Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Lizzie Zoom on 05 March 2020, 17:16:19
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Down here in Ashford a new Formula One Autocentre is about to open, as though we haven't already got enough garages of every type!
What are these garages like? Any good? Or just like the rest? ??? ???
Not that I will be changing from the well established garage facilities I know well and use :D ;)
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As with most of these things it's down to the particular guys who run each one.
The one in Kidderminster was great, then the manager and a couple of the techs changed and were replaced with (what I assume to be) very poorly trained but very well shaved chimps. ::)
Needless to say I stopped using them.
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The one in Northampton got done over recently - safe, tools plus a car that was being stored overnight until it could be worked on (which was used to effect escape by ram-raiding their way out, backwards).
To be fair, they put the car owner into a hire car pretty swiftly and have paid a very fair settlement to the owner of the car (I know all this because I know the owner of the car), so they do appear to have a spine, as far as the whole company goes.
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F1 will be suing them shortly.
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The one in Northampton got done over recently - safe, tools plus a car that was being stored overnight until it could be worked on (which was used to effect escape by ram-raiding their way out, backwards).
To be fair, they put the car owner into a hire car pretty swiftly and have paid a very fair settlement to the owner of the car (I know all this because I know the owner of the car), so they do appear to have a spine, as far as the whole company goes.
Yes, that is good compared to the normal action by companies to refer all claims to their insurers with limited local empathy. ;)
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The one in Northampton got done over recently - safe, tools plus a car that was being stored overnight until it could be worked on (which was used to effect escape by ram-raiding their way out, backwards).
To be fair, they put the car owner into a hire car pretty swiftly and have paid a very fair settlement to the owner of the car (I know all this because I know the owner of the car), so they do appear to have a spine, as far as the whole company goes.
Yes, that is good compared to the normal action by companies to refer all claims to their insurers with limited local empathy. ;)
The settlement did come from the insurers, but they were remarkably helpful in sorting it all out for her :y
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F1 will be suing them shortly.
They've been going since 1969, so the F1 folks have had plenty of opportunity.. ;D
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F1 will be suing them shortly.
They've been going since 1969, so the F1 folks have had plenty of opportunity.. ;D
Yes, I know, but they're looking for something to deflect attention from Ferrari. ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
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Probably the same as all these centres, better off finding a good independent.
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
Lucky you, I have to wash the fickers too ;D
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Local shop here has been around for almost 10 years now.
When first open they seemed to be quite fair and transparent with work and charges but last few years and several manager changes and they are now on a par with Shite Fit and the other suspects.
High mark up and find jobs that really dont need attention...and when they do the work it is that good as staffed by the "chimp brigade"
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Why would anyone use one of these national outfits? Surely there are independent garages about?
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Quick,open 7 days a week and appeal to the non mechanical dollies
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
the wash basin is much easier to use (nearer) target wise if your 3 sheets to the wind :y
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
the wash basin is much easier to use (nearer) target wise if your 3 sheets to the wind :y
I used to have a shit in that while I was pissing all over the seat ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
the wash basin is much easier to use (nearer) target wise if your 3 sheets to the wind :y
I used to have a shit in that while I was pissing all over the seat ;D
I've shat on the loo whilst throwing up into the sink before :-[ bad pint ::)
unfortunately the bad pint was at the bottom of my stomach with 11 other good pints on top :P
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
I've heard that you still do. :P
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
I've heard that you still do. :P
It's nearly half nine, Ronny........up the apples and pears, there's a good lad. ;D
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Mrs Builder used to take her car to a Formula One Autocentre before i met her
looked at all the invoices , most above £500 every MOT
i'd say they are probably run similar to Halfrauds auto centers and Quicksh*t
get as much as you can from people who don't know any better >:(
She's a very lucky woman to have you fixing her car, Dave ;D
i'm good in the bedroom too ;)
i put me dirty clothes in the wash basket ;D
I bet you leave the bog seat up though! :D
equal rights now in modern society ::)
so , I close the lid and seat before flushing ,that way we are both equally inconvenienced ;D
When I was drunk in my younger days, I used to close the seat and lid before pissing ;D
I've heard that you still do. :P
It's nearly half nine, Ronny........up the apples and pears, there's a good lad. ;D
I have been known to last till 10ish. ;D
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Quick,open 7 days a week and appeal to the non mechanical dollies
they look professional, are conveniently sited, run effective advertising campaigns, most have 'menu' pricing, complaints are made to an area manager so are frequently resolved in your favour, etc etc.
Most drivers don't understand or care how their car works, so consequently have no interest in what needs to be done to keep it running. There is huge appeal once a year in driving to a place that looks tidy, has somewhere clean to sit, and driving away an hour later. It's also how main dealer service departments work.
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There is huge appeal once a year in driving to a place that looks tidy, has somewhere clean to sit, and driving away an hour later. It's also how main dealer service departments work.
Yup, even for someone like me! Although the local Land Rover indy (who I am rapidly becoming best friends with :-X) isn't a comfy place to sit, the local German indy who gets the things I can't be arsed to do on the BMW & MINI has a lovely waiting room complete with a little display case of old BL stuff, and a classic car dealer attached to the back to browse ;D
Granted mostly they just get to do the MOT while I wait, these days..
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Lizze, my local one in Chatham (opposite Rochester airfield) were the cheapest for a pair of Continentals on my Porsche. I gave them a list of do's and don'ts, no air guns (he said they don't use air guns at all) the wheels need to be put back a certain way, there's a red dot on one of the wheel studs which goes opposite the valve, and the locking wheel nut goes over the red dot. Tyre pressure at 32 psi, and torque the wheel nuts to 110 N/m.
He wrote it on the job sheet and informed the fitter doing the work. I assume he did all that because I haven't checked yet...
They seems a friendly bunch, I've used them before and probably use them again if the price is right.. But as said before it depends whose running the shop..
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The problem with places like them and other similar setups is pressure and stretched targets from head office to maximise profits.
So while you may find one with a good honest team, you will likely find that the manager gets changed to one who will suck up to head office demands.
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Yes no different than any other profit making enterprise.
The customer is a commodity to be treated as a means to a profit,and the service is only as good as the guy on the tools who probable gets minimum wage and very little job satisfaction on management praise.
I have also used the Chatham shop and have had very mixed service over the years,but only ever as a last resort on a Sunday or similar when something urgent required attention.Tend to be keen to get you in and seated in waiting area but then little urgency until you are required to pay