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my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

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  • my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

    Hello all...

    just looking for opinions/advice on what action is correct to take in my circumstances. In August i had a replacement engine put in my car (it was second hand). Parts and labor were paid for and the mechanic returned the car stating it was running perfectly. He informed me "he would not guarantee the engine BUT would put right any fault caused by his workmanship, should any arise, at no cost to me". Within 1-2 days the engine warning light came on for the first of many times. Each time i return the car he says he has done work on it and when i pick it up the warning light has gone off (as a note it is possible to simply switch the light off without doing any work on the vehicle). Inevitably within 1-2 days the light comes on again and the car goes back to him when i am next off work. The car has been returned to him between 10-15 times and he has been unable to find the problem that is causing the light to continuously come on. Since the initial payment for the work carried out he has fitted 2 more parts at a cost of £160...none of which made any difference. In December he finally admitted he was struggling and agreed to have the car seen to by a specialist garage. He phoned me in December telling me the appointment was on 04/01/13. During conversations about the appointment i became slightly suspicious that something wasn't right about what he was telling me (he didn't seem to know the location of the garage yet he was a local man...i'm not a mechanic...but i knew where he was saying he was going to take the car). The specialist garage is a little under 12 miles from his garage in terms of a return journey. When i dropped the car off to him on 04/01 in the morning i recorded the mileage on my car. I left it with him and he phoned me later that day to say the car was back and the issue was still unresolved. The following day i went to collect my car and had an in depth conversation with him about what the mechanic at the specialist garage had done, said and recommended. The conversation lasted 5-10 minutes and ended with an apology from him saying he was doing everything he could to fix the problem and that he felt terrible that i had to keep coming back. I took my keys after agreeing a further appointment at a larger specialist garage. On returning to my car i noted the milometer again. It hadn't moved. (no...the car wasn't taken on a pick-up...it is perfectly drivable). I immediately re-entered the garage and asked him for the phone number of the specialist garage...the name of the mechanic...and a copy of the report they produced. After some walking back and forward and playing with his mouse pretending to look up something on his computer he openly admitted he had lied to me and that the car had not gone to the garage at all...he said he had been too busy. I took my keys and told hime he would be hearing from me. I have subsequently found out that he wasn't "too busy"...and that an appointment had never been made in the first place. He has therefore lied to me in December when he told me about the appointment...lied to me about a service that he said was carried out and wasn't...and in admitting to this lie...has lied about the reason he didn't take it.

    I am in the process of trawling the internet to find out the correct process i should follow to sort this out. I believe he has breached the contract he entered into with me when he did work on my car. I have quite understandably lost all faith and trust in a) him and b) his ability to fix my car. Any advice on where i stand and especially on what my next move should be would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my tale of woe.

    Dom
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

    For a start, the mechanic is in breach of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, which requires that anyone providing a service, such as a garage, must provide that service within a reasonable period of time, to a reasonable standard of workmanship and at a reasonable price.

    As matters stand and in view of the admission of the mechanic, I would give him one last chance to resolve matters, as he has not fixed problems he says he has and has charged you, before serving him with a written notice, giving him, say, seven days to sort matters, otherwise you ask another garage to carry out work at his expense.

    However, do speak to your local Trading Standards for current information on the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 as the law is constantly changing and case law may have modified the advice given in this post.
    Life is a journey on which we all travel, sometimes together, but never alone.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

      Since the garage provided both the parts (engine) and the labour you ought to be covered by the Sales of Goods and Services Act 1982. I would make a complaint to your local Trading Standards department. From what you say he's not going to fix it, and I wouldn't trust him even if he says he will have another go. He's had plenty of opportunities to put this right and now you want your money back so you can take it to another garage.

      EDIT: Bluebottle said it all before me

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      • #4
        Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

        Hi bluebottle

        I believe i am not being unreasonable in not allowing the mechanic to EVER touch my car again. He lied to me and admitted it. If i left the car with him and he hold me he had done this and that...i wouldn't be able to believe a word he was saying. I have already contacted the CAB with a request for a direct referral to Trading Standards. In my research i am still unclear if he has committed a criminal offence by lying about the service he said was carried out. According to consumerline it is a criminal offence to make a false statement about a service provided and that they should be reported to Trading Standards. However im not sure if its only a criminal offence if he has charged me. Although he never charged me on the day for the "non-existent specialist inspection"...i have paid initially well over a thousand pounds...would this initial payment (for parts and labor) cover any subsequent work says he is carrying out for "free"??? Complex.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

          Have you got a receipt for the work he says he has already carried out on your car, and does it say on it exactly what he has charged for doing? Did you sign anything when you collected the car to say you were satisfied with the work? It shouldn't make any difference because the car is clearly not repaired as you asked and you should get your money back.

