I hate Garages

jewels.p
jewels.p Registered Posts: 1,774 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
Happy New Year to you all!

I am just back to work today after a two week break and had to take my car to the garage as the Window Wipers packed in. I had it in the garage before Xmas and was charged £60 and told it was a fuse. They then packed in again and the same garage told me I would need to take it to a Renault Garage as they thought it might be the Motor. It's a 2006 Renault Clio. My other half checked the fuse for the Windscreen Wipers and it was ok so we booked it in at the Renault Garage as advised.

It was there for two and a half hours and they phoned me to say it was a blown fuse in the UPC and unless you are a Renault Expert you wouldn't know that.

When I went to pick it up I was handed a Bill for £68.73 Parts were........ wait for it......................£0.54 yip 54 bloody pence!

So two fuses have cost me £128.73 (£1.10 parts and the rest labour)....................and thats why I hate Garages!

Comments

  • JayneHogan
    JayneHogan Registered Posts: 697 Epic contributor 🐘
    Ouch!
  • katsutlieff
    katsutlieff Registered Posts: 459 Dedicated contributor 🦉
    That is exortinate there is no jusification for a labour bill that steep for a five minute job
  • farmergiles
    farmergiles Registered Posts: 1,693 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    It isn't necessarily a 5 minute job. It will have neede an auto electrician to check through everything to find out what the problem was. It may well have been a short somewhere that was blowing the fuse. Once the short had been fixed, often without using any materials other than some electricians tape, then the fuse can be replaced.
    electrical faults in cars are one of the most time consuming to trace.
  • mark130273
    mark130273 Registered Posts: 4,234 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    garages ...that how they make their money isnt not profit making on parts.. not worth it ...

    they make it on the labour!
  • CJC
    CJC Registered Posts: 1,657 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    When I lived in Maidenhead my brother who lived nearby did a bit of rallying and had a mate who was a rally mechanic. When in needed a new radiator in my car I first went the local garage who wanted to charge me £300 for the job,ouch. My brother put me on to his mate who told me to pop to the motor factors pick up a new radiator (cost £40) and he'd fit it for £20. He did a few other jobs for me too saved a small fortune. I do miss having a bloke like that around.

    With most garages I reckon that you may as well give them your credit card when you take your car in and say 'help yourself'.
  • Esme
    Esme Registered Posts: 711 Epic contributor 🐘
    I work for a garage and agree completely.. especially as the technician who carried out the work will be getting paid at most £8 an hour! I get half price labour as I'm staff which is still £45 an hour!!
  • alexmitchell
    alexmitchell Registered Posts: 58 Regular contributor ⭐
    Sometimes it helps to go on enthusiasts forums for people with the same car as yours. Usually you will find theres lots of people happy to advise you on what to do based on your cars problem. sometimes you might be able to fix it yourself or if not at least get an idea of how hard a job it is for somebody who knows what they are doing and what a good price to pay would be.

    Years ago I had a peugeot 106 and quickfit wanted £150 to replace a driveshaft.
    I got some advice off a dude on a peugeot forum, bought one a scrap one off ebay and got a back street garage to fit it for cash. Cost about £60 altogether and it only took the guy 5 mins to exchange it for the worn out one.

    Good times!
  • Primble
    Primble Registered Posts: 734 Epic contributor 🐘
    i hate garages too. my husband crashed my car. it went to the insurance reccomended garage. 7 weeks later i get it back. they done 8 parts order and left ordering the hub cap until the last one. they have one proper mechanic for all their 3 garages. and took several attempts and god knows how many unnesecary parts to put the tracking right. they dont even have a computer to plug the car into to see what was happening in the first place.
  • jewels.p
    jewels.p Registered Posts: 1,774 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    Was driving home from work on Friday and tried to put the Windscreen Wipers on to clear the Window but guess what.................yip they didnt work so now have to wait until Monday and phone the rip off garage again to see what they are going to do about it! I tell you they better not just change the fuse and charge me another 70 quid!
  • Jon_1984
    Jon_1984 Registered Posts: 186 Dedicated contributor 🦉
    Hate to say it but are you sure Fridays incident was not the wipers being frozen to the screen?
  • jewels.p
    jewels.p Registered Posts: 1,774 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    Jon_1984 wrote: »
    Hate to say it but are you sure Fridays incident was not the wipers being frozen to the screen?

    No been having problems since the beginning of December so it aint just that. Dont know if you have read the rest of what I posted on this thread but already had two fuses replaced which has cost me £120!
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