Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Dispute with a garage over work/price - help!

Options
  • 11-01-2013 11:48pm
    #1
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭


    Around a month or so I took my car to a bodyshop to get a price on some rust cutting out/patching in new metal/re-painting (it's an old car, but a daily driver, so no showroom condition-work or anything).

    The following week I returned, and the car had its front bumper removed, holes poked through and looked in a bad state. I was verbally quoted a price of 500-600 euros for the work. Not thrilled with that as I was anticipating around €400, but I agreed and told him to go ahead with the work.

    Last week I went in to see how work had progressed, but it hadn't.
    I said that I still wanted the work done, and was informed that I will have my car back in a week's time.

    I sent a text today to give them the colour code for the paint, and received a reply as follows :

    "we are starting on 3rd day of welding here, this job is much more difficult than I thought, it's going to cost €850 and won't be ready for a week, that ok?"

    ...?! Where do I stand here? I agreed to a verbal quote of 500/600 euros.
    I can't afford €850, and didn't at all agree to €850!

    What do I do here?
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Twoandahalfmen
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 769 ✭✭✭Twoandahalfmen


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    Around a month or so I took my car to a bodyshop to get a price on some rust cutting out/patching in new metal/re-painting (it's an old car, but a daily driver, so no showroom condition-work or anything).

    The following week I returned, and the car had its front bumper removed, holes poked through and looked in a bad state. I was verbally quoted a price of 500-600 euros for the work. Not thrilled with that as I was anticipating around €400, but I agreed and told him to go ahead with the work.

    Last week I went in to see how work had progressed, but it hadn't.
    I said that I still wanted the work done, and was informed that I will have my car back in a week's time.

    I sent a text today to give them the colour code for the paint, and received a reply as follows :

    "we are starting on 3rd day of welding here, this job is much more difficult than I thought, it's going to cost €850 and won't be ready for a week, that ok?"

    ...?! Where do I stand here? I agreed to a verbal quote of 500/600 euros.
    I can't afford €850, and didn't at all agree to €850!

    What do I do here?

    A verbal agreement is useless, unless its in wrighting, they can charge what they want I'm afraid.


  • Options
    #3
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    Twoandahalfmen wrote: »
    A verbal agreement is useless, unless its in writing, they can charge what they want I'm afraid.

    I didn't agree to 850 euros. That's 40-60% over their estimate. I didn't agree to 850!
    If they charge me 900, is that ok? What about 1000? 1200?


  • Options
    #4
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    You've a long thread on this in motors, i doubt you'll get different opinions here


  • Options
    #5
    Twoandahalfmen
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 769 ✭✭✭Twoandahalfmen


    reverbfuzz wrote: »

    I didn't agree to 850 euros. That's 40-60% over their estimate. I didn't agree to 850!
    If they charge me 900, is that ok? What about 1000? 1200?

    Did you get the quote in writing ?
    If not yes they can charge you 1000 1200 once you agree to it. Just because the original quote was 850 doesn't mean they have to uphold that offer


  • Options
    #6
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    Stheno wrote: »
    You've a long thread on this in motors, i doubt you'll get different opinions here

    I've added more detail here. Thanks.
    It seems a more appropriate thread topic for here too.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    Twoandahalfmen wrote: »
    Did you get the quote in writing ?
    If not yes they can charge you 1000 1200 once you agree to it. Just because the original quote was 850 doesn't mean they have to uphold that offer

    I haven't agreed to 850. SO now what?


  • Options
    #8
    wexie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    I haven't agreed to 850. SO now what?

    The problem here is that you haven't really agreed to anything that you can prove....


  • Options
    #9
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    wexie wrote: »
    The problem here is that you haven't really agreed to anything that you can prove....


    Well "more difficult than I thought..." in the text from him implies an increase in price. Asking "It's going to cost 850 ... is that ok" also implies a new price, that I've yet to agree on.


  • Options
    #10
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    wexie wrote: »
    The problem here is that you haven't really agreed to anything that you can prove....

    This and once they started cutting into the rust and welding in panels it could have been far more pervasive/other panels could be weakened.

    I suspect they went ahead as you wanted it done, but they are at fault for not saying we estimate x price.

    You are at fault for not getting a 100% quote.


  • Options
    #11
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    Stheno wrote: »
    This and once they started cutting into the rust and welding in panels it could have been far more pervasive/other panels could be weakened.

