Serious Problem with Garage - Breakdown People
Discussion
Op , just a thought , but how handy are you ?
Would it be an option to go over with a mate in his car , some tools and a cv joint then fix your car to drive home ( if you're reasonably sure of your diagnosis ) .
If you're sorted with the recovery now - great . Otherwise , could you have towed it with another car on a pole or a rope ?
Would it be an option to go over with a mate in his car , some tools and a cv joint then fix your car to drive home ( if you're reasonably sure of your diagnosis ) .
If you're sorted with the recovery now - great . Otherwise , could you have towed it with another car on a pole or a rope ?
D7Cup said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
I wonder if upon inspection they drained the oil once they suspected it was the diff? They may have done this to inspect the oil to determine if anything was untoward inside the case.
Really doubt it mate, they wouldn't do that at an inspection surely. I suspect that they must have fiddled with the linkage though as the other gears would engage? But why would they do something like that in the first place?It would be quite likely that they would check the gearbox fluid for swarf to confirm if the diff or other components had lunched themselves. It's the easiest way to check, not necessary to drain the whole lot, but to take a sample to visually inspect and smell. It was just a thought anyway mate.
Pontoneer said:
Op , just a thought , but how handy are you ?
Would it be an option to go over with a mate in his car , some tools and a cv joint then fix your car to drive home ( if you're reasonably sure of your diagnosis ) .
If you're sorted with the recovery now - great . Otherwise , could you have towed it with another car on a pole or a rope ?
This is another scenario yes. Yes some basic tools and parts, fly over to Basel with a mate who is handy (dirty cheap flights with Ryanair), get a train to Mulhouse (30 minutes) pick up the car and repair it somewhere convenient. I still haven't received the official "no" from the breakdown cover so we'll see..Would it be an option to go over with a mate in his car , some tools and a cv joint then fix your car to drive home ( if you're reasonably sure of your diagnosis ) .
If you're sorted with the recovery now - great . Otherwise , could you have towed it with another car on a pole or a rope ?
SpeedMattersNot said:
think they are cables on your car, so from memory there's no adjustment.
It would be quite likely that they would check the gearbox fluid for swarf to confirm if the diff or other components had lunched themselves. It's the easiest way to check, not necessary to drain the whole lot, but to take a sample to visually inspect and smell. It was just a thought anyway mate.
Thanks for that SpeedMattersNot what you say does make sense. Such a shame I can't prove anything as the garage says that they only checked the car visually..It would be quite likely that they would check the gearbox fluid for swarf to confirm if the diff or other components had lunched themselves. It's the easiest way to check, not necessary to drain the whole lot, but to take a sample to visually inspect and smell. It was just a thought anyway mate.
On a positive note (ish) a company from shiply quoted me £835 for the job. Has anyone used those?
I used to work for a fairly large breakdown company that offered Euro Cover.
Quite honestly, the French garages were some of the hardest to work with. They had a rather annoying habit of suggesting large work, rather than disassembly and repair.
I recall one occasion of one garage wanting to replace the entire rear axle/subframe of an MX5 rather than just the diff that had failed, we repatriated them rather than forcing the repair.
Best of luck to you! Make sure you do submit a complaint though. From where I'd used to work, if we'd made an offer (even incorrectly), the only way we'd retract that is if we discovered dishonesty from the caller. Hell, if their complaints depart is as understaffed as ours was, anything that came in as a complaint that was reasonable got a cursory check to make sure all was in order, and then paid out.
Quite honestly, the French garages were some of the hardest to work with. They had a rather annoying habit of suggesting large work, rather than disassembly and repair.
I recall one occasion of one garage wanting to replace the entire rear axle/subframe of an MX5 rather than just the diff that had failed, we repatriated them rather than forcing the repair.
Best of luck to you! Make sure you do submit a complaint though. From where I'd used to work, if we'd made an offer (even incorrectly), the only way we'd retract that is if we discovered dishonesty from the caller. Hell, if their complaints depart is as understaffed as ours was, anything that came in as a complaint that was reasonable got a cursory check to make sure all was in order, and then paid out.
btcc123 said:
Devil2575 said:
btcc123 said:
Regarding the recovery company if you spoke to a woman then you will not get anywhere with your complaint as we all know women change their minds all the time so hopefully it will be changed again in your favour.
Just a bit of casual sexism thrown in for good measure?
D7Cup said:
On a positive note (ish) a company from shiply quoted me £835 for the job. Has anyone used those?
Shiply is just a clearing-house for transport companies, so the actual company who've quoted is a fairly relevant piece of information there.You didn't get any second opinion on the box? Either on the original problem or on the problem the first garage "caused"? You just left the car (at that garage, with the key?) and got a lift home?
Thanks for all your replies.
I was obviously planning to go for a second opinion just to prove the breakdown wrong and consequently force them to repatriate. However they agreed to do so when I was there as they were getting mixed info from the garage so yes, I left the car there because according to them they would collect it as soon as possible. What was I supposed to do?
TrackMegane said:
How long is the trip for? Could something else not break that means it cant be fixed in time for repair so it has to be recovered...
It is a good 6 and a half hours driving to Calais and then a couple of hours to London, if you nurse the car it will probably take 10 hours. That was my original plan that's why I had changed the crossing and booked a hotel in Reims to break the trip in the middle. However I left the car there because I was advised to do so by the breakdown company, changed the crossing again as nursing the car was not anymore needed and cancelled the hotel which was non refundable.lee_fr200 said:
Hire a van and a trailer and go pick it up
Simples
That was another option indeed and trust me I was very tempted to do so. However if you add the whole lot up plus aggro plus travelling alone plus day off from work you are not far off the quoted price...Simples
TooMany2cvs said:
Shiply is just a clearing-house for transport companies, so the actual company who've quoted is a fairly relevant piece of information there.
You didn't get any second opinion on the box? Either on the original problem or on the problem the first garage "caused"? You just left the car (at that garage, with the key?) and got a lift home?
I did try to put some senses into the breakdown people asking them to go for a second opinion but they wouldn't have it as they kept telling me that they trust the garage (official Renault you see) and that only "specialists" work there...I did chuckle with this one. They also told me that they found the gearbox quote quite reasonable...a clio box at 3,500 euro...You didn't get any second opinion on the box? Either on the original problem or on the problem the first garage "caused"? You just left the car (at that garage, with the key?) and got a lift home?
I was obviously planning to go for a second opinion just to prove the breakdown wrong and consequently force them to repatriate. However they agreed to do so when I was there as they were getting mixed info from the garage so yes, I left the car there because according to them they would collect it as soon as possible. What was I supposed to do?
BigBob said:
Don't be too surprised if you get a bill from the garage for 'Storage' as well ;(
BB
Yeap that's what I thought therefore I decided to arrange it at my own costs. £700 final quote from Marway Transport and the car is on its way back home. It will be here tomorrow so wish me luck claiming the money back from the breakdown cover.. BB
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