It's good to know this part of the legislation when having your car repaired, hopefully it might stop the tossers from ripping people

Problem with a car repair

This advice applies to England Share this advice Print
If you’ve had a problem with a car repair or service, the best thing to do is negotiate with the garage to work out the best solution.

If your negotiations don’t work, you can take further action to get your problem resolved.

Always ask your garage what they can do to help before you spend any extra money on hire cars or travel. For example, they might be able to offer you a courtesy car. A court isn’t likely to award you money if the garage offers services that you didn’t take advantage of.

It’s a good idea to keep a record and receipts of any extra money you have to pay for travel while you’re disputing a bill. You might need to prove this down the line.
Negotiate with the garage

Speak with the garage in person or over the phone - you may be able to resolve the problem quickly. If they don’t agree up front to make things right, you may want to write or email the garage so you have a record of the problem and your communication to them.

You can use this template letter for complaining about faulty goods supplied with a service - what you put in the letter will depend on your situation.

If the repair didn’t work or it created a new problem
If you think you’re being overcharged
If the garage did work you didn’t ask for
If you told the garage to do whatever needs to be done to fix the car, then you gave them the right to decide what work to do. You’ll have to pay if the work was necessary and the price is reasonable. Get a second opinion if you think the price isn’t reasonable.

If you only asked the garage to do a specific piece of work and they did extra work that you didn’t ask for, you can ask them to undo the work. If this isn't possible, you should insist you only pay for the work that was agreed.

Next steps

Take further action if they’re charging you for work that you didn’t ask for.

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If the repair is taking too long
If the garage damaged your car
Take further action if your negotiations have failed

If you’re not getting anywhere with the garage, you have options to help you get the work done or claim compensation. But you should always try to negotiate with the garage first.

The garage is not allowed to sell or get rid of the car while you’re disputing the bill. They can, however, keep your car while the bill is being disputed.

Pay the garage so you can get your car back

If you need the car back but aren’t happy with the amount you have to pay, you can pay ‘under protest’ then continue with your dispute. This means you are paying the full amount but letting the garage know that they can expect further action.

Write the words “paying under protest” clearly on their copy of the repair order sheet and any copies of receipts that the garage make. If you don’t say you’re paying under protest it will be difficult to get compensation later on, because the garage could argue that by paying the bill, you were accepting the charges.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the money back later on, but there are ways to try.
If you can’t afford to pay, offer to pay what you consider a reasonable amount in exchange for getting the car back, then dispute the rest of the bill separately.

Negotiate through a trade association

Ask the garage if they’re a member of any trade association (eg Motor Codes, the Retail Motor Industry Federation or the Motor Cycle Industry Association). You could also search the trade associations’ websites to see if the garage is a member.

Some trade associations will offer a free service where they will help you resolve your dispute with the garage - this can include getting compensation (eg for being out of pocket or having your time wasted).

Contact the trade association and explain your circumstances to them - this is sometimes called a ‘conciliation service’.

You’ll only be able to get help from a trade association if the garage is a member.

Use an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme

Ask the garage if they’re a member of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme - it’s a way of solving disagreements without going to court. A third party will mediate to try and reach a solution.

If they don’t respond, they’re not a member of an ADR scheme or won’t use ADR, keep a record of the fact that you asked them (and the date). You’ll need this if you end up in court.

Choose a Trading Standards-approved ADR scheme yourself to try and solve the problem more informally. It’ll help you later if you end up going to court.

Take the car to another garage

This is a risky option because you’ll probably need to go to court or a trade association to claim for the extra money you spend to get the work done. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the money back.
You might be able to take the car to a different garage. It will depend how much work the original garage has already done and whether or not your car is in a safe condition to drive.

If you get the car repaired at a new garage, you can try to claim compensation or go to court for the cost of carrying out extra repairs. You might be able to work with a trade association to get a result (if the garage is a member).

Make a court claim for money you think you’re owed

You can take legal action through the small claims court to get money you think you’re owed. However, this can be costly and time consuming. Depending on how much you’re owed, you might want to get legal advice. You should look at all other options before going to court.

Report the garage to Trading Standards

If the garage is quoting one price but charging another (or otherwise using misleading advertising or unfair practices) you can report them to Trading Standards. Reporting the garage could mean that other customers don’t get misled by them in the future.

Further help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone. You can also use an online form or write to them.

If you’re in Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline.

Maybe a mod might make this a sticky