Disappointing Independent Service

[D4MJT]

Sort of a rant I guess, but more a sad reflection that it's harder and harder to find a decent trustworthy independent.

My old man has an 04 plate Range Rover, and get it serviced and looked after by a local Independent Land Rover Specialist. As far as I'm aware they've got a decent reputation, and since he got the car last July he's spent around £4k with them on general servicing and maintenance. (He does a fair few miles) So it's not as though he's a skinflint who avoids getting work done where he can help it, if the car needs work, it's done.

Anyway, it's just been in for a service 2,900 miles ago, where it was advised he needed just shy of £2,5K worth of work done. Some of that was sizeable parts costs and labour (£553 + 2 hours labour to fit a wing mirror) etc, but also 2 front tyres as they're worn to the legal limit and rear brake pads which had less than 5K miles wear on them.

Having just rebuilt mine and having my spanners to hand, I offered to do the brakes, wing mirror and a few other bits for him, which I did last weekend, as well as swapping the front tyres to the back. The tyres are fine, 4-5mm of tread right across the tyre. One front is clearly wearing differently but is well within legal limits, and at £500 a pair for 20" rubber, not worth throwing away yet.

The rear pads had just shy of 7mm of material left on them, 2,900 miles after he was advised they needed replacing, and as I was now curious I pulled the air filter. This clearly hasn't been changed, I've just done mine 2,000 miles ago after a rebuild, and the difference is night and day.

It's just plain disappointing when that sort of thing happens, as I said, it's not like my old man doesn't want to part with the cash to maintain the car, but there's no need to lie about jobs needing done and even worse not do work that's supposed to have been carried out.

• Off to order rest of service items*

As the saying goes, if you want a job doing....

[hornetrider]

That's pretty bloody bad. Go elsewhere in future, obviously.

[Flintstone]

Will you be confronting them with the evidence?

Nice to get it off your chest but unless they get pulled up they are unlikely to mend their ways. Mind you, a certain TVR independent who did a similar thing to me simply denied it

[gareth.e]

I havent had much experience with garages but its been that bad that I don't even trust them as far as I can poke them.

Always (to the best of your ability) personally check what they've done..

[D4MJT]

Flintstone said:

Will you be confronting them with the evidence?

Nice to get it off your chest but unless they get pulled up they are unlikely to mend their ways. Mind you, a certain TVR independent who did a similar thing to me simply denied it

I don't know to be honest, if they ring to book the car in for a service I'll very happily explain why it's not going back.

[Accelebrate]

If they act unfavourably when confronted and you're sure of your facts then it might be worth naming and writing an honest account of what you found somewhere online (owners forum or similar). I know the first thing I do before using a specialist for the first time is Google them and read up on other customers experiences.

[D4MJT]

Accelebrate said:

If they act unfavourably when confronted and you're sure of your facts then it might be worth naming and writing an honest account of what you found somewhere online (owners forum or similar). I know the first thing I do before using a specialist for the first time is Google them and read up on other customers experiences.

That's not a bad approach to be honest, I'll put it to my old man and let him get cracking I think.

[freecar]

WTF????

OP CALL TRADING STANDARDS.

If you are certain that somebody paid for something they didn't receive then trading standards it is!

It may not do anything now (almost certainly wont) but if they get more reports from somebody else they'll start looking into it.

[D4MJT]

For a giggle, this is what a new air filter that's covered 2,900 miles looks like:

• chortle*

[freecar]

Jeeeesus!!

Seriously OP get hold of trading standards and report it! It'll do more good than venting on here! It may even be the report that gets some fat git off of his cheap office chair and into an investigation!

[Frimley111R]

Accelebrate said:

I know the first thing I do before using a specialist for the first time is Google them and read up on other customers experiences.

On the Lotus forum there are a few well known independents and you'll always get people saying 'They're great, thank you, blah blah' but no-one ever seems to say 'I took my car to X and they fked it up.' I use one of them and they are ste with a capital 'S' (only use them when I absoultely have to). When someone asked for recommendations recently these idiots got some positive reviews so I PM'd the guy to give him the other side of the story. He did use them!!!