I am having a terrible time with Kwik Fit. I had an issue with my car pulling a little to the left on motoryways. My usual garage was too busy to do my tracking and alignment and stupidly instead of waiting I popped into Kwik Fit on Cheltenham Road, Bristol. They told me my car was "seriously misaligned" and showed me a graph to show the before and after of resetting my tracking. The graph had text highlighted in green where the setup was good, and red where it was not, detailing several measurements of suspension and wheel settings. The only thing was, the after graph is covered in red, and the guy told me that the two graphs had printed the wrong way around, so my car was now perfectly set up. Anyway, I drove home through traffic at 10mph and didn't notice and issue, but on my way to a client in Bracknell the next morning, the car was terrifying. I had set off in rush hour, during the recent storms, so again, I was crawling from Bristol until nearly at the M4 turnoff to Bath. The car was squirming when I braked, pulling constantly to the left, so much in fact that to change lanes all I needed to do was let go for a second. The car was not safe, the Bracknell Kwik Fit refused to assist, saying the car was fine after checking it but refusing to give me a computer readout of whatever they had found. I called head office, was fobbed off. I had to trailer the car home at great expense as it wasnt safe, and then pay a real mechanic to fix the car. They told me it was seriously dangerous in its state and that I was lucky to have not crashed. They also got another garage to give me a second opinion, they agreed. I have sent several emails to the idiots at Kwik Fit, called as well. They seem intent on ignoring me after acknowledging the complaint. Emails copied below. I am posting these both as a warning to others as well as a cry for help. I could have had a crash and hurt or killed other people, and in the opinion of the two independent garages the Kwik Fit technicians at Bristol and Bracknell were both incompetent, they may have fancy kit, but they dont know how to use it. Can anyone help? They even ignored a "Letter Before Action" making me think I am totally wasting my time complaining. All emails below have been anonymised... Email One, Sent 11:26AM 11/2/14 Hello I had the misfortune of using your Bristol Cheltenham road centre yesterday. Your guys allegedly found my tracking "seriously out" and said this was causing a pull to the left. I had not noticed this, the car was largely fine. When I took the car home, just around the corner and didn't notice anything untoward. However when I took the car in the motorway today it was terrifying and frankly dangerous. The car was pulling to the left badly, putting me and other road users in danger. You have made my car much much worse than it was before. I went into your Bracknell store where the centre manager didn't even know what basic steering components were. I explained I had a new drag link and trailing arms, he asked what they were. They had a look and claimed the car was safe despite admitting it was pulling. They refused to assist, refused to give me the customer service number and refused me any help. This was despite your own Hunter equipment showing red out of alignment readings on the front camber. I am shocked and disgusted at the lack of service, lack of care and unprofessional attitude of your staff. I now face arranging a trailer to get my vehicle home at great cost, and a repeat cost of taking my car to a real mechanic who actually knows their way around a car. I want to know what you intend to do about this. I am considering legal action against your firm for my costs, time and any damage caused to my car by your apparent negligence. Email Two, Recieved 13:28 14/2/14 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: customer services To: "> Sent: Friday, 14 February 2014, 13:28 Subject: RE: Complaint regarding Dear Mr your concern was registered on our systems following your contact to us by phone. We have engaged our Operations Managers with responsibility for the Bristol and Bracknell garages to look into the background of the visits and work done at our two centres and will contact you in response when we have an understanding of the situation, Thank you for sharing your concerns with us and allowing us the opportunity to investigate. Our reference is 979377 Kwik-Fit Customer Service Email Three, Sent 14:41 19/2/14 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: To: customer services Sent: Wednesday, 19 February 2014, 14:41 Subject: Letter Before Action - Complaint regarding Dear Sir/Madam It has now been 8 days since I raised a complaint with yourselves, despite a promise of action I have had no response from your firm. I find this unprofessional. I have had to spend time and money rectifying the damage caused by mistakes made by your technical staff and have evidence and independent testimony to verify this. You have until the close of business (5PM) on the 26th February to contact me by phone and arrange a solution to the issues caused and my out of pocket expenses directly caused by the work you did, to be backed up in email by the close of business on the 27th February (5PM). If contact and resolution are not forthcoming I will pursue legal action against your company and will seek to recover: 1. My costs 2. Compensation for my time and inconvenience 3. Significant compensation for the danger caused to me and my passengers from your faulty work. Sincerely, Email Four Sent 26/2/14 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: To: customer services ; Sent: Wednesday, 26 February 2014, 15:33 Subject: Re: Letter Before Action - Complaint regarding Dear Sirs I write with reference to my claim against your company. Please can I have a response to the letter I sent you on the 19th February? Kind regards

