Halfords broke my Roomster

[malbee]

I would be interested in other members opinions:  Put my Roomster in for Major service and MOT at Halfords, they phoned later in the day to tell me a problem occured when changing the fuel filter, the fitter had broken a fuel pipe leading to it and it would take a week to obtain one as this is a common fault with Skodas and the said pipe are in such high demand! and also that as the car was 8 years old it was to be expected! (I kid you not)

I now have to be without my car for a week as it cannot be moved from the service centre.

I wonder am I entitled to some form of recompense for the expense of Taxis,Bus,Train and general inconvenience that Halfords incompetence has caused me,

or is it just one of those unfortunate things that can happen when you leave your vehicle to be serviced.

Any thoughts guys?

[Ootohere]

Yes. You are due compensation for loss of use and expenses. 

But from the off they should have arranged a Hire Car via their Insurance as a business.

 

Best have their Management arrange the transfer of your car to a Qualified Technician at a Skoda Main Dealership.

 

Or you have them confirm their responsibility 'in writing' and that they are covering your costs and have the vehicle collected by a recovery company and taken to a Skoda Main Dealership & an inspection and repair carried out.

Edited 4 August, 2016 by GoneOffSKi

[@Lee]

You asked for thoughts so; I wouldn't ever take my car to Halfords for servicing.

[Tech1e]

Having worked on Roomsters since their inception I can honestly say I have never broken a fuel pipe and nor have I seen anyone else do it. The likely reason of the delay in getting parts is its a non UK stocked part because they normally don't get busted unless you're a ham fisted Wampa.

[malbee]

I appreciate all your replies, but I fear I may have left it too late to get any sort of compensation as the car should be due back tomorrow (they said a week to obtain the part)

In hindsight I should have made my claims at the outset, so I shall just have to take it up the exhaust and put it down to experience and as one of you said--steer clear of Halfords in the future!!

[Ootohere]

If it is repaired tomorrow then that is your choice but have you anything in writing from the Halfords Service Centre Operator accepting the responsibility of the employees actions?

 

You really should get that in case it was more than just a broken pipe.

They are due you recompence for your out of pocket expenses.

 

I take it you are not paying for the Service and if paid in advance that is being refunded.

[malbee]

I have had 1 phone call from Halfords, that was the day the incident happened and nothing else. He did say that I would not have to pay for the part that the fitter broke!!!

which I thought was more than generous.

Paid for the service and MOT in advance, obviously to mention of and refund.

I think I will just get my car back and then write to Halfords head office and explaining what has happened and see how it goes from there, can't see me getting any satisfaction from the local branch, as they are more than likley trying to hush it up and cover their backs.

Thanks!

[Ootohere]

http://halfordsautocentres.com/advice/about-us/our-guarantees

[Breezy_Pete]

"Satisfaction Guarantee:You also have the reassurance of our Satisfaction Guarantee. 9 out of 10 of our customers say they would recommend us to a friend."

 

That's not a guarantee as I understand the word, that's a customer feedback rating indicating that 10% of their customers wouldn't recommend them to a friend.

I'm not sure I'd brag about that failure-to-impress rate.

[countryboy]

Rubbish, if it were a common breakage part then Skoda UK would make sure there are sufficient supplies in the country to cover part requests. As it is taking so long it is obviously on back order from the factory. I would get it in writing what the service centre said, get the opinion of your Skoda dealer or another specialist like Tech1e or James@RRG Rochdale and send that with your out of pocket expenses due to this error asking for compensation at the least and full refund of the service and MOT cost and expenses ideally.

Ian.

[P6bJOHN]

I think you have been too kind to Halfords, I'm reasonably laid back, but the manager at Halfords would have had to visit his Proctologist to have the second anus I'd have ripped him sewn up.

[Ootohere]

Hopefully the Roomster is back with the OP.

Full tank of fuel as a gesture / apology and his Card refunded with the charge for the Service.

[malbee]

Hi all,

Update to the Halfords saga---Phoned today, one week after putting the Roomster in for service (ha ha)---""Naah part hasn't got ere yet"

I said you stated the part would be fitted within a week! ---"Noffink I can do if the part ain't ere"

Anyway I expressed my opinion ( in a civil manner) of Halfords and that particular branch---Their skill levels,proficiency-(lack of) and general customer care.

The reply I got was, that it was not their fault the fuel pipe snapped, (must have been a suicidal pipe then!)

I mentioned a hire car, expenses reimbursement and general inconvenience of not having my car,--got no reply to this query, what he said was,

"I feel insulted by what you said about my staff, so I will get my regional Manager to call you and let him deal with it"

I said good, please do--that was at 1400hrs today, but as expected, no call did I get from "The Man"

So it goes on!

