Fitted by Halfords, failed NCT - trying to reclaim retest fee

beer enigma

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck getting an NCT retest fee back from Halfords after incorrect fitting.

Ok, so normally I wouldn't touch Halfords fitting but I was away and my wife was due to take the car in for NCT the following day when a headlight bulb blew. She took it to Halfords who fitted a new bulb, but it was the wrong one & the car failed the NCT.

As it needed to go back on the ramp for the retest, she incurred the €28 retest fee. Having paid €8 for the fitting, I'm quite reasonably looking to get the fitting fee and the retest fee back from Halfords, but I'm hitting a brick wall.

Just wondering if anyone has managed similar ?

*Kol*

How on earth did they manage to fit and incorrect headlight bulb?

They should compensate you for the shame of that alone.

Atlantic Dawn

If bulb was correctly fitted but lights required allignment prior to the bulb being replaced then Halfords would be in the clear.

colm_mcm

you would probably be in a better position if you get the retest done with the correct bulb. that rules out the possibility of misalignment being a factor.

there's always small claims court or social media.

cml387

What was the fail?

If it was for alignment then Halford's aren't to blame.

GM228

The only way an incorrect bulb could be fitted is if the wattage was incorrect (i.e 100W instead of 55W), as all bulbs have unique fixings to prevent that.

If the car needs to be retest using equipment it's the alignment which is off as anything else with bulbs are visual retests which are free.

Yawns

Thx GM228, was just in the middle of typing that.

Halfords could only have fitted a bulb that is designed for the housing. So other than it being the wrong wattage, I'm not sure how they'd be at fault. If it was failed due to alignment, then that is not halfords fault.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

If they charged you again (the nct) they must have been checking alignment. Changing the bulb won't field the alignment. If they were just looking at a bulb replacement it'd be a free retest.

Poulgorm

It is possible to fit a bulb, without seating it properly. The bulb can work, but the will be mis-aligned.

I know this to be correct, because I managed to do it myself!

Special Circumstances

Poulgorm wrote: »

It is possible to fit a bulb, without seating it properly. The bulb can work, but the will be mis-aligned.

I know this to be correct, because I managed to do it myself!

Been there! Big enough to admit it :-)

coylemj

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

If they charged you again (the nct) they must have been checking alignment. Changing the bulb won't field the alignment. If they were just looking at a bulb replacement it'd be a free retest.

+1 If it was anything other than a headlight bulb, the retest could have been done for free in the NCT car park. If it had to go on the ramp (which is when you have to pay the retest fee) it means they were checking headlight alignment, something you can't expect a Halfords shop assistant to do in a shopping centre car park.

GM228

Indeed I've done it myself and it throws off the alignment naturally enough.

But the OP says they fitted the wrong bulb, not a bulb fitted the wrong way.

So either it's the correct bulb fitted incorrectly which will throw off the alignment or it's the alignment is off anyway.

Alun

I'd say it's almost impossible, even for Halfords, to install the wrong bulb. So either they fitted the right bulb incorrectly, thus messing up the alignment, or else the previous bulb was installed incorrectly and some genius decided to correct it by messing with the alignment adjuster to compensate. Installing a new bulb correctly, would then result in screwed up alignment again.

coylemj

GM228 wrote: »

But the OP says they fitted the wrong bulb, not a bulb fitted the wrong way.

Going to Halfords to get a headlight bulb replaced the day before your NCT is plain stupid, it's bound to fail on alignment.

What we're being asked to swallow is that the guy in Halfords picked the wrong bulb for the OP's model and then by an amazing coincidence, it matched the fitting and didn't blow the fuse

And how can the NCT guy say it's the wrong bulb? If the wattage was too low, it would have been noticed when the Halfords guy told the OP's wife to switch on the headlights to test the new bulb and if the the wattage was too high, it would have blown a fuse.

martinr5232

GM228 wrote:

The only way an incorrect bulb could be fitted is if the wattage was incorrect (i.e 100W instead of 55W), as all bulbs have unique fixings to prevent that.

I had a car in before customer complaining of poor light in one lamp but she just had the bulb replaced in halfords so in her mind it was a warranty issue turned out halfords fitted a 24v bulb instead of 12v.

biko

Andip wrote: »

Halfords who fitted a new bulb, but it was the wrong one & the car failed the NCT.

If Halfords fitted the wrong bulb type then I don't see how they can object.

beer enigma

Poulgorm wrote: »

It is possible to fit a bulb, without seating it properly. The bulb can work, but the will be mis-aligned.

