Advice please on Garage repair - Now 6 Months later
Advice please on Garage repair - Now 6 Months later
Author
Discussion

Gazjam

Original Poster:

2 posts

115 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Looking for some advice Chaps on dealing with a (now) major problem with a car job by a garage.

Took my car into a local performance tuning/ repair shop for custom exhaust work.
This was last week of November last year.
Now 6 months+ later, still no car. nono

Im out of options for what to think of the service, and how to get my car back.

Always tried to be reasonable and give the guy time to do the work?
He came highly recommended and facebook reviews were all good.
Word of mouth was he was the go to guy.

So not pestered him on the phone,
gave him time to work, but I've received no updates at all, and any time I've phoned there's always SOMETHING thats came up.

Any time Ive contacted the Garage,
Keep getting told "Yeah Yeah I'll do on "specific date", but been told that maybe 5 times now?
Fabricators phoning in sick, materials not being delivered... threes always something.

I've explained I needed car for work, and that I was paying road tax/ car insurance AND I'm £60 a week on Taxi's just to get to work.
  • Its costing me a fortune for a car I cant even use *
So,
I've went in to see him maybe three times now in last couple of Months
He's apologized for taking so long with it, which is cool, but he has admitted to having worked on other cars after getting mine in.
(race season, apparently, been really busy Mate...yada yada)

Cost of my work is £1500, I get the feeling I'm being sidelined for the "big ticket" items.

Nobody likes to feel the piss is getting taken out them,
And I'm thinking my easy going approach to this has maybe been taken the wrong way.

Times up though.
Cant afford to keep this up, so enough's enough.
Confirmed with him months ago he had all the materials and resources to do work,
and it would take 2 days fabrication work to do.

Whats your advice Guys?
I've hit the point I think where being reasonable is being taken advantage of.


Any advice much appreciated.
Prefer to keep it all friendly if possible,
but at same time nobody enjoys the feeling the is being ripped out of them.


Thanks





Edited by Gazjam on Sunday 5th June 20:18

Scrump

23,947 posts

189 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Take the car back.

Watchthis

611 posts

93 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Do you really need advice for this? It's an exhaust FFS... Just go and pick up your car and buy elsewhere.

Gazjam

Original Poster:

2 posts

115 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Thanks mate,

Unfortunately I cant, so yeah, looking for advice.
Hes taken the old exhaust manifold out, so cars not driveable.

The idea was to take it in get upgrade work done to sell it on before new car comes in October.
If I take car out now it cant be used on the road and is scrap value.

So kinda stuck in limbo.

EDIT - No moneys changed hands yet.
He's brought in all the parts thats needed.


Edited by Gazjam on Sunday 5th June 20:27

Rick101

7,191 posts

181 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
I was kept waiting ignored for 15 minutes in a reception once. I had the spare key so collected my car and buggered off home.
Seemed to get a bit more attention then as he wanted paying (which I of course did).

Six months being fobbed off is ridiculous.

The Moose

23,703 posts

240 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Rick101 said:
I was kept waiting ignored for 15 minutes in a reception once. I had the spare key so collected my car and buggered off home.
Seemed to get a bit more attention then as he wanted paying (which I of course did).

Six months being fobbed off is ridiculous.
That doesn’t paint you in a particularly good light…

anonymous-user

85 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Standard advice. Reasonable person test. Would it be reasonable to expect the car back in 6 months or less?
That’s been crossed.
Give him 14 days to complete the work.
If it’s impossible then to stick the manifold back on. Make the car legally drivable and not bill you a penny for it.
Shouldn’t be taking on work if he’s that busy but it happens.
Letter to the garage and email.
Check if he is covered by the Motor Services Ombudsman.
Be prepared to take your business elsewhere.
If he is too busy to attach the manifold then he should cover the costs of a recovery truck to a garage of your choosing.

Did you really think a custom exhaust would take six months?! How intricate is it?!

t400ble

1,804 posts

152 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
How long did he say it would take?

steveo3002

11,240 posts

205 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
id be mad after 6 days , youre going to need to rent some sort of recovery vehicle or man with a trailer and just go in there and take it back

jeff666

2,461 posts

222 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
t400ble said:
How long did he say it would take?
Two weeks

(The money pit)

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

265 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Grow a pair - Tell him you want it done by X date and expect the car to be ready to drive off.

No idea why you have left a car with anyone for 6 months TBH.

The Road Crew

4,272 posts

191 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
Gazjam said:
Thanks mate,

Unfortunately I cant, so yeah, looking for advice.
Hes taken the old exhaust manifold out, so cars not driveable.

The idea was to take it in get upgrade work done to sell it on before new car comes in October.
If I take car out now it cant be used on the road and is scrap value.

So kinda stuck in limbo.

EDIT - No moneys changed hands yet.
He's brought in all the parts thats needed.


Edited by Gazjam on Sunday 5th June 20:27
This is mental. Go with a mate and tow it away. Tomorrow.

Rick101

7,191 posts

181 months

Sunday 5th June 2022
quotequote all
The Moose said:
That doesn’t paint you in a particularly good light…
laugh So?

Maybe I should have waited 6 months then come here asking what to do rolleyes