To think they're trying to rip me off - shaking with rage!

[OneToughMudderFudder]

So booked car in for a full service before we set off on a road trip next week. Stupidly mentioned that to the guy when confirmed the booking [duh!].

Get called after an hour with the garage saying that they've found numerous things wrong with the car, including brakes needing stripping down, completely new brake fluid and engine flushing and they want an additional £700 to correct them (said very cheerily as if we have that just lying about).

Car sailed through its last MOT 6 months ago, all brakes were replaced last year, but apparently now its dangerous to drive . I haven't noticed any problems with the car apart from it being a little juddery very occasionally as it's an automatic diesel and needs a good long high speed run which it hasn't had recently, to burn off the diesel particulate filter, but it will get plenty of that over the next few weeks.

Guy was very rude when I said I would check with DH, saying the car was dangerous to drive, asking was I serious that I didn't want the work done! He was very annoyed I wasn't prepared to immediately agree to shell out there and then. I'm pretty sure they thought I would be freaked by them saying it was 'dangerous' because I'm a woman.

We had this a few years ago where we took both (different) our cars in for servicing and ended up paying nearly £2k for 'faults' they found. Not falling for that again.

Is this common when sending a car for a service? AIBU to think they were pulling a fast one?

Saw the title and wondered who you'd done it through. Lo and behold Servicing Stop screwed me over as well and didn't return the car the same day. We were supposed to be driving to Scotland for a wedding and the fucked up the whole trip. Fucking wankers.

Never use Servicing Stop they are a bunch of cunts.

They also stole my service history book. One previous owner with full history.

Find a local reliable mechanic OP. Do not use big companies like serviceing stop or kwikfit. They are charlatans and the scum of the mechanics world.

My mechanic charges me parts and labour and has never, ever ripped me off. I've been using him for 15yrs. So do most women and non car type men in the area as they're genuine and honest and only ever repair what actually needs to be repaired.

This will give you a laugh. I had to take my car for a recall part to the manufacturer, they did a check of my car too, and told me a list of all of its 'faults'.

They told me I needed a new timing belt, new brakes, new suspension, a wheel locking nut, a new gearbox, and part of the exhaust replaced.

I had had a timing belt fitted a month prior to this, the brakes were almost brand new, the gear box is fine, as is the suspension, and I had a wheel locking nut they just couldn't find it.

The list came to a total of £2500! They wanted £120 for the wheel lock alone!

Find a mobile mechanic in your area and get them to do a service. Buy the products online. Much cheaper, plus garages rarely do a proper service unless you pay a lot extra. They normally just do an oil change and sometimes oil filter, the rest of a 'service' is checks, like check the horn, check the lights etc. It's a rip off. I just get my partner or dad to do a service as its not difficult.

My husband has a garage. They're regularly rung up by these "online recommendation" companies asking them to join them. The garages have to pay to join. A good garage is always booked up and wouldnt need to pay...

Prior to working at his own place he worked for a main dealer. He said they had a time limit to do each job or they lost "bonus money" (despite jobs taking longer on some cars than others). They were then paid an extra 20mins to look round the car for other jobs that needed doing.

There are good garages out there. You just have to to find them.

I had a similar with the dealership where I bought my car brand new. I queried a charge when car was serviced and was told that the mechanics are self-employed and set their own charges. Found a new independent garage via local FB page and told the dealership where to put their service!

Easy fix op, get it re MOT'd my family do this each time we buy a car, it then throws up
Any genuine problems. Just get it done at a garage that doesn't do repairs as well

YANBU

We did find a good independent garage for about 10 years who were trustworthy, did odd bits without charge etc, but the problem was everyone else found them as well!

There were issues where they'd take too much work on and would keep the cars too long and there would be irate customers coming into get their cars after waiting all day. One time they had a car of mine for a week! The owner became overwhelmed by his own success and very arrogant telling people to take their cars elsewhere as he didn't need the work. Great shame as the other staff were great.

DH has used our town's Formula 1 a few times recently and they've been OK. Reviews are very good. Halfords and KwikFit are a different matter!

Car was just delivered back. I was told the brakes needed stripping and investigating as they were 'noisy' at a cost of £255 not including any extra work that needed doing to them. I've just driven it down the road doing numerous emergency stops and there's no noise. Also a rear brake light was out apparently. although DH was driving behind me yesterday and says it wasn't. Lo and behind, it's working so either they've fixed it for free (£36 cost) or they were telling porkies!

Anyone who allows a garage to tell them they need new tyres and doesn't look themselves deserves to be ripped off, why on earth would a main dealer need to go to a local garage with a tread measuring gadget, that's madness, you don't need any specialist knowledge to check if your tyres are legal

Who would know about how cars work these days? They are basically computers on wheels

Nope, the principle of the internal -infernal- combustion engine has remained unchanged since Daimler Benz and old Otto were around, what has changed is the way its controlled, electronics can and does make a very good job of timing spark's and mixing the petrol and air together.

