55 replies to this topic

[t@z]

Well my little mini T (lil blue) was at wood and pickett for about a month and a half before L2B getting it ready for an MOT as I knew there would be some problems with it wire etc and I didn't have the time to fix it myself what with work and the unpredictable British weather.

Anyway they kind of messed me about and I didn't mind to much over the time they took considering they were saying how they were doing me a favour etc as my bill would be less than the charge they were going to bill me for labour etc. one of my main reasons for taking it to a mini specialist is because I was having real problems fitting the front coilovers as original front brackets had been welded on so to get them off I had to angle grind them, then after inspection I wasn't happy with the hole behind it and so advised wood and picket that I think they may need to be welded on to the car rather than using the holes as there wasn't really much left of the two top ones.

Cut a long story short W&P done the work for me charged me about 1300 for wiring, car set up, various parts and fitting the coilovers. Currently its at palmer bros and they just informed me that my drivers side bracket the top two nuts have been sheered of and that he can move the bracket about and the job done in question is a disgrace they should have been welded on considering the state of the holes behind and the fact that these would be carrying the weight of the car.

Is there anything I can get back cause obviously they rushed the job in question. I know they were getting frustrated with it as it had its problems but doing a half job just to get out of it is that really the way forward?

(thread to original post http://www.theminifo...opic=16172&hl=)

If you could give me advice on this be helpful

T

Edited by t@z, 11 July 2006 - 09:32 AM.

[Guess-Works.com]

Trading standards.... best option..

[Jammy]

What him said up there^^^^^

[t@z]

ok called them and expalined whats going on told me something like falls under the supply of goods 1982 Act and falls under reasonable care and skill. Basically if the work carried out was not done to the standard of someone within the same industry then it falls under breach of contract and i have to give them the opportunity to rectify it. Kevin at palmer bros said that while the bracket kits are suplied given that the whole weight of the car is now on that bracket he would have run a weld down both sides.

is this enough though for me the call them and explain and ask for them to fix it without having to read all the acts etc...

Edited by t@z, 11 July 2006 - 10:38 AM.

[miniboo]

best bet is to speak to themn and see what they say. i am sure they will take the car back and sort it out

someone on here had that problem with some ball joints and the garage sorted it out without any hassle

[t@z]

well i've spoken to them, he was nice about it and that however one problem i have that he mentioned was he will have to look at it and decide weather or not its a fitting error or a error on the car.

how would you decide this i mean surely when they fit them they should look first to see if there was a problem when fitting them?? i did say to the machanic there that the drivers side was a bit iffy in that we couldn't get the top nuts in so it may need welding to strengthen it, however i dont have any proof other than conversations with my mates and my word but i think they will brush that off >

its kinda canny that its only the top nuts that have broken and not the bottom ones as if i had hit a pot hole as he suggested you would think the bottom ones would have gone first if not the whole thing? bearign in mind that i have only driven the car to L2B and to palmer bros and back its not had a lot of millage either or normal road useage for me to hit pot holes......

i'm just worried that there gonna fob me off with its a car fault after spending that much money to get them fitted properly.

First though he wasts to see it and its the other side accross london and kevin from PB wont let me drive the thing so thats more money on a trailer that i have to fork out to get it there. >

anyway sorry for a bit of a ranting session i feel better a bit after it... :'(

Edited by t@z, 11 July 2006 - 03:31 PM.

[Jammy]

A car fault?! What on earth is a car fault?

If they've worked on it recently, the things they've worked on should still be in good working condition at the present time!!

[miniboo]

shouldnt they come and pick it up aswell? or at least offer some kind of service

[t@z]

A car fault?! What on earth is a car fault?

If they've worked on it recently, the things they've worked on should still be in good working condition at the present time!!

i think he means if the inner wing is rusty or been filled with filler but thinking about it now you'd thought they would have checked that to?

shouldnt they come and pick it up aswell? or at least offer some kind of service

Not sure he didn;t seem to suggest any

One thing i'm going to ask though is if kevin can give me his professional opinion as to whether this is down to a fitting error or a error where the car has failed after seeing as he is a third party source and doesn't aim to benefit out of this.

all this is a lot of hassle might just get PB to fix the dam thing......

