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 Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:28 pm |
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Joined: Mar 17, 2015
Posts: 3
Trade Rating: 0
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Hello everyone.
Not sure where to post this as such so chose this one as it felt most fitting.
I recently had a crash with a barrier, stupid me, and took my car into a garage for repair. Its a nice garage (well... i thought/think it is/was)as i've been there a few times with issues with my 206. The front passenger side panel/wing had a big dent in it, exposing where the electronics are in passenger side door where the hinges are. So i asked for this to get fixed and they got me a panel and sprayed it (£240 which i thought was steep but have no idea how much stuff is for body work so assumed it was right). They gave it back to me the next day and it looked brilliant, like nothing had happened to it. I was a happy customer (and broke).
3 weeks later. I hadn't opened the passenger side door since then (since i rarely have people in my car) until i had to pick my mother up on christmas, she opened the passenger door and it bent the panel back in. I haven't touched it anytime between the repair and the 3 weeks. Nobody has been in the passenger side or anything. So i assumed they didnt test to see if the passenger door opened or not when the panel got put on. So i phoned up a little annoyed and explained the situation.
The boss was very understanding and apologetic and told me to bring it in. So i did and i assumed that they would be repairing it for free since it was an overlook on their behalf, handed it to them to have a look (i literally said to them "Can you please update me with what you think" not mentioning that i needed it repairing or anything. They've had it today all day, and i phoned up tonight asking if they got around to having a look at it. The boss answered and said that they have had a look, resprayed it and hammered the dent out but want to keep it another day to have a look too see if it goes wrong. They also said that its a complete mystery how it got bent in with the door since they tested it (i think thats a little white lie because of the fact that this happened the first time i opened that passenger door).
Now i feel stupid because i didn't ask if this would cost me anything. I cannot afford it if it does as Christmas has been a killer. And i assumed that it wouldn't cost me anything since it was a mistake on their behalf and they didn't do their normal thing where they ring me and tell me what they will be doing and ask if they should continue or not which is where i'd ask for the price.
If they do ask me to pay for this error, what do i do? Am i in the wrong for thinking this was their error in the first place? Any advice?
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:13 pm |
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Joined: Dec 26, 2013
Posts: 326
Trade Rating: +1
Location: East London
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Not sure where you stand but I would presume that the garage should do the work free of charge if it is their screw up. But the chances of them admitting that are very slim. However you should argue that the work should be done with no cost to you as it really does sound like they screwed up.
In the future, panels like the front wings, bonnet and both bumpers are easily available in the right colour for your car and there is no point in getting a new panel painted and fitted. A front wing would have cost you about £40 plus an hour at the most to be fitted by a competent mechanic/bodyshop worker.
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| Current: Albi Blue Clio 197
Previous: EZR 1.1 206 Zest 3 5dr | |
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:35 pm |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 7093
Trade Rating: +11
Location: Suffolk
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It sounds like they had fitted the wing incorrectly meaning it was to tight to the door so when you opened it for the first time it bent the wing in
I cant say this as 100 percent as i havent seen the car, but i have seen it before. Its just poor adjustment on their behalf
But as david said, with 206s being so cheap just buy replacement pannels in the right colour as paint work isnt cheap at all!
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:03 pm |
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Joined: Jan 29, 2011
Posts: 6526
Trade Rating: +10
Location: Westhoughton, Lancashire
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You stand on good ground. You asked the garage to have a look at it. Before the garage did any work on the car, they should have given you a written quote and asked you to agree it. It would then have been your option as to have them repair the car or take it somewhere else. The fact that they went ahead and repaired the work without your authority, means that there is no contract in place and they can't ask you to pay for the work they have done.
That said, you also have statutory rights from the previous repair where if it wasn't to a satisfactory standard, by law they have to put it right. Their argument would be that the gap between the door and wing were correct when the car left them. Your argument is as you have stated, you didn't open the door until 3 weeks later. Who's right and who's wrong is for a civil court to decide, but for the loser it can be expensive as they may have to pay the other parties legal costs.
If it gets to the stage where they try and give you a bill, contact your local trading standards and ask for their advice. They are pretty good and will tell you honestly what to do. Many options are open to you at that stage which I won't go into now.
Just wait until tomorrow and see what they say and then take it from there.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 3:02 pm |
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Joined: Mar 03, 2010
Posts: 2636
Trade Rating: +11
Location: Black Country Ay I
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The work has not been completed to a satisfactory standard, and thus, as said above, they are legally required to complete the work as such. Their trade is to repair vehicles to a suitable and functioning condition.
When you collect your car, inspect it with them, open the doors several times and look at in different lights (paintwork can look great inside a poorly lit unit, but rubbish in the sunlight). Act like you are not expecting to pay again, because that is how it should be.
And if they play up, take them on Judge Rinder 
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