Rip off MOT and servicing

Anyone know a good cheap garage around Stockport/Denton or that kind of area?
Diesel car has broken down, I know the fault but I'm not paying Vauxhall prices

What an idiot
how on earth can parts supplied by customers take longer to fit than parts supplied by you?

It's not garages' charges that I find infuriating, it's their utter incompetence. I reckon 75% of them, even the main dealers, are staffed by clowns. Once I find I good garage I stick with them, even if they're not the cheapest.

I had my mot done on my 4yr old mini at bowker this week and came away with a bill for £970!this isn't including the service.i have been getting some quotes from local garages who are shocked at this stating that half of this bill is for diagnosis tests which don't even need doing,but bowker are swearing blind that the tests are essential.is it worth listening to the dealer or trusting local garages?I don't want to drive around in a faulty car but can't afford £970!

Believe me from recent experience main dealerships are places to avoid

Just been to Bowker BMW to have brakes done on my Mini...I was in shock at £120 per hour for labour charges. Surely that is more than a trained GP gets paid. Would trading standards take this on board.

Ive been going to the same garage for some years ,if you find a honest one "stick to them"
clues are-- always busy , small and normally independant. ask your friends etc for recommendations .. ( Note -good garages dont need to advertise!)

With MOTs stay away from the ones offering a discounted MOT , that normally means too many
people are wise to there game and they are not getting the work .

I get my car serviced by a local garage in the next town, 3 people work there including the older guy who owns it.

My car is due it's first MOT next month and have been getting my car serviced annually at the same garage. Vauxhall contacted me in the first year of having my car asking me to get it serviced with them; they told me that I could get my car serviced anywhere so long as genuine Vauxhall/GM parts are used thus not affecting my warranty.

I told this to the boss at the garage I use and he said it was no problem. He showed me parts he uses i.e. Bosch and then a GM part, in most cases they're identical. He then went on to say which parts from some cars can be used in others without the manufacturer/dealership knowing the difference. Luckily over the past 3 years my car has had needed very little in the way of parts. Just a regular service at around £120 a time. I had 4 new tyres put on last month ready for its MOT. It's only ever visited Vauxhall after a recall was issued so hasn't cost a lot in terms of its annual upkeep.

I took my 18month old panda down to the local FIAT dealer in EPSOM for a service as part of its warranty. To give them their dues they told me up front it would be £350+. I was shocked given I have barely 9K up on the car and tis only 18months old. I told em so. They told me I'd loose my FIAT warranty. I told them at nearly 15% of the car for a service twas not worth having.
However give them their dues , they did tell advance. But will I take it back.. no way hose.. Unfortunately now I will wait another 18months until a proper MOT is required .. ( yes I know not very good but hey if nearly 90% of people are telling me garages aer rip off merchants its just not worth the risk takin it into one..not worth the risk at ALL..

customers forget that it is not just the labour costs but all the other overheads such as:- lighting, rates, wages, water, costs of maintaing equipment. I think £35 per hour to include all the above is a lot cheeper than taking car to a main dealer.

is this really important to you? tight gits... get deeper pockets and pay the guy...

Just before my MOT I decided to put it up on the ramps at my place of work, I checked the CV boots and brake pads. I decided that the pad needed changing so I did that repair, but there was nothing wrong with any other part on the car. So I put the car in for its MOT at a garage in Darlington.

Later in the day I recieved a phone call to say that the car had only failed on a CV boot being loose after I protested that I had just checked them and there was nothing wrong with it, I foolishly told them to go ahead and repair it. When I went to collect it I was slapped with a bill for £121.00 of wich 39.99 was for the MOT! Now you may call me a cynic, but I know what I am talking about and £81.00 seems a bit steep for a cable tie and 10 seconds of work! What do you think?

I for one will never use the garage again and I was a loyal customer for many years. Can't name the garage because the site will get into trouble. These garages are nothing but a bunch of cowboys!