What I have gained from this whole debacle is, having just joined Briskoda, that how many kind and helpful people there are of you out there!

So anyway it looks like next week before the Roomster heads home.

I will let you know how things progress with Halfrauds!!

[Breezy_Pete]

Go there tomorrow morning and demand to be shown your car*.  Photograph the broken pipe. See if you can see a VAG part number written on it anywhere and write that down, if not try to trace where it's going to at the other end. Photograph the destination.

Post the photos on here.

 

Someone (and I'll certainly try) will probably be able to find the part number required even if you can't see it printed on the pipe. Armed with the part number (or a description of where it goes) you can call any Skoda dealership (before their Parts Dept closes around midday) and ask about availability.  Find out to what extent Halfords' story rings true about availability/non-availability.

 

What year is the car? What engine does it have? Possibilities are tabulated here.

 

* It's your property, if they say something like "sorry, 'elf 'n' safety rules mean we can't let you into the workshops" say "Well you'll have to push it outside for me, thanks."

Edited 5 August, 2016 by Wino

[malbee]

Thanks for your reply Wino, my Roomster is a 2008 1.4 petrol.

I acknowledge your advice, but to be quite honest with you, I would be quite apprehensive doing what you suggest, after all ---they have my car, I go there making demands, leave,

then my car it at the mercy of a bunch of incompentents---maybee a bit of a dramatic statement, but you know what happens in the resturant kitchen when you send your food back!!

As for making queries with a VAG dealer, they would more than likely tell me to go fly a kite, as I should have gone to them in the first place.

Thanks anyway Pal.

[Tech1e]

Ironically there isn't a service interval for a petrol fuel filter.

(That doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from

Being replaced though).

However there is a proper release tool that prevents damage to the pipe.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Think I'd get my car recovered to a Skoda Garage by my breakdown company, have the car fixed, reclaim all of the costs. 

[tubbytommy]

I think you are being far too soft.

Apart from the obvious why on earth you would use halfrauds.

Why would you let then keep your car for a week with no apologies or compensation.

I'd be demanding the car back and compensation now!!!

Edited 6 August, 2016 by tubbytommy

[tubbytommy]

T

Edited 6 August, 2016 by tubbytommy

[KenONeill]

I think you have been too kind to Halfords, I'm reasonably laid back, but the manager at Halfords would have had to visit his Proctologist to have the second anus I'd have ripped him sewn up.

If it had been me, he'd have needed a general surgeon to remove the broken fuel pipe!

[Clive]

I will let you know how things progress with Halfrauds!!

 

Any progress then malbee ? 

[malbee]

Halfords update!!!

Sunday day 16 without my Roomster!!! I kid you not.-----methinks this is more than a broken fuel pipe,I suspect they have fouled up bigtime somewhere along the line.

I phoned head office at the start of last week (which I should have done from day 1) -- within the hour there was a very nice man from a car hire company picking me up and fifteen minutes later I was driving out of their depot with a brand new car, which I still have and will keep until mine is sorted!

So there is 2 lessons to be learned-----(1)    DON'T GO TO HALFORDS IN THE FIRST PLACE

                                                             (2)    IF YOU ARE DAFT ENOUGH (LIKE ME) TO DO SO AND HAVE PROBS.--STRAIGHT IN TOUCH WITH HEAD OFFICE, FORGET THE PLEBS AT 

                                                                      BRANCH LEVEL.

 

Will keep you posted-----I must confess I'am starting to find this saga quite amusing!!

[Breezy_Pete]

Have you seen the car since the day you dropped it off?

Have you spoken to a solicitor?

I reckon they've crashed it into something or dropped it off a lift.

[P6bJOHN]

Were the emergency services very active around Halfords during the initial time they had it?.......

[malbee]

I do appreciate your feedback to my posts, apart from the banal ones---surgical realignment,violent threats, and costly solicitors fees, that can't be remotely aligned with the real world,

I had hoped that there was someone out there that had a little legal/experience/down to earth advice, that they could give me.

You can't go blasting into the local branch,fist thumping onto the counter, demanding this and that----after all,you are dealing with a bunch of half-wits (which I know now, but it's too late)

and to get any satisfaction, I think a softly, softly, approach and deal directly with head office is the answer.

If I was guaranteed a succesfful outcome to a legal case, I would not hesitate to initiate one, but what we have here is a £230 service on a car and I have no intention of splashing out more money to try and even.

anyway, will keep you posted,

GREAT TIMES!!!!