I know this to be correct, because I managed to do it myself!

That was exactly the problem, they had somehow managed to fit the wrong bulb which worked, but didn't seat correctly.

When I got home I checked and saw the issue, clearly didn't fit !, fitted the correct bulb & it sailed through the NCT with no realignment.

I have the receipt for the bulb and the fitting, so they can't deny they did it, but so far they are refusing to compensate.

Atomic Pineapple

What does the failure on the NCT sheet say? If it says headlight alignment failed then you have to prove that the alignment was out because of an incorrect fitting or bulb.

beer enigma

coylemj wrote: »

Going to Halfords to get a headlight bulb replaced the day before your NCT is plain stupid, it's bound to fail on alignment.

What we're being asked to swallow is that the guy in Halfords picked the wrong bulb for the OP's model and then by an amazing coincidence, it matched the fitting and didn't blow the fuse

And how can the NCT guy say it's the wrong bulb? If the wattage was too low, it would have been noticed when the Halfords guy told the OP's wife to switch on the headlights to test the new bulb and if the the wattage was too high, it would have blown a fuse.

My wife is not stupid ! - she merely wanted to get the car NCT'd and thought the sensible thing would be to get the bulb changed by someone who should know what they were doing. a replacement headlight bulb is hardly a reason to cancel an NCT appointment .

The replacement bulb didn't seat properly and therefore threw off the alignment - sorry if that's hard to swallow !!

frozenfrozen

they should pay for the retest and fitting fee if it failed because of their bad fitting. That's what you're paying for with that 8 euro, for them to fit the thing properly

Yawns

Ah ok.

So they managed to fit an incorrect bulb and not have it sit in the housing as it didn't fit.

Seems straight forward enough but they are gonna drag their heels. Have they even offered to refund the fitting fee?

fancy pigeon

I take a dim view of badly fitted bulbs

beer enigma

Yawns wrote: »

Ah ok.

So they managed to fit an incorrect bulb and not have it sit in the housing as it didn't fit.

Seems straight forward enough but they are gonna drag their heels. Have they even offered to refund the fitting fee?

Nothing yet, but I suspect they manager didn't want to commit to anything without advice as it could render them liable. All I'm looking for is a refund of the NCT retest, the fitting fee & the bulb (I bought the correct bulb elsewhere)

pippip

Are you communicating over phone or in person? I'd be calling into the branch constantly rather than over the phone, manager will be quicker to resolve it.

Perhaps suggest store credit instead of refund, they can be quicker to do this.

Alun

Andip wrote: »

That was exactly the problem, they had somehow managed to fit the wrong bulb which worked, but didn't seat correctly.

What fittings were the two bulbs out of interest?

Yawns

Would they be expected to pay the re-test fee? I'd agree absolutely with refunding the fitting fee.

I know it's their fault for incorrectly fitting the light bulb but ultimately the responsibility lies with the driver to ensure the vehicle is in a roadworthy condition. If they have any good will at all, then they will at least offer store credit for the price of the re-test but just for devil advocates sake, would they be obliged to.

Del2005

Andip wrote: »

My wife is not stupid ! - she merely wanted to get the car NCT'd and thought the sensible thing would be to get the bulb changed by someone who should know what they were doing. a replacement headlight bulb is hardly a reason to cancel an NCT appointment .

The replacement bulb didn't seat properly and therefore threw off the alignment - sorry if that's hard to swallow !!

If you want something done by someone who knows what they are doing go to a dealer for your car.

A mechanic in an garage may have experience but someone in a shop obviously doesn't know what they are doing. The problem I've found with using places like Halfords, or any online site, is that none have had the correct light bulbs for the 3 cars I've checked with registration number or model/year. A mechanic would usually remove the bulb and replace with similar a shop assistant has to do what the computer says.

BailMeOut

any chance your car is a Nissan?

I has a new head light fitted by Nissan and on long drive immediately afterwards was blinked by nearly every car coming in other direction as I was a 'one eyed monster" and the light was blinding everyone. I stopped and checked and could see the bulb was not sitting in its connector ever so slightly. Took a few seconds to reseat properly but this was installed by a Nissan shop and if I had gone for the NCT it would have failed.

beer enigma

Alun wrote: »

What fittings were the two bulbs out of interest?

To be honest I haven't looked closely at code on the one they fitted as I'm away & back with work, however the base was very different and must have taken some force to even get it remotely in place. The car is a 2001 BMW 318i so the correct bulb was an H7.