Hello, I've searched this forum for similar threads and I found a quite lot, however my problem is slightly different. I bought a car (Honda) for £700 with 110k miles on the clock, 2002 reg. The reason for the low price is because it has part service history only, however I've checked the car and test driven it, and apart from some corrosion it was OK. It came with 12 months MOT, no advisory items at all. I bought this car on Monday (17/02/2014) and it had to be recovered on Wednesday (19/02/2014) after 60 miles driven by me. the engine and lights started dying whilst I was driving on the motorway, the battery light came on and both low beam headlight bulbs were fried, and the dash looked like a Christmas tree, ABS and SRS lights flickering etc. Initially I assumed it was just a dead battery, but the reason for the breakdown was actually a faulty alternator, it caused an overcharge before its final failure and that caused damage to the bulbs and possibly the battery. Luckily I managed to exit the motorway and stop safely (without low beam lights) in a petrol station where I was assisted by my insurance's breakdown recovery. It was 10pm the vehicle had to be towed as the alternator could not keep the engine running, I was asked where should the car be towed to. I asked to be towed to my home address as all garages were closed and I was just 5 miles from home a nd I was only rapidly thinking in getting a remanufactured alternator and fit it myself. Obviously the breakdown assistance told me that it was my responsibility to get the car moved to a garage later if I wanted so. As I bought this vehicle without any warranty I thought to myself that it was pointless to move it to the dealer and then do a 10 mile return trip to home. I'm a newcomer in the UK, and I'm not completely aware of the law, then I started to search about the minimum cover that a dealer should provide and then I found something about the sales of goods act. I decided to call the dealer and the guy have agreed to fix the alternator: "ok sir, bring the car to us so we can take a look at it". I must admit that it was fair enough, however I then explained that the car could not start and be driven as it would die after 5 minutes. He told me that he can tow the car to his garage but I have to pay a £40 charge. I insisted that it's not fair that I buy a car and it dies 2 days/60 miles after. He told my that he was being fair, and that if he wishes he does NOT have to repair the car because I didn't buy any extended warranty. I just told him that I'll speak to him later. I have decided to go to the CAB on Monday to seek some advice, but I would like to know what is your opinion about this, do I have the right to ask for a possible refund? I mean, he's willing to repair the vehicle but not willing to pay for the 10 mile tow, and I seriously believe that even after the alternator repair, the battery may eventually fail as it was affected by the overcharge and it's completely drained. Besides this, I've been spending £10 per day on public transport so I can get to work. I don't know what to do really...

This is a strong warning to others regarding Kwik Fit's dubious business practices/incompetence and very poor customer service. I went to my local branch (which I am considering naming) for an MOT. I was told that there was a parking brake imbalance and it would have to go back in for a brake check. While it was in, Kwik Fit phoned me and after 5 minutes of explaining how brakes work, I was told that in needed new discs and pads at a cost of £405. Fortunately for me, I declined the work and took it to a local independent garage who specialise in my make of car for a second opinion. After inspecting it, they told me that: The brake discs were absolutely fine The pads had another 10,000 to 18,000 miles in them And that all it needed was a handbrake adjustment. This cost me just £30!!!!!! I also paid £48 for an MOT and it passed. By trying to charge me £405 for work not needed, it's either incompetence on the part of Kwik Fit or they are deliberately trying to charge for work (and parts) that are not needed. Personally I think it's the latter. Either way, I won't be using Kwik Fit again. I called head office to make a complaint. They took details and said that the branch ops manager would call me. 5 days later, I'm still waiting. I may pay him a visit and see what he says about it.

Hello there, I am currently a student and I bought a 2001 Fiat Punto Mia (MK2) with 74K miles on the clock from a trader to get me from my place of work whilst on placement, it cost me £620. The difficulty I am in is that the dealer in question sold me it from his private residence, however, he told me throughout the viewing of the said car that he was a trader, and that he occasionally brought vehicles back to his residence to sell, he had even filed out the registration documents as a trader. 5 weeks after buying said vehicle the car has developed what looks like a serious fault, in that the cylinder head gasket has possibly been banjaxed. I was driving home from work yesterday, and the temperature warning light came on. I pulled to the side of the road, and opened the bonnet to check the water level of the cooling system. There was an acceptable amount of water in the filling point, I topped it up anyways, and revved the engine to get any air pockets out, and then topped it up again. However, whilst driving it the rest of the way home, I soon found the temperature warning light on again. At home I plugged an OBT2 diagnostics adapter into the car and revved it up again, the thermostat opened and the radiator's fan started spinning, however the temperature kept climbing (up to around 120 degrees c), the warning light ignited again, I was getting no heat out of the internal heating fans, and the heating pipes running into the radiator were still cool, even though the thermostat was open, the water in the filling point was also bubbling and coming back out due to back pressure, I even got out of the car and used a laser temperature gauge on the engine bay, and it was reading 117 degrees c, the car had also lost a bit more water prior to my parking the car in the driveway. I was under the impression I had bought it off a dealer, so I phoned him and told him the problem and asked him to either take it back or repair it. He refused, stating that he was a private seller and that he had sold it as such, and due to the car being over 6 years old I had no warranty. I told him that he had told me he was a trader and had filled out the registration documents as such, but he was having none of it. I couldn't do any more about it at that point over the phone, so I told him he would be hearing from me again, and he then hung up the phone. I then googled his mobile number on facebook, and lo and behold I found the business that he trades under, further googling got me the address of the said business, which I have recorded. I then phoned the DVLA to ascertain whether the previous owner of the vehicle was the dealer in question, they confirmed this, I asked them whether the car had been owned by a trader prior to my registering it in my name, they said yes, but they couldn't give me the name, I then asked them was it under the trade name I had found, they said yes, so as far as myself and the DVLA are concerned I bought the car from a dealer. Therefore I can assume I'm covered by the trader's section of the sales of goods act. Further googling also showed me previous adverts the seller had been posting on the likes of gumtree, I even have a cached copy of the advert for the car I now own. I then contacted the consumer advice line, needless to say they weren't very pleasant, and the person I was talking to basically told me that their main concern was that the trader I had bought from was trying to pass himself off as a private seller, and that if I wanted to get compensation from the likes of a small claims court, I should've bought a more expensive newer car (bit impossible considering I'm a student). Considering what I have said above, could anyone please tell me what my options are in this case? Cheers, Splat.

