Garage liability (updated p2)

[VTaaRon]

Hi guys just thought id let you in on a little story.... The other day i went to my car and found the rear passenger side tyer slightly low so thought damn i have a punchure but though it wasnt to bad so could just get a punchure repair! took the car to kwik-fit £17 all in punchure repair... but they were unable to remove the locking nut as the garage that did my service had done them up to tight! so i took the car back to where i got it serviced and asked them to remove them, they gave it a try and also said they wernt coming out but broke the top off one of the locking nuts trying! i was told to come back today and they would drill them out but still no luck but they have also broken the top off the other locking nut! they came and said to me and i quote "were gonna give up on your car we cant get the nuts off anymore and well just damage the wheels, only way theyll come out is if you get an engineer to do it!" the woman showed me what they had tried to do and how it hadnt done anything in the way of getting them out, and another guy steps up and says "is the only problem that you want the punchure repaired?" to which i say it was but now i want the wheels off to, to which he says "by the looks of the signs in your windows youre looking to sell we can put some stuff in the tyre to repair the punchure and then when you sell it just keep hush about it!" couldnt believe what i heard i said ok if you repair the punchure and ill thake my car obviously annoyed as they were the ones that did it in the first place i wanted them to fix it. i contacted my insurance for advice and also traiding standards who directed me to the supply of goods and services act 1982 which states any garage has to carry out work with reasonable care and skill and as part of my car was damaged while in there possession they are liable for costs of repair! when i phoned them they said they wouldnt pay! so i sought legal advice... said what i already knew about traiding standards etc but to get a quote for repair and put it in writing along with a letter to the manager saying what it was and if i get no reply i have grounds to take them to small claims court! long story short im tired of garages doing half harted jobs and the less knowing of us having to front the bill.... will let you know how it goes!!

[Clouds_mate]

and breathe.

[VTaaRon]

link to vehicle repair and servicing covered buy supply of goods and services act 1982 incase anyone wants to check their rights... http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/calitem.cgi?file=adv0046-1011.txt

[saxodan]

From about a third of the way down i speed read and didnt understand a word, b ut all in all i think you should seek legal advice

[VTaaRon]

hahaha wanted to get it all down before i forgot

[Ryan21]

Bastards.....

Lucky enough my uncle is my mechanic so have no issues, I would have obtained the wheel brace from the boot and bashed the cunt over the head, then when he got up i would have bashed him again, until he sorted the work....

Sounds daft mate but u had a go at taking the nut off yaself?

Get a tight socket and bash it over your not then unscrew...

had to do it on my mates 2.0L red top corsa!

[Ryan21]

And if done carefully u wont damage wheel mate!

[VTaaRon]

Bastards.....

Lucky enough my uncle is my mechanic so have no issues, I would have obtained the wheel brace from the boot and bashed the cunt over the head, then when he got up i would have bashed him again, until he sorted the work....

Sounds daft mate but u had a go at taking the nut off yaself?

Get a tight socket and bash it over your not then unscrew...

had to do it on my mates 2.0L red top corsa!

they tried that but said there isnt enough room around the nut to get it on!!

[liamk15]

sounds shite that. Get an engineer todo it them give them the bill.


btw a paragraph or two wouldnt of gone a miss :P

[Ryan21]

He's talking drabble mate, there will be a socket to fit somewhere i can assure u, i used a cheap shitty 1 from halford, by the time u have done with it the walls of the socket will split but will be tight enough to turn the nut out, u got picks of ya nuts mate?

Thats not meant to sound how it does mucker, but u know what i mean!

[liamk15]

u got picks of ya nuts mate?

!


:ponder: lol

[Ryan21]

:ponder: lol

Knew that wa comin!

[Tupps]

Show us all your nuts!

[VTaaRon]

i got pics but there not pretty will put them up in a bit

[hellonpluto]

The vehicle was damaged at the garage
The garage has a general duty of care to look after your vehicle while it is in their possession, therefore if the vehicle is damaged at the garage, the cost of any repairs will be the garage's liability.

Get 'em bummed!

[Ryan21]

Another way mate is to drill it, which will work, pilot it with a 6mm drill bit and then collapse the nut into itself with a hammer and screw driver, if done with care this way will work too....

