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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

QUICK PLEASE!!! SHOULD THE CAR GARAGE HAVE TOPPED UP MY PETROL FOR ME

30 replies

dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 12:14

i bought a renault a month ago from the proper renault garage, all was well at this time (apart from getting a shock at how much petrol it went through)

last week i got a call from the garage saying i had to take the car back in to get a new rear window fitted, they admitted this should have been done before i was given the car and to save me any inconvenienece they gave me a courtesy car.

someone picked my car up and took it away with a full tank of petrol and when i got it back the next day it only had half a tank, chances are this ammount was needed to get to the garage and back but i was expecting to get the car back the way it left me.

aibu to expect this or should i think myself lucky they gave me a courtesy car, remember this was supposed to be done before i picked the car up and i was unaware of anything till i got the phone call.

i just called to speak to someone and i could tell the woman thought i was stupid for even asking and has said someone else will call me back so i would love some advice before i got the phone call.

OP posts:
BettySpaghetti · 13/11/2007 12:16

Blimey! How far away is the garage to use half a tank of fuel?

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 12:17

about a hour each way, i think it would have been about £20 it used, maybe just under

OP posts:
BettySpaghetti · 13/11/2007 12:19

TBH it wouldn't have crossed my mind for them to top-up the fuel.

I just would have been happy not to have been car-less for the day.

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 12:20

thats what i was wondering, just a shame i have had to fork out £20 fuel when it was not my fault

OP posts:
BettySpaghetti · 13/11/2007 12:21

What car is it as that fuel consumption seems a bit high?

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 12:22

megane its a flippin nightmare only get about 32mpg on it

OP posts:
MuffinMclay · 13/11/2007 13:01

It would never occur to me that the garage ought to top up the petrol. I'd just be pleased that they came and collected it for you and brought it back (I had a huge row with my garage last week about them refusing to do this despite promising beforehand - they backed down in the end).

SoupDragon · 13/11/2007 13:06

Picking up your car and giving you a courtesy one aren't usual everywhere anyway so I think you should count yourself lucky on that score TBH.

mummyhill · 13/11/2007 13:14

DH is a mechanic and never has a garage that he has worked in topped up a customers tank. Courtesy cars are run on an empty to empty basis so they never have fuel in them and you wouldn't get reinbursed if you gave it back with fuel in iyswim.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 13/11/2007 13:28

Presumably someone else has paid for the fuel in the courtesy car that you have been using? Still though at half a tank going. Why did it have to go so far away?

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 13:40

the courtesy car was only used for the school run as it was raining, not even a mile, i did think i was being unreasonable but its just come as a shock that i am almost due to fill it up again after only doing it the day before it went to the garage.

any other month it might not have bothered me as much but im strapped this month and need to do a long journey on satuday.

OP posts:
Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 13:41

if they had bloody done the work before giving me the car like they were suposed to this would never have happened

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/11/2007 13:44

Perhaps I should clarify my thoughts... I'm not surprised they've not done it (and you're lucky to have got a courtesy car - I had to call in favours here there and everywhere to get my car serviced by Renault) but morally they probably should

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 13:50

so morally ianbu, but in every other respect iabu

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/11/2007 13:57

I suspect it's more a case of YABO (You Are Being Optimistic)

lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:12

That's funny.

mummydoit · 13/11/2007 14:17

I think you were lucky to get a courtesy car. My Megane has been back four times for safety recalls and I've never been offered a courtesy car. The only time I got one was last week when they couldn't fix a fault with the locking system in one day and had to keep it till the next day. They brought me a courtesy car but it was completely useless as they forgot to bring me my child car seats, even though I specifically asked them to. Welcome to the wonderful world of Renault customer service.

HappyMummyOfOne · 13/11/2007 15:27

I deal with many garages through work re our cars and vans and none of them top up the fuel - but they dont charge us for the courtesy car fuel either so works both ways.

kslatts · 13/11/2007 16:20

I guess if they don't charge you for the courtesy car fuel then it does work both ways, but assuming that you didn't use much petrol when you had it, you are still out of pocket which doesn't seem fair, I'd make a fuss with the manager and see how far you get.

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 16:29

if it was going in for a service, mot general reapirs etc i would not think of expecting them to put the petrol back in.

its just the fact that this had to be done because they forgot to put the new window in before selling me the car.

i have still not heard back from them and after the responce i got the first time i called i think i will just leave it, judging by other peoples renault comments this is something i will have to get used to.

OP posts:
fireflyfairy2 · 13/11/2007 16:43

There's no way in hell a garage around here would even dream of filling up the petrol!

My brother is a mechanic & he wouldn't think of filling a car up with petrol before the owner picked it up!

You're quite lucky they picked it up for you, as they don't do that here either

Original poster
dingdongkerrykonhigh · 13/11/2007 17:17

i think it was more a case of they had to pick it up rather than they were being nice, it was a safety issue that the window had to be replaced, they were proberly more worried that if the window fell out and someone realised the parts were lying forgotton about in the garage it would look really bad.

they did ask me to take it in but when i said i had no time to do it they mentioned it getting picked up, anyway think i am fighting a losing battle so will just forget it now.

OP posts:
beeper · 13/11/2007 20:10

Does your car actually wee out fuel.

SoupDragon · 13/11/2007 20:19

Have to say I'm amazed at the fuel consumption. I used less than half a tank on a 3 hour round trip in my Laguna at the weekend.

mummydoit · 14/11/2007 08:19

Your fuel consumption does sound extremely high. I can do the 250 mile trip to visit my parents in less than a tank in my Megane.

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