Cowboy Garage from HELL!

[abrargill 0]

Just had a very bad experience with a local garage (who will remain annonymous) whilst they were replacing my cam belt.

 

I used these guys previously when they changed my clutch and starter motor. However, upon picking up the car I noticed lacquer had peeled off from my bonnet. When I confronted them they told me it was already like that when I left the car with them....no way, as I know my car! However, I thought maybe give them the benefit of the doubt and perhaps it happened overnight or something - bad mistake...should have followed my gut instinct.

 

I took the car back to them to change the cambelt, bump stops and water pump. While they were changing this they told me that the power steering pump has failed. Then they called me to tell me that the PAS pipe from the pump to the rack had got damaged! Obviously the pipe was no longer available and I managed to source one from the forumn.

 

When I collected the car they told me that VW no longer supplied the PAS pumps (which I know was a lie as I had already rung them for a quote when they called me). So they told me they fitted PAS pump from a Renault! When I told them the VW pump was available, they were adament it was discontinued....the guy even said "why would I have spent the time modify this pump to fit your car if I could just get it from the dealer?".....So I asked him to show me the pump to see how it was fitted. When I looked at it, it looked new was sitting ok, however I noticed some oil around the oil sump opposite the pump. I asked him why there was oil there and he said it didn't know anything about it.

 

So I took it home. The next day when I drove away I noticed oil drops on my drive right under the sump! I took a further look and noticed that there was a dent in the sump opposite the PAS Pump!!!!! :bad-words:

 

These fcukers have really scre$ed with my car.....and have turned out to be the cowboy mechanics from hell!

 

And to finally top it, to sort out the car with a new sump I took it to my brother in laws mate who is mechanic and he told me that the timing belt hadn't been changed, only the pulley! Why?!?

 

In total these guys have charged me £580 for a timing belt kit replacement, water pump, PAS pump and PAS pump pipe repair! :mad2: Very upset and feel fustrated that I can't do anything about it. Only thing I was thinking of doing was raising a dispute with my credit card company as I paid them with my card?

 

Does anyone have any thoughts?

[Critical_Mass 10]

Sounds like a nightmare mate. Maybe worth filing a complaint with trading standards, as they're charging for work they've not done.

[mattnorgrove 0]

NAME & SHAME!! Other members of this forum in your area deserve to know about this place, so you should really let everyone know.

 

Sounds absolutely shocking what they have done mate, I'd speak to your credit card company, they may be able to give you advice at the very least...

 

Good luck!!

[Jim 1]

Got to be a name and shame.. sounds like a total nightmare of a garage!

[KIPVW 0]

Indeed a trading standards case if ever i heard one! hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction soon. :wink:

[Yandards 0]

Yep trading standard, assuming you have the bills for the work you have paid for and the car is still in the same state (cambelt etc) then it should be an easy one to sort out.

[Majik 0]

I dont know what to say as i have experience in the garage trade i'll try to offer a balanced view.

1: Laquer peel this is just one of them things you have to grit your teeth and bare they are not going to admit it, and considering the hassle its not worth pursuing unless you have evidence the paintwork was ok.

2: PAS pump i think this is a total bodge and this should be taken off, you can make things fit but it doesnt mean its the right one, he obviously had one sitting around and wanted to sell it hence he put it on your car. How many VW are there that would use the same pas pump if he rang around even GSF Eurocrapparts he might have found one.

It could be they've used a lever bar to get the pas pump in position and rested it against the sump, but i would think the sump is abit stronger to get dented by a lever bar.

3: The timing belt kit would normally come in a kit with tensioner/s you should be able to see fresh tipex marks on the crank pulley and camshafts the condition of the belt should also be new take some clear photos of the timing belt and keep as evidence. Ask to see their invoice from the supplier for the parts and the box for the timing belt kit, with a car that sort of age they should've recommended changing water pump too.

4: You should've wrote paid under protest on the invoice and finally why didnt you use your borther in law in the first place?

[cormjah 0]

Mother of Christ! That's a f*cking nightmare. Never mind *Who shall remain anonymous*, I'd take out a 16 sheet billboard ad and plaster their name across it for all to see! It's twonks like this who give good, honest mechanics a bad name and trusting clients like you a hard time/ravaged wallet. Stick it to em I say! *Rant over*

[mrbeige 0]

Absolutely name and shame fella. That's disgusting behaviour. I'd be livid. :bad-words:

[Jonny777 0]

That's horrendous. :( complain to every Official body you can. I'd try get out of giving them anything the robbing bastards. Defo name and shame!

[crazycraig 0]

ive had simala probs with a garage bud trading standards all the way they will follow it up phone them and ul have a better chance of fighting to get ur cion bk

[Rob_B 0]

Name and shame. Who says the power steering pump even works properly? It might not be suited to the rack

[abrargill 0]

Thanks for the words of advice. My boss mentioned reporting them to the trading standards. I think i will give them a call on Monday.

 

The only remideal work i done is the sump replacement. The timing belt is still there and the F'ing Reanult PAS pump. I have the old sump.to.prove the damage but they could just say old.car, its rusted.

