Dishonest garage sold car destined for scrap
Our Fiat car (worth approximately £2000) broke down recently and we took it to a small garage in Wolesley Road, Plymouth. The owner of the garage and two of his mechanics took a look at the car. They explained briefly what the problem was and then informed us that it would cost more to repair than the car was worth. They then suggested that the most economical thing to do would be to scrap the vehicle. Thinking that they were trustworthy professionals we agreed to this and they offered to scrap the car for us free of charge.
So the paperwork was signed and the car was on the way to the scrap yard - or so we thought until about eight weeks later when a man arrived on our doorstep asking if we had a spare key for our old Fiat as he had lost his!
We couldn't believe it when we discovered that the garage had actually advertised the car for £1400 and sold it for £1250. Now is it just me or have we been ripped off big time and taken for a ride by this garage? Does anyone know where we might stand legally as consumers on this issue?
Surely they are there to provide us with accurate honest information as per Trading Standards and not to rip off honest hard working people? Have they not actually acquired a car from us by deception?
May I suggest that to avoid this happening to others you only go to an approved garage and not some back street hustler? I am sure there are some honest independent garages out there trying to make an honest living, but unfortunately they seem to be in the minority. Their counterparts are more interested in conning people and making a quick buck rather than offering good old fashioned honest reliable service.
Comments from visitors
Well in Big John, bonfire night must be fun for you.
+2
Click to rate 
Report
"I have resurrected a few bangers in my time as a hobby."
So have I, but I am not talking about cars.
So have I, but I am not talking about cars.
0
Click to rate Report
I am not taking sides here Pauline but I would like to make a point. I have resurrected a few bangers in my time as a hobby. There is no such thing as a scrap car. They are scrapped because a repair is not considered commercially viable. Why spend hundreds of pounds repairing a car that is only worth tens of pounds? the other aspect is the ringer market. There is every chance your garage has worked very hard, at cost to resurrect your car. They will have to learn to complete the paperwork in the future.
0
Click to rate Report
a follow up to last comment re the fiesta is that the dealer filled in the relevant forms for dvla and I signed where I had to.. he said he would send it off and gave me a form to claim my 2 months tax refund. i filled it in and posted it same day 23 dec '11 and yesterday 31 jan '12 got a letter asking me what i've done with car and refusing a refund, so i had to go and see the dealer who told me he waits till he gets a few before sending them off! he swore that the car was never up for sale, but I know it had been!. he said he sent form off last monday! he was nasty. I asked for name of garage to sent to dvla, he gave me a card which i've sent them! King's Lynn norfolk . I have taken advice but put it down to experience and tell anyone I can not to go there! ( by the way, thanks Russell for offer of help anyway)
0
Click to rate Report
My ford fiesta failed MOT and needing welding and other jobs the labour was more than the jobs total bill of £440.....I couldn't afford to spend that much on it and showed the mot failure papers to motor dealer near me. He said he couldn't do it cheaper and said he'd take the car away for £50 i agreed. He said a young apprentice was going to practise welding on it. Guess what? it is for sale in his garage now.....I feel a fool and too embarrassed to go and ask him how much? I must be gullible.
0
Click to rate Report
Hi I am a lawyer. You have indeed been defrauded on the facts as written, though that may not be the complete story of course.
I'd be happy to help free of charge as I hate this kind of thing. Have you yet reported to trading standards? Kind regards, Russell Johnston 07973 256042
I'd be happy to help free of charge as I hate this kind of thing. Have you yet reported to trading standards? Kind regards, Russell Johnston 07973 256042
0
Click to rate Report
Russell Johnston - 2-Feb-11 12:10
When you fill out the seller section of the V5 you should have ticked the box to say you were selling as scrap. Assuming you did this, the garage is not allowed to sell it on.
+1
Click to rate Report
..Okay so the car may be too expensive for the customer to fix independently or uneconomical for them.. whatever!.. then offer them 'something' and tell the truth.. or tell them "look if you get a better quote, then take it.. but If you don't and you want to get rid of the car.. I'd like to pay you something for it and spend time and money to fix this up!"
...Only then the garage would deserve the extra money for their time.. none of this Arthur Daley B.S! ....greedy git!! lol!... on the upside!.. good judgment comes from experience I guess.
...Only then the garage would deserve the extra money for their time.. none of this Arthur Daley B.S! ....greedy git!! lol!... on the upside!.. good judgment comes from experience I guess.
-2
Click to rate Report
wow!.. that happened to a family member of mine.. they managed to get the money back on the grounds of 'undue influence' the garage had a duty to provide a service and advise honestly. It's a tough one to prove if there are no pics of the car being on sale or emails etc.. then again, if he had the car in his/her name for a period of time this would at least prove that he had some degree of intention to defraud I would imagine. Its a shame you didn't call the advertisement for the car and go for a viewing... that would have really effed them up!
I see your point though... If your gonna sell the car just be honest, so what if your spending time on it and all that crap... just tell me straight. It will cost you a bomb.. but I want to fix it for myself cos I'm a greedy em'effer and I don't care about customers at all!.. lol! Anyway good luck.
I see your point though... If your gonna sell the car just be honest, so what if your spending time on it and all that crap... just tell me straight. It will cost you a bomb.. but I want to fix it for myself cos I'm a greedy em'effer and I don't care about customers at all!.. lol! Anyway good luck.
