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Seriously dodgy local garage - who do I report them to? Trading standards, Watchdog,



eastlondonseagull

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2004
13,385
West Yorkshire
Our Y reg Renault Scenic broke down on the way back from York the other day. Turned off the M11 for a pit stop at Birchanger Green services, but gears went as I tried to pull away on roundabout. To cut a long story short, the RAC turned up and gave us a lift back to south London, with car on back of truck.

They then towed us to our local (trustworthy, we thought) garage for them to look at it. "Ooh," they said, two hours later over the phone, "your gearbox is knackered. We can fit a reconditioned gear box for £1,175, and we'd advise you to get the clutch changed at the same time." So we were facing a bill of around £1,500. Shit the bed.

We thought that sounded way too much, so called my wife's brother-in-law, who's a Renault expert up in Sheffield, and he said they were pulling our pants down. He called garage up, asked them what they'd done to diagnose what was wrong and they stalled, fudged, and generally admitted that they'd done **** all. Car won't go in gear = new gear box required.

I did a bit more sniffing around and paid £50 to get it towed to a gearbox specialists in Brockley, south east London... All it needed was a new 'joiner' fitting, linking the gearbox to the drive shaft (I think) - the cost? £75, including fitting and VAT!!

So we were very nearly conned out of almost £1400!! Presume first garage didn't think we'd have the wherewithall to remove it from their garage and take it elsewhere.

So, do I call Watchdog or Rogue Traders?! Or local Trading Standards?
 
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seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,690
Crap Town
Russell's T reg Peugeot 206 lost 1st and 2nd gears as we left Leamington Spa (picking up a mate) on the way to Milton Keynes but we got there and Russell drove back carefully to Crap Town after the game. 2 weeks later the car died as he was going to work so the RAC towed it to a garage. The garage phoned him back after a fortnight to tell him they had located a reconned gearbox but the clutch was knackered as well and gave him an estimate of £725 just to replace the gearbox.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
Sounds like those boys at the garage will be having one helluva Christsmas party with their mates at RAC. Luvvly jubbly!
 


Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,093
Bexhill-on-Sea
Russell's T reg Peugeot 206 lost 1st and 2nd gears as we left Leamington Spa (picking up a mate) on the way to Milton Keynes but we got there and Russell drove back carefully to Crap Town after the game. 2 weeks later the car died as he was going to work so the RAC towed it to a garage. The garage phoned him back after a fortnight to tell him they had located a reconned gearbox but the clutch was knackered as well and gave him an estimate of £725 just to replace the gearbox.

why didnt he get the car looked at in the two weeks before it died ???
 




eastlondonseagull

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2004
13,385
West Yorkshire
Sounds like those boys at the garage will be having one helluva Christsmas party with their mates at RAC. Luvvly jubbly!

Thankfully, we left without them doing the work, so we didn't lose out. But bloody nearly did. We chose that garage in first place, so RAC not involved. They were brilliant, as usual. Always rescued us quick as whenever we've broken down.
 


Binney on acid

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 30, 2003
2,480
Shoreham
I took my car in to the 'First class garage' in Kemp Town. I paid £130 up front in cash for a new fog light & they ordered one in. It transpired that only the mounting needed to be replaced & the lght was in perfectly good working order. Rather than stitch me up, they called to advise that they would order the fitting only, and fitted the old fog light properly. They refunded me £70 without me asking for it. I was absolutely stunned.
 


portlock seagull

Why? Why us?
Jul 28, 2003
16,979
Mess with you ELS and they mess with me. Mess with me, and they mess with the Albion. Mess with the Albion and they mess with the whole NSC FAMILY! Post their details mate and we'll get a couple hundred pizzas delivered round this garage no problem. By time we've finished with em the local council will have to grant em a takeaway licence. Bastards.
 




adrian29uk

New member
Sep 10, 2003
3,389
Our Y reg Renault Scenic broke down on the way back from York the other day. Turned off the M11 for a pit stop at Birchanger Green services, but gears went as I tried to pull away on roundabout. To cut a long story short, the RAC turned up and gave us a lift back to south London, with car on back of truck.

They then towed us to our local (trustworthy, we thought) garage for them to look at it. "Ooh," they said, two hours later over the phone, "your gearbox is knackered. We can fit a reconditioned gear box for £1,175, and we'd advise you to get the clutch changed at the same time." So we were facing a bill of around £1,500. Shit the bed.

