My car broke down and the insurers insisted that it was transported to the nearest main dealer. After a lot of sharp intakes of breath the garagist came to me with a big smile and a quote of well over 2000 €. New clutch and gearbox. Saying I would think about it, I went to my usual local garage, who arranged for the car to be collected, only 40 € and he had a look at it. Result: replacement of a small part and a bill of107 €. Was it my English accent or is there a deal going on.
They don't call them Main Stealers for nothing! Glad you had the sense to go elsewhere, 1-0 to John.
Tony that format of rogue this and that's is used in france to, I have watched it several times and it helps to clear the rose tint from the glasses of unsuspecting Ex pats.
The local Peugeot dealer tried to charge us to order a "special tyre" for the hire car €280 I kid you not, we have hire car insurance and informed them, it went back to hire company and we received a bill for the tyre €60 and insurance4carhire paid us out for the cost incurred. Insurance4carhire is excellent as it cost for a year what a hire car company costs for super collision damage waiver for one week and they cover tyres and windscreens which the others don't. Just thought I would give them a plug, nothing to do with them but a happy customer.
Hi got the devi’s from the main dealer. He said the clutch was completely gone and the gear box was damaged in the process. Invoice on its way from local garage. He showed me the bit he replaced. A metal cylindrical piece about 3inches long with an internal thread. Quite heavy. That is where my mechanical knowledge ends. Wheni get the invoice I will post what the part was. By the way he says my clutch is good.
For replacing clutch and gearbox, the price is ok. My quibble was that it was not needed. I spoke to my insurers who were not really that interested, as far as they were concerned their interest ended when the car was delivered to the garage. They have to get it to the nearest garage of your make. End of !!!!. New insurers next year I think.
I had a double puncture last week. I was less than 1km from my usual garage. He came out and took my car in, then drove me home. Next day I had my car ready, two new front tyres, wheels balanced, back wheels checked and tyres inflated correctly. They are not cheapo tyres either. I am a regular customer, buy fuel there too, so treated as a local customer with a handshake and a bise by his wife in the office. My bill, bit over €220 with TVA. He has come out on calls for me before which he has not charged.
That is how it should be.
I went to a Renault main dealer with a problem once and got a spiel and quote that made my eyes water. I extremely carefully drove (equivalent of limping) the 24km to my regular garage and came away an hour later with an €80 bill.
That is how it should not be.
With our local garagiste we know exactly what we are getting!
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@46.947213,0.7085413,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1ske7Gl5CNDUb1-Lywqu0HEw!2e0
I would pass all the info to the insurers. They may well be interested as they to would have been ripped off