Been cheated on a car rebuild - where do I stand please?

Been cheated on a car rebuild - where do I stand please?

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Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
Hello Chaps

I believe I've been cheated on a car rebuild. I've basically paid quite a lot of money for a car to be rebuilt and it turns out the recently 'rebuilt' engine that was installed in my car is in fact tired and old.

I have had a compression test done by a specialist to confirm that the engine is well below par and very tired.

Here's the messy [read careless] part, I paid for all the work to be done through direct bank transfers and did not get any receipts. I do however, have all the transfer details from my bank to the company account and amounts showing.

Where do I stand legally on recovering my money?

Any help much appreciated.

thanks




Cerberaherts

1,651 posts

140 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
I would advise you get a proper report done on the engine if this is going to court. They might argue that Loss of compression could be due to it not being run in properely. It needs a cylinder leakage test, bore scope examination and drop the sump with full results of the tests and pics of the engines inards. Any half competent garage should be able to carry this out for you.

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
I've had a proper test done and have the compression test results. I should add that the engine is not a fresh rebuild and therefore requiring a 'run in' period. The engine had recently been rebuilt and used and then I bought it and had it installed.

me not running it in properly in this case is not applicable.

thanks

paintman

7,669 posts

189 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
If you already have all the evidence with regard to what was ordered VS what was done & the building garage won't play then Small Claims Court it is then.


Edited by paintman on Thursday 23 October 19:46

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
^^ not hugely confidence inspiring that re. the Small claims court My outlay is more than 3.5k.. - how hard is it to make a successful claim?

singlecoil

33,311 posts

245 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
Dr Imran T said:
^^ not hugely confidence inspiring that re. the Small claims court My outlay is more than 3.5k.. - how hard is it to make a successful claim?
It's easy, if your evidence is good enough and you are a credible witness. If your case is strong and theirs is weak you will be alright.

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
^^ OK thanks for your input. I will of course try and resolve this with person in question.

Great advice thus far chaps smile

BertBert

18,953 posts

210 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
who did you buy the engine from? Private or trade?

I don't quite understand the sequence of events you are desacribing. Your headline says beewn cheated on car rebuild. Yet I think youyr narrative says you bought an engine and had it installed.

What caused you to be unhappy with it after it had been installed?

Bert

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
BertBert said:
who did you buy the engine from? Private or trade?

I don't quite understand the sequence of events you are desacribing. Your headline says beewn cheated on car rebuild. Yet I think youyr narrative says you bought an engine and had it installed.

What caused you to be unhappy with it after it had been installed?

Bert
Right - I paid a company to fix my car and I was assured that I was purchasing a recently rebuilt engine from another vehicle [to be installed in mine]. The engine that had been 'recently' rebuilt turns out to be a very tired old engine. Therefore what I was told I was getting [and paid for] and what I actually received are two very different things.

I have also paid for quite a lot of other work to be undertaken on the car and been charged a lot of money... The evidence I have is numerous email exchanges between the company and myself. I also have all the bank transfer details showing monies paid.

To clarify, the car was sent away for the work to be done. Once I got the car back [delivered on flatbed] I drove it for very few miles and it drove terrible. I then sent it away to a local specialist who performed a number of checks on the car and confirmed the engine is not a 'recently' rebuilt engine but in fact a tired old high mileage unit. Compression test confirms this.


ging84

8,827 posts

145 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
I think you need to stop worrying about payment record etc proving you paid, you only need to worry about that if somewhere down the line they start trying to deny you paying the bills
You need to worry about what you paid for and what you can expect

was the £3500 for the whole restoration, or just the engine work?
Do you have any break down of costs, eg do you know specifically how much was to supply and how much was to fit the engine.

If you think you can get the whole cost of the rebuild refunded because the engine runs rough, you can pretty much forget it.

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
yes, got a breakdown albeit not the most precise - but enough to work out where the money has been spent.

car went in with no MOT. So I paid for a rebuilt engine and other work to get the car running and ready for an MOT.

Approx £2 ~ 2/5k for engine work.

£1700 for other work including getting the car prepared for an MOT and through an MOT.

However, I am VERY surprised this car get through an MOT.

