I sued Halfords and won!

[StuRox]

Thought I would share my story....

I purchased a Hilka Towing Pole to take a car to a garage that I was PX'ing, a Pug 207 CC:-

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/gar...owing-pole

The pole was £29.99 when I purchased in August of last year.

After 4 miles, all of which the instructions were strictly adhered to, the pole snapped, which resulted in the PX going in the back on my disco, and it’s my 300 tdi off road jobbie with HD tank guards etc!

Resulted in £1,500.00 damage to the PX which was knocked off the price at the garage.

Went back to Halfords who denied everything and said I wasn't using the pole in accordance with the instructions - they even at first refused to speak to me as I wasn't a firm of solicitors!

I served a Small Claim on Halfords, which they proceeded to defend. At first it was their in house Legal Solicitor, then nearer the Court Date was passed to a Firm of Solicitors, as they would not agree to settle with the amounts I proposed - they offered me £100.00 to go away!! The initial Small Claims Court Fee was £105.00!!!

It went to Court and Halfords had an Advocate on their behalf against little old me!

After a long day the Judge found in my favour and awarded me my £1,500.00 plus court fees, interest and costs.

Have tried to leave a review on Halfords web site, as I have now found that this Towing Pole has snapped with other customers, and strange as it is, they keep rejecting my review - glad to see freedom of speech is alive and well!

So after 7 months I am now back to where I was but with a lot of stress in the meantime......I just cannot believe the way Halfords have dealt with this, and tried to use the Bullying techniques in the hope I would give up and go away!  

 

[kevberlin]

Good effort by you. Well done.

[vrskeith]

Well done for having the balls to take the big boys on!

 

Shame you had to suffer all the stress - what value for that?

Edited 15 March, 2016 by vrskeith

[mac11irl]

Shame it took that much effort, but delighted the pack of ball bags got shafted in the end by the judge.

fact it has failed for others says alot about it... and that they still took all way to court??? Muppets deserved a full ruling against them

[Machpoint005]

I notice the product is "unavailable right now" on the Halfrauds web site.

[StevesTruck]

Nice work, and fair play for being honest - a lesser man would have stuck a whiplash claim or two in as well!

[Outofthi5world]

My dad had a radio installed there once years ago and they cut the wire that went to the alarm, not tapped into it, just cut it and sent the permanent live to the radio instead leaving the car with no alarm. My dad got the car repaired at an auto electricians and had them pay the bill. At least that didn't end up in court though. Good that you won anyway, it would take a fool of a judge to rule in favor of them.

[Evil]

Most would have given up (I know I probably would have), excellent result chap. Good on ya!!..  :beer: 

[Aspman]

Fair play to you :clap:

[Multimode]

Let's look at this from another angle...

 

Hilka isn't known for the high quality of its products (to put it mildly!) and Halfords have been in the business long enough to know that.

 

The Towing Pole failure and the resulting damage was proven to be the responsibility of Halfords as the retailer, but perhaps they have a case for reclaiming their losses from the manufacturer in turn.  If this fails, and Halfords therefore refuse to sell any more Hilka products, it will be to the public's benefit in my view.  We (me included) are too taken with buying on price rather than on quality!

 

[mender]

I read it a Harrods...

Thought the caviar was off

[Defenderben]

I have used the same pole that your link goes to at least 3 times and it has been fine.

Towing our partner vans with a larger vivaro.

Where did it snap and under what circumstances?

[gadgetman]

Well done. Interesting it's now unavailable.

[GentleGiant]

Glad you got your money back; years ago I took my car into one of the first Halfords service centres for a full service; not only did they not do half of what was required, they broke the hand brake cable, damaged a brake pipe, seized up the back brakes and buggered up the engine so badly it came out doing less than half the mpg it went in doing. it took them 6 visits and two weeks to get the car road-worthy again, and at one point they refused to arrange or pay for a tow truck after the replacement hand brake locked on at a traffic junction 1/2 mile from the centre.

 

All I got offered was a free interim service - like I would ever trust them with a car again!!!

[VWD]

Sorry- but ,perhaps thy can now be legally called "HAL FRAUDS"

[StuRox]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

 

I wasn't aware of Hilka, whether they were good or bad, I just bought a pole that I thought was good, as it wasn't the cheapest (at that time).

 

It snapped at the dampening spring part of the pole pulling a car well within the 2 tonne limit, as I reckon it only weighs in at around 1,400kg.

 

All I ever wanted back was the cost of the damage I had incurred - nothing more, nothing less and I made that clear to Halfords at that time in august last year.  Shame they have incurred all the expense of Solicitors fees, and Advocate fees at a hearing to be told what I told them 7 months ago.  If I wasn't so bloody minded I think I would have quit the process a long time ago as it is quite daunting for an 'individual' and at sometimes intimidating.  Not something I wish to repeat in hurry!

[Aspman]

You'd have thought they'd have seen the way the wind was blowing on this. Someone one onhigh must have decided they were going to fight whatever the outcome.

[StuRox]

Yes, I must admit I didn't think it would go all the way, as its not commercially viable in my eyes to try and defend that amount, but all they were prepared to offer me to go on my way was £100.00, which was more of an insult and made me more bloody minded than before!

 

I dread to think their out lay in legal fees - more fool them really.  I appreciate they may have a 'no nonsense' approach to claims, but surely one of their legal advisers should have weighed up the pros and cons to the claim....maybe not!

[Aspman]

An advocate won't have been cheap. But they'll take on any job.

 

I was once involved in an industrial tribunal over a teacher. He was bang to rights but wouldn't admit it.

3 solicitors and a advocate later the result was the same just more expensive for him.

 

Stupidly if he'd admitted it up front he'd have probably kept his job. Same as Halfords only being out the cost of your repairs.

[cheezemonkhai]

It wouldn't surprise me if the advocate told me they had little chance of success and advised them not to go for it, but they did anyway.

I've seen that happen before.