To not want to pay the garage

[ScottishBoris]

Arrrggh, car died last week on the way back from Tescos. Luckily, dp managed to coast along into layby, despite the immobiliser kicking in all systems (including power steering!) shutting down.

RAC came out and towed the car to our local garage. Garage owner has the car for a couple of days before finally calling to advise the problem is the fuel pump and will cost >£300 to sort out. He's already ordered it and we should have the car back the following day. We say, fine as long as that's definitely what it is, and he can fix it.

In the meantime, I have to hire a car to get work and back (such is life ). After chasing him up two days later as I still haven't heard anything, I finally get a call to say that the local garage can't fix it and we'll need to take it into the dealership. Garage man has been in touch with the dealership and the problem is not the main fuel pump (the part that he's replaced) but the interior pump and it will cost over £900 to fix . He then goes on to tell me the main fuel pump needed replacing anyway ( again). Then he offers to take our car to dealership in Southampton (15 miles away) for £60 I politely decline and get the RAC to take it there for free.

Dealership has now called to advise that they have found the problem, which will cost about £700, but is nothing to do with either of the fuel pumps. Now, I've haven't been to the first garage to settle up, I have called to advise that I'll go in tomorrow to see him. He has "generously" advised that he'll "have to charge me for the pump and two hours labour instead of five".

But, am I being unreasonable to not want to pay £300 when a) he didn't fix the problem and b)he replaced parts which didn't need replacing in the first place?

Any advice gratefully received on the best way to handle this.

YANBU - but I don't know how you go about telling the first garage you are not going to pay up. I would not want to pay them!

is this a garage you have used before? they sound dodgy TBH

I don't know how you get out of paying them though, you can threaten to give them a bad reputation so they lose business I guess, but I am almost certain that as you accepted their diagnosis and agreed to have the work done, you SHOULD pay. could they take you to small claims court ??

or maybe the dealership could write you a letter saying the fault was incorrectly diagnosed and the work done was not required or helpful?

try posting on the legal board too

Maybe post in legal section for more advice...

They can't charge you for the pump. Not sure about the labour, but I suspect not.

If you don't pay the most he can do is take you to the small claims court.

Thanks for your messages ladies. We have used this garage before, ages ago, and tbh I wasn't particularly happy as the work took far longer than we were told originally and the price increased too. Dp persuaded me to give it a try again, thinking it was a blip, but it appears not.

I've posted on the legal board too, thanks for the suggestion.