Cars/Motoring | Scams-Online.com

Kwik Fit BS

Kwik Fit – the friendly face of UK car garages, why would you want to go to a grimy back street garage when you can stick to a name you can trust?

Not only do they have a big and well known brand but they have some good deals. The tyres and MOTs are very reasonable and if you need your aircon looking at they may just be the best people to go to. Also you have to love the way if they change a tyre for you their very friendly team will get your car up on the ramp and give it a quick once over free of charge.

This is the thing that gets to me – I wanted one tyre. They get it up on the ramp and say I need 3, I say nonsense.
They know tyres better than anyone and to be fair I could have used 3 but to tell me I am breaking the law by not having 3 replaced was in itself ironically breaking the law. How can I make such an accusation? Well I did not get them replaced, got pulled two months later and the police said nothing after inspecting my tyres.

It doesn’t end there, I also apparently needed new rear coil springs and the helpful chap pointed out the problem with them and said it would definately not pass an MOT with those on. Two MOT’s at two different garages later and I’m still rocking the same springs.

Kwikfit as a company are legit – they have a valuable brand image it is essential they protect. The problem lies within the fact that the workers are paid a bonus dependant on work done. This motivates excessive work, and a quick web search will reveal that they have previously been investigated for charging for work that was not carried out.

So by all means go, get your cheap tyres or cheap brakes if that’s what you are aware you need. But please think carefully before you listen to all the other suggestions they make. Appreciate the advice they offer for any extra’s you were not expecting to need but do try to get a trusted second opinion before you shell out more than you had anticipated.

It seems a little unfair to direct all of this at Kwik Fit – this type of “Bill Padding” takes place at small back street garages and National dealerships.

As a customer without much experience and concerned about your car it is all too easy to take whatever the garage says and go along with it. The car is already in their hands and now many issues can only be found with access to special diagnostic equipment. Following a few simple rules will help you avoid getting taken in to easily.

Try to find a reliable Garage before you need one
Ask your family or friends. When you go to the garage tell them you are there on a recommendation. They may treat you even better to keep you and your refferer happy.

Compare Garages
Go in and talk to them, find out how they treat their customers and what they offer under a service.

Maintain your vehicle Carefully
Make sure you keep up with the servicing – a well maintained car is less likely to need repairs. Also regularly check coolant and oil levels. Basic advice but all too often people fail to do this causing untold damage to their vehicles.

Check their credentials
Find out if they are a member of the Motor Vehicle Repairers’ Association or Good garage scheme. Find out if the mechanics have certificates of training

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Used Car Scam

A car is a major purchase, whether it’s new or used. But every purchase can have its problems and none more so than buying a previously-owned vehicle. It’s a market that’s wide open to scammers – statistics show that used car buyers have a one in three chance of buying a vehicle that’s subject to fraud. But with some care you can avoid them and find the car of your dreams.

The Things Scammers Do
Selling a car that’s been repaired after an accident. The frame might be bent then re-straightened, or any number of faults could be covered. Obviously, they’re not about to tell you – they simply want to sell the car. Buy it and you could be riding a death trap.
Selling stolen vehicles. Only two-thirds of cars stolen each year are recovered. Many stolen cars are re-sold. If you’ve bought one and the police find it, they’ll take it. In theory you can pursue the seller for your money – but what are the odds of finding him?
Selling a car that’s not paid for yet. If you knew about the debt, then the finance company can take the car from you. You can keep it if you didn’t know – but how do you prove it?
How to Avoid the Scam
Make sure the seller can produce all the proper documentation, and that the car has a VIN number (you’ll usually find it in the engine compartment and also the bodywork).
Remember that cars more than three years old must have MOT certificates. Check it, and compare the mileage with the odometer.
Always ask to see a seller’s proof of identity. If it’s a private sale, look at their insurance policy.
Find out about the vehicle’s history before you buy. The AA or the HPI can tell you.
Have the vehicle checked. If you belong to a motoring organisation, they’ll do that for a fee, or you can bring in your own mechanic.
Never buy from anyone who’s selling a car in a motorway service area – that’s asking for trouble. If possible, go to the seller’s house.
Watch out for ads where dealers pretend to be private sellers. Not only are they trying to dodge some legal obligations, it’s probably a car they can’t sell otherwise.
What To Do If You’re Scammed
Is the vehicle “as described”? That, unfortunately, is the limit of your legal protection in a private sale. If the car isn’t as described, you can sue the seller – which is why it’s good to know his address. Beware, though: If you buy a car that breaks down the minute you get it home, you might be stuck – unless for instance, the owner claimed it had just passed its MOT when it quite clearly would have failed.

