Problems with a mechanic?

[mohammed47]

My car broke down a few weeks ago so I took it to a mechanic. It was not able to be driven (I didn't know why). I asked the mechanic to fix the car and to keep me up to date. A few weeks later he said it needed and a new or refurbished engine and had fixed it for me costing £1300. I asked him is it ok to drop the car off at my house and he said yes that was fine. He turned up outside my house and said he'd forgot he had said that and could he have his money. I paid him and he said to pick the car up tomorrow outside his house. The keys would be left under the seat. I asked him is the car fine to drive now and he said it is fine. The next day I went to pick up the car and got about 200metres down the round and it broke down. I rang the mechanic, who was not home and he said it might be the ecu and he could take a look at it. This would not be for free though.

So basically I have no more money for repairs and a car that still doesn't work. Do I have any rights as a consumer against the mechanic?

If need additional info please ask as I think I've put it all

[albanwr26]

First you should have agreed to a price before work was done.Second you should not have agreed without a guarantee third I don't beleive a mechanic would have done all this work without some sort of arrangemnt or agreement.

[mate]

Get another mechanic to look at the car, if you doubt him at all. His customer service skills are pretty poor but that doesn't mean he is a bad mechanic. I think you had a right to expect your car work though, and a person wanting to run a reputable business would have been more helpful and apologetic about it breaking down immediately. You should mention that this makes him look like a really bad mechanic who can't repair a car, and he likely to lose business.

ecu's do get reset and re tuned after a lot of work has been done on the engine, perhaps you could could argue that he should have done this anyway and has no business charging you any more. Perhaps you could say he hasn't finished the job properly.

If he wont finish the job and you have proper invoices proving he has charged you for not actually fixing your car, perhaps you can see citizens about legal rout to getting your moneys worth.

[hackett]

Sale of goods and services

He did a job
unless he prove the new fault is totally unconnected with the repair he did,
he is liable to attempt to put right what he did not complete the 1st time.
(i.e. as he is a professional, he who was requested to fix
- it should have been complete or fixed with what was still outstanding/at risk).

if he cannot OR he refuses
you can then take it elsewhere, and costs to repair it there are the original repairers responsibility ('you' don't pay twice) - it may mean a small claims court procedure (but that is 25 notes and you get that back when you win)

lots of links out there
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=failed+car+repairs+-+goods+and+services&meta=

eg Tradiing standards institute
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/problemswithvehicles-sum2.cfm
"If a fault has not been repaired properly, you should allow the garage the chance to rectify it. If they fail to do so, you may be entitled to get the work done elsewhere and recover the cost from the garage."

http://www.devon.gov.uk/tsdocfulldetails.htm?docClass=eng%3Bcons%3Badv%3Bpwc&docId=122488&returnTo=motor_vehicle_leaflets

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?146834-repair-to-car-failed-fitter-blames-parts-supplier-and-vice-versa-any-advice


http://www.complaintexpert.co.uk/car-repairs-servicing-case-study.html
"Under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, consumers have a right to complain if the service or repair work is not carried out with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time, and for a reasonable price."

- a claim that it is now the ECU.. comes under reasonable care etc

and of course there is always the CAB for input