          If he hasn't charged you for the further phantom work then I'm not sure what you could claim back except having your time wasted. But it does paint a picture of a less than honest tradesman when the Trading Standards start to take a closer look. I don't think you need a referral to your local TS office, most local authorities let you contact them direct. Ring your local council and see if you can speed this up.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

            Hi PlanB

            Thanks for taking the time to reply. Getting my money back from him and going elsewhere is not an option in my opinion. What if he has caused irreparable damage to the car?...then my overall loss (the cost of the car) wouldn't be covered by what he returns to me. I agree with you fully though in that i can't and won't let him have my car again. I've also contacted the RMI which has a free conciliation service you can use if direct representation to him proves fruitless...today i have penned an initial letter which i shall send to him when i get a bit more advice and am sure i'm doing the right thing. In the letter i have basically said he is in breach of contract and that it is not unreasonable for me to take the car elsewhere to get fixed...and he is considered fully liable by me for the cost of any repairs. I will give him a chance to limit his losses (the bill) by providing me with details of work he has done so that i can pass it onto the new mechanic of my choosing so that this may help him expedite his work. I will also say that i will be paying the new bill and seeking recompense from him for the full bill and expenses incurred. I will also say that failure on his part to recompense me in full will lead to me seeking further legal advice.

            Any thoughts on that...reasonable/fair?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

              This all started last August when you had the engine replaced. Since then you seem to have been back to the garage several times in an attempt to get it fixed. You've given him five months to correct the problem which is more than reasonable. I think it's fair for you to send him a final warning in writing but give him a time limit for his response so it's not left open ended. I think 7 days sounds reasonable since this has gone on long enough! Then it's off to Trading Standards.

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              • #8
                Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                Originally posted by domcarlin View Post
                I believe i am not being unreasonable in not allowing the mechanic to EVER touch my car again.
                You have been back repeatedly without satisfaction. There has been an irretrievable breakdown of trust. Your conclusion is entirely justified.

                He has committed multiple criminal offences, so refer the matter to Trading Standards. If they are of no use, (they frequently aren't, preferring these days to focus on protecting big businesses from counterfeit goods), sue him.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                  A fault like this should not be too difficult to resolve, it just needs a bit more diagnostic equipment than many arages have. I had similar with a 'new' second hand Toyota Avensis where the engine management light kept coming on. It was returned four times beofre I started talking about rejecting the goods - you don't have this privilege. Mine turned out tobe theMass Air Flow Meter which was not picked up by normal diagnostic equipment.

                  If you got it fixed by a reputable mechanic, would he agree IN WRITING to foot the bill?

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                  • #10
                    Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                    He does seem most remarkably inept.

                    How difficult would it be to stop the light showing again by breaking the bulb, cutting the wire or applying a bit of black tape?

                    OK, so the engine might eventually seize up as the result of insufficient lubrication, but would that be his problem?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                      Originally posted by labman View Post
                      A fault like this should not be too difficult to resolve, it just needs a bit more diagnostic equipment than many arages have. I had similar with a 'new' second hand Toyota Avensis where the engine management light kept coming on.
                      Having read Labman's post I'm wondering whether there's something else wrong with the car other than the engine he fitted if you have managed to drive it successfully for five months. It could be a 'sensor' problem. I've recently had the eletronic 'brain' replaced in my daughter's Mini for £280. The previous garage said it needed a new gear box costing £3k. The problem was electrical not mechanical, so why not get a fresh diagnostics done to see what's really wrong.

                      However I know nothing about cars - I'm only a woman :behindsofa:

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                        Originally posted by CleverClogs View Post
                        He does seem most remarkably inept.

                        How difficult would it be to stop the light showing again by breaking the bulb, cutting the wire or applying a bit of black tape?

                        OK, so the engine might eventually seize up as the result of insufficient lubrication, but would that be his problem?
                        I have known people remove the bulb for that exact purpose!

                        Originally posted by PlanB View Post
                        However I know nothing about cars - I'm only a woman :behindsofa:
                        I would not dare to comment!

                        However, you did forget to ask what colour the vehicle is!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                          Originally posted by PlanB View Post
                          However I know nothing about cars - I'm only a woman :behindsofa:
                          Originally posted by labman View Post
                          I would not dare to comment!

                          However, you did forget to ask what colour the vehicle is!
                          Or whether the ash-trays needed to be emptied. :rofl:

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                            The day you men can concieve,carry and give birth to a child NATURALLY is the day I will concede we are equal

                            Nuff said msl:

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                            • #15
                              Re: my mechanic admitted lying to me...to my face

                              Originally posted by Inca View Post
                              The day you men can conceive, carry and give birth to a child NATURALLY is the day I will concede we are equal
                              I rather doubt any man would ever want to do that.

                              Comment

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