Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
Anyway - went in and they looked over the car and i got a call about an hour later and they guy was saying that i needed the following done:-
Front / Rear - Brake Disks and Pads
Back Right Calliper
Copper pipes from Brakes to Master Cylinder needed replaced due to corrosion.
Cost - £700 - Estimate
|
This is a surprisingly common trick. I personally think it's the kind of thing that the fraud squad should go after, since invariably none of the work is 'required'.
Of course the problem here is one of objective vs. subjective opinion. It's quite impossible to prove that some work
doesn't need doing. So the charlatans can always claim that it's just their opinion.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
At this point i told him where to go - the cars only worth about 2 grand and said i will get my own parts to save money, Kwik fit then tell me that they cannot fit the parts as they are not their "own" and therefore they could not guarantee them.
|
Which would be fair enough - if what they 'guaranteed' was actually as good a quality, for the extra cost. Sometimes it isn't.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
At this point im thinking screw this and go and pick up my car, they were not exactly pleasent either.
|
They hate getting found out, because then they even lose the business they could have had.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
Anyway off i went to get my own parts as i knew what i needed and where to get them - total cost £230. Wandered down to my local garage to get a quote on fitting - 70 quid. Therefore a total cost of £300 - 400 quid cheaper than Kwik fit.
|
Mistake #2. You spent £230 on parts you didn't need.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
On top of this when im getting the parts fitted the Pads were OK and all the disks were ok bar the front left and the back right where the calliper was sticking.
|
In which case, it was irrelevant whether the pads were ok, because if you fit new discs you should fit new pads, otherwise the old pads will prematurely wear the new discs.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
The copper tubing from the front brakes to the Master Cylinder were also OK and didnt need replacing - the guy said there was a bit of rust on them which he just brushed off - they were fine.
|
This is a common problem - it often comes up at MOT time too.
OK - super tip here, but only if you're quite sure that your brake pipes are actually NOT about to fail on you - before the MOT, clean off any loose surface dirt on the pipes. treat any rust spots with a rust-converter product. Then, cover all the pipes with grease. Apart from the fact that the grease will further protect the pipes from corrosion, the MOT tester is not allowed to remove the grease to inspect the pipes, so he can't possibly determine if they're corroded, so he can't possibly fail them.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja
So, take this as a warning - they will try to rob you blind.
|
As will just about any car repair outfit - not just Kwik-Fit.
I once went in to get the rear exhaust box replaced - I would normally buy one and do it myself, but I was feeling lazy. Anyway, the grease monkey spent a few minutes banging away at it before warning me that it was more than likely that he'd have to replace the rest of the system, as it would probably disintegrate during removal of the rear box.
I pointed out to him that I'd done that job several times before and NEVER had to replace anything EXCEPT the part I was replacing, and I suggested that he'd better be able to do so too, or I'd hold HIM liable for any damage.
Needless to say, he suddenly became much more adept at his job.