Can the group please give me some advice on a problem I have with a garage...

 

It all started when my zed went bang in Feb last year so I took it to a garage for what they quoted as been a low mileage jap engine for £1500 fitted.

 

I took it (somewhat mistakenly) to what I thought was an established garage where I was told the turn round time would be a couple of weeks. I dropped the car off at the beginning of March and picked it up some 7-8 Weeks later (30.04.04)!! Everything looked fine with the engine so I paid my money by credit card and set off home.

 

When I got home I notice the exhaust was nearly hitting the floor so the next morning I took it to a local exhaust centre who charged me £20 to correct it. On the way back I decided to open her up a bit and then noticed a big cloud of smoke out the back and loss of power, I crawled the car home.

 

I Contacted the garage and they sent someone to pick it up.

I then had engine no2 fitted and went down to pick up car again at the end of May. When I got there and started the engine up it sounded like a diesel and smoked badly but I took it for a test drive and opened her up – this caused big clouds of smoke behind me, when I came back which wasn’t long I was told by the garage owner that you cant drive zeds like that to which we started to have a heated discussion. This is where I made my second mistake, the garage owner offered me a full refund which I turned it down telling him that we have come this far and that all I wanted was a good low mileage jap engine. So they fitted engine no 3 by the end of June and off I went again to pick my car up, this engine seemed ok so I accepted it.

 

After driving the car for a week it never seemed to run right (couldn’t put my finger on it but loads of time cleaning plugs and so on), so I decided to do a compression test on the engine and found that it was low. I booked it to Nissan who have done a report saying the engine had excessive wear to pistons & rings and the compression was low. So it went to the garage again to have engine no 4 fitted. At some point during engine no1 or no2 been fitted I found out the work was not carried out by the garage I have been dealing with but had been subcontracted out. I phoned the garage up asking how my car was going on and they told me to contact the subcontractor which I did.

 

The contractor told me that the only way to guarantee a good engine was to have a engine rebuild, we had a chat about money and he wanted a further £500 for a engine that had been rebuilt and a extended guarantee and it would be done immediately has they had a engine that was just about built, so I told them to get on with it. Engine no 4 was fitted and delivered back to the first garage, I phoned up to see how good my engine was to be told that this engine also had low compression. So it went back to the subcontractors to have engine no 4 taken out and be rebuilt (this was around September time), engine no 4 was rebuilt and refitted but still had a problem with compression (now dec). I was phoning up and been avoided so a left a nasty answer message and they contacted me back saying they was taking the rebuilt engine out and fitting a scrap engine that may or may not start and would told me I would get a refund.

 

I then contacted the garage and asked for my money back and was told “cards on the table “YOU ARE NOT GETTING A PENNY FROM ME” ,So I went down over the Christmas period to the subcontractors and got my zed back and was told I would get my money back, I told him I wanted the money back by the 10.01.05 off either garage ( don’t care who gave me the money ) .On the way home I called into the garage and told him the same I wanted my money back. I contacted the garage again on the 7.01.05 to be told that they can’t sort it out has the subcontractor daughter had passed away and they couldn’t get hold of him. So I called again today and I asked if I was getting my money to be told NO……….

 

I accept that the first garage owner has done a lot of work on the engines that have been fitted but It’s not my fault that the work has not been completed satisfactory and he should give me a refund but he won’t. The car now has some extra dents and scratches on it, the interior is messed up mostly covered in oil every where

 

So, Ive been without my car for most of the year – lost money on my insurance, road tax and petrol on countless trips down to the garage. . I now have an engine that I don’t know what’s wrong with it, don’t know if I have got my original tubs that have only done 28000 mile or any of the other engine components.

Ive finally got my zed back (albeit tattier and STILL with a knackered engine) and Im down £1500 on top.

 

Well that’s my story, sorry it’s so long but I wanted to be correct, just asking for some advice on the matter.

 

Cheers Pete

your contract is with the garage you took your car to & paid.

any subcontact work is their responsibility.

 

it sounds like you may have to go to small claims court to get any joy here. maybe get in contact with your local CAB.

 

you have given them more than enough opportunity to rectify any problem.

im sure im right in saying you could now have the work done elswhere & claim your expenses back through small claims court. ( i know its a pain to have to pay out more money 1st)

 

for a job like this many people have had very good work done by Ryan at Z-Tech (in our traders section)

paul....I agree.....the trader was on this group so he will most likely see this post

fook me!!!!!! thats some bad shhit mate,as paul c says its small claims court time i think,hope you get sorted from these cowboys,in the meantime keep takin the prozak

brian93tt

the original garage or the subcontractor?

