I hate the local exhaust place.....

[PeachyIsNowAChristmasFruit]

Dh took the car in Friday for a new exhaust tail pipe, chap did it whilst Dh looked after our three kids (no mean feat, 2 are SN). next day (Saturday) DS1 noticed a large lump in the car..... garage had jacked in the wrong place and pushed the floor up about a foot . Took the car back, chap just shone a torch under said no marks you did this yourself and told us to go away.

Drove car to nearest garage (our MOT palce), they put it on ramp, clear jacking amrks and a citrcular indentation in the wrong palce, car will now never pass another MOT, unless we spend almost £500 on it, then its touch and go.

We have to have a car- Dh works 30 miles away in aplace where there is no public transport (and he comes back in the early hours anyway), there's no supermarkets here and you can't take our kids on the bus. we have no babysitters to use.

Spoken to trading standards, and have sent a letter warning of court action as we just can't afford to replace or repair at the moment. CAb calling me back ASAP, but we need a report which will cost £200 in itself, which is REALLY annoying plus we can't yet find anyone here willing to do one, they all worry about falling out with local garages.

Really, really, really

blimey that's bad, was it a big franchise like kwikfit?

I would go back to the garage, tell them that you have proof that it was their fault, and that you want it fixing. If they dont then tell them that you have contacted trading standards and will be issuing court proceedings (doesnt matter if you have no intention - they dont know this). And also tell them that you are going to stand outside the garage with you kids and make sure you tell anyone that will listen how the garage has wrecked your car, and that you have 2 children with speical needs who rely on this car that is now a wreck.. again it doesnt really matter that you are bluffing... although it would help your cause if you would do it... can guarentee that after a few minutes they would be begging you to stop!!

We ARE doing court proceddings..... CAB have contacted a specialist who Dh willc all later (he's asleep, work last night)

He knows about the SN too, he says his defence is that Sam would have noticed the bump-we told him that Sam is autistic, he said he didn't care. And it was dark when Dh got the car back.

Apaprently, we have an open and shut case (he even propped the car up with wood after it had collapsed, the garage found wood embedded) we just need to find someone to get the reports done for us.

Fuming.

Was just meaning it would be better if they would fix it for you now, rather than having to pay for a report to be done and having to go through proceedings..

There's no chance of him doing it, I reckon. He called over a mate to get a second opinion- even mate said 'I can't reallys ay' and did a runner!!!!! He's just a knob, I'm afraid. Thinks we've enough on our plate so we'll go away. Didn't help that I was all glammed up for PTA do in expensive looking clothes so probably looked like we could afford to sort- erm, am a student!!!!!! Clothes were from EBAY LOL!!!!

What he didn't know is that last time I had to take someone on (Dh's emplyrers years ago) not only did we win, but DS1's Godmother showed it (the letters etc) to her sister, who lectures in Law at Oxford, who suggested it as a career for me

I am SO gonna get him!!!!

Bl**dy hell, Peachy!

do you have the energy to call the news desk of your local paper? family with 3 kids inc sn ones vs big bad garage would make a good news story.

but also bugger. I've also just had to spend a lot of money on our heap of a car, but ours is because of the too-high speed bumps at the bottom of our road (I went over it at about 15mph and smashed the catalytic converter). am going to write to the council.