Will people PLEASE stop taking their cars here!

[anonymous-user]

This is surely a reason to have a 'Valet' map if you ever have your car remapped!

[boredofmyoldname]

Sheeda Pistol said:

Hmmm,

Porsche...

£70k...

KWIK FIT!!!!



I know times are hard but jeez....!

I looked at a Boxster with FSH, 5 of those service stamps were kwik fit ones.

I think it is safe to assume that if you own something a bit special it is probably a much better idea to take it to a garage where performance cars are not a novelty but are the norm, at least that way there is a chance they don't employ complete inconsiderate s.

[Magic919]

Piersman2 said:

why would employees of Kwik-Fit be charged with "aggravated vehicle taking" if they were just having a rag in a customer's car.

Taking a car unlawfully and then getting involved in a fatal classes as aggravated vehicle taking under the law.

[mackie1]

boredofmyoldname said:

Sheeda Pistol said:

Hmmm,

Porsche...

£70k...

KWIK FIT!!!!



I know times are hard but jeez....!

I looked at a Boxster with FSH, 5 of those service stamps were kwik fit ones.

I think it is safe to assume that if you own something a bit special it is probably a much better idea to take it to a garage where performance cars are not a novelty but are the norm, at least that way there is a chance they don't employ complete inconsiderate s.

Quite. I take my Monaro to Monkfish, compared to most vehicles they deal with mine is slow as st. Mind you I trust them totally anyway but you get my point. I'd never leave it with a 20 year old fitter who jizzes his pants at the merest mention of the fact it's a 5.7l V8.

[tinman0]

boredofmyoldname said:

I looked at a Boxster with FSH, 5 of those service stamps were kwik fit ones.

I think it is safe to assume that if you own something a bit special it is probably a much better idea to take it to a garage where performance cars are not a novelty but are the norm, at least that way there is a chance they don't employ complete inconsiderate s.

Erm, why? Run it up onto a computer, check for codes, fill the tyres up, change the air filter, change the oil filter, put new oil in, maybe change brake fluid, job done.

[Carrot]

tinman0 said:

boredofmyoldname said:

I looked at a Boxster with FSH, 5 of those service stamps were kwik fit ones.

I think it is safe to assume that if you own something a bit special it is probably a much better idea to take it to a garage where performance cars are not a novelty but are the norm, at least that way there is a chance they don't employ complete inconsiderate s.

Erm, why? Run it up onto a computer, check for codes, fill the tyres up, change the air filter, change the oil filter, put new oil in, maybe change brake fluid, job done.

More accurately, don't bother connecting the computer, over or underfill the oil, ignore the tyres, brush off the air filter, use lowest grade / used oil and don't even look at the brake fluid. If you are lucky, you shock absorbers suddenly won't need doing, and your newish brakes won't suddenly be "1 mil left mate"

Or, take it to a decent trusted independent, and they will do what you suggest.

[twister]

KrazyIvan said:

Its not just Kwick fit who cant be trusted.

Indeed. There are 3-4 indie garages on the industrial estate where I work, and it's a VERY rare day if we don't see (and hear) at least one car being taken out for a rather, shall we say, enthusiastic test drive...

[tinman0]

Carrot said:

tinman0 said:

boredofmyoldname said:

I looked at a Boxster with FSH, 5 of those service stamps were kwik fit ones.

I think it is safe to assume that if you own something a bit special it is probably a much better idea to take it to a garage where performance cars are not a novelty but are the norm, at least that way there is a chance they don't employ complete inconsiderate s.

Erm, why? Run it up onto a computer, check for codes, fill the tyres up, change the air filter, change the oil filter, put new oil in, maybe change brake fluid, job done.

More accurately, don't bother connecting the computer, over or underfill the oil, ignore the tyres, brush off the air filter, use lowest grade / used oil and don't even look at the brake fluid. If you are lucky, you shock absorbers suddenly won't need doing, and your newish brakes won't suddenly be "1 mil left mate"

Or, take it to a decent trusted independent, and they will do what you suggest.

How do you know the main dealer did all that? Because they charge more?

I learned this lesson 2-3 years ago when I had the last main dealer service on my own vehicles. It always went in for a main dealer service, until one had a service where they didn't fill it with oil, didn't put a new oil filter on, didn't refill the water reservoir, pumped the tyres to 50psi each (they are meant to be 39, which led to an odd vibration at speed when carrying weight). For a £400 service, I felt it was pretty poor.

Who knows if they did all the other things they were meant to?

[Busa_Rush]

You can't beat a proper, local, well known, trusted independent garage. I stopped using the garage in the news article after they left the wheel nuts undone on my car after fitting a tyre, that was about 20 years ago - never been to a fast fit centre since. The type of organisation they are the type of business they run means they will never change.

[Morningside]

Busa_Rush said:

You can't beat a proper, local, well known, trusted independent garage. I stopped using the garage in the news article after they left the wheel nuts undone on my car after fitting a tyre, that was about 20 years ago - never been to a fast fit centre since. The type of organisation they are the type of business they run means they will never change.

My local independent garage treated all my cars with total respect. When they changed the radiator in the TVR they made a 'special place' to leave it in the workshop while work was progressing to keep dust off it. I also used them for my 750iL as well as lower cars like my Micra and each time the work was carried out with care.

But they were what I call old school mechanics not part fitters! And I think the people they employ are needed to keep up their reputation.


Compare that to having a car serviced at a main dealer. Finding oily handmarks on the bonnet and side windows and service book not even stamped.

Main dealers/fitters just have such a high turnover I think the care is limited.

[E36GUY]

My local garage put my M3 in a tree and killed it.

[philj]

Carrot said:

Some people never learn - and sadly a young boy is now dead because of this companies truthful stereotype

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348989/Bo...

Why, oh fking WHY do people take their cars to this face of a chain of garages?! The mind boggles!!

So, is taking your car to that chain of garages any worse a sin than reading the Daily Mail?

There are good independent garages and bad ones - same for this chain.

[Carrot]

philj said:

There are good independent garages and bad ones - same for this chain.

I would happily agree with you for nearly any other chain, not this lot though.

If anyone has had any work done there that was at a standard of competence which was minimally good at a reasonable price, they were simply a fluke - nothing more.

[pugwash4x4]

E36GUY said:

My local garage put my M3 in a tree and killed it.

poor tree

[wolves_wanderer]

pugwash4x4 said:

E36GUY said:

My local garage put my M3 in a tree and killed it.

poor tree

Have a guilty

[oldcynic]

I sometimes wonder about a concealed GPS or one of those in-screen cameras which keep a rolling track log having heard about a few of these incidents; however I think it's 50/50 whether the information would help me or incriminate me. I suspect (especially with the camera) I may occasionally choose to temper my reactions knowing I was being logged, so I probably should buy one!

Fortunately with an aging Volvo estate and an MPV I don't see much danger of my cars being ragged by the garage - more likely used for a swift trip to the dump in the case of the Volvo!

[eccles]

philj said:

There are good independent garages and bad ones - same for this chain.

This particular chain has been on Watchdog many times, Trading standards have been involved and various whistleblowers have testified to the underhand and fraudulent practices that they were expected to carry out as the norm.
This particular chain has earnt it's reputation through many exposes over the years, so it's not exactly a rogue branch or a one off.