+2
Click to rate Report
They have done nothing wrong, the scrap value is aprox £50, they did not charge you an hours labour for looking at it in the first place, If sombody at the garage has (legaly) spent a weeks worth of lunch breaks and downtime , plus a few hundred quid of their own money on parts, whats wrong with that LABOUR IS APROX £55 PLUS PER HOUR, it is the killer for most repairs unless you can do it yourself!!!
+1
Click to rate Report
mwtransportservices - 31-May-10 19:49
Maybe they ripped you off - but it is also possible they spent long hours fixing it before selling it on.Economical for them but potentially not for you.
-3
Click to rate Report
You took your car to the garage, they did not come to you. Everything has a value - had you haggled you would have got something for the car and not taken in by the con that "I will scrap it for free". It is not illegal to repair a car in your own time and get it back on the road as long as it passes the MOT and the driver insured.
-1
Click to rate Report
I had the same happen to me I took my car to the garage in eye peterborough Eye Motor Centre and thay sold it now thay on yell.com asking for scrap vehicles
IS THIS THE MAN TO BUY A CAR OFF !!!!!
IS THIS THE MAN TO BUY A CAR OFF !!!!!
+2
Click to rate Report
I took my golf 2008 to my main dealers (Rye Mill) in High Wycombe on 08-04-09 to let the technician have a look at the car. They had for about 30-45 mins and when I got it back home my other half have noticed that the passenger side rear quarter panel is damaged.
So I called them and they said that the person I need to speak to is not there till tommorow, anyway I went to the main dealers (Rye Mill) the same day and when I got there the two blokes I spoke to said that they spoke to the technician who worked on my car and he said that the dent was already there and I know it was not there because I love my car to bits and I would have noticed the big dent.
Also when the technician finished my car he did not leave it in the customer bays which they have always done he parked it with the passenger side facing the trees/bushes so it was hiding the damage. What can I do now if they are denying this?
So I called them and they said that the person I need to speak to is not there till tommorow, anyway I went to the main dealers (Rye Mill) the same day and when I got there the two blokes I spoke to said that they spoke to the technician who worked on my car and he said that the dent was already there and I know it was not there because I love my car to bits and I would have noticed the big dent.
Also when the technician finished my car he did not leave it in the customer bays which they have always done he parked it with the passenger side facing the trees/bushes so it was hiding the damage. What can I do now if they are denying this?
0
Click to rate Report
'Dishonest garage sold our car' . . . I have been in the car trade for 15 years, believe it or not the car trade is primarily about making a profit. If you signed the v5 document and gave ownership to the garage- well more fool you. Perhaps you're annoyed and angry at your own stupidity and feel the need to blame someone else. Money has changed hands, you haven’t seen any of it, consider this.. the garage would only use new parts on a repair job for you, it’s very easy using dealer supplied parts to amount a huge bill, then there’s the labour, none-dealership.. maybe £45 per hour. So perhaps you were told the truth. What if the garage then repaired the car using salvaged parts (from a scrapyard) this could save 75% of the parts bill. The labour cost will be taken out of the vehicle sale, I’m sure he will have had to provide some sort of guarantee also. Maybe the only persons to benefit was the mechanic by being given work by his employer and the scrapyard from having sold parts. It’s easy to assume the worst, you said ‘ Our Fiat car (worth approximately £2000) broke down recently ‘, well it was sold for £1,250 you say, no doubt a true reflection of it’s value and perhaps another unrealistic view from your point . Common sense is the key here and remember not everyone is Swedish.
+1
Click to rate Report
Hiya there, I recently had my car scrapped by a reputable recovery company (supposedly). The man seemed extremely trustworthy and gave me £50 to scrap my beloved car. I carried on as usual and bought my dad's lovely car off him, soon after.
Now, you cam imagine my complete shock and horror when I drove past my supposedly scrapped car, sitting happily in someone's driveway! Apparently, the car was bought for £900! I am absolutely disgusted by this company, and feel the need to share my gripe with everybody! There, I feel better now!
Now, you cam imagine my complete shock and horror when I drove past my supposedly scrapped car, sitting happily in someone's driveway! Apparently, the car was bought for £900! I am absolutely disgusted by this company, and feel the need to share my gripe with everybody! There, I feel better now!
+2
Click to rate Report
Seeing as it was a Fiat, I think they did you a favour. Hopefully you bought a more sensible replacement - a Skoda vRS perhap? If you won the lottery this would have to be the one to go for, even if you don't win big, still go for this, rather than a Honda.
-2
Click to rate Report
serves you right why did you not get the car repaired and sell it yourself if it was economical to do so. you obviously have little mechanical know how, and probably no fiscal know how.
+1
Click to rate Report
The car may well have been worth less to repair than it was worth as the most expensive part of a repair is labor, however if thay repair it themself then it only the part has to be payed for so it can be sold on for a small profit.
+3
Click to rate Report
I would not let this garage get away with this dishonest behaviour. Record all the details and advise them that they disceived you and obtained your car by disception. Say you are going to citizens advise to get legal aid to take them to court and say you are going to the local newspapers to tell them of your experience. Then ask them them to pay you what the car was worth. This company need to have a tough time for their methods, tell others to avoid them.
-2
Click to rate Report
