Garages Ripping People off, or trying to
Discussion
The Hofff said:
Local independent garage close to my work, advised worn front lower suspension arm bushes on our Tiguan.
Tries to convince me I should fit SuperPro poly bushes as the garage sells them, cost will be £250 all in. I request to go for WV ones but he tells me not to bother as they will just wear out again, at this point I do not play his game and tell him I'll let him know if I want it done later.
Later at home I order both sides for £17 ea, then when they are delivered to my door I proceed to fit them about 10 mins each side.
Not so much a rip off as an up-sell (+ the bushes I fitted are still going strong 30K miles later)
Did the same when the DPF went on the car, I asked them to quote for a replacement. They quote around £1K but advise it wouldnt be worth it as it would go wrong again in a few years. Then goes on to tell me he can map it out and fit a blanking plate for £500, if I want a performance map at the same time it would be an extra £150.. so £650 total, keeps on saying how it was a good saving and it would be the best option.
I phone a VW performance tuner about 5 miles away talk to them about the DPF issue. He can delete the DPF in the map and blank it off for £400, when I ask how much extra for a performance map he tells me no extra as the cost is for a remap (standard or performance) is £350 and the blanking plate inc labour to fit would be an extra £50. We then discussed if I wanted an standard map, mild performance or all out. Took some time to discuss with me how the car is driven, how many miles, length of journeys etc.
Worlds apart from the other garage who had no such conversation to review what would be best for the car in the long term.
Needless to say I booked it in to the performance tuner garage, whilst it was there I also asked them to look at a lumpy start up when cold. Turns out it was two duff glow plugs, they offered to change all four of them out for new whilst it was there.... cost was slightly less than I could get them for on AutoDoc etc and they only charged 30 mins labour on top. Have been a returning customer ever since!
This story annoys me more than any of the others. Ripping you off for money is one thing, but leaving you with an illegal car that will be harming people and the environment is just utterly unacceptable.Tries to convince me I should fit SuperPro poly bushes as the garage sells them, cost will be £250 all in. I request to go for WV ones but he tells me not to bother as they will just wear out again, at this point I do not play his game and tell him I'll let him know if I want it done later.
Later at home I order both sides for £17 ea, then when they are delivered to my door I proceed to fit them about 10 mins each side.
Not so much a rip off as an up-sell (+ the bushes I fitted are still going strong 30K miles later)
Did the same when the DPF went on the car, I asked them to quote for a replacement. They quote around £1K but advise it wouldnt be worth it as it would go wrong again in a few years. Then goes on to tell me he can map it out and fit a blanking plate for £500, if I want a performance map at the same time it would be an extra £150.. so £650 total, keeps on saying how it was a good saving and it would be the best option.
I phone a VW performance tuner about 5 miles away talk to them about the DPF issue. He can delete the DPF in the map and blank it off for £400, when I ask how much extra for a performance map he tells me no extra as the cost is for a remap (standard or performance) is £350 and the blanking plate inc labour to fit would be an extra £50. We then discussed if I wanted an standard map, mild performance or all out. Took some time to discuss with me how the car is driven, how many miles, length of journeys etc.
Worlds apart from the other garage who had no such conversation to review what would be best for the car in the long term.
Needless to say I booked it in to the performance tuner garage, whilst it was there I also asked them to look at a lumpy start up when cold. Turns out it was two duff glow plugs, they offered to change all four of them out for new whilst it was there.... cost was slightly less than I could get them for on AutoDoc etc and they only charged 30 mins labour on top. Have been a returning customer ever since!
Edited by The Hofff on Thursday 22 February 13:16
OP, I've had a caliper seize in such a way that the outer pad looked new whilst the inner pad was worn right down. Would have been obvious even with the wheel on if lifted on a 2-post but not from a driveway inspection.
I'd say do it yourself. If you are worried about the physical exertion you can rent ramps by the hour in a lot of areas that will make it easier.
I'd say do it yourself. If you are worried about the physical exertion you can rent ramps by the hour in a lot of areas that will make it easier.
Main Mercedes dealer- Was told suspension issue (hard ride) was the adaptive struts and all four needed to be replaced.
Politely said that it doesn't have the adaptive suspension.
Not too politely told that I didn't know what I was talking about.
Politely offered to transfer the car ownership over to them, right then, right now, for free, if they could show me the adaptive suspension.
Surprise surprise, was no longer the suspension struts.
Never went back.
Politely said that it doesn't have the adaptive suspension.
Not too politely told that I didn't know what I was talking about.
Politely offered to transfer the car ownership over to them, right then, right now, for free, if they could show me the adaptive suspension.
Surprise surprise, was no longer the suspension struts.
Never went back.