    I suspect they went ahead as you wanted it done, but they are at fault for not saying we estimate x price.

    You are at fault for not getting a 100% quote.

    And that's it, in legal terms?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    wexie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    Well "more difficult than I thought..." in the text from him implies an increase in price. Asking "It's going to cost 850 ... is that ok" also implies a new price, that I've yet to agree on.

    it's a rotten situation, the garage should have kept you informed better and obviously either found something unexpected or made a very poor estimate.

    Problem now is what do you do?

    You need to let them know either way (and quickly) that you're not happy and try to come to a compromise on a final (written) price so at least you know where you stand.

    If that turns out to be too high I guess you could choose to take your car back as is and pay them for the work already done but that's not likely to be much cheaper as you'll still need to pay someone else for the rest of the work.

    And if you get another cowboy they're likely to find something wrong with the work already done (sucks air through teeth).....'s gonna cost boss..


  • Options
    #13
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    I would call and say the car isn't worth spending that sort of money. If he can still do it for €600 that's great, otherwise you'll put up with the rust.


  • Options
    #14
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    fasttalkerchat wrote: »
    I would call and say the car isn't worth spending that sort of money. If he can still do it for €600 that's great, otherwise you'll put up with the rust.

    But if there's (allegedly) 3 days of work done already, he could come back and say that they've done more than 600's worth already? Which I of course can't prove....


  • Options
    #15
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    But if there's (allegedly) 3 days of work done already, he could come back and say that they've done more than 600's worth already? Which I of course can't prove....

    I wouldn't pay more than the value of the work done. If he has one side of the car done pay half the agreed price. But the chances are that the work done so far will have no real value...
    If a painter and decorator doubled the agreed price would you pay him €20 because he had already driven to your house and laid down sheets?
    No, but if he had half the house done you would offer him half the agreed price (provided that he had a solid excuse for asking for more money)


  • Options
    #16
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    fasttalkerchat wrote: »
    I wouldn't pay more than the value of the work done. If he has one side of the car done pay half the agreed price. But the chances are that the work done so far will have no real value...
    If a painter and decorator doubled the agreed price would you pay him €20 because he had already driven to your house and laid down sheets?
    No, but if he had half the house done you would offer him half the agreed price (provided that he had a solid excuse for asking for more money)

    Hmmm... but how do I ascertain the value of the work done so far? He could turn round and say it's 600 euros of work done, just to get that from me?


  • Options
    #17
    namoosh
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭namoosh


    Dont pay leave them with the car and buy another one. You will get an ok car for 500-600. If yours needs that amount of welding its probably not worth much anyway.


  • Options
    #18
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    namoosh wrote: »
    Dont pay leave them with the car and buy another one. You will get an ok car for 500-600. If yours needs that amount of welding its probably not worth much anyway.


    Errr, the car's worth around 1500, I can't do that :p


  • Options
    #19
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    Hmmm... but how do I ascertain the value of the work done so far? He could turn round and say it's 600 euros of work done, just to get that from me?

    You could ask another mechanic for a second opinion. TBH he may be genuine but I wouldn't pay anyone considerably more for work I didn't agree to pay for.


  • Options
    #20
    reverbfuzz
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭reverbfuzz


    fasttalkerchat wrote: »
    You could ask another mechanic for a second opinion. TBH he may be genuine but I wouldn't pay anyone considerably more for work I didn't agree to pay for.


    Just to flip this for a minute - not sure how this affects anything - I have a text (in writing) of him saying it will now cost 850. There's nothing in writing up until THAT text stating that this will cost 850

    .... so HE has no proof of 850 being agreed on!


  • Options
    #21
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    reverbfuzz wrote: »
    Just to flip this for a minute - not sure how this affects anything - I have a text (in writing) of him saying it will now cost 850. There's nothing in writing up until THAT text stating that this will cost 850

    .... so HE has no proof of 850 being agreed on!

    He has no right to demand more than "500-600" for the completed job, however you should let him know ASAP if you do not agree to his proposal of 850.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    You've a bit of an issue here. Quotations aren't generally binding, even in writing - they allow you to get a sense of what something is going to cost and then come to an agreement. You never came to an agreement on price.

    I'd suggest negotiating with him and trying to get the price down. Legally I'm pretty sure there is little you can do. That said getting legal advise off randomers on the internet isn't the most sensible thing in the world - why don't you try FLAC.ie


Advertisement