Hi everyone I was wondering is someone can give me some advice please. I bought a mattress in January of this year, it was delivered late in February 2013. Since then we have had nothing but problems with the mattress as it dips both sides and has ridge right down the middle of it. We were told by the manufacturers to turn the mattress round every week for 3 months to let it settle as it is pocket sprung. Please bear in mind that my husband and I are disabled but we found someone willing to do this for us. Now we are in June and it is still as bad as ever! We asked the company who sold it to us to change it as there is a fault with the mattress, they then spent an age and a day contacting the manufacturers and telling them it needs to be replaced. The manufacturers have said get stuffed basically as it was the wrong mattress for us!!. We have stuck to our guns and want it replaced but the company who sold it to us have said that yes they will replace it and send it back to the manufacturers for inspection BUT we must pay £60.00 for delivery and taking away of the old mattress and IF a fault is found with our mattress that we have at the moment then a partial refund will come back to us. Surely by law this is not right is it? the Sale of Goods Act must come in here. My husband and I are at our wits end and cannot lay on this mattress at all as it is that bad. Any help would be most appreciated from you. Thank you.

I pinched the tyre on my car over the weekend and needed it replaced. It was a 'Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance' priced at £74.50 on the Kwik Fit website, including full fitting, valve, balance and disposal of old tyre. I was working all weekend, so my brother offered to take the tyre up to Kwik Fit and get it changed, he pays and I pay him. I've just seen the bill, they charged £111.50 for the tyre, balance, valve and disposal?!?!?! I've checked the code of the tyre on the invoice (GO205/55V16EFPER) and I'm sure it's the right one. How on earth can this be right?

The service that is supposed to help those experiencing financial problems is "not fit for purpose", according to MPs. In a hard-hitting report into the Money Advice Service (MAS) published today, the Treasury Select Committee said it had wanted to scrap the service completely but had been persuaded to grant a stay of execution because the Treasury has already announced an investigation. The report condemns the "excessive pay" of senior staff and the amount of cash used to promote the service rather than help vulnerable people. The committee has called for an urgent review into the service, which has an annual budget for 2013-14 of £80m. In a telling sign of the importance of the issue, it has demanded the review must be completed "no later than summer 2014". The damning report criticised the "very large amounts spent on marketing" by the Government agency, which was set up to help people needing debt and financial guidance. It splashed out about £20m on communications and marketing in 2012-13, including some high-profile TV advertising. However, critics said the predominantly web-based service failed to help people, many of whom needed face-to-face advice. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mps-condemn-money-advice-service-as-not-fit-for-purpose-8978820.html http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/treasury-committee/news/treasury-committee-calls-for-independent-review-into-future-of-the-money-advice-service/

I'm hoping this is the right place for my post. On Oct 27th I applied for a laptop on finance, this was accepted and I received it on 29th Oct. I brought a specific laptop for gaming purposes. Everything was fine, however on the 4th Nov I had 6 different Blue screens with error messages. I then uninstalled games I had placed on the laptop and re set to factory settings., the error continued. I then called Scan Computers on the 6th Nov and they collected the laptop on the 7th. This was the 7th working day it was collected. I have spoken to Scan computers today, who have said that they have tested and no fault found. I explained it was when I had games installed mainly (Battlefield 4 which plays fine on a PC and another laptop in the house) Scan computers are now installing Battlefield 3 to test. I have explained I will not be using the laptop for Battlefield 3, but wasn't listened too. As I have the laptop on finance and it was returned on the 7th working day, am I able to either cancel the agreement under not fit for purpose or choose another laptop? I have called TS however I have not yet had a response. I could only see online with returning goods if faulty, however this is a disagreement with Scan Computers, as I bought the laptop for gaming, could this be classed as not fit for purpose? Thanks in advanced.

