Was I over charged? (1 Viewer)

[Northernraider]

Put the motorhome in for a full mechanical service and full habitation service last Monday ( not sure if I can make the company or not feel free to advise) and to say I'm disappointed and a little annoyed would be an understatement.

I booked it a few weeks ago and although the van has full service history and no known issues because I'm taking it to Spain and Portugal for a year I opted for the full service rather than interim service for peace of mind....total price for both including parts £500

Dropped it off to the garage on Monday morning as requested under the arrangement i get it back Monday night as he was made aware I live in the van full time.

Mechanically I was aware of no issues on the van , I've done 4000 miles in it since September and never had to put a drop of oil or water in it and had zero issues mechanically.

Habitation wise there's been a couple of things I wanted checked out
1) the batteries after an incident a few weeks back where it lost all power in just a few hours.
2) the alde heating system when on gas seems to trip and go off each time usually about an hour after working and you have to disconnect and reconnect a plug on the boiler to reset it and then it will usually run several hours without issue but when you later switch it to hot water only it will cut out again and need reset .

Otherwise there's been zero issues with the van.

So

The vans in the garage Monday and I hadn't heard a word from them by 3pm so I gave them a call just to see where they were at.

Mechanic tells me the van has a diesel leak , and a coolant leak. My tyres are not the correct tyres for the van and should be changed ( I had 6 commercial tyres fitted last month) . Says he hasn't finished habitation service yet but it should be ready to collect at 5pm.

So I get a lift from a work colleague at 5pm to pick up the van

I get there and I'm told they haven't finished , vans still leaking diesel apparently from the filter housing and there's leaks in the coolant system due to 3 corroded hose clips.
He also says he hasn't done the damp test yet but he's had a look at the heating and thinks it a room stat sensor that's the issue so he's fitted one as they are only £13
He says if i leave it with him they can fix the diesel leak and coolant leak the next day and he can finish the hab test.
I decide that's probably the best option and left the van with him and caught the bus back to my mother's and stayed there for the night.

Next day again by around 2pm I've heard nothing from the garage so I give him a call , he tells me that the diesel leak is fixed and the mechanic has the coolant system on a pressure checker to test for leaks before refilling the system but it will be ready to collect at 5pm
I asked him for the total cost and he said he doesn't know yet as the technician hasn't given him the work sheet back yet.

So I head up to get the van , arrive at 5.10
At this point I'm presented with an invoice for £1055.88

To say I nearly fainted is an understatement
The invoice is as follows
Hab service £125
Full mech service £274.17
Truma room sensor £12.40
Fuel filter assy £240.98
3 Hose clips £2.85
7 litres coolant £24.50
4 hours labour £200
Total 879.90
Vat 175.98

Total 1055.88

He announces then that the filter housing was leaking on arrival ( I don't think it was)
And they had to drain the full coolant system to replace the hose clips which were difficult to reach hence between the two it took 4 hours to do.
He states the filter assembly is a genuine fiat part hence the price because the cheaper ones just leak again.

I needed the van back so I paid the bill despite being furious about it.

I asked for the receipt for the filter housing from fiat and was told he didn't have it bit that his invoice was proof enough and that he warranties the part for 12 months

I feel I've been totally ripped off , I don't believe it was leaking when he got it and I also don't believe the coolant was leaking but I can't prove it , I'm also suspicious of whether he fitted an overpriced genuine filter assembly as a quick search on line I can get a genuine one for £76
Although I have checked with local fiat and theirs is £289 ..but without a receipt I don't know if that's what he fitted.

The habitation sensor he fitted resulted in the heating not working at all and I coukd only get it working by removing the one he fitted and putting the old one back on
Although it still trips as before

The damp test he claims he coukd only partially do because the band full of stuff

He marked off carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm as n/a for some reason despite both being present and in full working order

Noted again that my tyres were illegal for a camper van as they were not camper tyres

I contacted trading standards today and voiced my concerns but they think as I paid the invoice in full and didn't mark it as paid under protest that there's little I can do.

