Thread: Poor Service From Garage - Any Advice?

Hi All,

I'm hoping someone can help me with a small(!) problem please?

I have an '04 reg Fiat Punto that I bought last March. I took it for it's first MOT last week and it needed 3 new tyres. I had them fitted, and because I was on holiday from work at the time, I didn't really drive the car much until Monday.
When I was driving to work (about 25 miles away from where I live) the car seemed to lose control on a bend and I had to take corrective action. At the time, I thought it was just me driving a little too fast, so slowed down.
Yesterday, when I was driving to work, I entered a roundabout and the car completeley lost control again, and I ended up the wrong way round on a very busy roundabout with cars, buses and lorries heading towards me! Luckily no-one hit my car and I managed to get off the roundabout, get home safely and got a lift into work.
I called the garage that had done the work, and they told me that when new tyres are fitted you need to let them 'bed in' for 100 miles or so, and the best advice they could give is that if I could drive it for another day or so and bring it back if I was still having problems. I told them I had no intention of driving the car again until I was satisfied it was safe and they reluctantly booked it in for today.
Following the call, I got a little suspicious of what I'd been told, as I'd never heard this before and have held my licence for almost 20 years so I rang a couple of other garages for advice, along with a friend who used to work for ATS. Everyone I spoke to said this was incorrect.

I decided I would take the car somewhere else first, as I was concerned that the garage would just put whatever was wrong right, and say it was something I had done, so I called the garage and told them I couldn't bring the car in until Friday now. I spoke to a different memeber of staff than who I'd spoken to earlier in the day, so I mentioned what they had said to me when I rang earlier. The lady I spoke to said that wasn't true at all! Two minutes after I made this call, the Manager of the garage called me and offered to come to my home and collect the car to be fixed "so as not to put me to any inconvenience" He seemed very desperate to get his hands on the car today so I was a little suspicious and told him I wouldn't be in to give him my car keys so just left it booked in with them for Friday.
I have now got the car booked into another garage who have said they will look at it and prepare a report, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem? What can I do if it turns out they have done something wrong in terms of their negligence? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

would never put just 3 tyres on a car, always fit in pairs, of same make preferably! could be that on the axle wher just one new tyre was fitted its differnt size or type? hence handling problems; easy to check what does it say on the side of the new tyre, and the other one?
Also of corse may have damaged suspension with jack, who knows.
I would not let them take the car away from you, you dont know what that have done or will do! Take car to them and get it checked while you watch so you agree corrective action if required. As for negligence, nothing has resulted from it so far except inconveince, which they may or not offer compensation of some sort: Just dont use them again!

Thanks for your reply - much appreciated!