Kwik fit

[kentiiboii]

So today the mrs mum and dad took her corsa to scarbrough. On the way the track rod end went. So told them to get jt to a garage so its safe for them to drive. Asked them to ring me with the diagnostic and ill give them the go ahead.

So they took it and I got a phone call. Tre has gone also the 2 front tyres are ilegal (I checked the tyres when the car was bought in april they was fine). They told me becuase the tyres were so unsafe theyre having them changed. Quite miffed about this as I know theyre ok.
But they've already agreed to have them done so nothing I can do.
Total charge for this was £229. Ridiculous price.
Then I get a phone call saying the disc and pads was really unsafe and need changing imediatly. I also know for sire they was fine as they was also checked.
So the bill went up another £200.
I told them to refuse the disc and pads but they said the garage had shown them on the car and they was really low. (Baring in mind they know nothing about cars).

They get home and done one thing I asked which was bring the disc and pads home that was taken off. The pads had 5-6mm pad if not more. The disc where lovely and smooth.

Heres a run down of what they was charged.

[vlj]

Surely you/they would have known this is what places like Kwik-Fit try and do, prey on people that don't know otherwise and make them fear their own safety so they then go ahead and get more ££..

[cwspellowe]

that's daylight robbery! Jesus they're bad, even throwing in the nitrogen inflation.

[bigcheez2k3]

They definitely saw them coming

[cwspellowe]

£70 for all those parts on ECP with no discount, throw in another £40 per tyre online, that's £150 all in for parts. So effectively they've charged £260 for labour. Scandalous.

[kentiiboii]

£70 for all those parts on ECP with no discount, throw in another £40 per tyre online, that's £150 all in for parts. So effectively they've charged £260 for labour. Scandalous.

This is what I've been trying to say.

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Surely you/they would have known this is what places like Kwik-Fit try and do, prey on people that don't know otherwise and make them fear their own safety so they then go ahead and get more ££..

I only sent them in to get a track rod end. They've had a massive go at me because I let my mrs buy a unsafe car! If I was there it wild of had a track rod end and nothing else but they had it in scarbrough.

[Niall]

I have to use Kwik fit for work but would never use them for tyres and brakes. Ive taken my work car to them before for one tyre. Half hour later the guy comes out and says right we need to go over a few bits and takes me out to the car. Tries telling me there is a bulge on the other 3 basically new tyres (he had just chalked a random circle on the tyres and even showed me as if i was going to say oh yeah!) and then insisted that really he shouldnt even give me my key back because it was so unsafe to drive away due to all pads being on the metal and discs being worn far to far. I didnt care as i dont pay for it so told him to confirm it with the lease company and go ahead and then he says ill have to leave the car there for 4-5 days so they can get the parts from Skoda as because it was in warranty, it had to have original parts (he even wanted to order the Continental tyres from Skoda. joke was on him though because they didnt come with contis from the factory). I refused and took my key and just said i would take it to my local skoda garage. The guy just laughed and showed me over the car. All pads had 5mm or more and the discs had ever such a slight lip. All tyres were perfect except for the one i needed replacing. They are just con artists!

[Scott]

This just adds to the horror stories about Kwik Fit. I'd be contacting their head office with photos of the pads and discs you kept after the work was done and explain that they're clearly fine and you're unhappy with the service. Just have a big rant about them taking advantage of people etc.

I remember Kim took her Corsa in for her MOT there as they were the only place open who could do it on short notice (our fault for not booking it in sooner), and I couldn't take it there for her. I'd replaced a load of stuff before the test, including bulbs all around and did a proper pre-MOT check. Surprise surprise, they called up and said it failed and needed new headlight bulbs She said she'd call her step-dad and get him to come and check and talk it through with them, but she would wait for them to make sure that the bulbs really had gone before getting him to come down. The guy went off and came back with the pass certificate 5 minutes later, saying he'd just "given it a knock" and the lights came back on. Loose fitting or some shit It's no wonder they have such a bad reputation when so many people can easily recall bad experiences with them.

[kentiiboii]

I have to use Kwik fit for work but would never use them for tyres and brakes. Ive taken my work car to them before for one tyre. Half hour later the guy comes out and says right we need to go over a few bits and takes me out to the car. Tries telling me there is a bulge on the other 3 basically new tyres (he had just chalked a random circle on the tyres and even showed me as if i was going to say oh yeah!) and then insisted that really he shouldnt even give me my key back because it was so unsafe to drive away due to all pads being on the metal and discs being worn far to far. I didnt care as i dont pay for it so told him to confirm it with the lease company and go ahead and then he says ill have to leave the car there for 4-5 days so they can get the parts from Skoda as because it was in warranty, it had to have original parts (he even wanted to order the Continental tyres from Skoda. joke was on him though because they didnt come with contis from the factory). I refused and took my key and just said i would take it to my local skoda garage. The guy just laughed and showed me over the car. All pads had 5mm or more and the discs had ever such a slight lip. All tyres were perfect except for the one i needed replacing. They are just con artists!

