Exhaust repair specialist removes my cat without asking...
Discussion
He'll be after the Platinum in the catalyst.
I've done a couple of electronics servicing jobs, where components are cheap as chips. Even there the basic premise is that any damaged, removed items are the property of the customer. I have to say that we usually threw them away, but that was generally because we would happily have given the customer free additional new components for those that we threw away.
The fact that this guy has hived off your valuable catalyst and won't let you have it back is proof enough that he's a dodgey dealer.
TBH I'd doubt that there are many garages that would be squeaky enough to automatically reimburse the value of a catalyst that needed changing, but if they won't give it you back when you ask, they're pushing their luck.
On a slightly different topic, I think this is quite different from the other complaint that you hear of dodgey garages.
Thats the one where the gearbox goes wrong. The garage says they'll investigate. It turns out that it going to cost an astronomic ammount to fix. The customer declines and wants their car back. The garage refuses to put the car back together, and the customer complains that the garage won't give the car back.
For clarity, the former is a bad garage, the latter is a bad customer.
I've done a couple of electronics servicing jobs, where components are cheap as chips. Even there the basic premise is that any damaged, removed items are the property of the customer. I have to say that we usually threw them away, but that was generally because we would happily have given the customer free additional new components for those that we threw away.
The fact that this guy has hived off your valuable catalyst and won't let you have it back is proof enough that he's a dodgey dealer.
TBH I'd doubt that there are many garages that would be squeaky enough to automatically reimburse the value of a catalyst that needed changing, but if they won't give it you back when you ask, they're pushing their luck.
On a slightly different topic, I think this is quite different from the other complaint that you hear of dodgey garages.
Thats the one where the gearbox goes wrong. The garage says they'll investigate. It turns out that it going to cost an astronomic ammount to fix. The customer declines and wants their car back. The garage refuses to put the car back together, and the customer complains that the garage won't give the car back.
For clarity, the former is a bad garage, the latter is a bad customer.
Edited by dilbert on Saturday 2nd June 19:40
Well I wasn't aware when I booked it in it was a cash in hand job.
Which under the financial crime laws this is seen as tax evasion.
When he didn't give a receipt I didn't think of asking for one because, for the simple reason it was only a welding job.
What kind of errors can someone make welding two bits of pipe together!!
Any F
kwit could do it with the proper equipment.
Besides they were formerly set up by a well renowned custom car shop and are part of a large American car parts network.
I didn't feel easy giving money, knowing of the financial crime rule, I was going to pay by card. I was in a hurry and didn't check the work as I left. It was only when I got home that I noticed the cat had gone.
I cannot get legal recourse from him, but the points I am making are:
1) I told the welder where the pipe had gone and showed him, I said that it needed a new flange welded on, he looked under the car and said yeah we'll put in a new bit of pipe. At no point did I ask for the catalyst to be removed and at no point did he state he was going to remove the catalyst.
I told him that a new flange needed to be welded on.
2) He originally quoted me £60, I did not ask a discount for cash so assumed it was all above board. It was only when I paid, being a low amount I said by cash be ok, he said "£60 is for a cash job."
3) When I realised the catalyst had gone I called and questioned him on it. He had done the work the previous day, and I had collected the car prior to 10am the next day. He said the catalyst had gone to the scrapman and he had told me he had told me he was going to remove the cat. Which he never did!!
4) I questioned the legality of it and he said prior to 1993 it was o.k. This was untrue as it was 1 August 1992 that the regs came in. I double checked with VOSA and they confirmed this. He admitted he did not know the date but it should be o.k as he removes lots of cats!!
5) I told him I spoke to VOSA, he said "who was it I spoke to an MOT station." I had to explain who VOSA were!! He said that I had gone to the top people and what did I expect, this is what they would say!!
This was the manager btw!!
So before anyone blames me for paying for a cash in hand job and what do you expect.
I never asked for cash in hand.
I never told him to remove the catalyst.
I told him what needed doing.
Anyway I am warning people to be extra wary. It may be a genuine mistake, but he did not make clear what he was going to be doing.
Which under the financial crime laws this is seen as tax evasion.
When he didn't give a receipt I didn't think of asking for one because, for the simple reason it was only a welding job.
What kind of errors can someone make welding two bits of pipe together!!
Any F
kwit could do it with the proper equipment.Besides they were formerly set up by a well renowned custom car shop and are part of a large American car parts network.
I didn't feel easy giving money, knowing of the financial crime rule, I was going to pay by card. I was in a hurry and didn't check the work as I left. It was only when I got home that I noticed the cat had gone.
I cannot get legal recourse from him, but the points I am making are:
1) I told the welder where the pipe had gone and showed him, I said that it needed a new flange welded on, he looked under the car and said yeah we'll put in a new bit of pipe. At no point did I ask for the catalyst to be removed and at no point did he state he was going to remove the catalyst.
I told him that a new flange needed to be welded on.
2) He originally quoted me £60, I did not ask a discount for cash so assumed it was all above board. It was only when I paid, being a low amount I said by cash be ok, he said "£60 is for a cash job."
3) When I realised the catalyst had gone I called and questioned him on it. He had done the work the previous day, and I had collected the car prior to 10am the next day. He said the catalyst had gone to the scrapman and he had told me he had told me he was going to remove the cat. Which he never did!!
4) I questioned the legality of it and he said prior to 1993 it was o.k. This was untrue as it was 1 August 1992 that the regs came in. I double checked with VOSA and they confirmed this. He admitted he did not know the date but it should be o.k as he removes lots of cats!!
5) I told him I spoke to VOSA, he said "who was it I spoke to an MOT station." I had to explain who VOSA were!! He said that I had gone to the top people and what did I expect, this is what they would say!!
This was the manager btw!!
So before anyone blames me for paying for a cash in hand job and what do you expect.
I never asked for cash in hand.
I never told him to remove the catalyst.
I told him what needed doing.
Anyway I am warning people to be extra wary. It may be a genuine mistake, but he did not make clear what he was going to be doing.
Sounds like this has less to do with dealing with cash and more to do with dealing with scumbags - I don't think you are at fault in any way here, just unlucky to have gone to the wrong garage.
For the record if someone gives you the "I quoted you for a cash job" line, all you have to do is say "how much is it with the VAT then?", it is unlikely to go up by much and you will get an invoice. They may not be so happy about it but it is your choice, you are the one handing over the money.
If you took all the "cash" element out of our economy this country would probably grind to a halt, most small businesses would not be worth running. Personally I have no problem with saving money by paying cash, the taxman gets enough from me one way or another as it is and if I get any opportunities to shaft them I will. If they made good use of what they get then I would change my stance, until then, bollox to them.
For the record if someone gives you the "I quoted you for a cash job" line, all you have to do is say "how much is it with the VAT then?", it is unlikely to go up by much and you will get an invoice. They may not be so happy about it but it is your choice, you are the one handing over the money.
If you took all the "cash" element out of our economy this country would probably grind to a halt, most small businesses would not be worth running. Personally I have no problem with saving money by paying cash, the taxman gets enough from me one way or another as it is and if I get any opportunities to shaft them I will. If they made good use of what they get then I would change my stance, until then, bollox to them.
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