Garage carried out unauthorised work - what are my rights?

Marloag2020

Hi all, just looking for opinions/facts on what my rights are and the best thing to do in this situation.

Basically my car broke down last week, so I rang my local garage to pick it up and see what was wrong. The NCT is up next week, and it's 2005 with 300k+ millage so wasn't very hopeful. I clearly specified to not carry out any work on the vechile as the NCT runs out next week, but just to identify and price the problem (all over the phone).

Two days later I rang for an update, and was told the onboard computer was broken and that I could either pay 250 for a repair or 700 for a replacement. I asked for the garage to check for any other problems with the car, as obviously it wouldn't be worthwhile paying 250e if it has other problems (2005 Ford focus so a relatively low value regardless).

Fast forward to today when I called in for an update, to be told that they had repaired the onboard computer, and that they were pricing potential repairs for the NCT. I called over immediately to be met with a bill for 380(not 250!!) euro for the repair, which I didn't ask to be carried out.

Just wondering what my rights are in this situation. I know that they couldn't have misunderstood what I said over the phone, the secretary today even had written in her notes to do no work!

The garage are ringing back tomorrow with prices for the other repairs, which are yet to be carried out, but I have no doubt that they won't be worthwhile.

Basically I'm left with a broken car with no NCT, but also a 380 bill for a repair to the computer which I didn't ask to be repaired!

Note my issue here is on the garage carrying out the works without my say so.

Any advice or help much appreciated. Thanks.

thebandit2020

Check to see it they are members of SIMILAR

https://www.simi.ie/en/find-a-member

If they are, you can make a complaint

https://www.simi.ie/en/consumer-help/complaints-service

If the onboard computer was broken and the car would not drive, as a matter of interest, how did you expect to take the car away from the garage if the computer/car wasn’t working, or did you think you could just leave it there and forget about it? I would assume the €380 included labour and VAT.

antix80

Dav010 wrote: »

If the onboard computer was broken and the car would not drive, as a matter of interest, how did you expect to take the car away from the garage if the computer/car wasn’t working, or did you think you could just leave it there and forget about it?

Hardly relevant tbh

Labour and Vat should be included in the quote.. Illegal to quote private users the ex vat price

Bricriu

thebandit2020 wrote: »

Check to see it they are members of SIMILAR

https://www.simi.ie/en/find-a-member

If they are, you can make a complaint

https://www.simi.ie/en/consumer-help/complaints-service

Don't even bother with these SIMI scum - they are useless. They are there to protect the garage industry, and to create a false image of helping the customer.
Like all the Ombudsmans, etc., they are a pretence by the Government of giving the consumer rights.
If you don't believe me, try getting a case resolved sometime.

Peregrinus

If you instructed the garage not to carry out any work without your agreement, and if you never agreed, then you don't have to pay for the work they did. They fact that they charge they want to make exceeds the estimage by so much is irrelevant if your position is that you don't have to pay anything at all, so don't get hung up on that detaial.

True, your left with a broken car with no NCT, but that's the position you would have been in had the garage followed your instructions, so it's no something that results from the garage's error. You're still faced with the problem of how to remove the car from the garage (which they are entitled to ask you to do) and presumably you are going to have to pay the garage for collecting your car last week and towing it to the garage (unless you have already paid for that).

Basically, I think your principal problems here were not caused by the garage carrying out unauthorised work, and resolving your dispute with the garage on the most favourable possible terms (they don't ask you to pay for the work they did on the computer) is not going to help very much.

listermint

Is the diagnosis included in the cost or did you expect them to look over the car for faults for free.

It doesn't really say if your expected to pay anything at all


.


.

Peregrinus

listermint wrote: »

Is the diagnosis included in the cost or did you expect them to look over the car for faults for free.

It doesn't really say if your expected to pay anything at all.

It's pretty routine for tradesmen to scope out a job and give an estimate, and not be paid if the estimate is not accepted.

In this case I'd expect the garage to charge for collecting the car and towing/carrying it to the garage (assuming they are the ones who provided this service), not to charge for the work involved in giving an estimate, and to write off any charge for the work done once they accept that they were instructed not to do it and only did it by mistake.

listermint

Peregrinus wrote: »

It's pretty routine for tradesmen to scope out a job and give an estimate, and not be paid if the estimate is not accepted.

In this case I'd expect the garage to charge for collecting the car and towing/carrying it to the garage (assuming they are the ones who provided this service), not to charge for the work involved in giving an estimate, and to to write off any charge for the work done once they accept that they were instructed not to do it, and only did it by mistake.

It's not clear if they said don't fix the ECU or ok ecu grand can you find out if there's anything else.


Also diagnosis is not free and no any garage won't write off hours spent fault finding. There's a cost to that and the op can't get off free.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

If you instructed the garage not to carry out any work without your agreement, and if you never agreed, then you don't have to pay for the work they did. They fact that they charge they want to make exceeds the estimage by so much is irrelevant if your position is that you don't have to pay anything at all, so don't get hung up on that detaial.

True, your left with a broken car with no NCT, but that's the position you would have been in had the garage followed your instructions, so it's no something that results from the garage's error. You're still faced with the problem of how to remove the car from the garage (which they are entitled to ask you to do) and presumably you are going to have to pay the garage for collecting your car last week and towing it to the garage (unless you have already paid for that).

Basically, I think your principal problems here were not caused by the garage carrying out unauthorised work, and resolving your dispute with the garage on the most favourable possible terms (they don't ask you to pay for the work they did on the computer) is not going to help very much.

I don’t know about yours, but any garage that has fixed/serviced any car I’ve had give the ex vat quote for parts, the labour cost depends on how long it takes to do it and the VAT is then added at the end. Hence the quote for the computer repair would be ex labour and VAT.

Peregrinus

Dav010 wrote: »

I don’t know about yours, but any garage that has fixed/serviced any car I’ve had give the ex vat quote for parts, the labour cost depends on how long it takes to do it and the VAT is then added at the end. Hence the quote for the computer repair would be ex labour and VAT.

This may be true, but it's unimportant here. The issue here is not exactly how much the OP has to pay, but whether he has to pay anything at all. If he doesn't have to pay for work which he didn't ask for and in fact instructed that he did not want done, the amount the garage wants to charge for the work is neither here nor there. Therefore, the OP should not allow himself to be sidetracked into a discussion about what the "right" price for this work is.

listermint

Peregrinus wrote: »

This may be true, but it's unimportant here. The issue here is not exactly how much the OP has to pay, but whether he has to pay anything at all. If he doesn't have to pay for work which he didn't ask for and in fact instructed that he did not want done, the amount the garage wants to charge for the work is neither here nor there. Therefore, the OP should not allow himself to be sidetracked into a discussion about what the "right" price for this work is.

I still can't believe you think hours of diagnostic is free.

Who is this garage you go to we can all bring our cars sounds excellent.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

It's pretty routine for tradesmen to scope out a job and give an estimate, and not be paid if the estimate is not accepted.

In this case I'd expect the garage to charge for collecting the car and towing/carrying it to the garage (assuming they are the ones who provided this service), not to charge for the work involved in giving an estimate, and to write off any charge for the work done once they accept that they were instructed not to do it and only did it by mistake.

Tradesmen, yes, but unlike a tradesman, garages tend to have ancillary staff, property costs and those diagnostics computers they use are extremely expensive, so they are not obliged, nor should it be presumed, that their time has no value.

listermint

listermint wrote: »

I still can't believe you think hours of diagnostic is free.

Who is this garage you go to we can all bring our cars sounds excellent.

Solicitors are well known for offering advice and services free of charge. ðŸ˜

This is it

listermint wrote: »

I still can't believe you think hours of diagnostic is free.

Who is this garage you go to we can all bring our cars sounds excellent.

We need the full breakdown of costs. Obviously a tow and diagnostics wouldn't be free but if the OP specified that repairs were not to be done, it's only the tow and diagnostics they should be paying for.

Peregrinus

Dav010 wrote: »

Solicitors are well known for offering advice and services free of charge. ðŸ˜

But solicitors absolutely do analyse a legal issue and offer an estimate for the cost of resolving it, free of charge. This is common. If the prospective client doesn't like what he hears, he goes away and pays nothing.

Likewise with garages. Yes, it costs money to provide an estimate, but it's a cost that you have to bear to develop your business and promote customer loyalty. The great majority of motor repair estimates do turn into work orders, so the burden of providing estimates that go nowhere is a manageable one.

Sleeper12

Peregrinus wrote:

It's pretty routine for tradesmen to scope out a job and give an estimate, and not be paid if the estimate is not accepted.

Did you ask if this was the case before you asked them to check out the car?

I can't say about Ford but I had a jeep Cheroke before and the dealers charged for the diagnosis. People would use regular mechanic but only the main dealer had the diagnostic software so people would bring their jeeps in, pay to find out what was wrong and then get their own mechanic to do repairs.

I wonder if they had to repair the computer before they could find out what else needed to be done?

FishOnABike

Was the computer problem with the instrument cluster? If so it's common enough on the Mk2 focus. Search for "Mk2 focus instrument cluster" online and you'll see it's a recognised problem.

Peregrinus

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Did you ask if this was the case before you asked them to check out the car?

Not my car. But, FWIW, if they were going to make a charge for estimating the cost of repairs, I'd expect them to make that clear before they estimated the cost of repairs.

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I can't say about Ford but I had a jeep Cheroke before and the dealers charged for the diagnosis. People would use regular mechanic but only the main dealer had the diagnostic software so people would bring their jeeps in, pay to find out what was wrong and then get their own mechanic to do repairs.

I wonder if they had to repair the computer before they could find out what else needed to be done?

This may be where the error arose, since according to the OP it was only after he "asked for the garage to check for any other problems with the car" that they went ahead and repaired the onboard computer. So maybe someone thought that he understood that checking for other problems would require the computer to be repaired, and this was an implicit instruction to go ahead and repair the computer.

If so, the garage is on weak grounds because, again according to the OP, he explicitly told them not to do any work, and the garage's own notes confirm this. So possibly there's a breakdown in communications between whoever the OP spoke to on the phone and whoever actually does repair works on vehicles. If so, the OP is not responsible for that breakdown.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

But solicitors absolutely do analyse a legal issue and offer an estimate for the cost of resolving it, free of charge. This is common. If the prospective client doesn't like what he hears, he goes away and pays nothing.

Likewise with garages. Yes, it costs money to provide an estimate, but it's a cost that you have to bear to develop your business and promote customer loyalty. The great majority of motor repair estimates do turn into work orders, so the burden of providing estimates that go nowhere is a manageable one.

No it isn’t a cost have to bear. It costs time and money to analyse a problem, if you do not charge for it, that is your prorogative, but your need to do this should not automatically apply to others. The mechanic analysed the problem taking time and using expensive equipment, then advised the op what needed to be done. Solicitors don’t charge for legal advice based on analysing legal problems? Does that apply to all solicitors?

Seems daft to be questioning that fee to be fair. For an ECU fault which caused the car to break down, that’s very reasonable. If it has the car driving again, it can be put in for the NCT and then the OP will know what it needs to pass, assuming it fails. The unrealistic expectations of some people is crazy. “Speculate your time and capital investment in premises, training and diagnostic equipment to tell me what’s wrong with my car, but don’t rectify what’s caused it to break down and leave me stranded”. Why waste their time or your own if you expect to tie their hands like that?

As for people expecting them to inspect a 15 year old high mileage car without having to at least get it running? Get real.

GreeBo

I don't understand the confusion.
The op was charged for repairs, not investigation.
They didn't sanction any repairs.

This is it

JayZeus wrote: »

Seems daft to be questioning that fee to be fair. For an ECU fault which caused the car to break down, that’s very reasonable. If it has the car driving again, it can be put in for the NCT and then the OP will know what it needs to pass, assuming it fails. The unrealistic expectations of some people is crazy. “Speculate your time and capital investment in premises, training and diagnostic equipment to tell me what’s wrong with my car, but don’t rectify what’s caused it to break down and leave me stranded”. Why waste their time or your own if you expect to tie their hands like that?

As for people expecting them to inspect a 15 year old high mileage car without having to at least get it running? Get real.

A garage shouldn't presume anything. They were asked to diagnose the issue not repair it. In 15 years of driving I've never had a garage repair an issue without first confirming with me that I wanted the work done and the appropriate price for the repair.

Sleeper12

Peregrinus wrote: »

Not my car. But, FWIW, if they were going to make a charge for estimating the cost of repairs, I'd expect them to make that clear before they estimated the cost of repairs.


This may be where the error arose, since according to the OP it was only after he "asked for the garage to check for any other problems with the car" that they went ahead and repaired the onboard computer. So maybe someone thought that he understood that checking for other problems would require the computer to be repaired, and this was an implicit instruction to go ahead and repair the computer.

If so, the garage is on weak grounds because, again according to the OP, he explicitly told them not to do any work, and the garage's own notes confirm this. So possibly there's a breakdown in communications between whoever the OP spoke to on the phone and whoever actually does repair works on vehicles. If so, the OP is not responsible for that breakdown.

They are still fully entitled to charge for the diagnostics on the car car though. Both labour & VAT. It should never be assumed that tradesmen will work for free

Peregrinus

Dav010 wrote: »

No it isn’t a cost have to bear. It costs time and money to analyse a problem, if you do not charge for it, that is your prorogative, but your need to do this should not automatically apply to others. The mechanic analysed the problem taking time and using expensive equipment, then advised the op what needed to be done. Solicitors don’t charge for legal advice based on analysing legal problems? Does that apply to all solicitors?

They don't give you legal advice for free (mostly; some will give basic advice for free); they analyse the problem, and then outline for you what steps can be taken to resolve the problem and what they might cost. If you don't like what you hear, you go away and they write off the time spent analysing the problem and talking to you about it.

Sleeper12

Marloag2020 wrote: »

Two days later I rang for an update, and was told the onboard computer was broken and that I could either pay 250 for a repair or 700 for a replacement. I asked for the garage to check for any other problems with the car, as obviously it wouldn't be worthwhile paying 250e if it has other problems (2005 Ford focus so a relatively low value regardless).

Fast forward to today when I called in for an update, to be told that they had repaired the onboard computer, and that they were pricing potential repairs for the NCT. I called over immediately to be met with a bill for 380(not 250!!) euro for the repair, which I didn't ask to be carried out.

I don't know a lot about engines & when I started driving an on board computer was something I'd only ever heard on Star Trec. The original as there was only one Star Trec at the time. Anyway my question is, are you sure they didn't even hint that they couldn't run a diagnostics without first repairing the computer? What I'm getting at is could there have been some confusion about the computer? I'm not a petrol head & I'm not saying you are in the wrong. I just don't see how they could have agreed to run diagnostics without a functioning computer.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

They don't give you legal advice for free (mostly; some will give basic advice for free); they analyse the problem, and then outline for you what steps can be taken to resolve the problem and what they might cost. If you don't like what you hear, you go away and they write off the time spent analysing the problem and talking to you about it.

That's fine for them. Why does it mean that a garage should follow the same model?
They'd have every old banger that hadn't run in years brought in to have a look at.

The OP asked them 'to identify and price' the problem. Identifying has value/cost, requires skill, time, equipment, and is time that can't be used for something else.

Edit: How fungible? is that advice- you can go to another mechanic and say x,y,z, is wrong and can you fix it. Would another solicitor take your free advice and knock some of the price off as someone else had already done the analysis?
I doubt it.

runawaybishop

Some mechanics don't charge for diagnostics, mine doesn't.

This is irrelevant though, the op clearly states he was charged for repairs, not diagnostics.

Sleeper12

Deleted User wrote:

Edit: How fungible? is that advice- you can go to another mechanic and say x,y,z, is wrong and can you fix it. Would another solicitor take your free advice and knock some of the price off as someone else had already done the analysis? I doubt it.

Peats of Parnell Street went out of business for this very reason. People went in and got advice you couldn't get anywhere else in Dublin then they went home and sourced everything from the Internet cheaper.

As a tradesman I think posters are a little confused on the way that we charge. A plumber might go out and quote for a whole new bathroom free of charge BUT call someone out to "look at the boiler it's a different matter. He gives a price for repair or replace but if you decide to do neither then you will usually get hit with a 75 euro call out fee. I'm in shower repair. I don't go out to" look". I go out to repair or replace. If they decide not to go ahead after I have "looked" then they will pay 75 euros for my time, equipment and expertise

Sleeper12

runawaybishop wrote:

Some mechanics don't charge for diagnostics, mine doesn't.

A mechanic up a lane way might not but all main dealers will charge you for this in my experience

listermint

GreeBo wrote: »

I don't understand the confusion.
The op was charged for repairs, not investigation.
They didn't sanction any repairs.

It doesn't say they didn't sanction any repairs after the ECU was found to be bad and given a price.it says they asked if there was anything else wrong.


To be clear

Peregrinus

Deleted User wrote: »

That's fine for them. Why does it mean that a garage should follow the same model?
They'd have every old banger that hadn't run in years brought in to have a look at.

The OP asked them 'to identify and price' the problem. Identifying has value/cost, requires skill, time, equipment, and is time that can't be used for something else.

I'm not saying that other garages have to follow the model. I'm saying that in my experience they routinely do, and the reasons why they might choose to do this - in short, business development and good customer relations - are fairly obvious.

Deleted User wrote: »

Edit: How fungible? is that advice- you can go to another mechanic and say x,y,z, is wrong and can you fix it. Would another solicitor take your free advice and knock some of the price off as someone else had already done the analysis?
I doubt it.

No, he wouldn't. Solicitor B doesn't know solicitor A's analysis; just that solicitor A suggested X course of action at Y cost. Solicitor B can't form an opinion about either the suggested course of action or the cost without doing his own analysis. Which is why solicitor A doesn't fear that, in doing what he does, he is making a free gift to solicitor B.

And something similar is going on with the garage. The garage knows that poeple bring in their car because they want to keep it on the road. They may wince when they hear the cost but, nine times out of ten, they go ahead and commission work to be done. Which is why the investment of time and effort in giving the estimate makes sense for the garage. If they refuse, they will lose valuable paying jobs to other garages who are willing to make this investment, and so secure paying custom.

Peregrinus

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Peats of Parnell Street went out of business for this very reason. People went in and got advice you couldn't get anywhere else in Dublin then they went home and sourced everything from the Internet cheaper.

As a tradesman I think posters are a little confused on the way that we charge. A plumber might go out and quote for a whole new bathroom free of charge BUT call someone out to "look at the boiler it's a different matter. He gives a price for repair or replace but if you decide to do neither then you will usually get hit with a 75 euro call out fee. I'm in shower repair. I don't go out to" look". I go out to repair or replace. If they decide not to go ahead after I have "looked" then they will pay 75 euros for my time, equipment and expertise

Yeah, but the analogy for the call-out fee in this situation is the cost of having the car collected and towed to the garage, which I have already said I expect the garage to charge for.

_Brian

Garages are busy, having A mechanic spending a few hours looking over a car for NCT is going to cost. Plus how can he check how the engine runs without the ecu fixed.

My local garage charges €50 to run a basic diagnostic test on a car if your not a regular customer.

If they are a good garage and you’d like to keep using their services I’d say talk to them about the miscommunication and see what can be worked out.

Peregrinus

listermint wrote: »

It doesn't say they didn't sanction any repairs after the ECU was found to be bad and given a price.it says they asked if there was anything else wrong.

The OP does say that:

Marloag2020 wrote: »

. . . Just wondering what my rights are in this situation. I know that they couldn't have misunderstood what I said over the phone, the secretary today even had written in her notes to do no work!

listermint

Peregrinus wrote: »

I'm not saying that other garages have to follow the model. I'm saying that in my experience they routinely do, and the reasons why they might choose to do this - in short, business development and good customer relations - are fairly obvious.


No, he wouldn't. Solicitor B doesn't know solicitor A's analysis; just that solicitor A suggested X course of action at Y cost. Solicitor B can't form an opinion about either the suggested course of action or the cost without doing his own analysis. Which is why solicitor A doesn't fear that, in doing what he does, he is making a free gift to solicitor B.

And something similar is going on with the garage. The garage knows that poeple bring in their car because they want to keep it on the road. They may wince when they hear the cost but, nine times out of ten, they go ahead and commission work to be done. Which is why the investment of time and effort in giving the estimate makes sense for the garage. If they refuse, they will lose valuable paying jobs to other garages who are willing to make this investment, and so secure paying custom.

Solicitors make their money off ancillary costs and admin fees and lookup fees etc etc


Garages make money off labour no garage can be writing off labour costs all over the place. Diagnostics is a labour costs more so with electrical issues.

listermint

Peregrinus wrote: »

The OP does say that:

As per original conversation not the follow up one



For clarity the devil's in the details isn't it.

listermint

listermint wrote: »

Solicitors make their money off ancillary costs and admin fees and lookup fees etc etc


Garages make money off labour no garage can be writing off labour costs all over the place. Diagnostics is a labour costs more so with electrical issues.

I suspect many people’s view is that diagnosis costs the garage nothing but time to do, so should not incur a charge. You could argue that solicitors researching a point of law for a client costs nothing but time, applying your logic, the client should not be billed for a Solicitors time, of course that is not the reality.

I wonder did the op get a quote for the tow to the garage (if not already paid), cost of time in the garage (excluding repair) cost of tow to the scrap yard/home etc? Or were you just planning to abandon the car op?

Sleeper12

Peregrinus wrote: »

Yeah, but the analogy for the call-out fee in this situation is the cost of having the car collected and towed to the garage, which I have already said I expect the garage to charge for.

Main dealers charge for the use of their very expensive diagnostic equipment & software & the time involved. Maybe someone will say I'm wrong but I have never heard of a main dealer providing this service for free. I don't even know if OP went to a main dealer or not, I'm just saying that I would not expect this work to be carried out for free. I'm pretty sure I paid close to 100 euro for this very service about ten years ago in the Jeep main dealers in Ringsend. I then brought the jeep to my own mechanic with the results & he did the work required. Why would anyone in their right mind provide this service for free?

Sleeper12

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Main dealers charge for the use of their very expensive diagnostic equipment & software & the time involved. Maybe someone will say I'm wrong but I have never heard of a main dealer providing this service for free. I don't even know if OP went to a main dealer or not, I'm just saying that I would not expect this work to be carried out for free. I'm pretty sure I paid close to 100 euro for this very service about ten years ago in the Jeep main dealers in Ringsend. I then brought the jeep to my own mechanic with the results & he did the work required. Why would anyone in their right mind provide this service for free?

Close friend is an independent mechanic, he has to have 2 diagnostic units, he charges for their use, and he’s out the door busy.

Peregrinus

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Main dealers charge for the use of their very expensive diagnostic equipment & software & the time involved. Maybe someone will say I'm wrong but I have never heard of a main dealer providing this service for free. I don't even know if OP went to a main dealer or not, I'm just saying that I would not expect this work to be carried out for free. I'm pretty sure I paid close to 100 euro for this very service about ten years ago in the Jeep main dealers in Ringsend. I then brought the jeep to my own mechanic with the results & he did the work required. Why would anyone in their right mind provide this service for free?

On a nitpick, the OP says he went to his "local garage". Possibly they are a main dealer but, if so, I'd expect him to have mentioned this.

But, on the main question, why wouol anybody spend their time, and use their expensive diagnostic equipment, to provide a free quote? For the reason already given - the free quote mostly generates paid, profitable work, and if you don't provide free quotes you'll lose paid, profitable work to competitors who do.

GreeBo

listermint wrote: »

As per original conversation not the follow up one



For clarity the devil's in the details isn't it.

Nowhere did the OP say to carry out repairs to the ECU, they asked what else needed to be repaired.

Its some stretch to assume asking about other issues means "go ahead and charge me over 300 quid to fix something"

Sleeper12

Peregrinus wrote: »

On a nitpick, the OP says he went to his "local garage". Possibly they are a main dealer but, if so, I'd expect him to have mentioned this.

But, on the main question, why wouol anybody spend their time, and use their expensive diagnostic equipment, to provide a free quote? For the reason already given - the free quote mostly generates paid, profitable work, and if you don't provide free quotes you'll lose paid, profitable work to competitors who do.

I disagree. Using your expensive equipment, software & time to tell someone what is wrong with their car & have them go to cash in hand Harry up the lane way is a foolish thing to do & as I already pointed out this is the exact reason Peats Of Parnell Street went out of business. All you have to do is read the posts here & you'll realize that give something for free & the car owner places no value on it.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

On a nitpick, the OP says he went to his "local garage". Possibly they are a main dealer but, if so, I'd expect him to have mentioned this.

But, on the main question, why wouol anybody spend their time, and use their expensive diagnostic equipment, to provide a free quote? For the reason already given - the free quote mostly generates paid, profitable work, and if you don't provide free quotes you'll lose paid, profitable work to competitors who do.

You are applying your need to do this, to other businesses. Most businesses charge for their labour to cover the costs of doing business. If you have to provide your labour free to get business, so be it, most don’t.

runawaybishop

Dav010 wrote: »

You are applying your need to do this, to other businesses. Most businesses charge for their labour to cover costs.

. I called over immediately to be met with a bill for 380(not 250!!) euro for the repair, which I didn't ask to be carried out.

^^ no mention of being charged for diagnostics, which not all garages charge for. This thread won't go anywhere until the op speaks to the garage and lets us know.

listermint

Be interested to hear the garages side of the conversation.

Often these things are coloured in certain favours when internet outrage is sought.

Marloag2020

JayZeus wrote: »

Seems daft to be questioning that fee to be fair. For an ECU fault which caused the car to break down, that’s very reasonable. If it has the car driving again, it can be put in for the NCT and then the OP will know what it needs to pass, assuming it fails. The unrealistic expectations of some people is crazy. “Speculate your time and capital investment in premises, training and diagnostic equipment to tell me what’s wrong with my car, but don’t rectify what’s caused it to break down and leave me stranded”. Why waste their time or your own if you expect to tie their hands like that?

As for people expecting them to inspect a 15 year old high mileage car without having to at least get it running? Get real.

Cheers for the reply, I probably didn't make the problem itself clear enough in the original post.

I have already paid 40 euro for the garage collecting the car, and had no problem in doing so.

On top of this, a lot of posters seem caught up on wether I should be charged for diagnostics. I'm not disputing that at all - I would have paid the garage for the time they spent looking into the problems with the car.

The problem, and my whole reason in creating this thread, is that I never asked the garage to carry out the repair to the computer. In fact, I specifically asked them NOT to carry out any repairs, and to just see if there was any other problems with the car first (which I was confident there was). The fact that i was charged 380 and not 300 is beside the point really.


Again, the problem here is not paying the garage for the work I asked them to do, it's paying them for the work I didnt ask them to do.

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

. I called over immediately to be met with a bill for 380(not 250!!) euro for the repair, which I didn't ask to be carried out.

^^ no mention of being charged for diagnostics, which not all garages charge for. This thread won't go anywhere until the op speaks to the garage and lets us know.

Agreed, and I’d be interested if the op has got a quote to remove unrepaired car.

Sleeper12

listermint wrote: »

Be interested to hear the garages side of the conversation.

Often these things are coloured in certain favours when internet outrage is sought.

Agreed


I'm an idiot when it comes to cars but if garage told me computer repair is 250 & I then instructed them to check what else is wrong I would assume that the computer needs to be repaired before they can check for other faults. I would wonder how much of the charges are for towing the car in the first place.. Towing in Dublin is 120 to 150 as far as I know

Marloag2020

Marloag2020 wrote: »

Cheers for the reply, I probably didn't make the problem itself clear enough in the original post.

I have already paid 40 euro for the garage collecting the car, and had no problem in doing so.

On top of this, a lot of posters seem caught up on wether I should be charged for diagnostics. I'm not disputing that at all - I would have paid the garage for the time they spent looking into the problems with the car.

The problem, and my whole reason in creating this thread, is that I never asked the garage to carry out the repair to the computer. In fact, I specifically asked them NOT to carry out any repairs, and to just see if there was any other problems with the car first (which I was confident there was). The fact that i was charged 380 and not 300 is beside the point really.


Again, the problem here is not paying the garage for the work I asked them to do, it's paying them for the work I didnt ask them to do.

If you didnt want repairs, I assume you immediately started getting quotes to remove car?

Sleeper12

Marloag2020 wrote: »

Cheers for the reply, I probably didn't make the problem itself clear enough in the original post.

I have already paid 40 euro for the garage collecting the car, and had no problem in doing so.

On top of this, a lot of posters seem caught up on wether I should be charged for diagnostics. I'm not disputing that at all - I would have paid the garage for the time they spent looking into the problems with the car.

The problem, and my whole reason in creating this thread, is that I never asked the garage to carry out the repair to the computer. In fact, I specifically asked them NOT to carry out any repairs, and to just see if there was any other problems with the car first (which I was confident there was). The fact that i was charged 380 and not 300 is beside the point really.


Again, the problem here is not paying the garage for the work I asked them to do, it's paying them for the work I didnt ask them to do.

How do they diagnose without repairing the computer first. They need the computer working to diagnose the car & to fault find as far as I know.