My son this week took his Ibiza FR (to a dealership group that sounds like Sconehouse) where he bought it from. When he got it he was sold a super lifetime warranty that "covers everything" despite myself and his mum telling him not to but kids hey?
Anyhoo the boot won't open and I drop it off. They liberate him of £144 for diagnosing the boot switch is faulty, and as it is a circuit board fault so therefore not covered by the warranty. They would like £280 to replace the thing, and to his credit he learnt his lesson and told them to go away. The part is £130 so it's a case of "Dad can we do this"
Anyhoo the boot won't open and I drop it off. They liberate him of £144 for diagnosing the boot switch is faulty, and as it is a circuit board fault so therefore not covered by the warranty. They would like £280 to replace the thing, and to his credit he learnt his lesson and told them to go away. The part is £130 so it's a case of "Dad can we do this"
donkmeister said:
OP, I've had a caliper seize in such a way that the outer pad looked new whilst the inner pad was worn right down. Would have been obvious even with the wheel on if lifted on a 2-post but not from a driveway inspection.
I'd say do it yourself. If you are worried about the physical exertion you can rent ramps by the hour in a lot of areas that will make it easier.
I'm taking all the wheels off over the weekend to have a good look for myself and order whatever parts I need. I'd say do it yourself. If you are worried about the physical exertion you can rent ramps by the hour in a lot of areas that will make it easier.
I have all the tools but don't really have the time to do the jobs myself. But I'm making an exception on this one.
Be interested to know how a calliper seizes and only wears on one side of the disc though.
Took my Mercedes to an independent Mercedes specialist for a small service. They phoned me saying the battery was on its way out and would need replacing otherwise the car would fail to start come the winter. They quoted me over £300 for a new stop/start battery. I politely informed them the car doesn't have stop/start so said to leave it. 4 years later and the car still starts first go every day. They also wanted £80 labour to fit a new droplink on the front suspension and were quite upset when I said to leave it as I would replace myself. ( less than 30 mins work on my driveway for both sides. ) Needless to say, I havent been back there
Geoffcapes said:
I'm taking all the wheels off over the weekend to have a good look for myself and order whatever parts I need.
I have all the tools but don't really have the time to do the jobs myself. But I'm making an exception on this one.
Be interested to know how a calliper seizes and only wears on one side of the disc though.
It's common - the slider pins sieze - frequently because idiots lubricate them with copper slipI have all the tools but don't really have the time to do the jobs myself. But I'm making an exception on this one.
Be interested to know how a calliper seizes and only wears on one side of the disc though.
So the inner pad is worn as the piston pushes it against the disc but the outer one doesn't move
Like others, my issue with garages isn't deliberate rip offs, but sheer ignorance or incompetence.
When I was at Audi ordering parts I overheard a conversation where an owner was being told that the brake pedal would always go to the floor if sat stationary with your foot on their "very powerfully assisted" brakes.
No idea who he was talking to but I advised him that it was not a good idea to drive the car any further and to ask to speak to the service manager.
I found them outside, looking under the bonnet of an immaculate blue RS2 Avant! Possibly an internally leaking master cylinder, as he didn't appear to have been losing brake fluid.
The complete bodgery of our Toyota's safety recall was a real eye-opener. Worse was the poor attempt to justify the damage as unavoidable, by four techs and the service manager who surrounded me in the workshop. Toyota UK clearly didn't agree as the 'work' completely disregarded their detailed service bulletin. Pathetic.
When I was at Audi ordering parts I overheard a conversation where an owner was being told that the brake pedal would always go to the floor if sat stationary with your foot on their "very powerfully assisted" brakes.
No idea who he was talking to but I advised him that it was not a good idea to drive the car any further and to ask to speak to the service manager.
I found them outside, looking under the bonnet of an immaculate blue RS2 Avant! Possibly an internally leaking master cylinder, as he didn't appear to have been losing brake fluid.
The complete bodgery of our Toyota's safety recall was a real eye-opener. Worse was the poor attempt to justify the damage as unavoidable, by four techs and the service manager who surrounded me in the workshop. Toyota UK clearly didn't agree as the 'work' completely disregarded their detailed service bulletin. Pathetic.
My DiL had a squeak from her front brakes, the car had done about 35k miles and she is heavy on the brakes, so thought the pads needed changing.
She took it to the local garage we use and when she went to pick it up and asked how much they said there was no charge.
A stone and mud had got stuck between the brake disc and the back plate so they blew it out, cleaned the pads and discs up and handed it back to her.
I also had a similar situation with the Mercedes dealer I used a few years ago. It looked like I had a brake fluid leak on the rear, the fluid was spun round the inside wheel arch.
They ordered a new caliper and said bring it in the next day.
