Watchdog - Kwik-Fit

Did you see it last night? Normally I get irritated with them because they spend way too much time pissing about instead of getting straight to the subject - unlike Radio 4's "You and Yours". But I digress. Last night was an expose on "Kwik-Fit". They said they had had dozens of complaints about work that hadn't been done but was charged for or were told that xyz things required fixing but didn't. They sent in ten cars which had been carefully marked by a forensic engineer. A number of items were not looked at. Read the full report here:

Watchdog: Kwik to overcharge?

And as kwik as you can say Kwik-Fit they have come back with a response. Obviously they must have paid Google because if you type in "Watchdog" the first link is "Kwik-Fit". If they didn't pay I'd like to know how to do the trick so we can put TRC at the top.

I think their response is called 'damage limitation'.

Here's what they have to say.

Watchdog

Not easy to recover from very bad publicity.

Can't say I'm surprised. I remember my grandad going apeshit at them for replacing a set of supposedly mullered shocks without authorization, when he'd taken the car in for a new tyre.

If they hadn't tried the same trick twice within 6 months, they might have got away with it.

That was about 20 years ago... looks like not much has changed since then!

I reported Kwik Fit in Largs about five years ago for this very same thing, they can backpeddle as much as they like but its company policy throughout the whole country.
Hope they get shafted for it.

Pretty damning. I must say they always come across to me as a scruffy operation with some half-trained people

To provide a contrast, I took my car to a place local to work this week for its MOT and the service was brilliant - Bexley Lane Garage in Crayford, Kent. Very professional bloke who owns/runs it, as I was waiting I overheard him on the phone to many customers/suppliers and his efficiency, politeness and professionalism were obvious

The mechanics seemed well-trained and they too were extremely efficient and looked really hard working. And the waiting area and workshop were pin-clean and well ordered. Prices pretty good too, you can stick yer Kwik-fits etc up yer arse

Thats the old mechanicing game for you.

I did it for a year. What's the main foctor when working out the invoice? What you think they can afford. If you don't get them this time, you'll do it next time.

It's a bit like old folks' homes but slightly less cut throat.

Originally Posted by dodgy

Pretty damning. I must say they always come across to me as a scruffy operation with some half-trained people

To provide a contrast, I took my car to a place local to work this week for its MOT and the service was brilliant - Bexley Lane Garage in Crayford, Kent. Very professional bloke who owns/runs it, as I was waiting I overheard him on the phone to many customers/suppliers and his efficiency, politeness and professionalism were obvious

The mechanics seemed well-trained and they too were extremely efficient and looked really hard working. And the waiting area and workshop were pin-clean and well ordered. Prices pretty good too, you can stick yer Kwik-fits etc up yer arse

Is that the place with the big old tyre hangin gon the outside? My missus takes her vans up there to be serviced. Always been good as gold.

To provide a little balance...I have had basics done at Kwik Fit in Cardiff, Newport Rd - tyres, brakes, exhaust etc. the usuals - for years, with all my cars from a really shit Skoda 105S upwards, and not once had a problem. The main guys there have been there for years and it shows. It possibly depends on the branch?

Originally Posted by dodgy

Pretty damning. I must say they always come across to me as a scruffy operation with some half-trained people

To provide a contrast, I took my car to a place local to work this week for its MOT and the service was brilliant - Bexley Lane Garage in Crayford, Kent. Very professional bloke who owns/runs it, as I was waiting I overheard him on the phone to many customers/suppliers and his efficiency, politeness and professionalism were obvious

The mechanics seemed well-trained and they too were extremely efficient and looked really hard working. And the waiting area and workshop were pin-clean and well ordered. Prices pretty good too, you can stick yer Kwik-fits etc up yer arse

Ownership must have changed then as a few years ago they have tried to tell me I needed new brake disks, that was six months after they were paid to fit new brake disks. I smelt a rat and took it to the main dealer behind them, they said the disks were worn but nowhere near needing replacing.

Originally Posted by Glow

To provide a little balance...I have had basics done at Kwik Fit in Cardiff, Newport Rd - tyres, brakes, exhaust etc. the usuals - for years, with all my cars from a really shit Skoda 105S upwards, and not once had a problem. The main guys there have been there for years and it shows. It possibly depends on the branch?

And customer and work required I think.

The one in Orpington I use occasionally for tyres recharged my tepid air con on the Celica last year and did a good job for £25 which I can't grumble about. If they had told me that the chassis had woodworm and I needed to get if carbonised or some such shit I'd just have said 'no ta' and been done. Just as I don't let Sainsbury's do my plastering, I don't let Kwik-Fit do anything other than tyres and exhausts.

Originally Posted by gremlin

And customer and work required I think.

The one in Orpington I use occasionally for tyres recharged my tepid air con on the Celica last year and did a good job for £25 which I can't grumble about. If they had told me that the chassis had woodworm and I needed to get if carbonised or some such shit I'd just have said 'no ta' and been done. Just as I don't let Sainsbury's do my plastering, I don't let Kwik-Fit do anything other than tyres and exhausts.

I don't let Kwik Fit do tyres ever since I had to listen to hard sell on why it was so important to pump up my tyres with nitrogen.