Being Ripped Off by Specialist Garages

[benrums0n]

Five years ago I paid for £3000 of bodywork on my traveller, mostly a new fllorpan sills etc or so I was told oh and it was fully waxoyled etc.
This week I had to have new sills and floor panels for the MOT.
Either steel isnt what it was when I studied engineering or somebody is a double died crook.

I dont wish to become embroiled in libel action but if anyone in the southe east is looking to use a local specialist feel free to email me for further info.

[plastic_orange]

It surely didn't just suddenly happen from the previous mot to this one. Minors need constant looking after if you want to avoid this problem. Of course it should have lasted more than 5 years, but preventative measures have got to be taken. It also depends on where you live (near the sea?) and type of motoring you do.
Best advice is go to a tried and tested repairer (grading system anyone), or do it yourself.

[Onne]

And you can see a bodged repair! Mind you, I have tested a sheet of steel, untreated, and sat it in the garden for a good month, was completely corroded. whre does your travelller live anyway? Outdoors or indoors?

[Gareth]

Minors often rust from the inside out... how many of us remove the sill cover-panels to have a squizz into the box-sections? I'd wager very few do it regularly, and most wouldn't even think of it until they find evidence of nastiness from the outside... By then, it's too late.

Shouldn't waxoyl be reapplied and squirted into box sections regularly to ensure longevity? It's easy to say that the repairs should have lasted longer than they did, but without knowing the state of the car before repair (and thus the state of the bodywork to which the repairs were wekded) it's difficult to say if it was a bodged job or not, and it is not the club's remit to do so.

If you have a complaint, the MMOC cannot act for you. They hold a file of traders against whom members have made complaints, but this information is not made public. If you have an issue with a trader, the best place to go is straight back to them.

[benrums0n]

I think the MMOC could do a hell of a lot more to see off some of the rogue traders. In fact I think its what I expect of my car club. Furthermore, on the subject of rust prevention, even my 1978 Datsun Cherry managed five years and that was made out of old petrol cans.

[chickenjohn]

The way this is dealt with is in the branches-

Join your local branch and spread the word there about the bad service, as its likely that more potential customers to that specialist will be found in your local branch. Therefore, if you want to dish the dirt, do it there.

BTW, I think the best way to name and shame is simply by omission.

By naming and praising good traders, then the bad ones will be made obvious by not being mentioned.

[Pyoor_Kate]

Waxoyl does have to be reapplied every couple of years to maintain it's protection; I think having a good poke around, if you do your own maintainance, every year, probably isn't that much of a hardship - and, well, it could save a lot of hastle later.

[Chief]

By any chance in the five years since the £3000 work did you go to the same MOT centre as did the work for you and then this time round used a different garage and found an MOT failure?

[les]

They hold a file of traders against whom members have made complaints

If this is not made public, would a private request meet with success?

[Cam]

Les, best bet if you have a complaint is to speak to Ray Newell. He'll put you right!

[Kevin]

benrums0n I have sent you a PM