Garage deception

bumpydog

Hi all,

I'll try to keep this short...my 2001 Renault Clio 1.5D was taken in for a service at an independent garage in Templeogue, Dublin. The quotation for the service was €200. When the car was collected the garage demanded €300, which was paid. Within a month, the big ends started knocking. The car was taken back to the same garage. The garage owner said that i would be too expensive to repair, however, they would try to repair it by just changing the big end shells. They apparently tried this and it didn't work. Following a telephone conversation I reluctantly agreed to sell them the car for €400 rather than try to sell it with the problem. A few weeks passed and when contacting them to arrange to drop off the registration certificate and collect the €400. They then said that I agreed €200 for the sale! I asked where the car was and was told that he had SOLD it to his mechanic and it is now fixed!! Needless to say, I have an appointment with my solicitor this Friday. After checking with the VRO, the car is still registered in my name and it hasn't been taxed since it expired in July.

Any comments?

Thanks, Malcolm

Anan1

Was there anything in writing re the sale? If not, it sounds like it's still your car.

mcscrub

bumpydog wrote: »

Hi all,

I'll try to keep this short...my 2001 Renault Clio 1.5D was taken in for a service at an independent garage in Templeogue, Dublin. The quotation for the service was €200. When the car was collected the garage demanded €300, which was paid. Within a month, the big ends started knocking. The car was taken back to the same garage. The garage owner said that i would be too expensive to repair, however, they would try to repair it by just changing the big end shells. They apparently tried this and it didn't work. Following a telephone conversation I reluctantly agreed to sell them the car for €400 rather than try to sell it with the problem. A few weeks passed and when contacting them to arrange to drop off the registration certificate and collect the €400. They then said that I agreed €200 for the sale! I asked where the car was and was told that he had SOLD it to his mechanic and it is now fixed!! Needless to say, I have an appointment with my solicitor this Friday. After checking with the VRO, the car is still registered in my name and it hasn't been taxed since it expired in July.

Any comments?

Thanks, Malcolm

Sorry for your troublle Malcolm, contact Citizens Information and the NCA. They should be able to give you some free advise - although your solicitor would know it all already. Good luck, and keep us in the know as to how you get on.

Fey!

To be honest it does sound dodgy.

Did he ever explain why the €200 bill suddenly became €300?

The only thing that I can think of is that what made it uneconomical to repair was labour charges, which the mechanic wouldn't have to incur if he repaired it himself.

As for the paperwork, I would suggest that you write to your local tax office informing them that, despite still being registered to you, that your car has been out of your possession since June, and that it is supposed to be off the road. Tell them that you'll inform them when you are putting it back on the road. In other words, cover your backside.

unkel

Fey! wrote: »

To be honest it does sound dodgy.

+1

Dodgy, but unfortunately you seem to have agreed to sell the car to them for €400 (not the €200 they are now saying). I'm not sure what legal case you have if any. Contact your solicitor and let us know. Good luck!

Tipsy Mac

You have the reg cert, report the car as stolen/taken without your permission, the car cant be sold without it.

OldmanMondeo

unkel wrote: »

+1

Dodgy, but unfortunately you seem to have agreed to sell the car to them for €400 (not the €200 they are now saying). I'm not sure what legal case you have if any. Contact your solicitor and let us know. Good luck!

He would have the same case as a dealer pulling out of selling a car, ie no case but the car remains witht he dealer. I would go to the garage, demand the car back and tell them you are not paying for any repairs as you never requested them.

bumpydog

At the time I agreed to them buying the car for 400 I was told that it was uneconomical to repair. Until the time I transfer ownership to them, in writing, the car is my property and they have no right to do any work to the car. If I demand the car back, one of a few things will happen. Either I will get a huge bill for the shell replacements and/or they will drain the oil and run the engine to have the big end knock recur. I'll wait and see what my solicitor suggests.

Malcolm

cruizer101

Just a thought and I'm not sure the legalities so would want to check.

But if you have a spare set of keys could you just go take the car, its still your property so shouldn't be stealing.

Saab Ed

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

You have the reg cert, report the car as stolen/taken without your permission, the car cant be sold without it.

Reg cert means nothing

OP did the garage explain why did the big ends started knocking ? How was the damage caused?

