Any advice on experiences with garages.

[DaringD 101]

A couple weeks back my wife took our car in to get new tyres fitted all round at Euromaster in Hallstadt, Bamberg. 

 

Long story short, after an hour she returned and the tyres were wrong and weren't fitted, annoying but OK, these things happen. 

 

The next morning the front drivers side tyre was flat, completely. Coincidence? Maybe. These things happen, I used to run a garage so I give them the benefit of the doubt. My wife calls and tells them and the guy is rude to her, tells he they didn't even touch the car. 

 

Few days on I have enough time to look at the tyre and try to get it to hold air long enough to get to the garage to get new tyres put on, only when I inflate it the valve core is not tight and air is leaking very slowly from the valve. I take pictures and video and then tighten it and the tyre holds the air, no puncture, but a loose valve core. 

 

I write to Euromaster customer care and I get a stock reply asking for our invoice number. We didn't have one because they didn't do the work, so now we are in a very gray legal area. 

 

I know for sure they touched the car because the seat was in a different position then it was left in, there are also fresh Tool marks on the front drivers side wheel nuts and they didn't put the wheel cap back on properly. 

 

The fact they did work on the car means that they should have raised a job card for it and it should have been checked over before leaving, and that there is a contract between us for work carried out, even if that was just opening the door and closing it again. 

 

It's been 9 days with no reply. 

 

Am I in a position where I need to hire a lawyer or are there governing bodies or Chambers of commerce I can speak to first? 

 

As always, any advice is appreciated. 

 

If I've left anything out just ask... 

 

D

[French bean 3,462]

Can't help you with the legal side but that's the reason I stay away from the big chains. I just look out for a local clean and tidy garage, just about every town has them.

[DaringD 101]

Yeah, so do we, but he said he can't get tyres as cheap as the chains and it's not worth his time to change them, not in a bad way but like "i don't feel good charging you 150 EUR more than them" way. 

 

Anyway, I've taken out legal cover as of two weeks ago so in 3 months when my waiting period is up we'll be covered for shit like this in the future.

 

In fact if I could give one pie e of advice to my past self it would be to get legal cover from the moment I could afford it.