Several weeks ago we put our car into the Galashiels branch for an MOT, new exhaust and shock absorber. Phone call from the supervisor was to inform us that they had broken the windscreen from using the air pressure chisel on the old shock absorber (really?). After discussions between myself and the supervisor the windscreen was replaced by them and a few days later I collected the car. I telephoned the branch the next day as the hand brake and brake pedal were so tight it was ridiculous. (The handbrake had 1 click only). I was told to bring it in when I could and it would be checked. Unfortunately I was taken ill that afternoon and was off work for 3 weeks with Vertigo. As I couldn't drive the car home from work my colleagues husband-who is a garage mechanic of over 15 years experience -drove the car home to me and said the brakes were dreadful. He couldn't believe it had just passed an MOT with the brakes as they were. In his professional opinion the brakes had been adjusted either during the fitting of the exhaust or shock absorber or for the MOT and were far too tight and told me to take it back to them to sort it as it was their negligence/fault. I should also say the same branch had done a brakes examination and said they looked brand new a few weeks before the MOT. I telephoned to raise my concerns about the brakes and handbrake and asked if I could bring the car in that day. The supervisor said I had to book a brakes examination a couple of days hence -even after I explained previous call before my sickness. I was unable to keep that Friday appointment as I became sick again (vertigo so cant drive). On the Monday I was unable to drive the car out of my driveway as the back brake had locked so I phoned RAC and he freed the brake and told me that I would need new brake shoes. I got them fitted the same day at a different branch as I cant do without my car. I have had to pay for new brake shoes because they were overtighted/adjusted by the Galashiels branch to the tune of over £133 through either negligence or bad workmanship and caused me a great deal of inconvenience. I should certainly not be out of pocket for their shortcomings. I have completed the online customer care form but was told by a lady that answers when you phone that these forms are for feedback only, complaints sent on this are ignored-charming! Also tried to email using the address from someone else's post but it came back as unknown address..........

After taking my car to be MOT'd Friday 27/09/2013 in Maidstone, Kent. I was told the car had failed its MOT. I was aware the rear brakes would possibly need replacing, however I feel I was pressurized into having work done that was not necessary, mainly because they were aware I was away from home, and not familiar with the area. Firstly I was also told the rear brake efficiency on the hand brake was at 11% and this was due to the rear brakes and discs being worn, or possibly hand brake cable. They did a brake test and the rear brakes showed 11% on the test value, this was not shown to me until after work was done. However on the service brakes passed at 67% I also failed on one front tyre, which needed repairing, however the other front tyre was showing signs of wear, neither of which I thought to ask to see, for this I feel naïve. The operative said they were not sure if the rear brakes needed replacing, it could be a hand brake cable, the test value was 11%, the pass needs to be 16% However the service brakes showed a test value of 67%, before the brakes and discs were replaced, and 61% after! After all brakes and discs were changed front and back the test value for the parking brakes showed 21%. I was also told my brake light switch was likely damaged, and there were no back stop lights. Although at this stage they were not overly worried. I work late into the evening and can see my rear lights working when reversing into a parking space. I said I was very surprised this was the case, but again I was not confident to challenge what they are saying, one enters into a relationship of 'Trust' and expects the work being done is genuinely required. Neil a mechanic chipped in when I said what needs doing for it to pass, and before they had inspected my brakes visually (only test at this stage which could mean it was the cable, it did not advise were they were showing low percentages) he said I can do the brakes this afternoon. We can definitely get it through its MOT today, although the switch might be a problem if that needs doing. When I returned home I checked how easy and how cheap is was to get a brake light switch and were it was located on the car. Half an hour later, Neil called confirming the rear pads and discs need doing, and advised I have two new front tyres which I agreed, he said unfortunately we have noted your front discs and pads are also badly worn, and the brake test result doesn't always show them up until we get the tyres off. All your brakes and discs will need replacing. He quoted £662.00 all in. Which I assumed with tyres, alignment, brakes, discs, and labour. I asked about the switch and said I would need a price for that, could he confirm it would pass the MOT, he said yes and did not seem overly concerned about the brake switch which was not the case earlier, until I reminded him on the phone. I checked the price from Alfa, and Unipart a brake light switch is 15.00, on my car they are fitted inside the car. I was not convinced this needed doing as my brake lights worked a few days before. I was even less convinced this work had actually been done when I asked Neil where the switch was, which he said under the car, it was difficult to access and hard to get in and went on to explain in detail how he had to get under the car and twist it in, it was very difficult. The brake light switch is not under the car on my model its inside the car sitting along brake pedal shaft, it is released when you depress the brake pedal and the lights come on. This concerns me that either work has been done that is not necessary or not done at all. I called back KWIK FIT Maidstone on returning home asking them to explain the bill in more detail. I also explained to Neil my brake light switch was not under the car as he had said, he quickly said oh no not on your model its not. It is very easily accessible, not as you described I explained, I am concerned this was not replaced, he remained silent and then explained I had 25% discount on brake parts. This prompted me to ask why I was also charged for brake fluid that was not in need of changing, there is no fluid burn test result on brake test diagnostics, this was not explained to me by Neil. When I spoke to him after I picked up the car he explained why they change it, however I asked if that was my decision to replace it if it wasn't necessary and I had no evidence it needed replacing, not documented on brake report. He said they would recommend it but ultimately my choice. In summary I think I have been overcharged for works that were not necessary, the front brakes see above test report and a switch I do not think was changed or needed, and brake fluid. I don't know what to do, I feel that I have been taken advantage of, I have dyspraxia and in situations like this where I am under stress, I cannot think or articulate things how I want to. I think ultimately I will have to put this down to experience, but would like some advise Tracy

