To have taken my car without paying for it?

[CatCafe]

Just a bit worried I've done the wrong thing here.

Took my car to a garage this morning for repair. I've never used them before as I'm new to the area.

Mechanic called me to tell me car was ready but I was on the school run on foot about 40 mins walk away. He said he'd be gone by the time I reached the garage but would leave keys with the other mechanic and I should leave payment with him too.

When I got there there was no-one in his section of the building (seems to be shared by a few small businesses) I asked around and there was no-one associated with him.

I found my keys but there was still no sign of anyone, I tried to call but could hear his phone ringing from somewhere in there so he must leave it at work. Hung around for a bit, tried going back a little while later to no avail so I took my keys/car and sent a text message saying I would return first thing in the morning to sort out payment.

I'm now worried that I've done the wrong thing and that he'll be pissed off I removed the car without leaving any money but I wasn't comfortable leaving it with a random person from the building or lying in his office area incase it went missing and i'd have no proof that I'd paid.

Now I'm wondering if I should have just come back for the car the next day but school run and getting around are a nightmare without it.

Would you have done the same?

Yes, I would've done exactly the same thing.

I'd have done the same :)

I'm sure it's fine. I would have done the same.

Yes, I would. Don't worry, it's not as if you're not going to pay.

Doesn't sound like you had any other choice. I'd have done the same.
Anyone could have got a hold of your keys

I'd be furious that I'd been able to walk into the garage locate my keys and drive away unchallenged. I would like to think any garage would take a bit more care of the keys than that.
I would return tomorrow and speak to them about that and pay them.
Definitely YWNBU and they WBU

Bit concerning that you could just walk in & take they keys & the car, you could have been anybody!

I'd have done the same. We have an arrangement with ours that he uses the spare key when working on it. I pick up after the garage is closed with the main key, and swap him payment for the other key at some point in the next few days. Obviously you don't know this guy so don't have that arrangement yet but I get the sense mechanics are pretty chilled about payment arrangements (nothing to do with them being muscly blokes with access to spanners )

To be fair, the car was parked in the next street and round the corner, so if anyone was trying to nick it they'd have had some hunt with the keys to locate the right car but that's exactly why I didn't want to leave the money lying around as the place wasn't secure.

The garage I used in my old town would leave the keys in the car for me and i could pay next time I was in but that was in a small village where I knew the owner, I wasn't sure how 'ok' it was in this situation when the guy doesn't know me from Adam!

Good to know I wasn't being unreasonable and that it's likely to be alright with him if others would have done the same.

Not impressed with security at that garage.

I've never paid the same day I collect my car, the guy always posts me an invoice a few days later. I call in to pay at some point within a week or so. You were definitely right not to leave cash without a receipt

I'm also surprised you managed to get your keys and drive away.

I work in a garage and we keep our customers' keys locked away in a cupboard in a staff only area.

Absolutely fine to go back and pay the next day though.

Our local garage is great and I can pick up my car and pay the bill at the end of the month once I get paid

In my old local garage I'd pay the bill at the end of the month and even pay it up in a couple of installments if need be but this is in a bigger town where I'm not sure what the norm is for payment.

Good to know that it's not generally expected to pay immediately.

I hadn't really given the security issue with the keys much thought- there were other workers around but none of them batted an eyelid when I walked in and I went through to a little side-room office thing which was where I found my keys.