Mechanics 0, Jagwap 5
My car went in for a service yesterday, and as the warrantee is up in November, there are a couple of cosmetic issues I pointed to point out. The main one being the very slight corrosion on those ridiculously shiny alloys it has around some stone chips. The garage rang to say I needed new front pads, and being a dealership I though here we go, credit card time. Besides I checked them the week before when I forked out for new tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1's: £52 each +vat fitted. Absolute bargin: Cottenham Tyres, and stunning improvement to the handling for the cash) and there's a fair way to go. I was getting the "rip-off mechanics" jitters. Apparently they say they need changing purely as they will before the next service. OK, I'll do it myself (I enjoy it, if it's not cold out: smashing your knuckles on break calipers causes the not-repetative-swearing record attempt in cold weather) I ask about the alloys: "Yes sir, you have four new wheels" !!! That's at least £600 worth, without the Mazda markup! Deep joy, especially as I curbed one a little tiny bit two weeks ago.
Later I get another call. I assume to tell me it's all done. Nope, they crashed my car. I'm a little apprehensive, but I assume they'll make good. Apparently the cleaning dept. shunted it backwards into a shed. Now I remain calm, as they tell me it'll be in the spray shop tomorrow. Now I could complain about the loss in resale value due to over-spray depth, but I remain polite, as I remember that when I bought it there was already overspray there, and recently a couple of parallel-parkingly challenged types had scuffed it there. I decided to ask them as it was there, to quote on getting rid of a scratch on the upper boot lid (whoops with the keys), hoping that they'll give a superb (or free) price given the inconvenience...
So I'm getting £300 worth of respraying, £600 worth of new wheels, and possible a free touch-up on the boot lid. Oh and I assume one of those half price super posh bottles of windscreen wash like last time. Cushdy. <\lj-cut>
Later I get another call. I assume to tell me it's all done. Nope, they crashed my car. I'm a little apprehensive, but I assume they'll make good. Apparently the cleaning dept. shunted it backwards into a shed. Now I remain calm, as they tell me it'll be in the spray shop tomorrow. Now I could complain about the loss in resale value due to over-spray depth, but I remain polite, as I remember that when I bought it there was already overspray there, and recently a couple of parallel-parkingly challenged types had scuffed it there. I decided to ask them as it was there, to quote on getting rid of a scratch on the upper boot lid (whoops with the keys), hoping that they'll give a superb (or free) price given the inconvenience...
So I'm getting £300 worth of respraying, £600 worth of new wheels, and possible a free touch-up on the boot lid. Oh and I assume one of those half price super posh bottles of windscreen wash like last time. Cushdy. <\lj-cut>