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?398052-Bailiff-Warrant-to-force-entry-amp-fit-prepayent-meters-searched-house-and-injured-animal&p=4302934#post4302934

I recently went to get a new tyre fitted at quick fit in penicuik, Edinburgh as i noticed i had a small bulge on the tyre that was on. They replaced the tyre and off i drove. once i got back to my own area (Livingston) i spun out at a roundabout which resulted in me hitting a kerb, i wa sscared to move my car as i didnt know what damage had been caused so i contacted the police and they sent out a traffic car whom confirmed it would be ok for me to drive home. a few days later i noticed my steering didnt feel the same so i booked it into my local quick fit centre in livingston to have the alignment checked. They conformed my alignment was out a little and sorted it. when i drove away i noticed it still didnt feel the same so i took it back, upon inspection the person the the livingston branch realised that the tyre that had been replaced by the penicuik branch was the WRONG size of tyre! i asked them if this could have caused me to spin out at the roundabout and they confrimed it could have as also did the police when i re-contacted them. so anyways they changed the tyre free of charge to a lower budget tyre as they didnt have the same tyre the other kwik fit changed it to (no price difference refunded) and done the allignment again which i had to pay for again! iv hit a coupe of potholes since then and have took it back to have it realigned and again have paid for it, i realiased that under their guarantee they have a 30 day warranty which no one told me about and have made me pay every single time even when it has been within the 30 day period! so with the car still not feeling right i took it to a whole new centre in edinburgh at the saughton branch who REFUSED to do my allignment altogether! not because they were busy or because of any other reason, he just point blank refused! this happened today and also the person was very arrogant and unhelpful, even when i asked him why he refused to do the car he replied " my worker is just refusing to do it for you". seems to me that because it was a free service he was having to perform he didnt want to do it! over the years i have always used quick fit and never had a problem and not listened to anyone else and now i am drastically changing my mind! so in essence i have......... 1. lost control of my car due to the wrong tyre size being fitted 2. paid for an allignment to be done because of this 3. repaid for another alignment to be done when the correct tyre size was put on 4. paid for all subsequent alignments to be done when its been within my 30 day period 5. been refused to have my alignment done again although there is no reasonable explination! 6. got a cheaper tyre than the one i paid for and not had any money refunded so yea its cost me time and money in petrol and alignments that should not even be needing done for very SIMPLE services that i have required!

Hi all! This is my first time ever creating a thread but I'm looking for some advice please! Basically, me and my partner booked our car in for a full service in our local Kwik Fit garage. We took the car there before 9am as requested and left it there. Around lunch time we had a phone call saying they had identified additional work that needed to be undertaken on the car - a replacement of 2 tyres and also the replacement of the exhaust box. In good faith my partner listened to the advice and agreed that the work could be carried out. We received a phone call a few hours later and dutifully went to collect the car as requested. We paid a whopping £377.10 in total for this, a huge struggle for us as I am being made redundant. But my partner works in a steel works in an industrial area without public transport and so relies heavily on his car to get to work. We understand the importance of this and so paid the £377 without complaint! Ever since we have had nothing but problems with the car. We have an engine warning light that keeps coming on and there is a strange noise coming from the back of the car and at one point I started the car and there was a loud clunking noise from the rear of the car. I was so concerned at this, that straight away I took leave from work and took the car into a local garage where I was at the time. They explained to us that in no way had a full service been undertaken on the car. All kinds of things that had been ticked on our Kwik Fit service sheet - such as the changing of air filters, the oil change, and the replacement of oil filter - had not been done. There was proof of this in the fact there were no marks where the oil filter had been changed and this is impossible to do without leaving evidence. Also the oil had not been changed and in fact the car was now overfull with oil - almost as if some one had just topped it up instead of changing it! The same with things such as checking and lubricating the bonnet catch. The catch was so stiff that it took the mechanic quite a while to be able to properly open and close the bonnet. So not only had they not checked and lubricated the catch, but this suggests that none of the "under the bonnet" work has been done either!! To top it all off they have not re-fitted the exhaust properly. So when undertaking their identified 'extra work needed' they had done such a bad job that my exhaust is now knocking and making clunking noises when I start the engine and we have an engine warning light on!! So we need our money back to pay another garage to undertake, not just the full service, but to fix the problems Kwik Fit caused with the exhaust and warning light! We are not driving the car because of the engine warning light and so now I am paying for trains back and forth to work and my partner is paying for trains and then taxis!! I originally called Kwik Fit about this over a week ago. They said the area manager needed to investigate as I want a refund. They quote three business days for him to contact us! IT HAS BEEN EIGHT DAYS!! We have heard nothing. I have made repeated phone calls and keep getting told that nothing can happen till the Area Manager contacts us. They have called him and left messages and also emailed him and still nothing. They tell me they cannot ask anyone else to look into this matter without him first responding! And yet I just keep waiting for a response! What can I do?? Do I really have to just sit here and keep racking up bigger public transport and taxi costs because I cannot afford to pay another garage to fix my car because kwik fit won't respond to me?! Does anyone know if there is a governing body or a regulatory body for the motor industry I can contact? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

