Garage dumped car round the corner

[LudaMusser]

Hi,

I took my car to a local garage yesterday to have a rear caliper replaced. They had great reviews and they’re only three streets away so I can walk home

I can’t fault their service. Work done to a good standard, finished on time, great price etc

However, whilst walking down to the garage I realised I’d just walked past my car which was parked on the other side of the road to me in a permitted street and one street from the garage

I crossed the road and had a walk round the car. No damage to my new wheels luckily, it was parked half on/half off the kerb. No parking permit displayed, luckily no ticket issued. I have seen cars with tickets there before

When I picked the car up I paid then asked how it would work if I got a ticket. They said that they would pay the ticket if I got one and that as they’re commercial they would be let off

Has anybody heard this before? I certainly haven’t

[HTP99]

Used to work for a Vauxhall dealer in Richmond (Surrey), they used to do it all the time due to lack of space at the dealer premises. They did have x amount of on street parking permits which were all paid for and the cars had to be parked in a different parking zone from the premises, I guess a less busy area, further away from the main road.

Don't really see the issue personally, just as likely to get damaged round the back in the car park, look at my current place, we have parking round the back cars, are double parked due to space issues which means customer cars are constantly being moved to give access to other cars, therefore more likely to be damaged than if parked up the road.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

It sounds like they have a lack of parking space for customers vehicles if this is the case.

[dontlookdown]

Where I live in sarf London street parking when the work has been done is pretty standard. No garages have enough space for parking customer cars all day.

But usually only in unrestricted spaces, parking in a residents bay is a bit special. They will get into trouble eventually doing that - or at least they would round here. Usually supine council v lively when it comes to revenue extraction methods;)

[Snails]

I had this once. I went to collect the car, but they couldn't remember which side street they'd parked it on.

I didn't check the car over before driving off and when I got home I noticed a lovely scuff on the bumper. Had absolutely no way of proving it occurred whilst left on the street either. A lesson learnt.

[Sheepshanks]

Snails said:

I had this once. I went to collect the car, but they couldn't remember which side street they'd parked it on.

I didn't check the car over before driving off and when I got home I noticed a lovely scuff on the bumper. Had absolutely no way of proving it occurred whilst left on the street either. A lesson learnt.

I suppose if the garage is tight for space there's more chance of it getting damaged there if they keep having to shuffle cars around. Took mine back from an indie the other day while they were waiting for workshop time after diagnosis - I know they put everything inside at night and get them all out again in the morning and I didn't fancy a week of my car doing that.

[Jazoli]

What's the issue here? I really don't see the problem, the garage I use parks the cars where they can and they do end up spilling out onto roads around the garage, surely nobody is that precious about their car?

[Sebring440]

Jazoli said:

What's the issue here? I really don't see the problem, the garage I use parks the cars where they can

The issue is, the car was DUMPED round the corner, not parked.

[Riley Blue]

I remember a dealership in the Sloane Square area of London that had such limited on-site parking they employed someone just to move customers' cars from place to place around the surrounding streets.

[Short Grain]

My Indy has loads of space behind the actual garage but has so many parked there it can be a ball ache to get mine out sometimes.
Still, I get to see his latest project. Last one was a VW van restored to a mint 'Party Bus' for a lads weekend away, which was cancelled due to Covid restrictions!! Fridge, Wi-Fi, TV, Carpeted, Storage, and room for 4 to sleep,(cramped but for 4 lads, OK) Beautiful Jaguar Crimson Paint job, tinted windows, Jag wheels as well I think!

Squeezing past a slalom course of cars can be fun! Think his mechanics do it on purpose some times, sure I've seen one of them peeping out the garage as I weave slowly through

[HTP99]

Sebring440 said:

Jazoli said:

What's the issue here? I really don't see the problem, the garage I use parks the cars where they can

The issue is, the car was DUMPED round the corner, not parked.

Really, thread title says "dumped" op actually says "parked"!

[LudaMusser]

Jazoli said:

What's the issue here? I really don't see the problem, the garage I use parks the cars where they can and they do end up spilling out onto roads around the garage, surely nobody is that precious about their car?

Are you a bit simple?

As stated in the original post; my car was dumped with no permit displayed in a resident’s parking section of a main road. I’ve seen cars with council issued tickets there before

The garage said that if my car had of got ticketed they would either pay it or supposedly get it overturned as they’re commercial. I wanted to know if anybody has heard of being immune to tickets as a business is commercial

[PurpleTurtle]

So no ticket issued, no damage to your car, caliper replaced at cheap(er) indy labour rates, yes?

Alternatively you could have opted to have your car parked in the shiny car park of a main dealer, smiled at by an attractive service receptionist and imbibed their expensive coffee and possibly had your car valeted prior to collection, but that's why they charge a small fortune.

This is all part of the game of dealing with your particular place in the great food chain of garage services.

I use a local indie on a grotty industrial estate who has limited parking of their own, but big wide pavements opposite where they can completely park a car on the pavement but still allow a wheelchair or buggy to get past. No obstruction caused, so traffic wardens never bother them. I'm happy about them mounting the kerb in our shagged Honda, would be so happy if they risked kerbing the alloys on my M3 getting it up there. Main point being: they are less than half the price of a main dealer.

[Toaster Pilot]

Why is this in SP&L?

Was the garage somehow exempt from parking tickets? No.

[RB Will]

Glad it went well for you OP. If anyone else finds themselves in this sort of situation always go and check your car before paying.
Left my car to have a new set of tyres fitted at a local place. Came to collect, paid, signed papers, got key. Walked out to their car park to find car, nope. Went back in and asked where it was.

In a public car park 2 streets away.

Found car, immediately realised that they had fked all 4 wheels. Drove straight back to garage to complain. Got told to do one because I’d just signed a thing where the small print said I was happy with the work and no damage done.
Escalated it to the national tyre supplier who they were booked through who also told me to do one for same reason.

[Jazoli]

LudaMusser said:

Are you a bit simple?

As stated in the original post; my car was dumped with no permit displayed in a resident’s parking section of a main road. I’ve seen cars with council issued tickets there before

The garage said that if my car had of got ticketed they would either pay it or supposedly get it overturned as they’re commercial. I wanted to know if anybody has heard of being immune to tickets as a business is commercial

Is there any need to be quite so offensive? You didn't get a ticket, there was no damage so there was no issue, you sound like an entitled wazzock, I suggest you report it to the local paper and make sure you put your best compo face on for the pictures.

[Spleen]

What's the difference between dumped and parked in a street?

[Chrisgr31]

Spleen said:

What's the difference between dumped and parked in a street?

Nothing according to the OP. Reality is even main dealers often dont have enough space on site for all the cars they have in. However indies are likely to have smaller sites and as someone else said cheaper prices.

Pays your money takes your choice and chances!

[parabolica]

Snails said:

I had this once. I went to collect the car, but they couldn't remember which side street they'd parked it on.

Same; used to live in the Richmond/Kew area and the garage I used for MOTs did the same as OP - not a big issue as I had a permit for that area anyways. However they would never note down where the car was parked - "it'll be around somewhere" aye cheers mate, just what I wanted, a wee treasure hunt at the end of my day. Car was never damaged though, so guess i'm lucky there.

[Spleen]

Chrisgr31 said:

Spleen said:

What's the difference between dumped and parked in a street?

Nothing according to the OP. Reality is even main dealers often dont have enough space on site for all the cars they have in. However indies are likely to have smaller sites and as someone else said cheaper prices.

Pays your money takes your choice and chances!

Not sure what the OP's point is really if I'm honest.