They are also very good for controling anti skid braking systems.

An unfortunate side effect is the way these are serviced, the average mech will know almost sod all of the internal workings so and exchange part will be called for. An ECU can cost around a thousand to the end user. We were once quoted just over a grand some years ago not for a brake ABS unit on a Volvo this outfit did an exchange one for £121 back then took five mins to remove and fit the replacement:)

www.ecutesting.com/

Trooperslaneagain Had exactly that happend with my then wife she came into some money and wanted an Audi A4 went to the main dealer who never once looked at her let alone spoke to her! I did point out it was her money her decision.

Her decision was to go elsehere and she ended up with a nice Volvo instead as the sales man there knew how to treat customers properly!

and as usual trust that inbulit femine instict you have

Come on spotted zebra be fair! just how many time do we read use that instinct to suss out an offending cheating partner?

The same instinct that can tell you when someone is ripping you off or cheating on you when serviceing the car;!

I had some work done at kwik fit once and the guy took my mobile number, address, etc...then started texting me to ask me out. Didn't feel I could complain as he knew my car, address etc. That was about 18 years ago and I've never been to kwik fit since.

I've never had any problem with our local Kwikfit, my car is in for its MOT tomorrow though so I will be wary now!

Just one question does anyone here know of a garage with the one Female mech?

I own a garage with my DH (he is a mechanic) and we have a female apprentice! She’s lovely, and genuinely better than the two boys we had before.

You always know they're trying to dupe you when they adopt that overly cheerful, casual attitude about massive charges!

Only further guaranteed by becoming ridiculously offended/pushy when challenged on the facts.

Oh, and since everything else is becoming licensed, I really think car repair garages should be licensed by local authorities, with a board that you can report dodgy practices and behaviour to which risks revoking of their license!

I got ripped off for new brake discs by a ford main dealer, the following year they tried it on again and I took it to KwikFit who confirmed they didn't need changing again. So not all KwikFits are chancers to be fair.
The Ford dealership has now closed, sketchy fuckers.
I now have a Nissan and the dealership are lovely, needed 2 new tyres at last service and they sent me a video to show the level of wear. they replaced them for less than £100 each.

My mum rang a garage to ask for a quote for a certain tyre size.. it went a little like this (I cant remember actual figures so numbers are obviously wrong)

Mum: "how much for four 1234 x 123 tyres please?"

Garage man: "£350"

Mum: "ok I'll get back to you"

Asks my grandad to call the later on in the day and ask for same sized tyres.

Grandad: "how much for four 1234 x 123 tyres please?"

Garage man: "£100"

I think some garages think women dont have a clue about cars, so they give us a bigger price to try and rip us off.

Thankfully DP Iis a mechanic and I've never had to endure the trio to the garage ot gets things fixed, DP does all my servicing and MOTS. I wouldnt have the foggiest otherwise

Vauxhall dealership tried it on with me when my car went in for recall. Email with list of issues totalling £££ split into red/orange/green blah blah.
Car went in for service & mot with my local guy who made 1 of the urgent repairs (for 25% of the price) and said there was nothing else wrong.
It's practically immoral some of the hard sell I overheard while I was sat in there.

My sister was utterly screwed by kwik-fit years ago. She only went in to have a tyre replaced, they conned her for new tyres, brakes, battery, part exhaust and believe it or not new shockers!!

Dad went ballistic.

I don't trust ANY of the nationwide companies these days, their overheads means they have to screw everyone just to survive.

My brother in law took his car into a local garage for its Mot when he forgot to book it in with his dad, who was a Mot tester and trainer of other Mot testers. They found a number of faults that my Fil queried. He went to the garage himself with the car, explained who and what he was and asked them to show him all the faults. They couldn’t.

On a slightly smaller scale, my car had its service recently and my dh came with me to pick it up. He queried the filling up of the washer fluid when he had done it himself a couple of days previously. He made them knock about six quid off a nearly £500 bill.

I went to get a tyre repaired cos it had a nail through it. When I went back he told me all the tyres needed replacing as they were worn down.

I was confused as there seemed to be a decent amount of tread but not 100% sure if I was missing something.
I argued the toss and he really put the pressure on saying it was dangerous to drive, shouldn't leave the premises with those tyres on.

Luckily I had a service booked in later in the week so I told him id get a second opinion then and he tried to tell me repeatedly that people doing a service would never look at the tyres. Idiot. He's 200 yards from my house and he'll never get my business again.

In a shock I'm sure none of you are expecting the service people said the all tyres were fine and had at least 20k left in them.

You're definitely not unreasonable for checking. I have had trouble with my own car issues this weeks.
I think "shaking with rage" is a bit much, though.