Thats stupid they really are day light theift. They get away with.
Her mum and dad have said to me becuase theyre trained mechanics they no what they're doing I do not.

I took them the disc and pads that came off my car to show them the difference. Telling them that mine passed a mot but I removed them becuase I wanted to. Mine was just under the legal limit. There was twice the amount of pad if not more on hers

[cwspellowe]

I only ever use Kwik Fit for tyres for the work van, steer well clear of them any other time. They're actually a joke, just a well known name that people flock to.

The ironic thing is that people seem to trust it because it's a brand name as opposed to Mr Local MOT.

[kentiiboii]

I only ever use Kwik Fit for tyres for the work van, steer well clear of them any other time. They're actually a joke, just a well known name that people flock to.

The ironic thing is that people seem to trust it because it's a brand name as opposed to Mr Local MOT.

I dont know how theyre getting away with it. Just seen a video of thwm on watch dog.

[puglove]

her parents hate you don't they kent? :

but yeah mugged the f*ck off! unreal !

[sam]

You no you could of said no to most of that right? People at work dont try and con you out tbh (I do work at kwikfit) if they dont want it just say no, they cant forse them to buy it, im not backing kwikfit up atall as I no what theu can be like, and forcing people to buy stuff isnt right just go back in and say whats the catch with a few stuff and ask for you money back in the parts your not happy with, I always say to customers that its up to them to buy it but its up to them at the end of the day.

[cwspellowe]

People at work dont try and con you out tbh

How can you say that when there's stories in this thread of people being flat out lied to in order to make money?

Last time I checked, that was a pretty accurate description of a con

[Niall]

You no you could of said no to most of that right? People at work dont try and con you out tbh (I do work at kwikfit) if they dont want it just say no, they cant forse them to buy it, im not backing kwikfit up atall as I no what theu can be like, and forcing people to buy stuff isnt right just go back in and say whats the catch with a few stuff and ask for you money back in the parts your not happy with, I always say to customers that its up to them to buy it but its up to them at the end of the day.

Probably because you have morals. Any time ive been in there, they have tried selling me (well the lease company) much more than i actually need. Clearly think im one of these people who doesnt understand cars. One tried selling me 3 new tyres because they were on 5mm and thats very close to the legal limit so i could of got 9 points if i drove out of there. I decided to take that risk....

[Kimmie]

It's hard for people who nothing about cars though. If they're told their car is unsafe and shouldn't be driven unless they have parts replaced then they're going to get it sorted out to be on the safe side! It is conning people because you're making them believe what you're saying is true and happily taking their money.

*Not you directly, I meant the collective you!

[cwspellowe]

[quote='sam' pid='302154' dateline='1374614588']One tried selling me 3 new tyres because they were on 5mm and thats very close to the legal limit so i could of got 9 points if i drove out of there. I decided to take that risk....

You rebel!

[kentiiboii]

You no you could of said no to most of that right? People at work dont try and con you out tbh (I do work at kwikfit) if they dont want it just say no, they cant forse them to buy it, im not backing kwikfit up atall as I no what theu can be like, and forcing people to buy stuff isnt right just go back in and say whats the catch with a few stuff and ask for you money back in the parts your not happy with, I always say to customers that its up to them to buy it but its up to them at the end of the day.

Yes but telling customers that have no idea what they're talking about with cars that something isn't safe when they clearly are is wrong. They Making money by using people fear.
Her mother is Gullable you say something isn't safe shell worry till its changed.

I cannot go and get our money back becuase this was in scarbrough. I was 150 miles away from the car.

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her parents hate you don't they kent? :

but yeah mugged the f*ck off! unreal !

I wished it would be much easiest if they did.

[sam]

Thats fair enough but I havent witnessed that in our depot, ive only worked in salisbury and a few times in Bournemouth and im only a brake and suspension tech I only wright what I think the vehicle needs on the report and not trying to get money out of them as it doesnt go into my pocket! Its down to the manager or supervisor to sell it and the customer agree on what the want, but I agree on the in voice a few things shouldnt be on there and yes I dont agree on pressure selling its out of order

[Toms306]

I went to kwikshit when I bought my first car as I didn't know any better at the time.

Was having braking issues (in that they weren't working!) so took it for their free brake test - expected them to say lots needs doing to it but a short while later they came into the waiting room and said 'your car's fine, it passed the braking efficiency test'.

Anyway I basically carried on that something WAS wrong despite it scraping through the test and they reluctantly did the brake strip (part of the free test lol, they just CBA) while I watched them. As they took a rear drum off a load of fluid dribbled onto the floor....nothing wrong there lol.