LOL 3 guesses.... this sounds all too familiar :rolleyes: Time will tell I suppose...

the original garage or the subcontractor?

 

ide tend to think it would be the original garage as this is where the contract had originated,and then the garage would have to recover from the guy he employed--ie the subcontractor

If you paid on credit card you can actually request the money back from them, they will then go after whom the money was paid to. Thats your first option, the second is small claims court.

which garage is this then on here or is that too rude to ask? I thought the policy was name and shame? :)

znut ...I have said this to him..but he says if he gets the money from the subcontractor then he will give the money to me but if he doesnt then tuff .

mike..contacted credit card ..i thought the same as you ..but because its a face to face transaction you dont get the same rights...there words

Hi Pete,sorry to hear the bad news:( however as Paul said...........

 

your contract is with the garage you took your car to & paid.

 

No excuses IMHO,I am sure Bob an X trader on here posted the same a few months ago when a garage farmed out work and would not take responsibility

znut ...I have said this to him..but he says if he gets the money from the subcontractor then he will give the money to me but if he doesnt then tuff .

 

ha ha-----iff only life was as simple as that hey,thats total bullshiit,with him saying that hes as much as admiting he owes ya mate,otherwise where does the crap stop,---"i cant pay you because the sub-contractor owes me,and he said he cant pay me because his grease monkey owes him,and the grease monkey said his young aprentise picked up the wrong engine,and the aprentise said he picked up the wrong engine because his missus never put tomato on his sandwiches and therfore he was nt thinking right,and she said she had no tomatoes because she missed the bus to go netto" HE OWES PERIOD.

BRIAN93TT

LOL 3 guesses.... this sounds all too familiar :rolleyes: Time will tell I suppose...

 

PMSL...... :x:

 

Sorry mate, that real bad sh1t......

I for one think the garage in question should refund your money. I know Pete and have seen the stress and problems this has caused him. I couldnt go without my zed for nigh on a year then have it back in a worse condition and be money down!!!!

I hate these stories. Tough luck mate!

My advice. Don't get all huffy and try to do ANYTHING but get your money back. Take him to small claims. You have a case. But do it quietly between you and him. All this bleating on the website will only warn him. It is not your job to slag him off...yet. Be clever, go quiet, get your money and then warn us all about this tWWat!

I think of it this way £1500 is the avarage salary of someone for a month. It's worth a month of your time getting him!

Chris Davies

LOL 3 guesses.... this sounds all too familiar :rolleyes: Time will tell I suppose...

 

:rofl: hmmm, now I wonder who we have in mind????? :nelson:

im sure if u have documented proof of what has happened , you should have no probs in the small claims court mate. Good luck

I have contacted cab and they have passed me to the trading standard, so now waiting for them to contact me ....

Can the group please give me some advice on a problem I have with a garage...

 

It all started when my zed went bang in Feb last year so I took it to a garage for what they quoted as been a low mileage jap engine for £1500 fitted.

 

I took it (somewhat mistakenly) to what I thought was an established garage where I was told the turn round time would be a couple of weeks. I dropped the car off at the beginning of March and picked it up some 7-8 Weeks later (30.04.04)!! Everything looked fine with the engine so I paid my money by credit card and set off home.

 

When I got home I notice the exhaust was nearly hitting the floor so the next morning I took it to a local exhaust centre who charged me £20 to correct it. On the way back I decided to open her up a bit and then noticed a big cloud of smoke out the back and loss of power, I crawled the car home.

 

I Contacted the garage and they sent someone to pick it up.

I then had engine no2 fitted and went down to pick up car again at the end of May. When I got there and started the engine up it sounded like a diesel and smoked badly but I took it for a test drive and opened her up – this caused big clouds of smoke behind me, when I came back which wasn’t long I was told by the garage owner that you cant drive zeds like that to which we started to have a heated discussion. This is where I made my second mistake, the garage owner offered me a full refund which I turned it down telling him that we have come this far and that all I wanted was a good low mileage jap engine. So they fitted engine no 3 by the end of June and off I went again to pick my car up, this engine seemed ok so I accepted it.

