can't stand this place anymore

Thought you might all enjoy today's tale of woe:

I asked my French friends if they knew of a decent, reputable place that would fit two new tyres without ruining my alloys, and one of them told me about a place they'd worked at for two years who specialised in prestige cars, and are always extremely careful when fitting tyres.

I went there with him, and everything seemed really good - there were a couple of Porsches outside, and some mint looking classic cars being worked on. The owner said it'd cost me €40 to get the two tyres fitted and balanced, which seemed OK to me so I agreed to go ahead with it.

This was the result:









and loads of marks like you can see in the last picture all over the wheels where he must have used a crowbar or something to get the tyres off. You can also see his top class touch-up paint skills where he tried to remedy the situation.

When I asked him what the fk he was doing, he told me that this was normal for Jaguar wheels, as British wheels are much lower quality than the German cars he usually worked on. I pointed out that I'd had tyres fitted to these wheels several times in the past, including at dodgy backstreet places in London, and they sustained no damage whatsoever.

Naturally, I received absolutely no compensation for this, and was given the overall impression that they genuinely felt I was in the wrong. Had this happened in England, or indeed at a place where I wasn't with someone who was best friends with the moron who fitted the tyres, I'd have refused to leave until they'd given me the money for a refurb.

It was all incredibly awkward for my friend, as his family owns the hotel opposite the garage, and they all go to dinner together every few weeks, which is also how he ended up working there in the past. He offered to pay for a refurb himself but I refused as it wasn't really his fault. Just going to live with it for the moment and maybe get them refurbed in a few months when I've decided if I'm keeping or selling the car.

I can assure you 100% they're not, as I looked the wheels over myself when it was parked outside the garage and they were mint, as they have been for the last year or so. He quite happily admitted he'd done it, just wasn't bothered about it.

I had all four wheels on the Healey damaged when I had the tyres changed.I also had to take the wheels off myself as he had no idea what spin ons were. To be fair, i could see no heavy handling on his part during the process, as needless to say, i stayed and watched. They just seemed to get marked during their time on the table and on the balancing machine. They just don't seem to take enough care when doing the job.

Hi,

One could think you seem to attract all morons around like a magnet.

But, one could also think you turn the people you meet into morons, because being so unlucky is hardly conceivable.

Éric

Éric, you're point would be a fair one but following this logic I would have the same problem with everyone in all of the countries I've visited.

However I only see this in France and I'm not the only one.

I would love to Paul but I can't.

You're lucky you got a taxi ride at all Driller. My friends were left to walk recently after their ordered taxi pulled up, the driver noticed they had a toddler with them and refused to take them as his car didn't have a child seat fitted. Although maybe that's common these days?

That's a very kind offer Paul, next time I'm down that way I'll give you a shout. I'll bring some M&S bacon!

I could live without the food though TBH, it's just people's attitude that gets you down.

Hi,

There are many valid points in your concerns, but I expect you're not having issues with everyone you meet in France.
My dulcinea is an english teacher and we're in touch with a British expatriates club in our area, I've heard some rants, but they never reached your virulence.
Maybe they like us and therefore don't want to offend us, that could be an explanation

Éric

Of course not Eric but the issues that I, and apparently others, are having are not the sort of problems you expect to have in decent society especially when it's uncalled for.

Believe it or not I am an extremely polite and considerate person, the trouble is I expect the same from others and if I get abuse or indifference after I've been decent/polite then I am as disagreeable as I can be courteous. It also drives me insane. It's a cliché but I'm a man of principles and I stand by them.

C'est juste non?
Your suggestion is that I just "don't like" French people. If you went back through my long post history here (you won't want to waste your time obviously!) you'd see that I often complained about the English's knee-jerk, indoctrinated dislike for the French often coming from people who have never been to France but who just regurgitate the stereotypical crap about not washing and hairy armpits that everyone else does.

If my take seems slightly different or more extreme than other Brits you've spoken to then maybe it's because I'm running a business here and have to deal with all the associated far left crap including ridiculously high charges (for example my obligatory pension charges have just DOUBLED for my non-existent pension) and frustrating, prejudiced employment law. I've certainly felt more hard done by here since I opened my practice a few years ago. These constant difficulties amplify everyday annoyances.

If you've have any experience running a business in France you'll know what I mean. But it is certainly not restricted to this by any means as the thread shows.

Hi,

Not at all, I just think you somewhat over react

I do not run a business, but my father has, and I've been an associate in a small IT company, so I think I understand what you're talking about.

Social dialog is most of the time a real pain, the "services fiscaux" assume that everyone frauds and then rise taxes to ridiculous levels, in fact, many people fraud ("Travail au noir"), but in the end, only those who don't are penalized.

Éric