So they replaced the cylinder and 'cleaned' the fluid off the shoes (umm, you cant clean brake fluid off shoes but ok) and bled the system with a half arsed approach.

After several hours I left with a much lighter wallet........and the brakes felt worse, then the brake dash light came on, pulled over and checked fluid level....none visible!

Drove home anyway as I was desperate for the loo by then and phoned up to complain...they just told me to bring it back and theyd check the level (as if I was blind). Long story short I took it back, they filled it up and bled it properly. Still didn't feel great but first car so nothing to compare with.

The MOT came up a month later, took it to the local, and it failed on rear brake imbalance and handbrake efficiency......brilliant considering I'd had a supposed 'full brake check' done not long before.

Since that incident I've never returned to kwik fit and done all work myself (except stuff like tyres and MOT obv). I make a lot of f*ck ups, but at least I know when I've f*cked up and will put it right!


Also I did see them on Watchdog a couple of weeks back, but they won't change, I'd bet even if the people that saw the watchdog thing stopped going it wouldn't even make a noticeable dent in their profits....

[kentiiboii]

It's hard for people who nothing about cars though. If they're told their car is unsafe and shouldn't be driven unless they have parts replaced then they're going to get it sorted out to be on the safe side! It is conning people because you're making them believe what you're saying is true and happily taking their money.

*Not you directly, I meant the collective you!

Agreed.

People are ment to trust mechanics. They believe they can. But you cannot believe them any more.
I refuse to take my car to a garage. Theres only a few I trust.

---

Thats fair enough but I havent witnessed that in our depot, ive only worked in salisbury and a few times in Bournemouth and im only a brake and suspension tech I only wright what I think the vehicle needs on the report and not trying to get money out of them as it doesnt go into my pocket! Its down to the manager or supervisor to sell it and the customer agree on what the want, but I agree on the in voice a few things shouldnt be on there and yes I dont agree on pressure selling its out of order

Go over that bill and give me a run down of what youd charge at your kwikfit?

[Scott]

In all fairness to them, there are some decent people working there. I know I've had a few bits given to me for free (exhaust clamps and mounts) when I went in and was friendly with them. I guess I was lucky finding someone there who was interested in cars.

[ADV_93]

Shit-Fit.

Kwik-Shit, what ever you wanna call em. Almost as bad if not worse than dealers...

[sam]

There are some depots out there that arnet great I admit that, but there are some that can be helpfull as we can, I get a few people asking why were different to other depots and thats because were friendly talk to the customer, show them roind the vehicle and explain why the may need it, explain what parts need replacing and how to and there not happy about it thats fine ask why and see if they can agree on something and if not then we cant force them, were all not that bad. I cant say its the best job ive had but its one of them I enjoy its fun.

[tigerstyle]

There is a lot of private info shown in that image Kentiiboii, for a public accessible forum, I'd blur out the top left corner.
And yes KwikFit, thankfully never had to even think about using them!

[kentiiboii]

There is a lot of private info shown in that image Kentiiboii, for a public accessible forum, I'd blur out the top left corner.
And yes KwikFit, thankfully never had to even think about using them!

Cheers

[kernow_joe]

I'd be contacting their head office with photos of the pads and discs you kept after the work was done and explain that they're clearly fine and you're unhappy with the service. Just have a big rant about them taking advantage of people etc.

This tbh, its f*cking disgusting they get away with it.

Years back my alt belt snapped, only place open, so asked them to just fit a belt to get me home, which they wouldn't do as I 'needed' all the tensioners replacing and other stuff (this is without looking properly, which it may have needed I can't remember but I knew I wasn't paying their prices)
They then told me it would be dangerous to drive without replacing the belt and that my car wouldn't run, the electrics controlling the engine wouldn't work ...
This is all on a dturbo, so after being told they really can't let me drive it like this I drove it home, funnily enough apart from the battery not charging it was absolutely fine

[lolsteve]

That's wierd since I've taken the hdi there twice for the not and both times it only needed minor work that i know it needed doing. Could be a one off

[Poodle]

Id be straight with them myself, something along the lines of "I told you it was fine, if you're stupid enough to burn £400 thats your lookout". My mother-in-law hated me for a long time.

[Piggy]

get straight on to trading standards pal.

when I was being trained and then worked as a pug tech I saw some terrible twit-fit problems that we had to deal with

inc one chap having his pads fitted the wrong way round and finding out how cambelts are changed...

they take top cover off, start car, leave idling, cut the belt in half length ways while running, then stop engine, partial fit new belt and then cut rest of old belt off.

keep in mind that to be a twit-fit fitter you DO NOT need to be to FULLY qualified. most twit-fit fitters are only qualified up to 'fitters' stage, not to stage 3 diagnostic technician.

hence why I stay well clear of the theaving gits.