Do not use this garage

My car has a faulty exhaust. I took it along to Barnstaple MOT Centre and asked them to give me a quote for replacing the broken exhaust. Two weeks later (they had the car for the whole two weeks) they came back with a quote: £340 plus VAT. I choked a little and picked up the car the following day, when I was assured that I owed the garage no money as no work had been carried out. I took my car down the road and received a quote for the same work for £170 inc VAT. Thanks very much. The annoying part is, that a full five weeks after my initial contact with Barnstaple MOT Centre, and after them quoting me a ridulous price, and after being assured by them that I owed them no money, and after them carrying out a total of zero work on my car, and after them having my car for a full two weeks to identify a problem that I told them it had, I have received a bill for £52.19. The invoice says I owe for a "physical check", a diagnostic plug in (which I was told was not possible with a broken exhaust) and one misc consumable (presumably a squirt of WD40). Bear in mind that the Barnstaple MOT Centre (9 Upcott Avenue, Pottington Ind Estate, Barnstaple, EX31 1HN) had my car on the understanding that no work was to be carried out without a quote, and as far as I was told when I picked up the car no work had been done. This bill leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. It seems like an opportunist attempt to get £50 for nothing.

GW Rogers - 26/09/2012 | report this review