They have been caught in the act by a BBC sting. I think even those who have been spoofed in the past might be shocked at this. Your Money their Tricks

I wonder if anyone can help and what my rights are. I took my car for new tyres and tracking doing at kwik fit (Zafira 2.0 DTI). When they inspected the vehicle, they came into the waiting area and told me that the track rod ends needed doing x4 (front inner and outer?), stabilizer links x2, and 2 arms (not quite sure) also needed doing. I asked for a price and they quoted me £508. I said if it needs doing then it should be replaced. TBH, I didn't know what any of these were (apart from tyres and tracking). I spoke to a friend and he said ask for the parts that supposedly needed doing and let me have a look at them. When I showed him the parts that had been replaced, he said only 1 stabilizer link needed doing as their is nothing wrong with anything else that had been replaced. He advised me to get a professional opinion from Vauxhall just to confrim that they should not have been replaced the good parts. Vauxhall confirmed my worst fears and said that these parts should not have been replaced as they look only 12 months old. So they have charged me for work of over £300, that didn't need doing. What can I do about this please? I'll be ringing Kwik Fit head office in the morning and also letting them know that I will be contacting trading standards. Any advice would be helpful

Hi Folks, I bought brand new (built for me to my specification) a Skoda Fabia VRS, which I ordered in November 2010 and took delivery of in May 2011. Since then it has spent 13% of its life undergoing repairs for the following: Replaced three wheels due to corrosion Replaced front and rear skoda badges due to corrosion replaced all four wheel badges due to corrosion Engine oil breather modification to deal with high oil consumption (used at least 1L per 1000 miles) Replaced clutches on the DSG auto gearbox due to failure Gearbox software update to deal with poor gear change Replaced all four wheel badges again due to corrosion Replaced interior trim under steering wheel after it fell off and wouldn't fit back on Replaced driver's door card as a result of untraceable rattling Things still wrong with it: All sorts of interior rattles and squeaks I've lost the will to fix DSG gearbox still shows signs of not being quite right The replaced wheels are already showing signs of corrosion (less than 15K miles on them). The car has now covered 30K miles from new, has once completely lost drive on the motorway nearly resulting in a serious collision and once bogged down on a roundabout also almost resulting in a side-on impact. Following several letters, Skoda UK have: Claimed to have sent me £170 as a "good will" payment to cover the cost of oil I've paid for, and the cost of travel to/from my dealers 10 miles away (well over 10 visits now) Offered (so far) £1500 towards a new Skoda The £170 (which was now a few weeks ago) has disappeared into a black hole. I'm trying not to labour that point with them as I'm more interested in whether they'll make good on their promise of "trying to get me into another Skoda". Given the dangerous nature of the gearbox faults I've experienced we've completely lost faith with the thing, and while Skoda appear to be willing to "try to get me into another Skoda", the reality is that because of my bad back and the high mileages I do, there are very few cars that suit unless I buy new and specify some options (specifically heated seats or my back seizes up in winter, and a car with very comfortable or sculpted seats). So basically where I am with them is that they've offered £1500, and I'm left having to buy a new car with the above options, which requires me to put in another £3600 from my own pocket. This is after just two years of motoring. My question to you good people is: Does this seem right/fair to you? Or do I have a case to just "reject" the car and ask for my money back? At no point have Skoda offered to do any of the things I'd expect them to: Apologise Offer to thoroughly investigate the gearbox faults or replace the gearbox entirely to put my mind at ease (after I explained to them that it has twice tried to kill me, and my wife now won't drive the car at all, and certainly not with our two-year-old in the back) discuss DSG gearbox issues in general, the quality of their engineering or quality control processes (after a very long letter I wrote them about the quality of their workmanship). respond to my comments about the fact that Volkswagen Group (Skoda's parent company) have been forced to offer 10 year warranties in both China and the USA over almost identical DSG gearbox issues in those countries (after I've made it clear that I don't appreciate feeling forced to sell my car (and suffer depreciation of £6K) after two years just because they seem unable to produce a gearbox that works) I look forward to your responses as I'm in a real muddle and don't know whether I should just bite the bullet and pay the £3500 it would take to put me into another Skoda that suits my needs, whether I should reject their offer entirely, suffer the £6K depreciation and buy something non-Skoda, or fight them for my money back (or at least a larger 'good will' payment). Worth saying, I've now been in discussion with them for well over a month (approaching two months), and they've raised their initial offer of £1000 to £1500. Thanks Louis