To say I'm annoyed is an understatement
The bill was more than double the estimate and I don't think the work was needed.

Also the peace of mind I wanted I don't have as the guy seems to not have a clue , he hasn't fixed the heating problem, he hadn't checked half the equipment, he doesn't know anything about tyres it would seem and there's not even a detailed description or a tick sheet of what the full mechanical service included

Id like at least to make others aware of this company so they can avoid the same issues....so if I can make them let me know

I've been unfortunately ill again all this week hence me just posting this 4 days later.

Cheesed off

 

[Mr B]

Wow!!!!

 

[Chris]

You are not having much luck lately are you?

I will only have work done by @Johns_Cross_Motorhomes because I trust them.

I know that doesn’t help you so I am sorry for your troubles.

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[Techno]

The filter is made by UFI regardless of what box it comes in. You've been shafted in many respects it seems. Glad I can do my own servicing

 

[irnbru]

Was it a well known garage in Fife? Give us a clue.

 

[Snowbird]

Just goes to prove that finding a garage/mechanic you can trust and then stay with them regardless of what. I have used the same mechanic for years and have a good relationship with him. I know I get a good job at a reasonable price without having my hat nailed on, and he knows he will get paid for his work and all my other work.

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[busby]

Bloody Hell!!!!!Gob smacked,,Name and Shame,,,BUSBY

 

[pappajohn]

Was it a well known garage in Fife? Give us a clue.

Never mind a clue.....trading standards have said you have no recourse so Just tell us who they are.
They obviously don't know what they're doing so should be avoided.

 

[f6c]

Dreadful practice

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[Lenny HB]

Sounds like they didn't have a clue. If the diesel filter had been leaking before you took it in you would have known about it. Classic symptoms are pool of fuel under the van when you stop the engine. Didn't appear to have a clue about the habitation side.

 

[Silver-Fox]

I don’t consider £50 an hour over the top as that seems the average for indi garages.
Wether it was a four hour job I don’t know.

 

[rangi]

I got ripped off by a Fiat agent in Dundee ages ago now Told me I needed a new Starter motor, long story shortened, I didn't! Found that out when, after a heap of trouble on the way down , I went to, Ward Street Garage in Tupton and they diagnosed it was a wire running down the steering column earthing
Did this fellow you went too christen name start with an A?

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[Northernraider]

You are not having much luck lately are you?

I will only have work done by @Johns_Cross_Motorhomes because I trust them.

I know that doesn’t help you so I am sorry for your troubles.

Problem is there aren't many caravan /motorhome service places around me and this one was recommended by someone

 

[Northernraider]

The filter is made by UFI regardless of what box it comes in. You've been shafted in many respects it seems. Glad I can do my own servicing

Yep I've discovered that now having looked online for the part.

I normally do most of my own mechanical repairs on cars etc but my thinking with the mh was the size and me attempting to keep up a full service history for resale purposes

 

[Northernraider]

Was it a well known garage in Fife? Give us a clue.

It was touring caravan services in glenrothes Fife

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[Chris]

Problem is there aren't many caravan /motorhome service places around me and this one was recommended by someone

I can see that , it’s unfortunate.

 

[Northernraider]

Just goes to prove that finding a garage/mechanic you can trust and then stay with them regardless of what. I have used the same mechanic for years and have a good relationship with him. I know I get a good job at a reasonable price without having my hat nailed on, and he knows he will get paid for his work and all my other work.

Yeah I've a mechanic friend who has always done any repairs I couldn't do myself...unforunately his unit cant take s vehicle this size and of course I was fooled by the guy telling me he did a deal for the combined servicing

 

[Northernraider]

Bloody Hell!!!!!Gob smacked,,Name and Shame,,,BUSBY

Touring caravan services glenrothes Fife

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[Northernraider]

Sounds like they didn't have a clue. If the diesel filter had been leaking before you took it in you would have known about it. Classic symptoms are pool of fuel under the van when you stop the engine. Didn't appear to have a clue about the habitation side.

