STOLEN MOTOR

[John m]

Alliance  they say they do not want to set precident .Probably MG > blue whatsit see an opportunity to hit taxi drivers with aHigher Commercial Rate .Like I was asking can I claim the VAT back as im registered for vat .A private motorist Cannot but what about taxi repairs .These are real issues when it comes to costs ?

[mercenary for hire]

Nah this is bullshit Erm tell the dope to buy a house alarm and use it.Who wants strangers walking around their gaff in the middle of the night.Nobody is safe from this shit.

I'll bet he still doesn't have a house alarm weeks after the car got taken.Some people have to learn the hard way.

[John m]

The lad who came out to change the Door lock charged a 150 Call out charge and Got it .So locksmiths are more important than mechanics worth more per hour according to insurance .

[mercenary for hire]

The garages pump up the rates for the insurance too.Theres no way there's more than two hours labour in fixing a roof liner and associated electronic....but they'll say they want to charge for a lot more hours than it actually needs.

If it was my car it would be repaired with glue and tape by now so I can work again.

[mercenary for hire]

As part of the new PSV exam there should be a dedicated MacGyver module ....where candidates must answer problem solving related questions based on the popular 80s TV series.You shouldnt be allowed to own a taxi unless you can fix the easy stuff yourself.If you wait around for main dealers you'd be off the road for months and likey broke eating yer dinner in Bow street.

[Rat Catcher]

Did the insurer's approved repairer provide an estimate?

If so they'll fix it for him or he can take the estimated price in used notes and repair it or get it repaired wherever he wants. If not, why not?

[John m]

Did the insurer's approved repairer provide an estimate?

If so they'll fix it for him or he can take the estimated price in used notes and repair it or get it repaired wherever he wants. If not, why not?

AH Rodent nail on head .He took it to Bluestone where it originated from got a quote for repairs .Now the rub .I told him NOT TO .Let them designate the repairer first .But Alas cotton Ears didnt listen Submitted a Quote from Main Dealers and the Insurance said they have a Labour limit of 80 notes per hour .Main dealers want 125 .So there is deadlock they wont approve the quote .He under advice from Moi threatened to sue them for delaying making a decision .So like you said they offered him Coin minus the access as he is claiming against himself .I told him to turn that down .Now they are sending him to their prefered Spanner Monkies .At least by going through their monkeys the work will be guarenteed .BUT now the issue of Warranty arises as the car was repaired by non prefered providers of Warranty .

So the Short and the Shorter after nearly one month the car is going into the Spanner monkies for repair .It should be returned in Working Order under guarentee for labour but the Manufacturers warranty may be nullified .

[watty]

CCPC warns motor industry on repairs

The competition watchdog has issued a warning to the Irish motor industry after reports of anti-competitive practices in the sale, maintenance, and repair of motor vehicles.  In a letter to those involved in the industry, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has stated that, under competition law, consumers must not be prevented from freely choosing who services or repairs their vehicle, or what parts they use.  The move follows reports from motorists who have been prevented or discouraged from getting their vehicles serviced or repaired by independent garages.

<snip>

Distributors urged to review arrangements

The CCPC says that it is seeking information from motor distributors in Ireland and has urged them to review and, if necessary, amend any arrangements they have in place.  It warns that, while formal proceedings have not been instigated against any firm yet, it will take action if illegal practices are identified.  Additionally, the CCPC has told independent garages that they have a right to freely repair vehicles, to use non-original spare parts that are of a matching quality, and to access repair and diagnostic tools.

<snip>

Your pal shouldn't lose his warranty as long as the replacement parts are of equal quality to the OEM parts.

[Rat Catcher]

Not sure if the rules are different for EVs but VAG warranties were never affected by using unauthorised facilities or DIY servicing ... unless something was done wrong directly causing a fault subsequently the subject of a warranty claim... At least that's the way it was when I bought a brand new Octavia in 2004.

[watty]

Well, there must be something wrong in the industry if The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission felt the need to issue a public warning letter to them?

[Rat Catcher]

I think they've done all that before. In fact when I bought the Octavia in 2004 the salesman (Les if memory serves) referred me to the service manager (Ken) to discuss the (not so finer) points of warranty T&Cs. Ken made some mention of EU/EEC regulations in advising that main dealer servicing wasn't a necessity to maintain warranty cover. I think he advised using main dealer parts and keeping the receipts though... at least that's what I done anyway... although I did get a few free services on account of an electrical problem that took some time to resolve (over a week if I remember correctly) despite the problem being traced to a damaged wire most likely down to Mechanic 24's meter installation. That's why I was kinda surprised to hear dissatisfaction with MSLs BYD aftersales service... I've digressed but back then MDL (MSLs parent company) was the VAG distributor in Ireland and I found their service second to none, repairing the fault that wasn't their fault under warranty and compensating me with some complimentary servicing.

[watty]

I think the whole world was a nicer place 20 years ago!  Things have changed a lot since then.  In this thread, for example, the nasty insurance company won't pay an honest mechanic more than €80/hr for his work.  What's the world coming to when mechanics are forced to work for so little?

[John m]

They charged 140 notes non refundable to give you a quote and you were probably going to give them the job ?

[Rat Catcher]

Charging for an estimate has been commonplace among main stealers for a long time, erm. I guess the rationale is that most folk wanting estimates outside of the insurance firms' own networks will find a cheaper option. I'm not sue if (m)any would deduct the fee paid for the estimate from the repair bill in the unlikely event that they get the job?

I don't think it was down to them being nice, Watty... although they (Phoenix Motors up above in Dublin) were very nice people to deal with. It was the law... and seemingly still is!

However, the latest main stealer trick is updating software as part of the service. It doesn't seem that the law obliges them to make such updates available to backstreet garages and/or DIYers so they have you by the Niagras? Added to that piss taking in the extreme as far as EVs go. Brake fluid that was once specified to be replaced after 3 years and then every 2 years (by VAG) seemingly only lasts a year or 15,000 kilos now... Pollen filters that were specified to be replaced every 90,000 kilos or 6 years are seemingly only good for a year as well... gearboxes that were sealed for life (manual / dry clutch DSG VAGs) now require regular oil changes in EVs.  Are we supposed to believe the quality of the fluids/parts has decreased with development or that EVs are just fitted with extremely dodgy brakes/gearboxes/AC/etc?

[watty]

I don't think it was down to them being nice, Watty... although they (Phoenix Motors up above in Dublin) were very nice people to deal with. It was the law... and seemingly still is!

I got my Octavia off them as well!  Lovely people, lovely car.