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

Bbc Watchdog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thats a good idea! Everyone gets their money back on watchdog. :D

Got to get your value from the £120 TV licence somehow!

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

 

that could nt happen in my case dave cos i aint got any mates---(lol)

that could nt happen in my case dave cos i aint got any mates---(lol)

if you own a 300 you have a board full of them ;) :D

Sorry to hear this mate :mad:

 

To agree with what everone else says, your money back is the only fair result. You paid one garage to fix the problem - if he uses sub-contractors it is his problem, not yours. Your contract is with the original garage.

 

Keep the pressure on the garage - if he is a trader here then name and shame if necessary. Also keep on at your credit card company - the consumer credit act should offer some security to the consumer, despite what they say - they are trying to weasel out of it IMO. Get them onside to pressure the garage if they won't refund your money.

 

Find out if the garage is a member of any trade organisation (RMI etc) and report to them, refer to trading standards, watchdog and every consumer-protection related body you can think of.

 

Good luck mate

 

Richard :)

if he is a trader here then name and shame if necessary.

:)

 

Its not one of the current traders on this board

Its not one of the current traders on this board

You don't say! Presumably they used to be...

 

Keep the pressure on the garage - if he is a trader here then name and shame if necessary.

 

Richard,if it was a trader on here then he WOULD get a serious kick up the arse!

if you own a 300 you have a board full of them ;) :D

 

shut up you will get me crying------lol

ps(cheers mate)

brian93tt

cheers for the support of everyone ........but he is no longer a trader on the group...dont take much working out tho.......

cheers for the support of everyone ........but he is no longer a trader on the group...dont take much working out tho.......

 

Yplanet? Am i close? :rofl:

Not again :headvswal :headvswal :headvswal I'm sorry but this clown should be shut down once and for all :smash::smash::smash:

close enough

perhaps a poll may sway the garages opinion to refund your money Pete?

Firstly I agree with Iain, PaulC and everyone else...regardless of the work being sub-contracted the responsibility is with the garage you took your car to initially.

 

Secondly if you are trying to get your money back and compensation for gods sake make sure you go through the small claims court. Small claims deal with cases upto 5K I think and the whole process is much quicker than just trying to build a case with a solicitor and going the whole hog of dragging them into a conventional court case! Which if you lose you are then liable for fees on both sides don't forget.

 

I know this because my Brother had all this sh1te with Aiden Piers years ago when he bought a Renault Alpine GTA with a fooked engine. Problem was that he'd paid 10K for the car and wanted his money back, so he wouldn't/couldn't go down the small claims court route and the whole case from start to finish took about 2 1/2 years. It cost me and my Bro a fortune as I was helping him out with the constant requests for more money for fees. 500 squids just for a barrister to review the case FFS! Up front!

 

It cost him thousands to get his money back and a pile of stress!

 

Oh and I agree, name and f\/ckin' shame. It's about time people like this (leeches) should be! Far too much of this sh1t goes on and it's always perfectly innocent peeps that get their hard earned robbed for what can only be described as unacceptable standards of service.

 

Which is why many moons ago when I first joined this forum I had no quarms about naming and shaming garages that had ripped me off even though it upset quite a few of the members at that time who had the utmost high regard for them. I couldn't give a flying f\/ck if they were/are the only official importer of the Skylark...at the end of the day they ripped me off for hundreds of pounds, bullshitted me about what was wrong with my car and did f\/ck all work on it to even begin to try and fix it! F\/ck 'em I say. :mad:

Which is why many moons ago when I first joined this forum I had no quarms about naming and shaming garages that had ripped me off even though it upset quite a few of the members at that time who had the utmost high regard for them. I couldn't give a flying f\/ck if they were/are the only official importer of the Skylark...at the end of the day they ripped me off for hundreds of pounds, bullshitted me about what was wrong with my car and did f\/ck all work on it to even begin to try and fix it! F\/ck 'em I say. :mad:

Can't think who you mean Turbot. Anyone, enough of this, I've got to pop down to my local Nissan dealer in St Helens for some parts.

Can't think who you mean Turbot. Anyone, enough of this, I've got to pop down to my local Nissan dealer in St Helens for some parts.

 

LMAO :rofl:

 

Send them my regards then Mike!

Not again :headvswal :headvswal :headvswal I'm sorry but this clown should be shut down once and for all :smash::smash::smash:

 

Be interesting to see a reply?????? :rolleyes:

well i spent 1200 quid with i presume the same guy this year and i was not and and havent been to happy with the results, i was gonna get em to put it right but to be onest i recon i got away lcky reading this. sorry to hear about the totall cock up they made. when i was there they had a delivery of a red z that had just been sub contracted to a guy to do the gearbox "it was l8 on a sat night and the garage was closed" , apparantly the guy told me they did all or most of the gearbox changes for them,i was suprised as i thought he was a take away delivery man if you get my drift, it certainly made me change my mind about using him to do mine. Blast his email, close his website down register an almost exact domain name and then post your findings on it, ring and ring him till he coughs up. After seeing the zed he had and the bmw he can afford it

 

good luck m8

have to agree with all you guys, small claims court is the way to go, its the garage that took your money who is responsible no matter which jo bloggs he subcontracts to !! try to document everything if you can!!

 

had some trouble a while ago with a car i bought with a blown engine and the garage didnt want to know but on to trading standards i went and they soon coughed up!!!

 

best of luck to ya!

Firstly I agree with Iain, PaulC and everyone else...regardless of the work being sub-contracted the responsibility is with the garage you took your car to initially.

 

Oh and I agree, name and f\/ckin' shame. It's about time people like this (leeches) should be! Far too much of this sh1t goes on and it's always perfectly innocent peeps that get their hard earned robbed for what can only be described as unacceptable standards of service.

F\/ck 'em I say. :mad:

 

Same here,Agree 100% mate.

I have been throught the same shit with another company, I am going through the small claims court as soon as I am fully happy with the 2nd engine, and know the total cost that I am to persue the garage for. Ive just finished running it in and have an oil leak to have fixed and then do a compression check, this guy kerbed all my new wheels, scratched the paint, poped the wings by jacking up on the sills etc, its taken a year and a half, everything I buy for the car seems to have somehting wrong with it, I,m up to ten grand spent on the car, four grand of it I am going to be trying to get back.

By the way to confirm what you should do, as Macca said you contract (verbal or written) is with the guy you paid. if he thinks different give hime the chance in writting, go to the court, get a claim form as I have and fill it in.

this is getting very interesting.

I have been throught the same shit with another company, I am going through the small claims court as soon as I am fully happy with the 2nd engine, and know the total cost that I am to persue the garage for. Ive just finished running it in and have an oil leak to have fixed and then do a compression check, this guy kerbed all my new wheels, scratched the paint, poped the wings by jacking up on the sills etc, its taken a year and a half, everything I buy for the car seems to have somehting wrong with it, I,m up to ten grand spent on the car, four grand of it I am going to be trying to get back.

 

Spent 9 1/2 k on mine plus 6k purchase price. Only covered 2400 miles in nearly 4 years. I have bought another donor car with a good engine and will be doing a transplant in the not so distant future.

 

Its spent 8 months in the paintshop and 9 months having several engine rebuilds. So its only been in my possesion for 2 years.. :eek:

 

Jacked sills,rusty brakes, ripped seats, scratched paint are all things I had to shell out for when the car returned home