Shame you couldn't wait until now, one of the pound shops is closing down and selling stuff off cheap.
How much for this lot?
- Thread starter Pale Rider
- Start date
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Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
Yes it's wrong, they often prey on people's reluctance to get a second opinion. Modern (or even ancient) disc brakes have to get pretty bad to become unsafe. As an example, my 1978 CB400 had one single piston caliper on it. The seals were nearly gone, slight leak of fluid, rusty beyond repair and someone had butchered the pistons at some point. They worked fine though, and had passed a (dodgy?) MOT 2 months before. I know with cars we are talking about a lot more weight but if you are happy with the condition of the discs I'd tell them the work is not required.
It wouldn't even have been so bad if they'd given you the micrometer reading to somehow prove they had worn close to the manufacturers minimum thickness. But they didn't.
It wouldn't even have been so bad if they'd given you the micrometer reading to somehow prove they had worn close to the manufacturers minimum thickness. But they didn't.
OP
OP
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Another year has passed and it's service and MoT time again.
The car has been reliable for the past year, so my plan to bite the cost bullet in exchange for not breaking down is working.
No tyres needed this time, but it seems I need two coil springs - not bad given the car's done 90,000 miles.
The other unforeseen cost is the tailgate which has stuck in the locked position.
Anyone care to venture what my contribution to the glass palace will be this year?
The car has been reliable for the past year, so my plan to bite the cost bullet in exchange for not breaking down is working.
No tyres needed this time, but it seems I need two coil springs - not bad given the car's done 90,000 miles.
The other unforeseen cost is the tailgate which has stuck in the locked position.
Anyone care to venture what my contribution to the glass palace will be this year?
Last edited:
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
OP
OP
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
The bill is £600, which includes £100+ for the tailgate.
That job has become more complicated because the mechanic shattered the plastic trim which runs the width of the tailgate, just under the window.
The part will take two days to arrive from the Fatherland, which makes something of a mockery of Vauxhall's current marketing slogan: 'A British brand since 1903.'
Quite properly, the dealer is paying for the part which I'm told is around £200 - someone in the workshop won't be getting their bonus this month.
I've been told to keep the Corsa courtesy car until mine is ready on Friday.
Accidents can happen, and the dealer is making reasonable efforts to sort it and look after me as the customer.
Nice DAB radio in the Corsa, although manual gears are hard work when you are used to an auto.
That job has become more complicated because the mechanic shattered the plastic trim which runs the width of the tailgate, just under the window.
The part will take two days to arrive from the Fatherland, which makes something of a mockery of Vauxhall's current marketing slogan: 'A British brand since 1903.'
Quite properly, the dealer is paying for the part which I'm told is around £200 - someone in the workshop won't be getting their bonus this month.
I've been told to keep the Corsa courtesy car until mine is ready on Friday.
Accidents can happen, and the dealer is making reasonable efforts to sort it and look after me as the customer.
Nice DAB radio in the Corsa, although manual gears are hard work when you are used to an auto.
Wow, that's a lot of money. Fair play if you find them easy to get to and use, but you're talking quite probably twice what an independant garage would charge. Your money, your car your choice, of course, but I bet you could spend £700/800 on something nice.
Incidentally (not aimed at you) but people pay insane amounts on main dealer servicing and repairs on cars over 3 years old because of the service history. It might help sell a car a little more quickly, but people are going to lose a lot of money for the 'privelidge' of that main dealer stamp.
Incidentally (not aimed at you) but people pay insane amounts on main dealer servicing and repairs on cars over 3 years old because of the service history. It might help sell a car a little more quickly, but people are going to lose a lot of money for the 'privelidge' of that main dealer stamp.
Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
Talking of cars, I had to replace the wee bottle of sealant after a puncture.
Screwfix - £7.99,
VW Dealer - £56
Screwfix - £7.99,
VW Dealer - £56
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Along similar lines, I'd hesitate before getting the OP's 'Four premium tyres' as part of a service. I'd do some googling and buy online.
OP
OP
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
I don't expect you to plough through the whole thread, but I did compare the price with the likes of Blackcircles.
It was within a few pounds - for the same tyre.
That difference has to be multiplied by four, but it still comes to less than £20, worth it to me for the convenience factor alone.
Returning to the current service, £100+ of the £600 is for the failed boot lock.
I doubt an independent could do that any cheaper, always assuming they have access to the technical knowledge to do the job at all.
A loan car might not be quite so forthcoming from an independent.
Try as I might, I can't get vexed about £500 servicing for a year's/13,000miles of motoring.
Had a garage do the "duty of care" thing a few years ago when my wife went to pick up our car after a clutch change (I'd dropped it off but then had to go on a work trip abroad). The list of "dangerously worn components" they reeled off made my wife scared to even go near the car in case it spontaneously burst into flames! They told her they couldn't, in good conscience, let her drive the car away without having the work done (and obviously had a quote for the work ready).
When she called me (at the airport) in tears I called the local garage that we'd used for years (unfortunately due to the clutch going just before I left the country they couldn't get me in in time and so, as I wanted the work sorting before I left, I'd been forced to go elsewhere). John "our mechanic" drove to the other garage in his recovery vehicle (expecting to have to tow the car) but after listening to the list of faults he recognised a couple of components that he remembered changing recently (including the brake discs). Anyway, long story short, with the exception of a CV boot that was split, non of the other work was necessary and the car, far from being the deathtrap that it had been described as, was in fact perfectly roadworthy!
This all happened quite a few years ago and I regret that, as I was out of the country for 4 months, I never took any action against the rip-off merchants at the first garage. I like to think that garages are better regulated now but I still cast a critical eye over any quote I get just in case.
When she called me (at the airport) in tears I called the local garage that we'd used for years (unfortunately due to the clutch going just before I left the country they couldn't get me in in time and so, as I wanted the work sorting before I left, I'd been forced to go elsewhere). John "our mechanic" drove to the other garage in his recovery vehicle (expecting to have to tow the car) but after listening to the list of faults he recognised a couple of components that he remembered changing recently (including the brake discs). Anyway, long story short, with the exception of a CV boot that was split, non of the other work was necessary and the car, far from being the deathtrap that it had been described as, was in fact perfectly roadworthy!
This all happened quite a few years ago and I regret that, as I was out of the country for 4 months, I never took any action against the rip-off merchants at the first garage. I like to think that garages are better regulated now but I still cast a critical eye over any quote I get just in case.
OP
OP
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Car returned with all work done to a reasonable standard as far as I can tell.
Very exciting being able to put my Sainsbury's shopping in the boot after three months of chucking it on the back seat.
The garage has also washed the car and given it a half-hearted vacuum, but i missed out on the free coffee.
I can now look forward to several irritating sales and service follow-up calls.
"No, I'm not interested in reviewing my customer experience with you, it's just a car service, it doesn't need a board of inquiry like an air accident."
Very exciting being able to put my Sainsbury's shopping in the boot after three months of chucking it on the back seat.
The garage has also washed the car and given it a half-hearted vacuum, but i missed out on the free coffee.
I can now look forward to several irritating sales and service follow-up calls.
"No, I'm not interested in reviewing my customer experience with you, it's just a car service, it doesn't need a board of inquiry like an air accident."
Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
The service is the only time my car gets washed and hoovered.
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Fair enough. Given that difference I'd do the same. Kind of reassuring about the whole bill in a way - if they're not skinning you on the tyres, they're probably being fair about the rest.
Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
Keeping an older car on the road costs money. I've paid similar bills to those set out by Pale Rider to keep a 150k mile 10yo Berlingo on the road. Almost certainly more than it was worth but we'd had it from new and intended to keep it another 5 years and/or to 200k miles. Cost a lot less than depreciation alone on even a secondhand replacement.
We have a good local French car specialist who's premises are convenient for my work or, when I worked in London, the railway station. Not that much cheaper then the franchised main dealer though.
We have a good local French car specialist who's premises are convenient for my work or, when I worked in London, the railway station. Not that much cheaper then the franchised main dealer though.