 

After driving the car for a week it never seemed to run right (couldn’t put my finger on it but loads of time cleaning plugs and so on), so I decided to do a compression test on the engine and found that it was low. I booked it to Nissan who have done a report saying the engine had excessive wear to pistons & rings and the compression was low. So it went to the garage again to have engine no 4 fitted. At some point during engine no1 or no2 been fitted I found out the work was not carried out by the garage I have been dealing with but had been subcontracted out. I phoned the garage up asking how my car was going on and they told me to contact the subcontractor which I did.

 

The contractor told me that the only way to guarantee a good engine was to have a engine rebuild, we had a chat about money and he wanted a further £500 for a engine that had been rebuilt and a extended guarantee and it would be done immediately has they had a engine that was just about built, so I told them to get on with it. Engine no 4 was fitted and delivered back to the first garage, I phoned up to see how good my engine was to be told that this engine also had low compression. So it went back to the subcontractors to have engine no 4 taken out and be rebuilt (this was around September time), engine no 4 was rebuilt and refitted but still had a problem with compression (now dec). I was phoning up and been avoided so a left a nasty answer message and they contacted me back saying they was taking the rebuilt engine out and fitting a scrap engine that may or may not start and would told me I would get a refund.

 

I then contacted the garage and asked for my money back and was told “cards on the table “YOU ARE NOT GETTING A PENNY FROM ME” ,So I went down over the Christmas period to the subcontractors and got my zed back and was told I would get my money back, I told him I wanted the money back by the 10.01.05 off either garage ( don’t care who gave me the money ) .On the way home I called into the garage and told him the same I wanted my money back. I contacted the garage again on the 7.01.05 to be told that they can’t sort it out has the subcontractor daughter had passed away and they couldn’t get hold of him. So I called again today and I asked if I was getting my money to be told NO……….

 

I accept that the first garage owner has done a lot of work on the engines that have been fitted but It’s not my fault that the work has not been completed satisfactory and he should give me a refund but he won’t. The car now has some extra dents and scratches on it, the interior is messed up mostly covered in oil every where

 

So, Ive been without my car for most of the year – lost money on my insurance, road tax and petrol on countless trips down to the garage. . I now have an engine that I don’t know what’s wrong with it, don’t know if I have got my original tubs that have only done 28000 mile or any of the other engine components.

Ive finally got my zed back (albeit tattier and STILL with a knackered engine) and Im down £1500 on top.

 

Well that’s my story, sorry it’s so long but I wanted to be correct, just asking for some advice on the matter.

 

Cheers Pete

 

 

Pete this sounds like someone I know round the Midlands way...Am I close??

Pete the story you have told us, is a mirror image of what happened to me with my green Z. Although they said it would take 2 weeks, I actually pulled it out from there after being messed around for 9 1/2 months. I paid them just over 2K half way through the job (big mistake). I ended up taking the car to a local Z specialist who got it running within 2 days. Although its now running the mechanic who fixed it told me that the engine has not been put together correctly and requires an overhaul.

 

So 2K down + tax + insurance + MOT covered in scratches and oil...does this sound familiar...

 

I spoke to a solicitor who told me that the case could take years and even if I do win I still might not get my money back. I bit the bullet and bought another engine for her.

 

PS...This is not the same garage as Paul went to before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusions.

 

The only answer in this day n age is Violence.. Go and pay them a visit with your buddies

dave sorry that you have been through the same shit as me..It going to go to the small claims to recover the money....cant say much but iam not going to give up ...its not just about the money no more..!.

 

email me petes_mailbox@yahoo.com

 

cheers mate

dave sorry that you have been through the same shit as me..It going to go to the small claims to recover the money....cant say much but iam not going to give up ...its not just about the money no more..!.

 

email me petes_mailbox@yahoo.com

 

cheers mate

 

I understand the hush hush matey. Hope you do better than I did. My biggest mistake was not to document all the events. You think every single week oh its nearly there, wont be long now, will pick it up next week, I know you just live in hope from week to week.

 

I gave up on advice from my solicitor, he said it will be more pain than gain :headvswal

Dave I dont have a problem with naming both garages as everything i have said is right, I just dont know if it will have any bearing when i go to small claims......I have looked on the group about this trader and i cant believe no one has taken him to court before...maybe somebody has and not said.....I was the same as you thinking you are getting your car back soon but it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.

Pete thats some really shitty news mate. I find it disgusting that people would do something like that! If it is the garage i am thinking of, why would they have any problems fitting an engine in good running order? I just dont get it!

 

Hope you get it all sorted ok mate.

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