Infuriated

Cheeky_gal

I recently posted up a thread here about how I was screwed over by my mechanic.

Well here's an update...

He finally fitted my new break pad sensor. My car was due in for a service with BMW the following week and BMW phoned to say the break pad sensor had to be replaced, I asked why considering it had only been replaced a week previous and they told me...

"whoever replaced it last cut the wire which is part of the break pad sensor".

Set me back €45.

Phoned up the mechanic and told him this, he asked me to phone BMW and ask for his old part back so he could see the wire for himself, I phoned BMW and they said they threw it out as it was no good to them or anyone.

Now I'm looking for a refund off the mechanic as he screwed me over once again, but he won't answer his phone.

What can I do? Getting really fed up with this guy.

biko

Chalk it down to experience. Never use him again. Tell your friends.
You could take it to small claims court but it's word against word and without the part...

Cheeky_gal

biko wrote: »

Chalk it down to experience. Never use him again. Tell your friends.
You could take it to small claims court but it's word against word and without the part...

But I have all the mechanis in BMW as witnesses to the part? How can he get away with this? I know it's only €45 at the end of the day but it's €45 I don't have and could do with desperately.

Can I threaten to give him a bad name? Although I'm a very soft person I probably wouldn't have the balls to do that but still, he shouldn't be allowed get away with it. I'm so angry.

biko

I don't think you can/ should threaten to give him a bad name as it would be defamation.

Ask the guys in BMW if they would testify? If so you can go back to the mechanic and threaten court action and mention BMW will testify to your advantage.
I'm not a lawyer but if someone did that to me and I knew I'd lose then I'd certainly give the money back.

Wolverine_1999

Name and shame - that's what these forums are for. If anyone has had any good experiences, they in turn will respond disagreeing with you. It's all about discussion.

A mechanic has nothing to go on except his reputation, once that his gone, so is his business.

Cheeky_gal

Wolverine_1999 wrote: »

Name and shame - that's what these forums are for. If anyone has had any good experiences, they in turn will respond disagreeing with you. It's all about discussion.

A mechanic has nothing to go on except his reputation, once that his gone, so is his business.

:mad:

Forest Master

You 100% on the name? You don't want to implicate the wrong people:


Is it these guys? Because they're not called "<snip>s" as you claim.

Cheeky_gal

Forest Master wrote: »

You 100% on the name? You don't want to implicate the wrong people:

Is it these guys?

I am just so annoyed. I lost my Driving lesson fee of €100 and my test fee €75 both because of this guy (didn't even receive an apology), I paid to get my break pads and break pad sensor fixed (€120 - €130), my break pads are still squeeking, I phoned him to tell him this and he said it's normal, well it's been 3 or 4 weeks now and they're still squeeking and I'm no car expert but that's not normal, and now I have since found out through BMW that he obviously didn't fit the sensor correctly as it had to be replaced.

I had some damage to the rear of my car a few months back which involved needing body work repair etc. and the logo to my car is very obviously crooked. I pointed this out to him after he had fixed the back of my car and he said that I would have to order a new logo if I wanted it to be straight. (could he not just have put it back on straight when I paid him to fix my car?), Ridiculous.

All that money is down the drain now. Completely and utterly peeved off.

Idbatterim

Op maybe you should use AC car sales and servicing, they are bmw specialists and have excellent workmanship and customer service. The mechanic I use told me to get Bosch pads, as others can squeek, they didnt cost any more than the other brands. Sensors cost E15 from motor factors...

Cheeky_gal

Idbatterim wrote: »

Op maybe you should use AC car sales and servicing, they are bmw specialists and have excellent workmanship and customer service. The mechanic I use told me to get Bosch pads, as others can squeek, they didnt cost any more than the other brands. Sensors cost E15 from motor factors...

Thanks very much for that. I'll defo take note cheers

Any advice as to how to get a refund off <snip> for their mistake?

slimjimmc

biko wrote: »

Chalk it down to experience. Never use him again. Tell your friends.
You could take it to small claims court but it's word against word and without the part...