When I went to collect, they said it was lubricating oil from a recent service they had done for me and there was no charge. I would have happily paid for a new caliper and been none the wiser.
There are some honest ones around.
She took it to the local garage we use and when she went to pick it up and asked how much they said there was no charge.
A stone and mud had got stuck between the brake disc and the back plate so they blew it out, cleaned the pads and discs up and handed it back to her.
I also had a similar situation with the Mercedes dealer I used a few years ago. It looked like I had a brake fluid leak on the rear, the fluid was spun round the inside wheel arch.
They ordered a new caliper and said bring it in the next day.
When I went to collect, they said it was lubricating oil from a recent service they had done for me and there was no charge. I would have happily paid for a new caliper and been none the wiser.
There are some honest ones around.
lornemalvo said:
Most local authorities have MOT testing stations and if we had a proper country in which things work they could be utilised by consumers, in cases of doubt, for a second opinion.
Why? Why should taxpayers (who fund these testing stations) pay for someone to get a free second opinion on their car? If you want a second opinion then you can go to any other garage.
I was at a dealership service desk and the customer in front of me was explaining that his car (under warranty) loses all coolant every 150 miles or so. Said he kept topping it up and said he saw white smoke coming out the exhaust. This had been going on for 2 months apparently and he finally decided to bring it it to get checked, beggars belief how stupid that is.
Anyhow the service manager was asking him questions to effectively get him to say something that would mean they could claim negligence on his part to void the warranty claim…unfortunately said customer duely obliged and then looked shell shocked when the non warranty coverage became apparent.
Anyhow the service manager was asking him questions to effectively get him to say something that would mean they could claim negligence on his part to void the warranty claim…unfortunately said customer duely obliged and then looked shell shocked when the non warranty coverage became apparent.
TriumphStag3.0V8 said:
lornemalvo said:
Most local authorities have MOT testing stations and if we had a proper country in which things work they could be utilised by consumers, in cases of doubt, for a second opinion.
Why? Why should taxpayers (who fund these testing stations) pay for someone to get a free second opinion on their car? If you want a second opinion then you can go to any other garage.
donkmeister said:
TriumphStag3.0V8 said:
lornemalvo said:
Most local authorities have MOT testing stations and if we had a proper country in which things work they could be utilised by consumers, in cases of doubt, for a second opinion.
Why? Why should taxpayers (who fund these testing stations) pay for someone to get a free second opinion on their car? If you want a second opinion then you can go to any other garage.
Said it the other day.
80% of people working in the motor trade are incompetent, dishonest or stupid
20% are decent, professional, knowledgeable, hardworkers, with an eye for doing a good job and would rather not rip off the customers
Guess which ones the Managers and owners of these companies like the most
Guess which ones get moaned at for not flagging enough "red work"
Guess which ones get the most bonus each month
The problem of course is that even if you go to a place you've been before and are happy with, there's only a chance you'll get the same people the next visit.
80% of people working in the motor trade are incompetent, dishonest or stupid
20% are decent, professional, knowledgeable, hardworkers, with an eye for doing a good job and would rather not rip off the customers
Guess which ones the Managers and owners of these companies like the most
Guess which ones get moaned at for not flagging enough "red work"
Guess which ones get the most bonus each month
The problem of course is that even if you go to a place you've been before and are happy with, there's only a chance you'll get the same people the next visit.
TriumphStag3.0V8 said:
lornemalvo said:
Most local authorities have MOT testing stations and if we had a proper country in which things work they could be utilised by consumers, in cases of doubt, for a second opinion.
Why? Why should taxpayers (who fund these testing stations) pay for someone to get a free second opinion on their car? If you want a second opinion then you can go to any other garage.
The garages that have ripped me off in the past are now no longer in business. Places get a reputation. And with social media, what looks like a pleasant review can often have passive aggressive undertones.
Places that have been fair and reasonable, gradually grow. They can afford to employ better staff.
One place I can recommend, now has a second unit on the same industrial estate, because they ran out of space. I thought the boss was a grumpy f
ker, but he's just got a really dry sarcastic sense of humour, plus a few years back, when I had a classic mini and urgently needed to do some suspension work, he leant me a special tool, to compress the rubber cones. Because he couldn't fit me in before we were due to do a road trip in it.
Places that have been fair and reasonable, gradually grow. They can afford to employ better staff.
One place I can recommend, now has a second unit on the same industrial estate, because they ran out of space. I thought the boss was a grumpy f
ker, but he's just got a really dry sarcastic sense of humour, plus a few years back, when I had a classic mini and urgently needed to do some suspension work, he leant me a special tool, to compress the rubber cones. Because he couldn't fit me in before we were due to do a road trip in it. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff