Tipped

Avoid if you value your motor

June 16, 2008

These guys have given us a living nightmare for 8 months now and we are still fighting. They accepted the job of sorting our van when the cam belt went in October 2007 and, having inspected and saying it would need the engine replacing, said it would take 2 weeks to sort. It would cost about £2100 in total. It was our business van that we could not work properly without.

After 4 weeks we started getting excuses that the wrong engine arrived and they were trying to find a new one.

The job dragged on. They eventually said they got an engine then had problems with oil pressure and so on. We eventually got it in Feb 2008, now in huge debt over the business as we could not work properly.

You can imagine how we felt then that the day we collected it the engine seized. Oh, and the power steering pump was totally wrecked - although they said it was just a slight leak that would need looking at soon. Back it went to get the seizure fixed and they said it was the starter motor - that came off the old engine. So now I was going to have to pay for the pump and starter! Funny, cause the RAC man tried to tow it and it wouldn't budge... anyone ever see a starter motor do that?

Anyway, another month went by and we got it again. Guess what? Two days later it broke down again. They hadn't fitted a lock-nut on the gear selector linkage and it just fell apart.

Trouble is, both times it failed his response was 'What do you want me to do about it - it worked when it left here!' I've had him hang up on me, refuse to take my calls, turn up late for appointments.

Worst of all, it now seems the engine is set up wrong and may have to go to a VW dealer to sort out - sounds like big bucks :o(

In all this, they have provided no documentation for the engine to prove it is reconditioned as promised and no itemised invoice to actually say what work was done and how. The bill so far? Nearly £3000! When I pressed them for the invoice, they made one up - sending something for £4200 odd just to try and say they had given a discount!! I'm not sure about the law, but it almost looks like fraud to me - certainly a scam.

My advice? Take your car/van to anyone else. Your mate's mate with a socket set is a safer bet!

Tags: car repair, garage, breakdown service, workshops