Yep thats my thinking, as someone who has always done most of my own repairs I check things on the van and the filter is very visible on this and I don't ever recall seeing signs of a leak , I was also under the van and checking it out when I was having the new tyres fitted last month and the bottom of the engine was dry and there's not been any puddles or marks left where it's parked

I strongly suspect the mechanic has broken the housing when changing the filter and has claimed it was already like that the problem is proving it sadly

 

[Northernraider]

Not sure if my credit card company would take any action or not ....

 

[John&Kate]

OUCH

I feel your pain ... I seem to remember some posts recently regarding the fuel filter housing failing especially following filter changing. Could it be he actually caused a problem by changing the fuel filter, and you have been charged for his incompetence ? As already said you would smell the diesel if already leaking.

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[Ockerron]

Having spent over thirty years as a commercial mechanic etc, I can only think of maybe two or three mechanics that I would trust to work on any of my vehicles! I would bet good money the "fitter" broke the filter housing, but like the OP said, how do you prove it? At one of the commercial garages I worked at the blokes there had a saying, " the pen is mightier than the spanner", which kind of sums up a lot of the industry, i e bullshit baffles brains !!!

 

[Jim]

You can review the service you received here. https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/reviews/touring-caravan-services-limited.130/

 

[PeteH]

There is a long post on here somewhere about Fuel filters, and the manner if which they are serviced. I have a device for stripping them down, but decided to fit a new one anyway. The first sign of leakage is spots of diesel on the ground after you have stopped. BTW. My take is that the "O" ring seals are affected by diesel and degrade. Might have to do with running "Bio"?. Even Blended?.

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[Podney]

I feel your disappointment.
Why did you go there in the first place? I know there is a shortage of good Moho mechanics,but this lot seem useless.

 

[Blue Knight]

Sounds like they didn't have a clue. If the diesel filter had been leaking before you took it in you would have known about it.

What Lenny says.

If there was no physical sign of fuel on the floor then you would have still assumed there to be something wrong by the faint dirty diesel-oily smell that it would kick off.

I reckon that his junior mechanic has damaged the filter housing during the removal of the filter. Very dodgy indeed IMO.

Also, you don't need to spend 2-3 bloody hours on the coolant replacement even with damaged pipes or couplings. That's a simple job so again I'm suspicious - Very!!

Where's the old filter housing. I would want it back for inspection.

Not good at All,

Andrew

 

[Northernraider]

OUCH

I feel your pain ... I seem to remember some posts recently regarding the fuel filter housing failing especially following filter changing. Could it be he actually caused a problem by changing the fuel filter, and you have been charged for his incompetence ? As already said you would smell the diesel if already leaking.

Yep thats what im thinking as he didn't mention the leak till I arrived to collect the van on the Monday I think he caused it and had been trying to repair it and failed

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[Northernraider]

You can review the service you received here. https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/reviews/touring-caravan-services-limited.130/

I'll get on to that

 

[Northernraider]

I feel your disappointment.
Why did you go there in the first place? I know there is a shortage of good Moho mechanics,but this lot seem useless.

My sister had used them previously for a service on her van and had said the guy seemed ok.
That said her van is newer with next to no miles on it and was a basic service.
There wasn't many choices locally that could take a tag axle for mechanical and had service and I guess I thought it would be easier having both done together.

 

[Northernraider]

What Lenny says.

If there was no physical sign of fuel on the floor then you would have still assumed there to be something wrong by the faint dirty diesel-oily smell that it would kick off.

I reckon that his junior mechanic has damaged the filter housing during the removal of the filter. Very dodgy indeed IMO.

Also, you don't need to spend 2-3 bloody hours on the coolant replacement even with damaged pipes or couplings. That's a simple job so again I'm suspicious - Very!!

Where's the old filter housing. I would want it back for inspection.

Not good at All,

Andrew

I didn't get to see the old one he didn't even give me the receipt for the new one which trading standards did tell me I have a right to or at minimum a copy of it as it's also a guarantee

I'm going to phone them on Monday and request that

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