FirstStop Tallaght - didn't change spark plugs

ronoc101

My wife paid €180 for full service including "iridium Spark plugs x 4".
I decided to verify they did indeed fit what is €60 of plugs to a 12 year old car but instead found the old standard plugs still in situ. Plugs charged for but not fitted. Is this fraud ?

When confronted there was no argument and refund was issued.

I have no doubt this is deliberate on the part of the operator, and it pisses me off that a women showing up is seen as a mark to be taken advantage of rather than a customer. Beware of this place.

intheclouds

ronoc101 wrote: »

I have no doubt this is deliberate on the part of the operator, and it pisses me off that a women showing up is seen as a mark to be taken advantage of rather than a customer. Beware of this place.

How is it relevant that it was a woman?

My husband would have less of a clue about spark plugs than me!

Guy:Incognito

Aside from the issues with the company, if your competent enough to take the plugs put to check them, why not change them yourself in the first place?

canhefixit

This is why i would always advise people to avoid these kind of outfits for any work to be done to a car, most of them havent a clue and alot take chances like in the OP's case, they seen what they thought was a easy victim and to town on them

For the likes of tyres and puncture repairs yeah no probem but i wouldnt even let them near the bonnet release

biko

It's possible they intentionally didn't fit them, but also it's possible they forgot about it.
Unfortunately it's sometimes impossible to know.

Start doing your own services, this way you know exactly what was changed and when.
Welcome to the DIY forum any time if you have questions

Alun

When getting some tyres fitted, I had one of them try and tell me my headlights were out of alignment when not only had I had them deliberately checked 2 weeks previously as part of a service as I had a suspicion they were a bit off (they weren't) but it had also passed the NCT a week before. Chancers the lot of them.

Skatedude

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Aside from the issues with the company, if your competent enough to take the plugs put to check them, why not change them yourself in the first place?

Er, because she paid to have them changed of course,

Atlantic Dawn

Call Jospeph Duffy, actually do.

It's not something that could be a genuine mistake, the iridiums wouldn't be going in to most cars, they would be specially put aside for this.

Whosthis

canhefixit wrote: »

This is why i would always advise people to avoid these kind of outfits for any work to be done to a car, most of them havent a clue and alot take chances like in the OP's case, they seen what they thought was a easy victim and to town on them

For the likes of tyres and puncture repairs yeah no probem but i wouldnt even let them near the bonnet release

I know of a particular outlet of one of these franchise type places (not first stop) that nine times out if ten when people (particularly women) go to get a puncture fixed he forces the sale of a new tyre, always says the puncture is too bad or the tyre too dangerous to fix.

coylemj

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Call Jospeph Duffy, actually do.

It's not something that could be a genuine mistake, the iridiums wouldn't be going in to most cars, they would be specially put aside for this.

Not a chance you'll get on air with a gripe like that. RTE has been burned a few times by letting people on air who want to let off steam, then lose the run of themselves making wild accusations and land the folk in Montrose with a hefty defamation bill, not to mention the associated legal fees.

If you're having a go at the HSE or any Govt. department, it's open season but they would be very wary about the topic of this thread being aired on live radio.

punisher5112

I don't get why some are defending.

If you pay for a service its what one should expect to get as why would one pay for it in the first place.

Yes mistakes are made we are all human but if its something one does on a daily basis they should be competent enough to carry out the task and if not there should be a check list in place and another person to overlook or check work that has been done.

I wouldn't forget if I was doing my car service and I am no mechanic.


Simple way to sort this is have a bin/container and place all parts to fit to car and tick all has been done at the end and an empty bin would lead one to believe parts have been fitted.

Poor customer service and possible if its happening a lot a very dodgy practice.....

coylemj

Whosthis wrote: »

I know of a particular outlet of one of these franchise type places (not first stop) that nine times out if ten when people (particularly women) go to get a puncture fixed he forces the sale of a new tyre, always says the puncture is too bad or the tyre too dangerous to fix.

Have witnessed the same thing, also a woman with what she seemed to think (and probably was) a simple puncture, well known tyre chain.

It seems to be a worldwide thing with the tyre trade. Homer Simpson even got the treatment - the guy said he was legally prohibited from letting him drive away with the tyre in that condition. So not a uniquely Irish rip-off.

Whosthis

coylemj wrote: »

Have witnessed the same thing, also a woman with what she seemed to think (and probably was) a simple puncture, well known tyre chain.

It seems to be a worldwide thing with the tyre trade. Homer Simpson even got the treatment - the guy said he was legally prohibited from letting him drive away with the tyre in that condition. So not a uniquely Irish rip-off.

Most likely the same place, their other favourite is that the tyre was driven on whilst flat and needs to be replaced

BohsCeltic

I was told once before that i would be charged €40 to check/open the drums on brakes to see what the problem was then be quoted a repair price.
My car has disc brakes

uck51js9zml2yt

Its fine people saying to do your own service.
Most people couldn't do it. I could at a push but I wouldn't have spotted that some bushings need to be replaced.
Hence I to to a reputable mechanic.

Tommy Kelly

It's a bad state of affairs that a one can't trust that a service he/she is already paying over the odds for isn't been done at all.

The entire motor industry in Ireland from the places that carry out services/repairs to selling cars are con artists as far as I'm concerned.

All out to do you.

Toyotafanboi

is there any chance that this could be an honest mistake? any chance at all?

BohsCeltic

Davis Shallow Bead wrote: »

Its fine people saying to do your own service.
Most people couldn't do it. I could at a push but I wouldn't have spotted that some bushings need to be replaced.
Hence I to to a reputable mechanic.

I do my own but i have a decent bit of knowledge of my car. I used to mark parts before i put it in for service then check to see if they were actually changed before i realised it was just as easy to put new ones back in

mistress_gi

Well the one in blancherstown crashed my car when I went in for air con refill.

JohnBoy26

Tommy Kelly wrote: »

It's a bad state of affairs that a one can't trust that a service he/she is already paying over the odds for isn't been done at all.

The entire motor industry in Ireland from the places that carry out services/repairs to selling cars are con artists as far as I'm concerned.

All out to do you.

RustyNut

mistress_gi wrote: »

Well the one in blancherstown crashed my car when I went in for air con refill.

Jasus. :eek: How did that work itself out?

Guy:Incognito

Skatedude wrote: »

Er, because she paid to have them changed of course,

Instead of paying someone to do it I meant, I figured that could be worked out :rolleyes:

I was hardly suggesting they just shrug, say nothing and buy a set of plugs to fit themselves after they noticed.