To be annoyed with Kwikfit

[stripeyknickersspottysocks]

Used Kwikfit for today for an MOT and intermin service. Got a phonecall at lunch time saying the car had failed its MOT. They proceeded to tell me it needed a bulb, new wiper, 3 tyres, new brake discs and pads. I asked how much it would be - £512. I nearly poo my pants at the thought of having to find that money but I need my car on the road so tell them to do it.

Pick my car up, pay the money (am now seriously overdrawn), they give me the first (fail) MOT cert, the advisory and the next MOT cert (pass) all folded up in a little Kwikfit folder. I rush off to pick DD up from school, have now looked at the MOT certificates to find out it only failed on the bulb the wiper blade and one tyre. 2 other tyres were on an advisory and the brake disc and pads weren't even on the advisory but on a seperate bit of paper saying they were close to the limit.

I know all the work probably did need doing sooner rather than later but if they'd told me the actual situation I could have got the other 2 tyres done next month and the brake stuff the month after that. Instead they misled me to understand it all needed doing today or my car couldn't be legally driven.

Do you think I have any come back on this with them, DH has told me to ring them up and tell them I'm taking them to court. But at the end of the day they have done the work so I owe them the money? I am angry with them though as so skint now.

They are taking the piss but you should have checked before you okayed the work.

I would ring them up and explain that you wasnt told that the break discs/pads and 2 tyres were only an advisory and not a Fail on your MOT. That is not fair what they have done to you.

YANBU. I'm having our car's MOT done by Kwikfit next week so thanks for the heads up!

Im not sure about the legalities of it all, but I would imagine that they should tell you what its failed on and then go on to say about the advisory work as a separate thing.

There is a website (I think I googled MOT pass or something when my car was in for its MOT) I think within gov.uk that you put in your reg no and ref no on your owners doc.s and you can see the past MOT's, why its failed each one and what work has been advised.

It might be the case that legally they dont have to tell you what work has to be done for a pass and what is advisory so they tell you it all in the hope that you say yes please do that work and here's all this money. If that is the case then YABU to be annoyed, but it will have to be put down to experience and you will have to move on.

If the law is that they have to make it clear to you what work needs to be done for a pass and what is advisory then I think you could maybe make a formal complaint. Although like I said I dont know the law when it comes to this, but someone else here might.

I always make DH come with me to garages in the hope that they mechanics dont see woman driver and try to rip me off. Perhaps you could write a letter anyway they might give you a voucher for next time or something.

i would be v suspicious for something to fail on bulbs and wiper blades. it is v common for garages to say that a bulb has blown and they need to replace or wiper blade is broken. both of these you are unlikely to check before hand and question. always do a walk round the car with lights on to check bulbs ok (will need two people to check brake lights). also check that wiper blades are ok before.

i would be phoning head office like a shot. this sounds v dodgy practice.

I only used them as my next door neighbour uses them and said they were fab, never had a problem with them.

Unfortunately the lovely village garage has stopped doing MOTs.

The website Fartblossom refereed to is this Very helpful.

I do get annoyed with garages when they do this. Have had it happen to me. Partlu blame myself as I'm usually at work and distracted so don't question what needs doing. DH takes the cheats way out and just authorises any work that needs doing, to be done

A garage has the responsibility in law to get your permission before carrying out work. Most do this via a quick call from service advisor to customer. On the face of it Kwikfit have done nothing wrong and although I don't doubt your version of events for a moment (am an ex service manager to a dealership), it's PROVING whether they quoted some repairs as mere recommendations which is your problem.

Unless you can do so it's your word against theirs I'm afraid.

TIP FOR THE FUTURE: ASK YOUR GARAGE TO EMAIL THEIR QUOTE TO YOU AND GIVE YOUR PERMISSION IN THE SAME FORMAT.

Well I rang them back yesterday and stated my feelings. The manager said he sees my point and is sorry. He did say they had my old brake bits and if I wanted I could come back and have the new ones taken off and the old ones put back on and then have the money refunded.

I just haven't got the time to do this, not when I'd have to go back in 2 weeks time and have the new ones put back on again. So I declined, hopefully though they may explain stuff better to people in the future. I've certainly learned a lesson.

This is why I always let dh deal with garages...some of them do take women for a ride, or do what they did to you!

A friend's father took her car in (small independent, one man show) to get a Q to get the tires changed. He was told that 2 needed doing at x cost. Father booked it in for 2/3 days later.

Friend took it in to get it done as scheduled...guy told her all 4 needed doing & Q'd double (per tyre) what he had told her father! She told him that her father had taken the car in previously & was told x, man said 'oh yes, sorry I thought that was a different 'very uncommon surname''

It shouldn't happen, but it does & I bet that they wouldn't have miss-lead your hubby!

kwik fit did the same when i had my car serviced by them, gave me a list as long as your arm

brake pads, brake discs, new wipers, new tyres etc

my car needed none of them, it passed the MOT a few months later without me replacing anything on their list, fucking tossers, i would never use kwit fit again after that

I had a horrifying experience after taking my car to kwikfit for a handbrake repair. The next day I had complete brake failure as I approached a roundabout. Some pipe or other had been fractured. They didn't admit liability but were very quick to repair the car free of charge. I didn't pursue it further and not knowing my stuff when it comes to mechanics, couldn't say for sure that it was their fault.

Hate to think what could have happened, especially these days when I have my tiny baby in the car with me. Will never ever go there again (it's v expensive anyway) and would absolutely recommend that others didn't. I would suggest going to small-scale, local garages wherever possible.

apparently a lot of people are complainging as they are being scammed by kwikfit.

failing mots and claiming they need more work then they need.

if anyone is booked in with them i'd seriously go elsewhere.

I have used Kwik Fit once. But never again.

Take your car to an independant MOT tester, and one that ONLY does MOT's.

I have used the same tester for 5 years now and as a result I have never taken it to a garage that does servicing too. Just asking for trouble imo

At my MOT testing station, if it fails, you get 14days to get it repaired and back for a free re-test. Granted it does cost more, but put it against paying £45 for an MOT or several hundred for work that doesnt need doing then I would rather pay for a more expensive MOT and feel satisfied that I am getting the correct service.

I had the an MOT done in Kwikfit a few weeks ago, with a pre MOT service. The guy told me that tonnes of stuff needed doing and he wasn't able to do some stuff, like change the spark plugs, because there had been an oil leak. And, of course because it was Kwikfit and thats what they do, the pads and discs needed doing.

I didn't like nor trust him so took it to my local garage and had a second opinion. They, trustworthy people that they are, told me none of it needed doing until next years service, had a good while on the discs and pads and there was no sign of an oil leak.

I will never take my car to a Kwikfit again.

They're the boys to trust? To trust they'll do a rubbish job and lie to you.

I would also report them to trading standards - if they get enough complaints they might organise a sting against them and be able to take them to court,

they might also hold a list of good garages in your area...