[VTaaRon]

ok people here are the pics:

this is a pic of the front wheel with locking nuts that show how the nut should be....
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/VTaaRon/DSC00401.jpg

this is what the garage have done to the rear one (both sides!)....
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/VTaaRon/DSC00400.jpg

and larger pics for comparison notice the damage to the lip on the rear!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/VTaaRon/DSC00402.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/VTaaRon/DSC00403.jpg

[Ryan21]

U could get a socket over it tho mate, but looking i would drill it

[VTaaRon]

may take it to sts man on wheels tomorrow whn the bolt snapped on my golf they got it out then just make the other garage foot the bill

[VTaaRon]

damn just been to sts and they cant do it either i dont want to try it myself just incase i do anything that will effect my defence against the garage!! looks like i have to get a letter and make them sort it

[hesslevtr]

thats why i only trust my mate with my car or myself

[Ryan21]

Just drill it out mate, its a piece of piss honestly, i've seen bolts worse mate, totally rounded off and still drill them out, pilot it first with something small like a 4mm bit and then zip through it with an 8mm or something, then tap the walls of the bolt into itself and pull them out with long nose pliers!

Walk in the park mate, steady hand and patience will sort it!

[VTaaRon]

may have to give that a go as nowhere seems to be able to!! i have hubcentric spacers tho need to be sure i dont drill the brake disc!!

[Ryan21]

may have to give that a go as nowhere seems to be able to!! i have hubcentric spacers tho need to be sure i dont drill the brake disc!!

You shouldn't touch the disc i dont think mate, like i say i've done it on caviliers and corsa and really it should be that different, just take ya time and pilot it with something small first the work outwards, get someone to give u hand and just keep the drill straight!

You tried a socket wacked over it yet?

[VTaaRon]

I have finally had a minute free to put together the formal written letter of complaint my insurance and trading standards advised me to send to the garage and can send any one who wants a read a copy im quite impressed myself to be honest i feel it should get the job done in the most reasonable way!

[James]

I have finally had a minute free to put together the formal written letter of complaint my insurance and trading standards advised me to send to the garage and can send any one who wants a read a copy im quite impressed myself to be honest i feel it should get the job done in the most reasonable way!

I hope you used paragraphs in that....

Back on topic.. i gave up with garages a long time ago.. There all about as educated as you so in the long term it's better to do it yourself and learn something new. Let us know what happens with this :)

[bennivtr]

this sounds utter balls, sorry to hear this dude. Hope you get it sorted.

[mick2404]

Hi mate, sorry to hear about your problems...

Give these a try :

http://tinyurl.com/yxz7jr


They are BRILL for removing pretty much any kind of bolt/nut...

I've got 2 sets of them for working on my minis seized bolts, and i've not came across a bolt/nut they haven't been able to remove... :)

Mick

[VTaaRon]

cheers mick that could come in handy tho im not sure how much bolt there is to grip as the bolts are a bit strange! how do you buy them from this site?

[VTaaRon]

I hope you used paragraphs in that....

Back on topic.. i gave up with garages a long time ago.. There all about as educated as you so in the long term it's better to do it yourself and learn something new. Let us know what happens with this :) i didnt put photos directly in the letter but i did put i have a history log of when things were done and photographic evidence to back everything up!

[mick2404]

cheers mick that could come in handy tho im not sure how much bolt there is to grip as the bolts are a bit strange! how do you buy them from this site?

http://www.irwin.co.uk/stockists.html

Have a look here, there's lots of places you can get them from locally....

It'd be worth a shot :)

Mick

[Jonny_H]

ye i snapped the pattern off mine a while ago and went to a garage charged me a 5er and i think all he did was hit a metal over the nut and turn the bar to get it out..... obviously a new nut was needed, but it was damaged anyway so i didnt mind. got a free set as well as i emailed them explaining how it snapped and how poor the quality was... they sent me a new set.

[VTaaRon]

cheers guys i think the maint problem is these bolts arnt like normal bolts there isnt much of a head so to speak on them the locking key had 4 prongs that slotted into the bolt and gripped when you turn but because there in so tight it wont work if they were like normal locking bolts be easier ill try get a pic of one as an example

[VTaaRon]

heres a small pic of an example of the bolts if you can see in the pic each bolt has a small piece in the middle that sticks up this is what the garage broke off so now there is just the 4 small holes cant really do anything to get them out!