What is a reasonable mileage to expect a garage to clock up?
Discussion
Took my Skoda in to get the tracking/balancing done before I sell it - don't want to have any reason for the buyer to be upset with the car. There was a little wobble on the wheel around 70mph. I was expecting a bill of around £40. I told them I couldn't pick it up by 1700 yesterday, so could they drop it round (I live literally 100 yards away) and I'll pay over the phone. They refused to do this, and wanted me to pick it up in the morning. I thought nothing of it - first time I'd used them, so I guess they're not willing to do this until I've established a rapport with them?
This morning I go to pick it up, and they reckon they've sorted it. The chap keeps going on about how "well it goes" and "it certainly got to 70 quickly". We chat about the Leon Cupra he's just bought for his wife, and he's surprised that the Octavia is the same platform.
Then he hands me the bill. £70. OK, there's a laser alignment, wheel balancing and testing costs. I can swallow that if it's perfect.
I've decided to leave the bike at home and drive into work to give the car a test. I get into the car, and pull away. 500 yards later the fuel gauge beeps at me. 10 miles remaining. That's funny - I left it with between a quarter and half a tank of fuel, around 130 miles remaining.
Pull over to check my phone, as I took a photo of the odometer for the ebay advert - and I've only driven the car the 100 yards to the garage since. b
ds! They've done nearly 90 miles in it. Is that reasonable?
tl;dr - The garage did 90 miles in my car in a day, using all my fking fuel. Acceptable?
This morning I go to pick it up, and they reckon they've sorted it. The chap keeps going on about how "well it goes" and "it certainly got to 70 quickly". We chat about the Leon Cupra he's just bought for his wife, and he's surprised that the Octavia is the same platform.
Then he hands me the bill. £70. OK, there's a laser alignment, wheel balancing and testing costs. I can swallow that if it's perfect.
I've decided to leave the bike at home and drive into work to give the car a test. I get into the car, and pull away. 500 yards later the fuel gauge beeps at me. 10 miles remaining. That's funny - I left it with between a quarter and half a tank of fuel, around 130 miles remaining.
Pull over to check my phone, as I took a photo of the odometer for the ebay advert - and I've only driven the car the 100 yards to the garage since. b
ds! They've done nearly 90 miles in it. Is that reasonable?tl;dr - The garage did 90 miles in my car in a day, using all my f
king fuel. Acceptable?90 Miles for Alignment and Balancing... would you expect your quikfit guy to do that as a road test?
My car went in 2 days ago for a Service, Front BRakes (Discs/Pads), 4x Tyres, MOT. They complted a road test for 12 miles this included the delivery and collection to the MOT station 2 miles away.
My car went in 2 days ago for a Service, Front BRakes (Discs/Pads), 4x Tyres, MOT. They complted a road test for 12 miles this included the delivery and collection to the MOT station 2 miles away.
5678 said:
Piss take. Go back in there and kick off.
I've avoided doing that so far for two reasons:1. I haven't had a chance to test the alignment yet.
2. They're just going to deny it anyway.
They can't possibly have thought they would justify it, so I reckon I'm just going to get a complete denial, despite my photo.
And what is likely to yield the better result - visiting them myself, or a phone call?
5678 said:
Piss take. Go back in there and kick off.
This. They've treat it like a copmpany pool car.I know of a back street mechanic who disconnected the speedo on a clients chipped Calibra Turbo many years ago. He drove from St Neots to Newcastle (500 miles round trip) for the weekend for a family wedding. I'd do mental if I discovered that someone had done that to me.
HereBeMonsters said:
5678 said:
Piss take. Go back in there and kick off.
I've avoided doing that so far for two reasons:1. I haven't had a chance to test the alignment yet.
2. They're just going to deny it anyway.
They can't possibly have thought they would justify it, so I reckon I'm just going to get a complete denial, despite my photo.
And what is likely to yield the better result - visiting them myself, or a phone call?
How are you going to test the alignment? Does it feel straight/stop straight etc. They will give you the line about someone taking it home for the night to check it over for the wobble you mentioned. The fact still stands they did it without mentioning it. 10-15 miles... fair enough, 90 is too much though!
I think the least you should expect is the fuel replaced.
A guy who works for me has a 12 months old 3 series which had a steering rack problem. BMW said it could take a few weeks to get the part and 4 weeks later the car is ready to pick up.
Total miles driven from recovery to pick up - 350 miles!
They blamed it on 'extended test drives', it was in Milton Keynes FFS! We are waiting for a diary to show who was in it and when to see exactly what they were doing!
Edit to add - and the fuel tank was empty but was full when it was recovered! We have had the money for that however.
Total miles driven from recovery to pick up - 350 miles!
They blamed it on 'extended test drives', it was in Milton Keynes FFS! We are waiting for a diary to show who was in it and when to see exactly what they were doing!
Edit to add - and the fuel tank was empty but was full when it was recovered! We have had the money for that however.
If they had all the equipment there then it's far far too many miles. 10-15 miles max to diagnose and road test post completion!!
Don't go in kickin off or making a scene because people take no notice and just think 'knob'. You take the emotion out and write a letter to the MD, make sure they are fully aware that, unless given justification, you will make everyone aware that their set up is unprofessional and employs joy riders!
Ok slightly exagerating but who cares?
Don't go in kickin off or making a scene because people take no notice and just think 'knob'. You take the emotion out and write a letter to the MD, make sure they are fully aware that, unless given justification, you will make everyone aware that their set up is unprofessional and employs joy riders!
Ok slightly exagerating but who cares?
falkster said:
If they had all the equipment there then it's far far too many miles. 10-15 miles max to diagnose and road test post completion!!
Don't go in kickin off or making a scene because people take no notice and just think 'knob'. You take the emotion out and write a letter to the MD, make sure they are fully aware that, unless given justification, you will make everyone aware that their set up is unprofessional and employs joy riders!
Ok slightly exagerating but who cares?
They're more of a "family-run" sort of place. The chap who owns it is the chief mechanic, his wife runs the office. Only other employee I've seen there is a very young lad with a crap moustache who I'm not sure is even of driving age yet.Don't go in kickin off or making a scene because people take no notice and just think 'knob'. You take the emotion out and write a letter to the MD, make sure they are fully aware that, unless given justification, you will make everyone aware that their set up is unprofessional and employs joy riders!
Ok slightly exagerating but who cares?
I'm starting to think he's taken it home with the missus for extended test drive to check they shouldn't have bought her an Octavia instead of the Leon. But even then I struggle to see how they could have clocked up that many miles. 45 miles is a long way to come to work in a backstreet garage.
HereBeMonsters said:
I was expecting a bill of around £40.
I'm intrigued by why you expected a bill of £40 but paid £70. Did you just hope it would be £40 or did the garage quote that?The garage will probably say they're not insured for customers cars left on the premises or the workshoop was full etc etc so they were doing you a favour by taking it home.
Deva Link said:
HereBeMonsters said:
I was expecting a bill of around £40.
I'm intrigued by why you expected a bill of £40 but paid £70. Did you just hope it would be £40 or did the garage quote that?The garage will probably say they're not insured for customers cars left on the premises or the workshoop was full etc etc so they were doing you a favour by taking it home.
Expecting a £40 bill as that's what I've paid before a similar garage near where I used to live - albeit on a different car.
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