Cheeky_gal wrote: »

But I have all the mechanis in BMW as witnesses to the part? How can he get away with this? I know it's only €45 at the end of the day but it's €45 I don't have and could do with desperately.

Can I threaten to give him a bad name? Although I'm a very soft person I probably wouldn't have the balls to do that but still, he shouldn't be allowed get away with it. I'm so angry.

All the BMW dealer can say for certain is the cable from the brake pad sensor (wear indicator perhaps??) is severed. They cannot say who or what cut it unless they witnessed it first hand.

What evidence have you that the cable was intact before he replaced the brake pads?.

You can't rely on the pad wear warning lamp because it won't give you any indication when the cable was damaged. It only lights up when an electrical contact was made which could occur even if the damage was done months ago and the bare end was disturbed into touching off the car body and making electrical contact.


So you see the 'proof' you have is no proof at all against the other guy.

mickdw

I remember the thread about them not completing your car for your driving test and you losing out. They sound like idiots.
Stop using them.

Plug

I've often came by brake pads were the sensor is missing or the wires looped. You've got no proof he done it. Were did you get pads done before that?

EPM

Garagename deleted. No mentioning of names please. Nothing against the OP but we need to be careful.

delta1980

i have replaced one of these sensors on my 318 because i severed the last one by accident and the light came on, was the light on the dashboard illuminated cause if it was the the wire was severed if not ???

Wolverine_1999

EPM wrote: »

Garagename deleted. No mentioning of names please. Nothing against the OP but we need to be careful.

So much for free speech! But if it's against the rules, it's against the rules. Noted.

newmug

PM me his name OP

slimjimmc

delta1980 wrote: »

i have replaced one of these sensors on my 318 because i severed the last one by accident and the light came on, was the light on the dashboard illuminated cause if it was the the wire was severed if not ???

The wire could have been previously tucked out of the way by anyone who ever worked on the car, or simply hanging freely away from metal. It could also have been cut or snapped cleanly with no protruding core to contact any metal.

The presence of a warning lamp does not indicate when the wire was broken, it only tells you that it is now touching metal and closing the circuit.



I fail to understand the assumption that the previous mechanic caused the problem when the only proof available is a broken wire but no proof of when it was broken, who broke it or indeed if anyone broke it.

Cheeky_gal

Well it doesn't look like I'll be getting a refund. He's ignoring my calls, absolute w****r :mad:

45 euro for a brake pad sensor is absolute theft! They only cost me around 15 euro from motor factors or online.

You don't even need them if you just keep an eye on the pads yourself like you have to in most cars.

ottostreet

Diego Vast Stock-still wrote: »

45 euro for a brake pad sensor is absolute theft! They only cost me around 15 euro from motor factors or online.

You don't even need them if you just keep an eye on the pads yourself like you have to in most cars.

As far as I can remember, it causes the traction control to stop working. It definitely did on my E36 anyway

ottostreet

ottostreet wrote: »

As far as I can remember, it causes the traction control to stop working. It definitely did on my E36 anyway

Cant see why it would do that, it should be a separate system especially for front wheel wear sensors.

Mechanic that does some work for me was telling me anyway that I didn't need to bother buying the sensor, I already had it bought though and he fitted it. From the way he was talking sounded like a lot of people don't bother fitting them, can't say for sure though.

ottostreet

Diego Vast Stock-still wrote: »

Cant see why it would do that, it should be a separate system especially for front wheel wear sensors.

Mechanic that does some work for me was telling me anyway that I didn't need to bother buying the sensor, I already had it bought though and he fitted it. From the way he was talking sounded like a lot of people don't bother fitting them, can't say for sure though.

Sorry, my mistake completely, I meant wheel speed sensors of course. I had a rear one that kept failing on me!

cosmic

Idbatterim wrote: »

Op maybe you should use AC car sales and servicing, they are bmw specialists and have excellent workmanship and customer service.

These guys are excellent. They used to be based just down the end of my road which was so handy but they've moved recently. I'll still make the trip out to them though. All the guys that work there are lovely. I don't have a BMW, they look after all cars though.