hodjie wrote:

well after recent dealings with them i wouldnt touch them with a bargepole! i was told i needed a new waterpump but when i collected the car they d replaced the full braking system alternator and ended up with a bill for over £1600 il never use again !

yes it was ,there was a rattle on the front of the engine which i was told was a waterpump and would be around £100 ,when i went to collect the car the following day i was given a bill for £1600 they d replaced the alternator,rear disks,pads,shoes,handbrake shoes without asking ,also looking through my service history they replaced my rear pads 3000 miles ago ,ive used them for 6 years and never had a problem but would certainly never touch them again now !

cheers monty for the recommendation ,il look into them

Read this hidjie then star shouting from the roof tops

Your rights when work is done for you that you didn't ask for

Problem with a car repair

This advice applies to England Share this advice Print
If you’ve had a problem with a car repair or service, the best thing to do is negotiate with the garage to work out the best solution.

If your negotiations don’t work, you can take further action to get your problem resolved.

Always ask your garage what they can do to help before you spend any extra money on hire cars or travel. For example, they might be able to offer you a courtesy car. A court isn’t likely to award you money if the garage offers services that you didn’t take advantage of.

It’s a good idea to keep a record and receipts of any extra money you have to pay for travel while you’re disputing a bill. You might need to prove this down the line.
Negotiate with the garage

Speak with the garage in person or over the phone - you may be able to resolve the problem quickly. If they don’t agree up front to make things right, you may want to write or email the garage so you have a record of the problem and your communication to them.

You can use this template letter for complaining about faulty goods supplied with a service - what you put in the letter will depend on your situation.

If the repair didn’t work or it created a new problem
If you think you’re being overcharged
If the garage did work you didn’t ask for
If you told the garage to do whatever needs to be done to fix the car, then you gave them the right to decide what work to do. You’ll have to pay if the work was necessary and the price is reasonable. Get a second opinion if you think the price isn’t reasonable.

If you only asked the garage to do a specific piece of work and they did extra work that you didn’t ask for, you can ask them to undo the work. If this isn't possible, you should insist you only pay for the work that was agreed.

Next steps

Take further action if they’re charging you for work that you didn’t ask for.

Close
If the repair is taking too long
If the garage damaged your car
Take further action if your negotiations have failed

If you’re not getting anywhere with the garage, you have options to help you get the work done or claim compensation. But you should always try to negotiate with the garage first.

The garage is not allowed to sell or get rid of the car while you’re disputing the bill. They can, however, keep your car while the bill is being disputed.

Pay the garage so you can get your car back

If you need the car back but aren’t happy with the amount you have to pay, you can pay ‘under protest’ then continue with your dispute. This means you are paying the full amount but letting the garage know that they can expect further action.

Write the words “paying under protest” clearly on their copy of the repair order sheet and any copies of receipts that the garage make. If you don’t say you’re paying under protest it will be difficult to get compensation later on, because the garage could argue that by paying the bill, you were accepting the charges.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the money back later on, but there are ways to try.
If you can’t afford to pay, offer to pay what you consider a reasonable amount in exchange for getting the car back, then dispute the rest of the bill separately.

Negotiate through a trade association

Ask the garage if they’re a member of any trade association (eg Motor Codes, the Retail Motor Industry Federation or the Motor Cycle Industry Association). You could also search the trade associations’ websites to see if the garage is a member.

Some trade associations will offer a free service where they will help you resolve your dispute with the garage - this can include getting compensation (eg for being out of pocket or having your time wasted).

Contact the trade association and explain your circumstances to them - this is sometimes called a ‘conciliation service’.

You’ll only be able to get help from a trade association if the garage is a member.

Use an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme

Ask the garage if they’re a member of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme - it’s a way of solving disagreements without going to court. A third party will mediate to try and reach a solution.

If they don’t respond, they’re not a member of an ADR scheme or won’t use ADR, keep a record of the fact that you asked them (and the date). You’ll need this if you end up in court.

Choose a Trading Standards-approved ADR scheme yourself to try and solve the problem more informally. It’ll help you later if you end up going to court.

Take the car to another garage

This is a risky option because you’ll probably need to go to court or a trade association to claim for the extra money you spend to get the work done. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the money back.
You might be able to take the car to a different garage. It will depend how much work the original garage has already done and whether or not your car is in a safe condition to drive.

If you get the car repaired at a new garage, you can try to claim compensation or go to court for the cost of carrying out extra repairs. You might be able to work with a trade association to get a result (if the garage is a member).

Make a court claim for money you think you’re owed

You can take legal action through the small claims court to get money you think you’re owed. However, this can be costly and time consuming. Depending on how much you’re owed, you might want to get legal advice. You should look at all other options before going to court.

Report the garage to Trading Standards

If the garage is quoting one price but charging another (or otherwise using misleading advertising or unfair practices) you can report them to Trading Standards. Reporting the garage could mean that other customers don’t get misled by them in the future.

Further help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone. You can also use an online form or write to them.

If you’re in Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline.

Last edited by monty19 on Mon Apr 18 2016 8:56pm. Edited 1 time in total

hodjie wrote:

yes it was ,there was a rattle on the front of the engine which i was told was a waterpump and would be around £100 ,when i went to collect the car the following day i was given a bill for £1600 they d replaced the alternator,rear disks,pads,shoes,handbrake shoes without asking ,also looking through my service history they replaced my rear pads 3000 miles ago ,ive used them for 6 years and never had a problem but would certainly never touch them again now !

hodjie wrote:

cheers monty for the recommendation ,il look into them

Ask for mike he's great to deal with and has all the time in the world to give, and he's a big landy fan

haha class ! im going to ring them tomorrow and contact trading standards too ,thanks for the advice !

Too right pal give em holy hell, falcon are lol, do some more research mate and don't let them fob you off, oh and it's 50% fee for the info

I've updated it from the citizens advice website I copied the wrong one earlier soz pal

hahaha yeah no probs and thanks i had my tvr cerbera in the day before for a clutch , its only done 80 miles since last year so i asked for a oil change and an mot too ,received another bill for £2600 and they hadnt changed the oil so i questioned it and they said we ll do it in july ( yeah and stick thousands of pounds worth of parts on it doesnt need !

me mate I'd be bouncing, take note people falcon are ripping people off big style here

il use oakfields next ,all i want is someone who will look after my car and wont rip me off !

ive been ripped off in the past and thought i could trust them but they are the worst by far !suppose thats why theres never any tvr,range rovers there

ive just got my car back from oakfields after a service and mot and can say im thoroughly happy il certainly be taking my other cars there too

gogsy1956 wrote:

Depends on how far you want to travel,,, Team valley landrover,, on the team valley in Gateshead, they certainly know their stuff