Garage damaged my car...

[the_lone_wolf]

Right, sit back, grab a beer, because this could go on a bit...

I'm about to go postal with my ford garage, they have damaged my car for the third time in as many visits (before you ask why i went back please read the rest of the post...)

I bought a 53 reg focus from my mum in may last year, the car had been owned from new so i knew the history. just after i bought it she had it serviced (it was due) and whilst they had it they broke the clip that holds down the scuttle plate on the passenger side base of the windscreen. once the seal is broken water can flow under the plate, into the pollen filter on the AC unit and then through the pipes into the passenger footwell. needless to say a few weeks after the service after a night of heavy rain i found a 3inch swimming pool in the passenger footwell. when i found out the cause i phoned the garage to complain, they accepted that it was damaged and offered to either replace the part FOC or replace it with an "upgraded" part if i paid the difference and that stopped the clip from breaking again. i paid the difference (about £10 iirc) and had the plate fitted, and all was well until i went in for it's service at the end of may.

when i pick the car up the guy ont he desk says that they also "fixed the rear washer" - which i didn't know was broken and would have used recently to clear the back window. it was when i got the car home a few days later that i saw the damage to the top of the boot. it looks like someone has tried to shut the hatchback with something between the roof panel and the boot. the boot is bent and both that and the rood have had the paint scraped.

when i called to ask what the hell was going on i was told that the guy i spoke to would "look up the job sheet and call me back" - 3 hours later i got a call and was told that according to them the damage was pre-existing and marked on the sheet (who fills out the sheet and when i don't know).

now yesterday i'm on the driveway and notice that once again they've broken the clip that holds down the scuttle plate. their "upgraded" part seems to consist of the same plate with a bit of foam underneath so that when they break the clip the seal shouldn't leak (or at least not so badly)

they also broke the scuttle plate on the focus me and my dad ran before this one, but we never found out the cause of the flooding problem in that one until after we traded it in.

i'm going to drop in before work on tuesday to let them see the damage, but i'm not going to tell them about the scuttle plate until i see their pre-existing damage sheet. what i think has happened is that they have either damaged the boot *and* the rear washer, and fixed the washer, or damaged the boot whilst fixing the washer and the grease monkey doing the work has just marked up the boot damage as pre-existing. i am 100% certain i have never trapped anything in the boot of the car whilst closing it and can't see how i would have missed the damage if it really was there, i use the boot frequently for carting surveying gear around for work and would have seen this for sure

so where do i stand? i know the garage has a duty of care to look after the car whilst they have it but i can only imagine that they will simply turn around and wave the sheet of paper at me, if it goes to court is the fact that they fixed the same damage this time last year likely to be taken into account? the attitude i got over the phone was "we're right you're wrong and there's nothing you can do about it" and tbh i can't see a way out without getting into a long and ugly legal wrangle

sorry for the long rant - does anyone have any similar experience and care to impart some advice, or sympathy if they have no experience

oh and avoid "Premier Ford, Newport IOW" - they don't know their arses from the damage they leave on your car

[Wideboy]

you should think about getting in contact with the citizens advice beurrow (excuse spelling) or trading standards. normally when you threaten a garage with trading standards they will crap them selfs and admit it however they might not and to say they'd be annoyed would be an understatement

[the_lone_wolf]

cheers, they are on the list to call, depending on what they say i might try to use TS as leverage, but as you say that could make things worse. i'll see how they handle me turning up on their doorstep and possibly making a scene...

[Wideboy]

i did this when a certain garage near me was MOT'ing my van and jacked it up not on the jack points and wrecked the the underneath of my van as soon as i went and confronted the manager (nearly had him over the desk ) they where offering to fix it and do all kinds of free stuff but i told them to shove it and i fixed it my self and got welders flash

but im not saying violence is the answer

[fizzwheel]

I wouldnt make a scene just yet. Be firm, but polite, don't rant and rave etc etc. Just explain what you found when you got the car home, say that you're not happy and then ask what they are going to do to make you a happy customer again.

If you're still not happy, say nothing further and then seek advice from CS or trading standards, if the damage isnt marked on their sheet thing then they are going to try and blame you.

I always have a quick look round my cars and bikes, before I take them off the dealers premisis.

My brother works in a garage, he says people who shout dont get any help, I was the same when I worked in the service industry.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

My brother works in a garage, he says people who shout dont get any help, I was the same when I worked in the service industry.

if i'm going to be honest i don't think i have the face to make a real scene, i was really seeking some help in terms of my legal standing, where's "Ed" when you need him?

The garage where I work(ed) have a 'condition sheet' that has to be filled in by one of the service team or a technician and then signed as OK by the customer prior to handing us the keys.
The customer then has to sign for the condition of the car at pick-up.
Saves a hell of a lot of stress.

They probably have some clever sounding crap at the bottom of their little sheet that will appear to cover their backsides - but I would have thought that if you haven't signed anything to agree that what is on the sheet is a true reflection of the state of your car... then I guess it's about as legally binding as a wet paper bag. Check with Citzen's Advice on that... and get a copy of any documentation they wave at you.

Other than that, if you get no joy from the garage itself - complain to Ford.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by K

They probably have some clever sounding crap at the bottom of their little sheet that will appear to cover their backsides - but I would have thought that if you haven't signed anything to agree that what is on the sheet is a true reflection of the state of your car... then I guess it's about as legally binding as a wet paper bag. Check with Citzen's Advice on that... and get a copy of any documentation they wave at you.

afaik the only thing i signed was the rental agreement for the courtesy car, certainly if i did sign anything else i was under the impression it was agreeing that thr work had been carried out and i would pay for it etc, nothing to do with the condition of the car (and this was before i'd seen it) - sounds daft now but this isn't "knock off harry's garage", you don't expect a main dealer to be screwing you over like this

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

if i'm going to be honest i don't think i have the face to make a real scene, i was really seeking some help in terms of my legal standing, where's "Ed" when you need him?

Cutting the grass. Yes it was too hot yesterday to do it so I waited till it was a bit cooler. The security light kept coming on but it was getting a bit dark so it was actually very useful.

Will read again and revert. But usually the answer is to be firm - but not shouty - and adamant, and don't give in. I occasionally post the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regs 1999 on here, have a search for them on www.opsi.gov.uk.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Ed

Will read again and revert. But usually the answer is to be firm - but not shouty - and adamant, and don't give in. I occasionally post the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regs 1999 on here, have a search for them on www.opsi.gov.uk.

thanks for that, i'll be heading in tomorrow, i'm hoping to find some discrepency on the damage sheet, different pen or handwriting etc, otherwise i really don;t think i can prove things either way, unfair it is, but then so is life.. the scuttle plate is a different matter, it's a known problem and i've already had to have the car fixed once because they damaged it