I have always used the Farnborough centre for a combined service and MOT and have always been happy in previous years as the regular manager Michael is one of the best in that business in my opinion. On this particular day however, he had a day off and was not around. Around mid-morning, I received a call from the centre informing me that one of the brake pipes had burst during the MOT test and would need to be replaced. I was also told that some of the other brake pipes were corroded and needed replacing. I had no issue with us other than the figure quoted was £550 which seemed to be excessive. I agreed after I was reassured that I would not have to worry about MOT failure due to brake pipe corrosion next year. I was also invited to replace all four tyres for a further £220 which I declined as they had plenty of tread left. I received a further call in the late afternoon to inform me that the work had been completed and that I could collect the car. I expressed concern that the cost of replacing the brake pipes seemed excessive, but was reassured by the comment that all had been replaced 'right up to the master cylinder'. I was happy with the combined MOT and service, change of brake fluid, replacement auxiliary belt and a new bulb for the MOT which amounted to £220.29. This is very good value and the work has always been completed with no problems. The invoice included £44.95 for 'GEOALIGN' which was not agreed or required since the tracking had already been adjusted earlier this year during other work on the car. The remaining sum of £454.10 was for the work carried out on the brakes including replacement brake pipes 'right up to the master cylinder'. However, when I later inspected the work, I found that only the two rear flexible hoses had been replaced along with the associated short lengths of pipe plus a length of pipe to the original offside front flexible hose. The new MOT shows an advisory item being the 'nearside front brake pipe corroded' so that item had not been touched. One item on the invoice is shown as BRPIPE Brake Pipe(per ft) £350.00 Qty 1. with no itemised breakdown of cost. I was disappointed as a regular customer, especially after many years of excellent service that:- I paid for work that was not requested, or agreed. I paid for replacement brakes pipes but one front pipe remains an advisory item on the new MOT. These lengths of pipe appear on the invoice with a price of £350 with no breakdown of costs. £350 seems a very high price. I have lodged a complaint about my experience as a loyal customer and in fairness to the organisation, will have to give them time to respond. The worst part about this episode is that I *know* I have received excellent service on every previous occasion at his branch over many years, and up to now they had my loyalty and my trust.

Hi all, We are in quite a sticky situation that I hope someone here can advise on. We moved into an old house 12 months ago that has a fully electric heating and immersion hot water system. The hot water cylinder is a very old copper tank that is about 4feet tall. It has very little/thin original insulation. In October last year we complained to the letting agency that the water was taking 3 hours to heat and wasn't staying hot. She advised us that the insulation was not the landlords responsibility and that we would have to install our own insulation jacket. I challenged that opinion and they sent someone around to fit a jacket themselves. Early this year the duel immersion failed and the longer element that heats the full tank wasn't working, so that we only get hot water from the top half of the tank. To cut a long story short, the letting agent has sent 3 separate electricians from the same firm out to check it over and all three electricians have said the tank is long passed its sell by date and that it really needs to be replaced for a more modern tank. I have had a response from the letting agent today to say the electricians are not qualified to make that assessment and that their plumber has already offered costs to the landlord who has confirmed they will not replace the tank as it is not 'essential'. We are a family of 2 adults and 4 children and live in Scotland. So it seems we are being told to 'like it or lump it'.... Does anyone know how we stand regarding the hot water system? Is the landlord within their rights to say that heating the top 12 inches of the tank is acceptable? We are really sick about this....

Okay so basically I have this Fit Note (sick Note) I got it from my doctor today and it basically says the title at the top "Statement of Fitness for Work For social security or statutory sick pay" It basically says I am not fit for work for 1 month then it will expire. My doctor didnt mention about going to the job centre. I have no idea what I do with it from now. Please can someone help me and tell me what I do with it.

Hi just thought I would share a telephone conversation I had recently with the DWP After asking the DWP to review my decision work related to Support etc., I had call from DWP, as I suffer from PDST, Depression, Social Anxiety, find it difficult to leave the house most days. I explained all of this to DWP, and their advice,,, obtain employment where I can work from home. Amazing.......

