHATSOEVER about cars. I paid myself but the guy handed DP the receipt and warranty(sp?)for the part! I'm not a hardcore feminist or anything but I don't take kindly to being ignored just because I'm a woman! DP also looked quite confused when this happened as he wasn't even standing immediately beside me!

AIBU to never ever go back to that garage purely because of this?

OP posts:
Original poster
peacelover · 18/08/2010 15:13

Just read that back and it doesn't flow very well! Sorry guys!

OP posts:
FetchezLaVache · 18/08/2010 15:26

YANBU, that's patronising and very annoying. (But I would probably go back if it turned out to be the cheapest place to get something fixed in future.)

LucyLouLou · 18/08/2010 15:27

It flowed just fine, don't worry :). I personally think YANBU, some might tell you you're overreacting, but I'd be pissed off too. And in light of that, I would probably not take my business back there. Someone who would treat me with such sexist disrespect does not deserve my custom.

SeaTrek · 18/08/2010 15:31

YANBU!

It still irks me that when I went in to buy a replacement for MY car, the salesman put it in DH's name (and yes, he did know this was my car, and he asked after DH's car - which was also bought from him).

Ladyanonymous · 18/08/2010 15:34

YANBU

SummerRain · 18/08/2010 15:36

That would majorly piss me off too and i'm not a raging feminist by any stretch of the imagination.

My mechanic does the opposite.... directs all information towards me even if we're discussing dp's car and dp is there as dp gets such a look of bewilderment on his face when trying to absorb mechanical information it didn't take the mechanic long to figure out if was safer telling me Grin

UnholyMoley · 18/08/2010 15:37

YANBU

A car sales showroom lost a sale to me because the stupid man kept directing all his chat to dh, even after I pointedly told him that it was ME that was buying the car Hmm

whatnolooroll · 18/08/2010 15:41

Our garage direct everything through me. Due to his working hours DP always drops the car off in the morning and I always pick it up in the afternoon - which means I always pay. The money comes from both of us but the garage always ask to speak to me as they think I'm in sole charge of the finances!

And YANBU it would piss me off too, fortunately DP is a more tolerant type Smile

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 18/08/2010 15:44

I bought a used sports car recently - you should have seen the vendor's look of horror when he realised he was selling it to a woman... Shock

I do let DH drive it sometimes, though.

YellowDaffodil · 18/08/2010 15:47

YANBU but it is fairly common.
Like UnholyMoley I didn't buy my car from a garage where the saleswoman kept asking my DH what spec he wanted! The only question she asked me was about the colour. I love DH and all but he has no idea about cars, I have to top up his wiper fluid ffs. I am also not deluded enough to believe she was blinded by his stunning good looks and charm!

LackingInspiration · 18/08/2010 15:48

Peacelover - YANBU. I think I'd have been tempted to say something to him if it had been me!

Unholymoley - then your salesman was an idiot as well as sexist (most care salesmen are sexist idiots though). My DH is a car salesman (thankfully not one of the sexist idiots) and he says everyone knows that you sell a car to the woman, not the man! If a married man comes in and actually buys a car on his own, it's very unusual - so much so they call them BMWWs - brave man without wife!

twolittlemonkeys · 18/08/2010 15:50

YANBU. Though you were BU to go to KwikFit in the first place. They will tell you things need fixing even when they don't, then charge over the odds for it (I've learned from bitter experience).

upahill · 18/08/2010 15:55

I would have and have had in the past said something tbh.

I've laughed and said ' What are you telling him that for? I'M your customer'

Dh always laughs at me later (in a nice way!)

Bloody annoying though

23balloons · 18/08/2010 15:59

KwikFit near me is brilliant. Just wanted to balance twolittlemonkeys opinion. Took my car to get brakes checked the checked & cleaned brakes & didn't charge me anything.

When my tyre was flat took it back to them as their service was excellent. I needed a new front tyre. They gave me lots of options cheap & expensive. I went for 2 new front tyres so they would be even. I kept the tyre that wasn't damaged and a month later when I got a scew lodged in my back tyre and it went flat I took back the original tyre I had kept. They fitted me straight in and replaced the tyre for me - they didn't charge me anything.

So not all KwikFits are bad. Sorry to hijack. You were NBU about they way they treated you but I will definitely be returning to the one near me.

Original poster
peacelover · 18/08/2010 16:01

Yeah, I wouldn't normally go to Kwikfit but it is so close to my house! I checked beforehand how much it was going to cost and it was surprisingly on par with other garages! Bloody car is costing me a fortune!

OP posts:
UnholyMoley · 18/08/2010 16:02

upahill - I did say something. In fact as he was addressing dh I waved my hand in front of his face, coughed and said 'errrr, I'm the one buying the car?'

He managed about two sentences to me before talking back to dh. What a fool, I was thinking of spending a considerable amount of money, and I did, elsewhere Grin

greentriangle · 18/08/2010 16:07

I would go back there if they fixed your car quickly and for a good price. I think that kind of thing happens quite a lot despite the fact that many men know nothing about cars. I taught my DH to drive and he gave me the money to get him a car - he didn't want to see it first/know anything about it, he just trusted that if he gave me money, I would get him a car! The bloke in the garage was astonished Grin when I chose, bought and took home DH's car without him.

sapphireblue · 18/08/2010 16:11

It would annoy me but wouldn't be enough to stop me going there again i don't think.

My local kwikfit is fabulous........they've repaired many a puncture for me free of charge and whenever I go to get my aircon topped up they always do it straight away whilst I wait. I guess it depends which branch you use!

Glitterknickaz · 18/08/2010 16:13

YANBU and I would be having a word with head office.

upahill · 18/08/2010 16:55

They have been very rude to you.

Personally if I was generally really happy with the place and the serviceI normal receive there I would mention something there and then.
If I have alternative places to use I would just use them in future.

I did that with a beauty salon I had used for years once. I spent a fair bit of money there and on one occassion I was kept waiting over an hour past my scheduled time. It had a knock on effect because I had to pick the boys up from the childminders then.

I said somthing and the owner (unbeleivably) said 'Well, your not the only one waiting you know!!' I had my treatment and have never been back since. It is the nearest one to my house and I did like going there.

upahill · 18/08/2010 16:55

I know my story wasn't excatly the same but the point I was trying to make was about customer service and how you should be treated.

cupcakesandbunting · 18/08/2010 16:57

YABU for not saying anything. Fucking thick, chauvanist pig.

The mechanic, not you OP :)

edam · 18/08/2010 17:02

Which? did some research on this. Sent identical cars with the same faults to a number of garages - one taken by a woman, one by a man. Most garages overcharged the woman...

maighdlin · 18/08/2010 20:37

generally people have started to realise that women can do more than cook clean and have children except when it comes to cars and driving. my dh isn't too bad but he can be a condescending fucker sometimes. OP don't go back. Your NBU at all sexist bastards

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