My local guy had given the car a pre NCT check three days prior to the bulb going & alignment was perfect - I'd normally steer well clear of the likes of Halfords, however when it was just a bulb I didn't dream they could get it that wrong.

I've been into them twice since and spoken to the manager, he's apologised but said they 'cannot be held responsible' for an NCT fail even though he 'understands' the fail was due to them fitting the wrong bulb. To be honest its just annoying me now as if they'd even offered credit to the value of the NCT I'd have put it towards some car mats or something, but the fact they are standing firm is turning this into a point of principle. That's why I posted wondering if anyone has had any sort of satisfaction in a dispute with them.

hoodie6029

AFAIK complaints logged through their website go yo UK headquarters first. A strongly worded complaint that way should get a quick response from the store. That was my experience anyway.

Alun

Andip wrote: »

To be honest I haven't looked closely at code on the one they fitted however the base was very different, the car is a 2001 BMW 318i so the correct bulb was an H7.

H7 is certainly the most common one, but the other most common ones would be H1 which only has 1 spade terminal on it and is much smaller, and H4 which is a combined main/dip beam bulb with 3 spade terminals on it, so the connector would be wrong too. The only other ones in common use are the H8/H9/H10/H11 types which have a plastic 90 degree bit on the bottom, and a totally different connector.

So as I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit baffled as to what type the other bulb was and how they not only managed to force it into place, but connect it too.

Tigger

Alun wrote: »

H7 is certainly the most common one, but the other most common ones would be H1 which only has 1 spade terminal on it and is much smaller, and H4 which is a combined main/dip beam bulb with 3 spade terminals on it, so the connector would be wrong too. The only other ones in common use are the H8/H9/H10/H11 types which have a plastic 90 degree bit on the bottom, and a totally different connector.

So as I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit baffled as to what type the other bulb was and how they not only managed to force it into place, but connect it too.

Probably just not seated properly but the fact op is saying that it was a different bulb makes me feel funny
Op did you fit the new bulb or did a shop do it and tell you halfoeds fitted the wrong bulb ?

I know this thread is about a man and his bulb, but i just want to throw out this comment:

Halfords installed a handsfree kit in my old car (a 407). During the process, they blew the head unit in the car. Naturally, I was a bit annoyed by this. However, they asked me to price a new one, and when I did, they gave me a cheque for the amount.

Now, obviously I didn't inflate the price, get a cheaper one elsewhere and pocket the difference, because that would be the wrong thing to do... but I just wanted to throw some balance out to the thread that, whilst halfords do make mistakes (and they don't always, in fairness, the same chap did a stellar job on my dash-cam installation) where they're at fault they are quick and easy to deal with, in my experience.

Just posting that incase anyone sees this thread and it puts them off ever using Halfords, as I feel they can be quite good and will stand over things if they're in the wrong.

*Kol*

It's bizarre that the Halfords guy was able to remove a H7 bulb, have it in his hands and then place a totally different bulb in the car.

Alun

*Kol* wrote: »

It's bizarre that the Halfords guy was able to remove a H7 bulb, have it in his hands and then place a totally different bulb in the car.

Especially as the only bulb that would have looked vaguely similar would have been an H4 which has 3 spade connectors instead of 2, so one would have to have remained unconnected, and has a larger diameter base which has 3 locating tabs instead of one.

Tigger

Alun wrote: »

Especially as the only bulb that would have looked vaguely similar would have been an H4 which has 3 spade connectors instead of 2, so one would have to have remained unconnected, and has a larger diameter base which has 3 locating tabs instead of one.

I'd be sure that the right bulb went in wrong
Or even that the fitting caused the alignment to go off or if the guy that did the pre nct is the guy that said the bulb was wrong I think that he didn't want to pay for the retest
On a side note halfoeds standard h7 bulbs seem to cost €20 fitted
Motor factors sell standard bulbs for €2

Alun

Tigger wrote: »

I'd be sure that the right bulb went in wrong.

Me too, but the OP seems sure it was different somehow.

beer enigma

Thanks lads, I only asked for an opinion about halfords after care !

The bulb that was fitted by halfords looked very similar but the base plate ? Excuse my laymans language was different to the Correct bulb (H7) that was in there previously. The prongs Edit: 'Tabs' were slightly different and although it went in, it was a forced fit, slightly different angles.

I'll be home again in a couple of days and will photo the one they fitted, but it wasn't the correct one.

The two bulbs have a different base plate. As it happens I missed a call from halfords tonight, so I'm hoping it's good news.

screamer

I had one fitted before and it failed nct because the bulb was fitted upside down it was working fine but failed because it was upside down!

PukkaStukka

OP, You paid halfords to supply and fit a bulb. Their errors, acts and omissions in fitting the wrong bulb has caused you loss of time and money. Assuming there is nothing in their whatever receipts they gave you or in the signs about the place that they accept no responsibility in cases like this, then your request to be covered for your loss is fair, reasonable and worth pursuing. Everything henceforth in your dealings with them should be in writing. The threat of small claims court might work, but point out to them that once you go this route that the cost of settling will rise be virtue of the additional expense you will obviously incur in going the SCC route.

Do you still have the incorrect bulb they fitted, and your receipts?

beer enigma

PukkaStukka wrote: »

OP, You paid halfords to supply and fit a bulb. Their errors, acts and omissions in fitting the wrong bulb has caused you loss of time and money. Assuming there is nothing in their whatever receipts they gave you or in the signs about the place that they accept no responsibility in cases like this, then your request to be covered for your loss is fair, reasonable and worth pursuing. Everything henceforth in your dealings with them should be in writing. The threat of small claims court might work, but point out to them that once you go this route that the cost of settling will rise be virtue of the additional expense you will obviously incur in going the SCC route.

Do you still have the incorrect bulb they fitted, and your receipts?

I have the bulb, the receipt which shows both the bulb purchase and the fitting fee and all I'm looking for is recompense for the nct retest the cost of the fitting and the bulb (which they can have back).

mickdw

Seems like a valid case to me.
Stick with them.
Proof of being sold that part number which will be shown to be incorrect for the car and nct fail sheet affecting that headlight should be a slam dunk.
Sure, it could have been an alignment issue but given that the wrong bulb is there, any reasonable person would have to agree that the bulb fitting was the issue.

Del2005

Andip wrote: »

I have the bulb, the receipt which shows both the bulb purchase and the fitting fee and all I'm looking for is recompense for the nct retest the cost of the fitting and the bulb (which they can have back).

What bulb does the reciept say? I recently purchased a few items from them and they have exactly what I purchased on the reciept. But I haven't got bulbs in a while from there and never looked at the receipt as I picked the same bulb I took out.

Esel

I know this is a bit OT, but don't BMW dealers offer a free bulb replacement service? Or was that a time-limited offer?

keyboard_cat

I had to fix a bulb that halfords had put into a passat they only got the wire clip around only one side of the base so the bulb was sitting at an angle and blinding people on the footpath. they also managed to loose the dustcap for the headlight while they were at it.

Alun

screamer wrote: »

I had one fitted before and it failed nct because the bulb was fitted upside down it was working fine but failed because it was upside down!

You can't correctly insert any headlight bulb upside down I'm afraid. There are metal tabs on the base which slot into cutouts in the bulb holder. You can put it into the holder upside down, and with a bit of messing also engage the retaining clip, but the tabs not engaging with the cutouts will cause the whole bulb to be tilted slightly, messing up the alignment.

So you didn't fail for the bulb being upside down per se, you failed for having a misaligned headlight, one that definitely wasn't "working fine", caused by the bulb being upside down.

biko

Esel wrote: »

I know this is a bit OT, but don't BMW dealers offer a free bulb replacement service? Or was that a time-limited offer?

That was last year

Special Circumstances

biko wrote: »

That was last year

It has run a few years now, coming into winter time.

beer enigma

Call from Halfords UK this morning offering a full refund of NCT retest fee, fitting fee, bulb & a €10 gift voucher for the inconvenience. Sounds like the Manager either didn't have the authority or had to check with Head Office.

I'm fairly impressed with that in fairness.

GavMan

Good stuff. Can't fault that

Tigger

Andip wrote: »

Thanks lads, I only asked for an opinion about halfords after care !

The bulb that was fitted by halfords looked very similar but the base plate ? Excuse my laymans language was different to the Correct bulb (H7) that was in there previously. The prongs Edit: 'Tabs' were slightly different and although it went in, it was a forced fit, slightly different angles.

I'll be home again in a couple of days and will photo the one they fitted, but it wasn't the correct one.

The two bulbs have a different base plate. As it happens I missed a call from halfords tonight, so I'm hoping it's good news.

Did you get a chance to see what bulb they fitted?