BDK

[sobrique]

Well, I’m a bit disappointed in BDK.
As you may (or may not) know, I’ve used them for servicing and repairs for ... well, all my cars really since I’ve owned one.

Used to be really rather good.

This week though, well, let’s just say they’ve failed to deliver.

The saga begins when I found a window broken on Sunday. Bank holiday, of course, everywhere is closed. But emergency glass replacement can be done…only not if your electric window doesn’t work. Not being able to lower down the window, means not being able to put new glass in.

So anyway, on Tuesday I ring up BDK, and ask them about getting the motor in my electric window checked, and if necessary replaced. Thursday they say. OK, bit longer than I want to wait, but … well, I guess I can cope.

Drop my car off Thursday morning, and Taxi to work (taxi gets lost, but that’s another story). Ask them to let me know when they’re done.

On Thursday afternoon, I ring them up, and ask how they’re doing (historically, they’ve been a bit crap at letting me know how they’re doing anyway). Their reply is that they’ve ordered a new window, and it’ll be arriving tomorrow morning.

Ok, this is where it starts to go a bit wrong – that’s not what I asked them to do, and the fact that they are makes my life inconvenient with the insurance company. Glass is already ordered though, so … well, whatever, let it ride. Today, I phone up at lunchtime to see how they’re getting on. I figure that I might be able to go for a long lunch (because I’m on lates) to go pick my car up and pay them – I’m on lates this week and I can’t get there in time in the evening.

Nope, at 13:00 they’ve got about an hour and a half to go.
My insurance company have the ‘don’t arrange the replacement through us, and we won’t cover it under our no-claims exemption’ thingy going on.
So I get to make a ‘full claim’ and have excess and loss of no claims for the mechanism and glass. (e.g. not worth it).

And I get to go get my car on Saturday morning, instead.

Now, I appreciate work sometimes takes longer, and parts aren’t available, but … am I being unrealistic in my expectation that if a garage isn’t going to be finished on the day, then they could at least tell me, as soon as they know? Not to mention doing what I didn’t ask them to (although I suppose I did tell then what was up verbally, and ‘sorting out the electric window mechanism’ might be possible to interpret as ‘sort out the glass as well’) is thus going to end up costing me significantly more than if I’d got it done by the insurance company.

They’re also on the wrong side of Cov, but I can’t really call that their fault J

I think I’ll be finding a new garage. Ideally one on the ‘Warwick Uni’ side of town, for next time. Anyone got any recommendations?

Comments

[mrbear.livejournal.com]

I've generally used VRS and found them to be pretty good. Used them exclusively when I had the Rover. Now I'm back in the Mini I use Southam Mini and Metro Centre who won't be much use to you. :P

That said, for broken windows you can't really beat Autoglass or National Windows, whichever your insurance company prefers.

[fishrgreat.livejournal.com]

VRS have done a good job with Paul's car as I said yesterday - they've been very helpful, and very reasonable too

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

I always used to use Fleet Maine, in Tile Hill, apparently they're allied in some way with Green Garages I've also heard good things of.

website

[ehrine.livejournal.com]

They're owned by the same guy who also owns Green Fleet garage on Albany Road (which isn't much of a walk from our house). The guy who owns them has always struck me as genuine despite his bad habit of always giving you quotes without VAT (naughty naughty).

[gingerboy.livejournal.com]

Another vote for Green Fleet on Albany Road. Found Ed give an honest view on what work needs doing, and it always feels like a honest mechanic is hard to come by(*). Ed used to run Green Garage over on Ball Hill, but he now runs the Green Fleet on Albany Road & Fleet Maine in Tile Hill. I've taken my cars to Ed for 8 years now, and no bad experiences. Only quibble would be having to call at times to find out if your car is ready, and if that's the worst that can be said, that's good going :-)

(*) had bad experiences a few times too many from the Renault garage over in Cannon Park when I had a Clio - even though it was a main dealer things were often just not quite right. The car alarm broke while they had it but they refused responsibility, and numerous smaller incidences which means I'll never go back there.

[ehrine.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Ed has always given me the impression that he's completely genuine. It's a good thing to have, a mechanic who you can trust to only tell you what's wrong and not make up "extra work".

Westlakes

[(Anonymous)]

Probably a bit far for you but anyone in the High Wycombe area (Buckinghamshire), Westlakes have always provided a very good service and collect and drop off your car aswell :)

http://www.westlakemotorservices.com