Incompetence everywhere..

[TriumphZ3]

Tyre centres are the biggest ar5eholes out there.

I do all my own servicing and maintenance on my own lift, so am well acquainted with my family's cars. On a recent trip through Scotland, we damaged a front tyre and went to the nearest tyre centre at Dumfries, where the guy who replaced the tyre went into an entire head-shaking routine about the state of the brake pads and how he could replace them then and there. Nowt wrong with them and practically brand new, as I confirmed when I got home, having serviced the car the weekend before the trip and replaced them then. Chancers. I wonder how many innocents they do catch?

 

[motco]

That's not incompetence, that's blatent dishonesty. I am not qualified to comment on the quality of the fraudulent intent but it failed with you, an aware customer. Many will fall for it though, I'm sure.
Like you, I do my own servicing and repair on my Z. My daily driver is still in warranty though, and it's a plug-in hybrid so I am uncertain about many aspects. On the "if it's not broken, don't bust it!" I meddle not while it works!

 

[colb]

All to common these days thankfully, we run Zedshed Cymru in South Wales, a group of Z3 and Z4 owners who do jobs on our cars in my home garage as and when they require attention. Owner supplies the parts and job get done, its left to the individual to make a donation towards running cost of the Shed.

 

[mikeyH]

All to common these days thankfully, we run Zedshed Cymru in South Wales, a group of Z3 and Z4 owners who do jobs on our cars in my home garage as and when they require attention. Owner supplies the parts and job get done, its left to the individual to make a donation towards running cost of the Shed.

I wish we had a Zedshed down our way in South Devon, that would be great.

 

[andyglym]

Not so much incompetence, more taking the p**s!

This is a public service announcement! Decided to get British Gas to carry out a 100% electrical test of the house as part of our package (just moved in). 3 electricians took all day checking and testing to death and came up with a report (all whilst muttering 'rewire' under their breath), all green with no major issues other than a handful of minor issues, most of which would be cured on replacing the 1963 fuse wire setup with a modern consumer unit. We wanted a new consumer unit to futureproof the house and to ensure we had RCD protection (nothing wrong with the old kit, just old).

Anyway, the report came back at £15,000 including a 100% rewire as a recommendation with a list of things that 99% wouldn't understand, how we laughed and laughed and laughed we did

It transpires that inspections and minor works are a loss leader so they strongly impress upon folk for a 100% rewire to bag the cash, as it were.

Now here's the thing, if you were elderly and vulnerable or other vulnerable folks you could be pressurised to go with it. But that's just the tip, other hidden costs due to the 25 day time frame to do the job are;
1. Find somewhere else to live for two months
2. Here a van or removals company
3. Storage of all your kit
4. Package down or your big furniture
Etc etc etc

Absolutely shameful stuff!

Anyway, at 10% of the cost (£1500) a highly recommended sparky will fit a modern consumer unit, fix minor remedial work and renew the electrics to the garage ....... in 2 days.

Keep your eye out for your folks and other vulnerable people

#bornatnightnotlastnightyoufuckingmelts

 

[Pond]

Not so much incompetence, more taking the p**s!

Oh that happens every day, if they can get away with it.

I have NEVER used a 'tradesman' for anything in any of my houses, as I am a competent electrician, plumber, heating engineer and can do almost anything (mostly due to my job which has always required the above skills).

But I needed to get an electrical safety test done on a house I was selling 20 years ago, as the buyer insisted on it and I don't have 'part P' or NIC/EIC paperwork, as I have always worked on commercial electrics for my job.
Got a local company in to do the 'test'. They came back with many faults and said we needed a 'partial rewire' for a cost of £2,500.00.
I queried the faults. A little 'investigation' showed just one small earth fault on a first floor lighting circuit, which I fixed in about 15 minutes. I then got a friend of mine to travel over from London to do a re-test. Clean bill of health with no faults.

When I threatened to report them to the NIC/EIC, they gave me my money back and blamed their 'testing machine' for being out of calibration. They were trying it on and pretty much admitted it.

 

[andyglym]

Oh that happens every day, if they can get away with it.

I have NEVER used a 'tradesman' for anything in any of my houses, as I am a competent electrician, plumber, heating engineer and can do almost anything (mostly due to my job which has always required the above skills).

But I needed to get an electrical safety test done on a house I was selling 20 years ago, as the buyer insisted on it and I don't have 'part P' or NIC/EIC paperwork, as I have always worked on commercial electrics for my job.
Got a local company in to do the 'test'. They came back with many faults and said we needed a 'partial rewire' for a cost of £2,500.00.
I queried the faults. A little 'investigation' showed just one small earth fault on a first floor lighting circuit, which I fixed in about 15 minutes. I then got a friend of mine to travel over from London to do a re-test. Clean bill of health with no faults.

When I threatened to report them to the NIC/EIC, they gave me my money back and blamed their 'testing machine' for being out of calibration. They were trying it on and pretty much admitted it.

Yeah, pretty poor stuff, moreso for the vulnerable.

 

[Pond]

Yeah, pretty poor stuff, moreso for the vulnerable.

Which is why these sharks offering all sorts of crap over the phone (and cloning numbers to hide), only ever ring during the day, Monday to Friday. They are only interested in vulnerable, retired/old people.

I am at home all week and now keep them talking to waste their time, so they can't bother as many others.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

I do all my own servicing and maintenance on my own lift, so am well acquainted with my family's cars. On a recent trip through Scotland, we damaged a front tyre and went to the nearest tyre centre at Dumfries, where the guy who replaced the tyre went into an entire head-shaking routine about the state of the brake pads and how he could replace them then and there. Nowt wrong with them and practically brand new, as I confirmed when I got home, having serviced the car the weekend before the trip and replaced them then. Chancers. I wonder how many innocents they do catch?

Could it, perhaps, have been a nation-wide chain that think the word "quick" is spelt with a "K"? Just that I have in the past had people turn up where I was working telling us that this illiterate chain had told them of loads-a-work needing doing on their cars. Needless to say, really, isn't it, that it was invariably BS. Gained us a few customers, though.

 

[OldFogey99]

This thread has to be like catnip to the 50+ crowd. I read the title and almost felt a little euphoric.

No. No one cares anymore. In the past month, I have had the Roadster alignment done (after I replaced all of the front steering kit). The next time I was under it? ... both steering rack boots were twisted all to heck... ?? no attempt AT ALL to keep them as they should be. I could literally spin them with my hand to right them. ???

Set up an appointment for my daughter to have a new set of tires installed 4 days ago. She told me that it had a vibration that it didn't have before. I took it back in yesterday... they said "Yeah, all 4 tires were out (of balance), and the passenger rear had a counterweight that we must have missed."

2 work orders. 2 fails. 100%

I told my wife... "See? That's why I do so much of it myself!"

ok. I don't feel better, but... well... maybe the ship will right itself in time.