Rip off 'fast fit' 'garages'

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Rip off 'fast fit' 'garages'

Joined
Aug 31, 2017
Messages
202
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147
Location
Dahn in Darset!
Sick and tired of being treated like a 'cash cow' and also as if I am 'stupidly ignorant'.
Daughters punto, '53 plate active, (mk 2B) needed a new centre section exhaust, as blowing from the flexi joint.
Local 'dealer' (Westover Fiat) £186 + VAT!!
Tried the local 'fast fit' places, (4 'household names!!) Thick fit, National, Bathwicks, and ATS..
Best price? £100, worst, £156.
Now, a work collegue has a son who works for a parts factor (big national company) and got him to check the price of the centre section for me, using their parts checker, using the car reg. RETAIL price, delivered NEXT DAY, Klarius 3 year warranty £30.50p!!! (Trade prices apparently are minimum 20%-max 50% off of these, according to the trade terms for that company!)
So, an exhaust part costing at most, £24.00 yet quoted from £100 to £156..
All the 'fast fits' quoted an hour labour 'at most, but usually 30 mins' I was told.
This equates to £75 per hour!! minimum, or £130 maximum!! (Fiat's would have been £200+!!)
When questioned regarding the prices, was basically told price of part was "75 + VAT!!' and I could 'take it or leave it' by all four establisments, so, bought the exhaust from the factor, for £30.50 including next day delivery and got a mobile mechanic to do for £30 a total of £60.50, and, done in around 30 mins too!!
Refused to be 'shafted' by so called 'freefit' or 'fastfit' establishments whose only aim is to 'rip you off'.
Garages are no more than a 'con' to part you from your money under pretence of being 'professional mechanics' whilst knowing no more than a zoo monkey!!
 
Wife's Ford needs an "intermediate" service s Ford call it, just an oil and filter change. Having recently had surgery I'm off lifting and spannering for a bit so asked a local garage how much for an intermediate service and was first told £254. I said what, for an oil and filter change? No that's not we call it. I was handed several "menus" starting with oil and filter change at £75. Not a bargain but not a rip off. Next up was "oil service 1" which was £125 and in addition to oil and filter change had a list of items that looked impressive but were basically visual checks, the weekly inspection you should do. I asked why £50 for 10 minutes work and they pointed out in the middle "service light reset"! I know they have a lot of overheads but I'd expect the reset to be included in a standard oil change. Even worse if I didn't know what an "intermediate" service" was I could have been spending £175 more than needed. Then there was a main dealer with the wife's previous Ford who insisted it needed a timing belt change even though I knew it bad chain driven camshafts.
 
Then there was a main dealer with the wife's previous Ford who insisted it needed a timing belt change even though I knew it bad chain driven camshafts.

Been there, as well. Before she had the Punto, daughter had a cinquecento, the base 900 model.
Took it to her garage for an MOT, had a phone call couple of hours later, asking 'when cambelt was done'. Daughter said she didn't know, garage replied they couldn't do the MOT unless they knew, in case anything went wrong during the MOT regarding emissions. They then quoted her £350 to do the cambelt before they did the MOT!!
Daughter called me first, and I told them it did not need a cambelt doing, and to just do the MOT. Garage refused!!
I then went to the garage, spoke to the 'mechanic' telling him that cambelt did not need doing, and that it was OK to do MOT..
He then told me that he couldn't do MOT, until he was satisfied the cambelt had been done recently.
I told him that 'there is no need to do the cambelt, as it doesn't have one, it's CHAIN DRIVE!!'
He argued with me that it was not, and that he had only recently done a cambelt on a cinquecento, and that he knew what he was talking about!!

Went and got the Haynes manual from cinquecento, opened it and showed him the spec for the car... there, in big letters, 'chain driven'
Apparently he had done a cambelt on a cinquecento, but... a 'sporting' with the 1100OHC engine. The 700/900 were OHV and both chain drive!!

Appears he couldn't even be bothered to check which variant he was working on!!! (didn't even know there were 2 different engines!!)
Took the car elsewhere to get the MOT, and, daughter never used tha garage again..
Wrote to the 'proprietor' to complain, never even had the decency of a reply...
If daughter hadn't had someone to turn to, garage would probably have 'scammed' her for the £350, and not done anything for the money!! (would loved to have seen mechanics face when he tried to change that 'cambelt' though!! :p
 
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In 2006 VW Main Dealer did the yearly 'Service' on my VW Transporter.

I know these people are chancers and checked the oil before I got in to drive. It was black - complained - told 'Oh no Sir (that's annoying) Foreman came out tried to give me rubbish about all diesels go like that after we've run the engine after oil change - I said I'd had diesels since 1972 and that was 'Tommy Rot'

He did another oil change while I watched him saying there's no difference between this and what I did the first time. I checked the oil - clean even after a five mile run. I said 'The only difference between this oil change and the first is 'I' was there watching. That's the difference!'

Always check your oil is looking cleaner than when you went in.
 
2007 Had the same VW main dealer look at why my starter motor wasn't working. Result - new starter motor and new solenoid. For sure it was just the solenoid £80 not both with the starter motor at £300 odd .

Saw the manager at this place and among other things he told me how he'd trust the foreman with is children's lives - That was a definite sign he and the foreman were colluding and on the fiddle probably selling the parts they didn't fit but charged for.

Be careful people!
Spray your oil and diesel filters with bright paint and check your oil before and after they've supposedly done the job.
In the old days some mechanics would just polish the rocker box and say a Service had been done.

Some of these garages are really bad thieving chimps
 
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