We thought that sounded way too much, so called my wife's brother-in-law, who's a Renault expert up in Sheffield, and he said they were pulling our pants down. He called garage up, asked them what they'd done to diagnose what was wrong and they stalled, fudged, and generally admitted that they'd done f*** all. Car won't go in gear = new gear box required.

I did a bit more sniffing around and paid £50 to get it towed to a gearbox specialists in Brockley, south east London... All it needed was a new 'joiner' fitting, linking the gearbox to the drive shaft (I think) - the cost? £75, including fitting and VAT!!

So we were very nearly conned out of almost £1400!! Presume first garage didn't think we'd have the wherewithall to remove it from their garage and take it elsewhere.

So, do I call Watchdog or Rogue Traders?! Or local Trading Standards?

Well done for not getting conned. The problem we have today is lots of us blokes (not including me or you) are not mechanically minded and would not even know how to change the tyre on their car, trust me I have seen it. So when the garage comes to them and says its x pounds they just pay it.

I am so glad my dad showed me the basics, for example how to change oil and oil filter, how to change a tyre, how to fit new break pads and bleed the system.

Ok I don't need to fit break pads these days, or do my oil, I just take it to a garage, but at least I know when I am being ripped off, and have some idea of what the mechanic needs to do.
 


brunswick

New member
Aug 13, 2004
2,920
mechanics / estate agents / recruitment

all scum of the earth **** fucks......their souls will burn.
 








eastlondonseagull

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2004
13,385
West Yorkshire
Mess with you ELS and they mess with me. Mess with me, and they mess with the Albion. Mess with the Albion and they mess with the whole NSC FAMILY! Post their details mate and we'll get a couple hundred pizzas delivered round this garage no problem. By time we've finished with em the local council will have to grant em a takeaway licence. Bastards.

:lolol:

Reported them to Trading Standards, who said they'd make a note and see if any other complaints had been made about same garage. Will chase in a few weeks and see what they say.

My trouble, Adrian, is that I am one of those blokes you talk about. I know very little about motors, my dad taught me zip, so they could've had me. Just smelled a rat, thankfully!

.
 








Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
:lolol:

Reported them to Trading Standards, who said they'd make a note and see if any other complaints had been made about same garage. Will chase in a few weeks and see what they say.

My trouble, Adrian, is that I am one of those blokes you talk about. I know very little about motors, my dad taught me zip, so they could've had me. Just smelled a rat, thankfully!

.

If you smelled a rat, maybe you needed Rentokil, not a mechanic !
 


questier

New member
Apr 16, 2006
598
Cambridgeshire/Liverpool
Our Y reg Renault Scenic broke down on the way back from York the other day. Turned off the M11 for a pit stop at Birchanger Green services, but gears went as I tried to pull away on roundabout. To cut a long story short, the RAC turned up and gave us a lift back to south London, with car on back of truck.

They then towed us to our local (trustworthy, we thought) garage for them to look at it. "Ooh," they said, two hours later over the phone, "your gearbox is knackered. We can fit a reconditioned gear box for £1,175, and we'd advise you to get the clutch changed at the same time." So we were facing a bill of around £1,500. Shit the bed.

We thought that sounded way too much, so called my wife's brother-in-law, who's a Renault expert up in Sheffield, and he said they were pulling our pants down. He called garage up, asked them what they'd done to diagnose what was wrong and they stalled, fudged, and generally admitted that they'd done f*** all. Car won't go in gear = new gear box required.

I did a bit more sniffing around and paid £50 to get it towed to a gearbox specialists in Brockley, south east London... All it needed was a new 'joiner' fitting, linking the gearbox to the drive shaft (I think) - the cost? £75, including fitting and VAT!!

So we were very nearly conned out of almost £1400!! Presume first garage didn't think we'd have the wherewithall to remove it from their garage and take it elsewhere.

So, do I call Watchdog or Rogue Traders?! Or local Trading Standards?

I had a similar sort of thing happen to me. My car battery light came on, so I got the AA out and they advised me to take it to a particular garage close to where I was living. I took it there and they said my alternator had gone and it would cost a few hundred quid to replace. As I'm a student and skint, I thought it'd be a good idea to get a second opinion. So drove it to a different garage and they said it was just a loose connection and didn't they even charge me for fixing it!
 



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