My brother has been ill with back problems since the early 1990s and is currently undergoing tests at the hospital to determine the cause of his illness. He was claiming Incapacity Benefit and was not examined in 15 years. He would get his IB50 form every five years and a week or two later would receive a letter saying that his bnefit would continue. In Janurary he reveived a form which he submitted together with his medical evidence. This time the letter he reveived from DWP said that he would get ESA for a year and then JSA, He has not been examined. The doctor who looked at his claim is either a complete idiot or out and out liar. He has ignored evidence from the G.P. and five hospital consultants. My brother has also been told that if he looses his appeal he can not ever claim again for his disability. He is appealing but the family are very concerned with the incompetence of the DWP. We do not see how someone can comment on his health without an examination. If he was so ill as to not need to be examined for the last 15 years, then clearly he is unfit for work.

Sorry if this has been answered but i cant find it. When they send me the news ive failed to get enough points which they will, the GL24 form i think its called. When i fill out this form where it says put any other things on a separate piece of paper do i have to write it out or can it be typed out and printed. My writing isnt the best and as i get more annoyed my writing gets more unreadable. Thanks for any replies.

Great quote from an MP. "Prime Minister can you confirm that ATOS have concluded that Richard III is fit for work." Labour MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow. delivered this great line at PMQ time

Hi, I had a new exhaust installed by kwik fit in May of last year. They used the wrong clamps and did a terrible job. I went back three times and had welding done but the exhaust was never truly fixed. I then moved and visited a different quick fit and once again they did some more welding (after telling me what a terrible job had been done). The problem was still not fixed. I then wrote a letter of complaint which resulted in them re fitting a new exhaust. However they could not get the old exhaust off due to the terrible job that had been done and after forcefully removing it they then had to drill new holes into the main frame of my car. However they did not have the correct drill bit and therefore I had to go back to have the bolts repeatedly tightened. In addition to this the exhaust was still not working properly and I had to go back repeatedly as bits kept cracking. I then phoned the area manager and he assured me that he would ask my local branch to fix it permanently. I feel I should add that throughout this, the staff were extremely rude and repeatedly lied to my face – at one point even refusing to do any further work and stating that it was not there problem. After turning me away I went to another mechanic and he assured me that it was under warranty and was a simple £4 part, not the manifold as the kwik fit employee had stated. So, by this stage I had been back at least 11 times and the problem was still not resolved. A non kwik fit mechanic told me that the exhaust was not sitting right, due to poor installation, and that was why parts kept cracking. They also informed me that the repeatedly replaced parts are as cheap as they come and that is partly why they keep cracking. In addition to this is my mot test at kwik fit which I recently had fail but only for the front suspension and the exhaust emissions. I fixed the suspension and then took my car to another mechanic (not kwik fit as they didnt know how to fix it) who fixed the exhaust issue and therefore said that they would pass the mot if I booked it in with them. However, they then found a number of problems that were not only an mot failure but that made it dangerous for me to continue driving my car. This included a crack in my steering rack gaitor and my head lights not working due to a falty switch. I am dumb struck by the lack of ability and knowledge that the kwik fit employees have and the amount of unnecessary time, effort and stress that they have cost me. With my repeated trips back to kwik fit and the additional petrol costs due to an inefficient exhaust, the lies and rudeness of the staff, and the stress and time this mess has cost me i asked for a refund and i was told i would get one. I then received a £25 voucher for kwik fit (doesnt even cover the MOT and i never want to use kwik fit again) and a rude letter telling me that my case has now been resolved. I have been repeated told by kiwk fit staff that this situation is appalling and yet they repeatedly laugh in my face. I am at my wits end and am hoping that you can help me to get some compensation from what i believe is a terrible company! Thank you. Kate

So, today I had a puncture on the motorway, managed to get the spare on and drove straight to Kwik Fit at Manor Royal in Crawley, which is just a few yards from my work.. Several things happened that are obviously dubious, and repeated thousands of times all over the web where Kwik Fit is concerned. 1. The sales guy tried to quote for new tyres even before he inspected the flat one. 2. When he did look, he pointed out hairline cracks that were found to be superficial by the Mercedes garage. 3. He said both back tyres needed replacing 4. He then checked the front tyres, of which I had to let him down on a sale by telling him they had been replaced two days ago with its new MOT ! 5. The price quoted to replace was £384 , this is TWICE as much as any other garage, including Guy Salmon Jaguar just meters away. 6. The two rear tyres were subsequently inspected and found both to be repairable. So, its very probable that they wont take any notice of this complaint, or even respond, so, in one weeks time I will post this email to all 7000 employees of the company I work for, warning them, although, the ones I have spoken to already are well aware of just these issues first hand with Kwik Fit. Its no wonder Kwik Fit Crawley (Manor Royal) has no cars in for repair...