Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

Are the garage liable?

17 replies

Traineee · 28/01/2019 17:49

DH dropped his car off for a MOT Friday, it failed due to shockabsorbers and a windscreen wiper. Was given a courtesy car and told it would be ready Monday. Brill.

DH has just picked up his car after work and as he's driving he's spotted that the windscreen is cracked in three places. Big cracks. Couldn't take car back as was on way to get DD from nursery.

Phoned the garage who have acted all surprised, said it was parked on the side over the weekend and to bring it in first thing tomorrow morning to have a look at.

Would the garage be liable for the damage here as the car was left with them? Looks like something has been dropped on the windscreen and caused all the cracks.

OP posts:

Charlie97 · 28/01/2019 17:52

I'm not sure but I think you can claim off some insurance policies with no excess or loss of no claims bonus, which may help if they won't sort it

badlydrawnperson · 28/01/2019 17:53

They aren't automatically liable - depends what happened.

Also whatever happened they may or may not choose to be helpful.

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 18:10

We don't know what's happened. DH parked it around the back and they moved it to the street after the failed MOT and left it there over the weekend.

OP posts:

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 18:29

Some pics

OP posts:

username10001 · 28/01/2019 18:36

Yes looks something dropped on that . You need to get it sorted ASAP in the cold it will get worse and it's dangerous . Ring auto glass will need to pay the excess . I'd definitely complain to the garage though they should refund you the cost . It's definitely not chipped . but your dh should of took it straight back .

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 18:52

We couldn't take it straight back we had to get DD from nursery and by the time we got back garage was closed. We left at 5.30pm they close at 6.

OP posts:

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 18:58

Just discovered that there's no mention of replacement wiper on invoice despite it being one of the fails and mechanic saying on phone earlier that it was nearly ready just waiting on wiper to be replaced. All seems dodgy...

OP posts:

HomeEdRocks18 · 28/01/2019 19:08

My husband is a mechanic and he said it looks like the wiper blade has been dropped onto the screen.
Had the windscreen been cracked beforehand it would have been added to the fail list.
Definitely ask them to fix

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 19:11

Thank you that's what I thought! I Just find it all strange how now there no mention of a wiper on the invoice. If they had just said we're really sorry 'Tim' has accidently done this, we'll fix it, we would be totally understanding, accidents happen.

OP posts:

Fleetwoodsnack · 28/01/2019 19:13

The fact that he accepted it that condition and didn't notice may go against you.

Original poster

Traineee · 28/01/2019 19:15

He paid and took the keys and drove off in a rush to get our DD as nursery was closing. He left at 17.27 and noticed the crack and phoned them at 17.32 at which point they said to bring it in first thing tomorrow.

OP posts:

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 28/01/2019 19:29

Then take it in first thing and see what they say, nothing more to say really

TheLostTargaryen · 28/01/2019 19:36

Definitely on the garage to repair. You picked it up in the dark and noticed within a short period of time. They know full well what they did.

For the future, get a dash cam that records when the car is off and give the garage strict instructions to not unplug it.
I had one but I let the mechanic unplug it because he didn't like them on him. He finished the work and didn't call me to pick it up and that night it got hit by someone (or he did it and lied). DH said to leave it because the mechanic shrugged it off and said he wasn't liable. I disagreed but DH believed him and didn't want a fuss.

Turns out the damage was more than we thought and we've never been able to afford the repair.

My advice OP? Have more balls than us.

username10001 · 28/01/2019 19:56

They obviously knew you wouldn't notice when picked up when it was dark . It's a bit cheeky like someone said it's a accident just fix it but let's pretend don't know anything about it . Definitely go back tomorrow to show them .

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 28/01/2019 20:27

TheLostTargaryen
Word of warning on the dash cam, they record over themselves unless you stop them and they don't have a long recording time. You can get some that back up to a cloud or laptop but they need Wi-Fi near by and aren't cheap, but some arse drive into my car one night so if I'd had one it would have paid for itself, it would also catch the dirty bastard who doesn't clean up ever his dog so I can return the shit to his doorstep

TheLostTargaryen · 28/01/2019 23:49

@Onlyjoinedforthisthread thanks, it's got parking mode which takes 1fps recording but has g-sensor shock recording as well so will take a permanently stored recording of any hits for 10 seconds either side of the knock. With a 64gb card it doesn't record over footage for a good day or two. More than long enough for a mechanic visit. I highly recommend a decent dash cam. I've got some right corkers of idiot drivers ready for YouTube.

Original poster

Traineee · 29/01/2019 07:31

Thanks, we'll look into getting a dashcam!

DH is going to speak to them first thing after dropping me off in work (using my car).

OP posts:

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread