Garage Won't Return My Vehicle..;(

Drummer1967 · 25-11-2014 08:28PM #1

I left my work vehicle to a garage to have a second hand engine and gearbox fitted.
When the vehicle was repaired the garage sent me a short video of it been driven.When I Told the garage I would be paying by visa and that I wanted to have the work checked by an independent garage as it was costing 2,000 The owner threatened to remove the fitted engine and gearbox..That was on October 7th...I still have not got my vehicle back.

would anyone know how I should proceed from here..
Thanks in advance

PizzamanIRL · 25-11-2014 08:30PM

What? How does this happen? It's YOUR car and they have it over 6 weeks. Grow a pair. That's my advice.

Tail Docker · 25-11-2014 08:31PM

Pay him the 2k. Things should flow from there.

michael999999 · 25-11-2014 08:31PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

I left my work vehicle to a garage to have a second hand engine and gearbox fitted.
When the vehicle was repaired the garage sent me a short video of it been driven.When I Told the garage I would be paying by visa and that I wanted to have the work checked by an independent garage as it was costing 2,000 The owner threatened to remove the fitted engine and gearbox..That was on October 7th...I still have not got my vehicle back.

would anyone know how I should proceed from here..
Thanks in advance

Park your other vehicle across there front gates until they give you back the work vehicle!

kneemos · 25-11-2014 08:31PM

Call a Pow Wow and plan an attack on the Cowboys.

Tail Docker · 25-11-2014 08:32PM

michael999999 wrote: »

Park your other vehicle across there front gates until they give you back the work vehicle!

Er, he needs to pay for the work. The stumbling block is not the garage, it's the bill. Pay Bill, all G. No pay Bill, all not G. Bill is important in all this.

unitedrover · 25-11-2014 08:36PM

The video thing sounds weird. Almost like what a kidnapper does in a hostage situation.

On a serious note try the motors forum. Should get a better response.

Tail Docker · 25-11-2014 08:37PM

unitedrover wrote: »

The video thing sounds weird. Almost like what a kidnapper does in a hostage situation.

On a serious note try the motors forum. Should get a bitter response.

FYP.

michael999999 · 25-11-2014 08:37PM

Tail Docker wrote: »

Er, he needs to pay for the work. The stumbling block is not the garage, it's the bill. Pay Bill, all G. No pay Bill, all not G. Bill is important in all this.

He said he was paying by Visa, is that not a legal form of payment in your part of the world?

happywithlife · 25-11-2014 08:37PM

Have you any particular gripe about the workmanship done? I presume it was YOU who asked the garage to fit secondhand parts. Just pay the outstanding bill. I don't know much about motors but 2k to replace the engine, gearbox and pay for labour of said work doesn't sound excessive to me.
Pay the bill. Get your car back. Simples.
With your attitude to date I wouldn't blame the owner for demanding cash tbh

Drummer1967 · 25-11-2014 08:38PM

It's a second hand engine am I just supposed to pay up without even checking if the engine is working properly..?? I asked them to bring it up to vw so they could verify that the engine is what he promised me but he refused,Now he wants to buy the vehicke and has offered me 2,000 but I just want it back as im being forced to hire one now...

Drummer1967 · 25-11-2014 08:41PM

It's a second hand engine am I just supposed to pay up without even checking if the engine is working properly..?? I asked them to bring it up to vw so they could verify that the engine is what he promised me but he refused,Now he wants to buy the vehicle and has offered me 2,000 but I just want it back as im being forced to hire one now...I have offered to pay the full amount once the work is verified, but he refuses...He did not do the work himself and failed to provide any evidence /proof of the donor vehicle...

happywithlife · 25-11-2014 08:41PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

It's a second hand engine am I just supposed to pay up without even checking if the engine is working properly..?? I asked them to bring it up to vw so they could verify that the engine is what he promised me but he refused,Now he wants to buy the vehicke and has offered me 2,000 but I just want it back as im being forced to hire one now...

So why not go direct to vw garage in the first instance. Did you not get a quote to begin with? He has done the work. Pay up. IF there is a problem afterward you'll be covered by the Sales of Goods and Supply of Services Act won't you?

Drummer1967 · 25-11-2014 08:44PM

vw don't sell secondhand engines, a new one would be too expensive...I've no problem paying for work but I can't afford to be ripped off again

Tail Docker · 25-11-2014 08:47PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

vw don't sell secondhand engines, a new one would be too expensive...I've no problem paying for work but I can't afford to be ripped off again

He's probably saying the same thing. And maybe he doesn't have a visa machine. But you chucked in the "he wants to buy it bit" there, which queers the pitch. But also means the engine must be good. Why else would he want it?

BrokenArrows · 25-11-2014 08:47PM

The engine might be in fine working order but it may be from a questionable source. Maybe not 100% legal.

Very strange that he would offer to buy the car.

kowloon · 25-11-2014 08:48PM

Pay him up front, get the work verified and if everything is good release the hostages unharmed.

kneemos · 25-11-2014 08:48PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

vw don't sell secondhand engines, a new one would be too expensive...I've no problem paying for work but I can't afford to be ripped off again

He's not going to give you the car to drive off.
Maybe if you offer to pay himself or one of his mechanics for the hours spent in the VW garage.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 25-11-2014 08:53PM

Pay the man.

Lu Tze · 25-11-2014 08:53PM

Offer to hand over your passport, and a recent bill in your name so they no where to find you if you just bugger off with the car. Seems reasonable. It would be normal to pay first though, and follow up with the garage if there is an issue. I presume you stipulated your requirements for non-payment until certified by the VW garage before you got them to do the work?

I presume you went to an indy as it was cheaper, most small indies wouldn't have the volume of business to justify the overheads of a credit card machine.

BmCon · 25-11-2014 08:53PM

You need to pay the bill. Engine, gearbox + labour = 2k sounds about right to me.

The Diabolical Monocle · 25-11-2014 08:54PM

Go to him with a numbered list of 10 independent garages.
Put list on his desk face down.
Tell him to pick a number between 1 and 10 without him seeing the list.
The chosen number/garage will be the independent garage which will be used.

Then tell him to have your car either brought to said garage for an independent inspection, or if he's paranoid have that garage's mechanic come to his site.
You will make the booking and observe the work and/or receive the independent garages report in both instances.

(maybe even give him 1 secondary opportunity to choose again from a different random list - in case he picks his arch nemesis or business rival, evil twin, or any other BS excuse )

If he refuses this option then he is dodgy and you should tell him to lawyer up cause you're on your way to consumer affairs/ombudsman.

whupdedo · 25-11-2014 08:54PM

I know if I was asked to do a job and they got someone to independently verify it was okay I wouldn't be too pleased, why did you ask him to do the job if you were going to go ahead and get it independently checked out, seems a very bizarre situation to me, are you unsure about his quality of work ?

Tokyo · 25-11-2014 08:54PM

If it's an established garage and not somebody's back yard who might skip town in the morning, I don't see the problem. Pay the bill, get invoices for the work done. Take the car to an independent garage if you wish. If there are any issues, you're covered by law.

Drummer1967 · 25-11-2014 08:55PM

After he Told me he was taking the engine and gearbox back out, I asked a garage their opinion and they told me,If he takes that engine and gearbox back out that vehicle will never drive again....The next day he called me with what he said was a solution....I will buy your van he said...At first I agreed to sell it for scrap for 1500, but then I felt I was being bullied into it by threats to remove the fitted engine,so I told him I couldn't afford to replace the vehicle for 1,500 and just wanted to pay for the repairs...He now insists that I agreed to sell the van and as far as he is concerned its deal done.....
I fear he has already dismantled /sold the van...

percy212 · 25-11-2014 08:56PM

This sounds fishy. The OP offered to pay by Visa and the garage is getting upset. Visa can cancel a payment if there is a problem with the work and the OP complains. Cash doesn't come back once its handed over.

Best solution is as said above - offer to pay for one his mechanics to go with you for the second opinion. He can even drive the car there. If everything is above board there should be no issue with this arrangement. If he won't go for it, its garda time.

Tail Docker · 25-11-2014 08:57PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

After he Told me he was taking the engine and gearbox back out, I asked a garage their opinion and they told me,If he takes that engine and gearbox back out that vehicle will never drive again....The next day he called me with what he said was a solution....I will buy your van he said...At first I agreed to sell it for scrap for 1500, but then I felt I was being bullied into it by threats to remove the fitted engine,so I told him I couldn't afford to replace the vehicle for 1,500 and just wanted to pay for the repairs...He now insists that I agreed to sell the van and as far as he is concerned its deal done.....
I fear he has already dismantled /sold the van...

I fear you're messing.

Yawns · 25-11-2014 08:58PM

If he sourced the engine and did the work, then pay him. Any hassle afterwards like it not working, you're covered under the sales of good act etc. He needs paying and he does not have to bring it to any other garage to have his work verified in any way shape or form. After you pay him, you can bring the car to whoever you want to verify or do whatever and you can pay for that. The garage was contracted to do the work and he has fulfilled his end from what you tell us. He doesn't need to bring it anywhere to verify.

Did he take the video after you asked him to verify it working?

Yawns · 25-11-2014 08:59PM

Drummer1967 wrote: »

After he Told me he was taking the engine and gearbox back out, I asked a garage their opinion and they told me,If he takes that engine and gearbox back out that vehicle will never drive again....

Well whatever you do, don't bother going to that garage for any advice again...

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 25-11-2014 08:59PM

whupdedo wrote: »

I know if I was asked to do a job and they got someone to independently verify it was okay I wouldn't be too pleased, why did you ask him to do the job if you were going to go ahead and get it independently checked out, seems a very bizarre situation to me, are you unsure about his quality of work ?

Why? I wouldn't give a shyte, it's their own time and money their wasting. But unless they were bringing the inspector to me, quicksmart, I'd expect to be paid before they leave.

percy212 · 25-11-2014 09:00PM

Whats the big deal about having work verified. If the guy can't stand by the work he said he did, then something is wrong. Either he did the work right or he didn't.

All it should mean to the garage is an extra couple of hours before they get paid.

Garage Won't Return My Vehicle..;(

Comments