Dashcam captures shoddy garage service - legal implications

[DippedHeadlights]

Here is something interesting and new that I don't think has been tested in law. Car went for a main dealer service. Car has very visible dashcam pointing out through windscreen and big red recording light when ignition comes on. After service I review footage and camera shows car wasn't in workshop for as long as described and records mechanic during test drive moaning about not given enough time to do job, no organisation etc.
Service was rubbish, charged for things not done etc. Garage asked for footage when I mentioned it. Their response is now a bit of a threat that I didn't notify them and the mechanic that I would be recording and it's on private premises, discussed with HR, legal position, unauthorised and other nonsense.
Misses the point somewhat and as far as I'm aware there is no legal position. There was nothing covert and the camera is of course inside my property pointing out so if it was in their garage it was because they drove it in !
The right thing for them to do is accept the obvious evidence and refund the service cost but looks like they are going to be difficult. Anyway, anyone know anything about this? What is the legal position or is this all still grey and untested ?

[court]

Isn't main dealer menu service pricing just that - time taken is what is in the book and computer, not actual time the vehicle has been worked on?

[surveyor]

They've had their chance... bang it on facebook and twitter and see if they like that.

[fatboy b]

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

[SpeckledJim]

fatboy b said:

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

If you have been billed explicitly for two hours labour and you can show it only took one, then they are rightly in big bother.

[Soov535]

Data Protection Act doesn't help you here.....

[fatboy b]

SpeckledJim said:

fatboy b said:

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

If you have been billed explicitly for two hours labour and you can show it only took one, then they are rightly in big bother.

Every manufacturer has a book of times to do jobs. That is the time that is then charged to the customer by the dealer, regardless of how long it took. That is life.

[SpeckledJim]

fatboy b said:

SpeckledJim said:

fatboy b said:

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

If you have been billed explicitly for two hours labour and you can show it only took one, then they are rightly in big bother.

Every manufacturer has a book of times to do jobs. That is the time that is then charged to the customer by the dealer, regardless of how long it took. That is life.

That's fine if the customer doesn't know any better. This

If it's a price for the job, then that's different to being billed by the hour.

If you give a job to your solicitor at 0900h, and by midday he's finished it and emailed you a bill for 6 hours work, you'd notice, right?

[Hooli]

fatboy b said:

SpeckledJim said:

fatboy b said:

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

If you have been billed explicitly for two hours labour and you can show it only took one, then they are rightly in big bother.

Every manufacturer has a book of times to do jobs. That is the time that is then charged to the customer by the dealer, regardless of how long it took. That is life.

Indeed. Works both ways too, if it's a bh of a job that takes twice as long as normal you still only get charged the book time.

[fatboy b]

SpeckledJim said:

fatboy b said:

SpeckledJim said:

fatboy b said:

^^ this.

If a job is booked at 2 hrs, and it takes 1 hr, the customer is charged 2 hrs mechanic will get a bonus which will be less than the hourly rate.

If you have been billed explicitly for two hours labour and you can show it only took one, then they are rightly in big bother.

Every manufacturer has a book of times to do jobs. That is the time that is then charged to the customer by the dealer, regardless of how long it took. That is life.

That's fine if the customer doesn't know any better. This

If it's a price for the job, then that's different to being billed by the hour.

If you give a job to your solicitor at 0900h, and by midday he's finished it and emailed you a bill for 6 hours work, you'd notice, right?

Not quite the same thing though is it? As I said, every manufacturer has a book of times. These are based on their own studies to do jobs on the car. So if they say the front pads take 1 hr, that's the rate charged. Chances are, the dealer will then find its own shortcuts, and the guy doing it does 10 cars' pads a day, and he's good at it and can do it in 1/2 hr. The customer is still charged 1 hr.

[fatboy b]

Hooli said:

Indeed. Works both ways too, if it's a bh of a job that takes twice as long as normal you still only get charged the book time.

[Byker28i]

A colleague had this, they took his car after the service and ragged it on the test drive. He got tyres, another service, brakes replaced etc

[wack]

I don't see how it can be legal to charge an hourly rate if they're not actually working on your car for the amount of time they charge you for.

If they quote a price to do the job ie £99 for a service it doesn't matter if they do it in 15 minutes but when they charge £99 an hour and bill you for 2 hours because it says so in a book that's never seemed right to me.

one f the reasons I use a one man band garage is I don't trust management , example, I bought a car from a national chain,the clutch had a judder after a few days,sales sent it in their workshop, workshop said it was within manufacturers tolerance.

Never in the history of garages has a customer bought a car in with a juddery clutch and left with the same clutch unless the garage were paying for it.

I'd take your video evidence to trading standards

[court]

Have a look at this Berlingo Multispace menu I had to hand.

1.3 hours to change the oil, filter and stick some adblue in. A tech probably doesn't work on your car for 1.3 hours

[cptsideways]

I'd ask them if they could bill you correctly first

[anothernameitist]

Had this years ago with book time

Nice word in a busy service department goes a long way.

[Superhoop]

wack said:

I don't see how it can be legal to charge an hourly rate if they're not actually working on your car for the amount of time they charge you for.

I'd take your video evidence to trading standards

You've obviously never worked in a dealer - as others have said, the repair times are set by the manufacturer, and that's a)what they work to and b) how they charge, always have, always will.

A good technician will work at between 90 and 115% efficiency, and that's how they earn their bonus.

Also, if a repair time is say 3 hours (taking into account, all times are set based on a car being shiny and new, with things coming apart easily) and the job actually 5 because it was an absolute bh to take apart, nuts/studs broke, things had been bodged previously etc.. You still only pay 3 hours, and if a dealer tried to charge you additional labour, you'd argue that the repair time is X so you're only paying X. You can't have it both ways.

What would really boil your piss is when you realise that every SRT includes a small amount of time for getting the car in and out of the workshop - when a dealer does multiple jobs (service, brake pads, a bulb, tyres etc.. ) they don't take off the little bit from each SRT for getting the car in and out, so you're paying 4 times for the same thing!!

The most important tool in a technicians toolbox is his pen, because if a repair is done, and the job card is written up properly, everything is chargeable and if it's chargeable, it's making the technician money

As for trading standards - good luck with that... Unless they're planning on changing the way dealers have always (quite legitimately) charged, then the dealer has done nothing wrong

[MitchT]

This is why I won't touch main dealers with a barge pole. Those big windows, leather sofas and coffee machines don't pay for themselves.

[surveyor_101]

MitchT said:

This is why I won't touch main dealers with a barge pole. Those big windows, leather sofas and coffee machines don't pay for themselves.

my vx main dealer have a copy of the dailymail, some sun kissed 2012 magazines and service area that looks the same ass it did 15 years ago just dirtier, f**ked if I know were the £76.50 per hour labour goes!

[S3_Graham]

fatboy b said:

Hooli said:

Indeed. Works both ways too, if it's a bh of a job that takes twice as long as normal you still only get charged the book time.

Yep. Worked in my my favour on my AMG. Spark plugs is a 4 hour job on the book. Said it Always takes longer but as the book says 4, its all they can charge.