 

Good point Majik about using my brother in-law's mate in the first place. Its a lesson i have learnt the hard way. The only reason i didn't use him is he is a little far and he usually fits the jobs he does for family and friends around his other customers so you have to wait e.g. the sump replacement took a week, but then maybe i just need to be patient if i want the job done well.

 

Ok the only reason why i haven't named them is after i collected the car, i went through the bill and was shocked at the part prices on the invoice, they seemed to be more than eurocarparts. So i printed them off the euro car website and went back to them. I told the guy that the prices were cheaper on euro car parts. He said that are you sure they are for your model. When i showed him the printout he started saying he had spent a long time on my car as it was so old and he hadn't charged me for any of the xtra labour time he had spent. But when said that it looks like he'd charged for the xtra time through the inflated part prices instead, he went to his till grabbed £60 and put it on the counter. He then said i don't want to see you or your car again. At the point i should have grabbed the money and told him where to stick it but i listened to my pragmatic side instead. I know how hard graft it is labourering over a car and didn't want to rob someone of their time. I told him that and if he really thought he deserved the money then keep it. He just nodded and apologised for his behaviour and we ended it at that.

 

Its only when my bro-in-law's mechanic told me that the timing looked over 3 years old that felt sick! But then what if its a new belt but has worn in? I want to name and shame them.but what if i am wrong?

:shrug:

[mimjed 0]

balaclava + baseball bat :D

 

get a second opinion on your second opinion of the belt age if your not convinced.

[tandino 0]

Where abouts in Kent are you?,If you want me to take a look im only down near Battle East Sussex.

[monzablau16v 0]

not trying to make you feel worse, just think of this as a tip for the future.... Whenever i get work done by my usual garage (normally in winter when i cant be fekked to do the work on my car in the freeeezing cold!) i ALWAYS ask them to keep anything they replace so i can see for myself what has come off my car.

 

hope this gets sorted out for you mate, and dont be afraid to report these people to the trading standards or to pursue them through small claims court.

 

good luck

[colinstubbs 0]

At least give us an idea of general area in kent???

It's a big place

[culshaw 1]

balaclava + baseball bat :D

fuck that vodka and a hankerchief

[colinstubbs 0]

balaclava + baseball bat :D

**** that vodka and a hankerchief

 

What's that? A Masque [strike:3hxul8bj]Ball[/strike:3hxul8bj] Bring a bottle party?!!! :lol:

[abrargill 0]

Thanks Tandino, i might take you up on your offer. I'm based in Bexleyheath near Dartford, would prob be under 90mins drive to you.

 

Ok Colin, the garage in question is based in Bromley. Apart from that I can't name them until Trading Standards have concluded their investigations.

 

Monzablau16v good point about keeping the parts. The only thing, sometimes they need to exchange the old part to get discount price. Also, how can you be certain the part they are showing u is off your car not another?

 

I'm going to call trading standards and my card company today, will update you guys.

[colinstubbs 0]

Cheers for that, deffo worth chasing up, they'll hope you just don't bother.

[SIMONG 0]

this is poo, havin a similar prob myself.

 

get on to trading standards/consumer advice like i did today. really helpfull.

 

they were talkin about supplies of goods and services act 1982. this can be found on the web. it talks about various things but on about its against the law to charge for work and parts not supllied which sounds just up your street!

[abrargill 0]

Simon, what happened in your case?

 

I called trading standards and they advised me to write to the garage in question, asking them for a refund for the work they didn't complete. To givethem 10 days to reply and if they haven't then trading standards will take them on.

 

Now that i fixed.the oil leak I have noticed that coolant is leaking just above the PAS pump. The garage changed the water pump when they did the timimg belt, so not sure if that job has been done now. Coolant only seems to be leaking aftet the car has been driven. If its stationary for a couple of days then there is no leak!

 

I'm just peeved that they have messed around with my baby. What was supposed.to be simple maimtenance work has created more work.

 

The piece of advice the Trading standards gave me is to check.if a garage has signed up.to the new motor industry codes of practice. This is the web link for everyone www.motorcodes.co.uk

 

A garage that has signed up to this must adhere to strict.guidelines or they will be investigated. As consumers we can complain to this authority if we have a problem with a garage. I will now be vetting any future garages before i let them near my baby.

[exturbo2003 0]

The problem with the motor codes scheme is that it costs the garage and if you belong to another scheme you cant join.

 

PAS pumps are easy to get so he defiantly didnt need to fit a renault pump, and if the pressure and flow rates are wrong it will take out your rack as well

 

Pricing parts is different as euro car parts sell stuff on their website at trade prices so the garage is always going to go with the rrp quoted so as to make a bit of money on the parts as they did the ordering and the warranty is against them if the bits fail. They can claim the parts back but not always the labour and if they try invariably they lose and get no new part or labour. Also did they get the bits from ecp as not all garages can get deliveries from all suppliers so they might be supplied by a more expensive supplier.

 

That said this is a disgusting display of why garages get a bad name

[andy 0]

Not good, have you got any photos, like of the damaged sump etc?