The local specialist [not the one who supplied and fitted the engine] does not think the car has had as much new parts fitted to it as claimed. I should also add when I got the car back the N/S/F brake caliper was binding very badly.

That surprised me considering it just got through an MOT.

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Friday 24th October 2014
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Dr Imran T said:
That surprised me considering it just got through an MOT.
Why? If they have shafted you on the engine, then they are probably the sort of company for whom getting a hooky MOT won't be exactly difficult.
If the binding brake caliper was obvious upon driving the car you should have taken it up with the testing station straight away. Absent a satisfactory explanation then I would be escalating it to the DVSA - https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/problems-with-yo...

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
Red Devil said:
Why? If they have shafted you on the engine, then they are probably the sort of company for whom getting a hooky MOT won't be exactly difficult.
If the binding brake caliper was obvious upon driving the car you should have taken it up with the testing station straight away. Absent a satisfactory explanation then I would be escalating it to the DVSA - https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/problems-with-yo...
I didn't get the mot done. The car came back to me on a flatbed with a mot having been done.

I've actually driven the car little due to it be very difficult to drive. It cuts out often and is very lumpy too.

AngryPartsBloke

1,436 posts

150 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
I have to point out there is a huge difference between an engine that's been rebuilt and engine that's been reconditioned. People quite often confuse the two beliving they are one in the same when they are worlds apart.

What exactley did they offer you and was it the same company that did the rest of the work?

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
AngryPartsBloke said:
I have to point out there is a huge difference between an engine that's been rebuilt and engine that's been reconditioned. People quite often confuse the two beliving they are one in the same when they are worlds apart.

What exactley did they offer you and was it the same company that did the rest of the work?
I was offered and paid for a 'good rebuilt' engine not a reconditioned one. The engine had been rebuilt before I bought it. I essentially paid for a used recently rebuilt engine.

Yes, the same company did the rest of the work and got the car ready for MOT as well.

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
Dr Imran T said:
AngryPartsBloke said:
I have to point out there is a huge difference between an engine that's been rebuilt and engine that's been reconditioned. People quite often confuse the two beliving they are one in the same when they are worlds apart.

What exactley did they offer you and was it the same company that did the rest of the work?
I was offered and paid for a 'good rebuilt' engine not a reconditioned one. The engine had been rebuilt before I bought it. I essentially paid for a used recently rebuilt engine.

Yes, the same company did the rest of the work and got the car ready for MOT as well.
Did the company that you got to do the work supply the engine or was that from a 3rd party?

As in Company A doing the rebuild told you of a freshly rebuilt engine (in email) that they owned and could give you that one that they own for £2-2.5k installed?

All of the above in email?

Or can the wriggle out saying you bought it off a 3rd party and they were told it was fine, so did no checks but since your contract was with another party its not their fault?

Even if it was option 2, I presume the legal bods can say since the OP was paying Company A to do the work and no payment went else where the contract was with Company A rather than anyone else?

Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
^^ engine was supplied and fitted by one company [same company that did all the MOT prep etc]. I literally dropped the car off and paid for everything to be done and then got the car delivered back to me.


Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
Have you given them a chance to 'fix' it all?

what is the time period between you getting the car back and getting it to your own mechanic?


Dr Imran T

Original Poster:

2,301 posts

198 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
Du1point8 said:
Have you given them a chance to 'fix' it all?

what is the time period between you getting the car back and getting it to your own mechanic?
Unlikely that they can fix it - it shouldn't have left their workshop in this condition in the first place. I sent the car off pretty much straight away after I got it back. Car was undriveable and lacklustre in performance.


Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Friday 24th October 2014
quotequote all
Dr Imran T said:
Du1point8 said:
Have you given them a chance to 'fix' it all?

what is the time period between you getting the car back and getting it to your own mechanic?
Unlikely that they can fix it - it shouldn't have left their workshop in this condition in the first place. I sent the car off pretty much straight away after I got it back. Car was undriveable and lacklustre in performance.
In cases like this from what has been put on forums, I believe you have to give them the option to fix it.

If you pay someone else to fix it and go after them for the money without doing that, you will essentially lose the money you paid them and be out the cost of getting it fixed yourself. All down to not giving them the chance to rectify it.

If they turn around and tell you to jog on, then its court time.