Try and resolve any problems directly with the seller. If you can’t and it’s a private sale, you can sue in County Court. If the amount of the sale is less than £5,000, use small claims court. If the amount is higher, consider independent arbitration – most motoring organisations offer it.

If you bought the car from a dealer, you can contact the appropriate trade associations – find out which he belongs to. Or you can contact Trading Standards

For insider details on getting the best deals Click Here!

Reproduced courtesy of www.SafeFromScams.co.uk – staying safe from scams

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The Warranty Group

This is the biggest scam I have ever fallen for in my entire life. In fact I realised this was a scam about 6 months after I bought in to it, and at that point I wanted to start a website, generate traffic, optimise it purely to tell everyone what a bunch of ****s these are.
How ironic that the very person that they made angry by ripping them off is now in fact the same person who is writing about them on the internets.

I got what I thought was a good deal from the Car Shop – one of those big car supermarkets. I don’t have a problem with the Car Shop in general I thought that their salesman was actually very honest and pleasant and I found their customer service staff to be polite and reasonablw when I since called them to give them some crap. Shame they mis-sold the hell out of a warranty thats not worth the paper it’s written on!

Once I had picked my car and negotiated what I felt was a good discount it was in to the office to sign the papers. (unexpected being my first car purchase but this is where the real selling took place) We negotiated the finance deal – and I have no problem with this. The trouble was at this stage terrible scenarios were described in detail with some charts drawn by hand for good measure – what if your ECU goes this could cost XYZ, or if it fails your MOT will you have the spare £££ to get it sorted straight away.

Apparently if I took out a policy with the Warranty group every eventuality would be taken care of. I would never need to worry about anything going wrong as for the 3 years I will be paying £50 per month they would fix anything wrong with my car.

The upshot of it is they are completely useless and all that money I may as well have flushed down the toilet. I tried numerous times to get reparis covered and they are never under the warranty.

First of all I had the dreaded engine management light – just a Lambda sensor apparently. The warranty group would not deal with the garage even though they were happy to deal with them. They suggested that I go to National car Centre that they refer work to. I’m not saying that they are a cartel but they are a cartel.

When my radiator had a hole in it there was no way I was going to National I had dealt with them before (I spent £200 on a fix that did not address the problem and they claimed it did fix the problem, it didnt).
So I did the next best thing and went to a Vauxhall dealer. They would have to deal with these right? Well they did but the whole episode was a complete debacle. In the end one of the engineers had to take photos of my damaged radiator and send it to the Warranty group. Based on the photo they claimed the damage had been caused by a stone hitting the radiator and this is not covered.

I argued this with them for days but they twist and turn and slime their way through the conversation. The whole thing is a complete waste of time they know they are not going to pay a single penny. They are a horrible company to deal with and it would be my pleasure to say bad things about them to anyone who would be willing to listen.

From my first car purchase I learned some very valuable lessons:

1) The real sales process takes place after you have bought the car, this is where they really make money off you.
2) Never deal with The Warranty Group
3) If a warranty and or finance is needed arrange the best deal for yourself, the dealer is acting as a reseller of these financial services and they add a significant premium to them.
4) They will also likely offer other financial services such as life insurance – if you want this again why buy it from a car dealer?

These are just the basics but the information is out there if you only have time to look for it.
Click Here for insider tips and secrets that could help you to save thousands on your next vehicle.

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Kwik Fit BS

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