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

AIBU to start a reply with the word 'no'?

14 replies

Roomerb · 22/04/2023 11:31

I booked my car in for a service and MOT online and dropped it off 15 minutes before my 1hr 30 min slot, as requested.

I was asked if I was waiting in the viewing area or coming back, so I automatically said I'd come back for it (but because I was having a nosey around the retail park, not because I had alternative transport to get home and return later in the day).

I was told I was 'looking at three/three and half hours' and that they'd ring me nearer the time.

I said, 'no, I've booked the express service; won't it be done by...?'

After more conversation, it turned out they were short staffed at short notice due to religious observance and running behind. I guess he was figuring out who it made no difference to to leave their car for the rest of the day, so all bookings were completed.

Mine was done in just over the time expected and I recounted this to DH when I called him, as I was a little later than expected in getting away.

Apparently it's confrontational to say what I did and I'm lucky the guy decided to back down, as this is why I 'always get into arguments'.

OP posts:

BabychamGlass · 22/04/2023 11:34

Bit of a non event really, is your husband a bit wet generally?

Do you get into lots of arguments though?

Chowtime · 22/04/2023 11:35

You've done nothing wrong

I am getting sick to the back teeth of people trying not to stick to their original agreements - if they agreed to do the express service then they should stick to that agreement - It's really not difficult!!!!!

Insisting that someone sticks to the agreement isn't confrontational - punching them in the face would have been lol.

Iwantmyoldnameback · 22/04/2023 11:38

Chowtime · 22/04/2023 11:35

You've done nothing wrong

Insisting that someone sticks to the agreement isn't confrontational - punching them in the face would have been lol.

Times like this I wish for a like button.

Original poster

Roomerb · 22/04/2023 11:38

I know, I was just explaining to him now it had overrun, but was miles better than it had seemed like it would be.

I have in the past had an argument in a different garage long the lines of them asking DH to authorise work to MY car while I've been standing there and being the one paying, as if I couldn't possibly understand!

OP posts:

Original poster

Roomerb · 22/04/2023 11:40

Iwantmyoldnameback · 22/04/2023 11:38

Times like this I wish for a like button.

Show quote history

This was my argument that I meant to insist on what I'd already paid for in advance and planned on. I don't think I even did it particularly emphatically, but DH thinks I'm mistaking being assertive for confrontation.

OP posts:

SalviaDivinorum · 22/04/2023 11:46

Garages are the limit. I hate them.

I took mine into our local tyre place to have 4 new tyres fitted which I'd pre-ordered. About an hour they said so I went for a wander around the shops.

Came back and they hadn't started - the tyres were different from the ones on the car and they wanted to check I had the right ones. If they really thought they knew better than me ( in this case they don't) they could have rung me to ask but no - they'd rather have me glowering at everyone in the waiting room for an hour instead. So glower I did.

Next time I'll spend £1000 on tyres elsewhere.

FranksOcean · 22/04/2023 11:50

Fascinating

Willmafrockfit · 22/04/2023 11:52

i booked mine in for a service,
turns out they werent going to do it for some hours,
stuck in the middle of nowhere.
i rebooked for another time

Chowtime · 22/04/2023 11:52

Snarky

Darkstar4855 · 22/04/2023 11:54

No, you were right to be assertive. If they couldn’t fulfil the express service as booked they should have offered a partial refund or given you the option to take the car elsewhere. It sounds like they were trying to pull a fast one.

AliceOlive · 22/04/2023 11:56

I get pretty touchy when my husband tells me how I should be interacting with the world.

He wasn’t there, didn’t hear your tone and why does he think he should correct you?

Reminds me of being told I was too direct and I should just use more smiley faces in my emails.

bigbluebus · 22/04/2023 12:02

Not unreasonable. I have, on more than one occasion, had to demand the return of my vehicle from garages, in spite of me telling them in advance that they could only have the car between certain hours (and them agreeing that was fine) as I needed to get home due to my carer commitments. On one occasion they were delaying returning my car as they were carrying out their 'healthcheck' on my car - which as far as I can tell is to find faults that don't exist so they can try and extract more cash from me.

Clarinet1 · 22/04/2023 12:06

I think what you said was fine. Presumably the express service comes at a premium so you should get what you paid for and, in case the people had forgotten what you booked, it was fair enough to remind them.

ShowUs · 22/04/2023 12:27

Being honest/sticking up for yourself is not being rude or confrontational.

The garage are humans and could have easily made a mistake and it would be stupid to just go along with it because your DH thinks it’s rude to say no.

Obviously there is a bit of a back story if he thinks you are always getting into arguments but in this situation you’ve done nothing wrong and he’s being a prat.

Flip