Bluefoam

OP, report the car stolen - you did not agree to the final transaction & have received no payment. Treat it as theft.

jimmycrackcorm

Bluefoam wrote: »

OP, report the car stolen - you did not agree to the final transaction & have received no payment. Treat it as theft.

The Guards will just say that it is a civil matter. It isn't theft - just an incomplete transaction.

david

It sounds like they are taking you for a ride to be honest.

You should always get a second opinion when the garage says:

"Car went bang, but luckily for you I will give you €400 for it effectively giving us your Clio for €100" (Or you paying them €100 as the case would be with the latest offer)

I would call the owner and request the car on your driveway ASAP or you'll report it stolen. He carried out the work without your consent and also 'sold' the car while you're still the legal owner.

unkel

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

The Guards will just say that it is a civil matter. It isn't theft - just an incomplete transaction.

Spot on. The car wasn't stolen. Reporting it stolen is wasting Garda time.

bumpydog

>>But if you have a spare set of keys could you just go take the car, its still >>your property so shouldn't be stealing

Don't think I hadn't thought of that. Unfortunately, the spare keys were lost and it's 200 euros for a new key and it has to be programmed to the car :-(

david

Have you asked for your car back?

dutchcat

have you accepted any money yet?

mondeo

Sound like right cowboys altogether. I know of the garage and now I will never ever use them after reading this. My father used them 2 or 3 times and he wont be using them again for sure. Good luck with whatever happens.

beachlife

bumpydog wrote: »

Hi all,

I'll try to keep this short...my 2001 Renault Clio 1.5D was taken in for a service at an independent garage in Templeogue, Dublin. The quotation for the service was €200. When the car was collected the garage demanded €300, which was paid. Within a month, the big ends started knocking. The car was taken back to the same garage. The garage owner said that i would be too expensive to repair, however, they would try to repair it by just changing the big end shells. They apparently tried this and it didn't work. Following a telephone conversation I reluctantly agreed to sell them the car for €400 rather than try to sell it with the problem. A few weeks passed and when contacting them to arrange to drop off the registration certificate and collect the €400. They then said that I agreed €200 for the sale! I asked where the car was and was told that he had SOLD it to his mechanic and it is now fixed!! Needless to say, I have an appointment with my solicitor this Friday. After checking with the VRO, the car is still registered in my name and it hasn't been taxed since it expired in July.

Any comments?

Thanks, Malcolm

Not trying to be bad here, but did you pay for the repairs carried out on the engine? i.e fitting the new shells? if not ,I suspect that the garage owner is deducting that from your sale price(400 for the car less 200 in bills owed to the garage) I'm sure you could pay the 200 bill and get your car back(although if it's now fixed i would presume they fitted a used engine
bought for around 250/350 euros and the mechanic fitted it himself,a job they would charge about 900/1100 in total for,i.e fit engine service engine,labour) so from what i can see there mistake not explaining why the service was 300,not 200 euro. and not explaining that the price for the car would be less any bills owed by you.....

bumpydog

beachlife wrote: »

Not trying to be bad here, but did you pay for the repairs carried out on the engine? i.e fitting the new shells? if not ,I suspect that the garage owner is deducting that from your sale price(400 for the car less 200 in bills owed to the garage) I'm sure you could pay the 200 bill and get your car back(although if it's now fixed i would presume they fitted a used engine
bought for around 250/350 euros and the mechanic fitted it himself,a job they would charge about 900/1100 in total for,i.e fit engine service engine,labour) so from what i can see there mistake not explaining why the service was 300,not 200 euro. and not explaining that the price for the car would be less any bills owed by you.....

To be honest, I'm not particularly bothered about the inflated service charge. I am miffed that they told me the car was uneconomic to repair, then fully repaired the car whilst it is still my property. I have a meeting with my solicitor today and will see what he suggests. I *assume* that I can insist on getting the car back in the condition in which I left it. Quite how they achieve this worries me.

bumpydog

mondeo wrote: »

Sound like right cowboys altogether. I know of the garage and now I will never ever use them after reading this. My father used them 2 or 3 times and he wont be using them again for sure. Good luck with whatever happens.

If you know the company in question, you will probably know that they have, for some reason, a.EU domain. What you don't know is that I have registered the .com domain to use as a testimonial site :-)