Edited by t@z, 11 July 2006 - 04:38 PM.

[Jimmyarm]

You need to be a bit firmer with W&P here. They have clearly done sub standard work on your car and are in breach of contract.

They (NOT YOU) need to be coming and picking the car up as it is unsafe to drive and taking it to their workshop to rectify the problem.

They are meant to be proffesionals and from what you have said above most mechanics would have realised that there was going to be an issue fitting the coilover bracket and either discussed it with you or fixed it. The fact that you told them about it makes it even worse.

Not meant as a personnal insult but stop being a *baby cat* and start giving them some grief ! You've paid someone to do something and they havent done it properly it is up to them to rectify and pay for any costs involved in doing so.

Jimmy

Edited by Jimmyarm, 12 July 2006 - 10:41 AM.

[minislapper]

i think he means if the inner wing is rusty or been filled with filler but thinking about it now you'd thought they would have checked that to?

That sounds like a cop out to me. If that was the case they should have NOT fitted these parts AND advised you of what they had found and given you a price to fit the parts and still keep the car in a safe condition.

These are supposed to be professional people.

Hope you manage to resolve it soon.

[minimadjonesy]

all the comments above are valid and it seems that they do not have a leg to stand on! if the inner wing was "rusty" then they should have advised you that it needed repairing BEFORE fitting a suspension system that put more stress on that area that with the standard setup!
get the other garage to do you a written report and then get W&P to pick the car up and fix it!

[t@z]

You need to be a bit firmer with W&P here. They have clearly done sub standard work on your car and are in breach of contract.

They (NOT YOU) need to be coming and picking the car up as it is unsafe to drive and taking it to their workshop to rectify the problem.

They are meant to be proffesionals and from what you have said above most mechanics would have realised that there was going to be an issue fitting the coilover bracket and either discussed it with you or fixed it. The fact that you told them about it makes it even worse.

Not meant as a personnal insult but stop being a *baby cat* and start giving them some grief ! You've paid someone to do something and they havent done it properly it is up to them to rectify and pay for any costs involved in doing so.

Jimmy

i here what your saying and i know i should start giving them grief but what if they refuse to pick it up? or refuse to get it done once its at there place? i'm then either left with a car at PB which is not much of an issue as he could fix it or the car is stuck at there garage with me no way of getting it back to PB to be fixed, as i wouldn't want them carrying out the work if i had to repay for it.

The trading standards said that if i cant force them to fix it and if i didn't feel there decision was satisfactory which i think we all know what there going to say as he already said to me on the phone, his exact words "just looks like to me your looking for someone to blame, and thats us".

After this i will have to go to a small claims court go though my cc as something about liability with them etc sounds like a messy job and all without no car for a while and i want it ready for castle combe

anyway back to the phone i go to make some enquiries.

T

[Jimmyarm]

If you paid on your CC get them to sort it out they can pull the money back from W&P (I think) until it is rectified, either that or they will call them which will put the wind up them

[t@z]

well now i'm off the phone and got a clearer picture of things let me update you all.

PB have had the drivers side off and he said that the top two nuts sheered off it the fact that they weren't even put on. The threads were there and that he couldn't see any reason that they didn't fit them. he did say that the inner wing was ok to a degree so what he has done is retapped the threads and mounted a plate over it to spread the load more, fitted the bracket with 4 nuts as supposed to and run 4 welds down each side about an inch long. he is going to do this for the passenger side to.

so anyway i'm happier that its done yet i think i will still speak to my CC company and see if i can get some kind of money back as be be honest the work they did put my passenger and myself at risk. I will get some kinda of report from kevin as some writen verification as to the state of the motor.

will i stand a chance of getting any compensation givign the fact i didn't give them a chance to fix the problem?

i'm going to call W&P soon to let them know

T