# Garage experience.



## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Dear Mods,
don't worry i am not going to name the guy on here but if anyone wants to know his name they can either call me or pm me.
Two weeks ago my car stopped working, just stalled and wouldn't re-start. Had it towed to a garage, they mechanic had it for 4 days, and didn't know what it was. We threatened to take the car away from him, he immediately said it's the pump, that'll be €1000 please. I told him no way and I would be taking the car away from him. I paid him for his time and we parted amicably.
I then took the car to a different mechanic, he had it one day and said it's the pump, that'll be a €1000 please. I told him I was going to look around for a pump myself, he said I can get a re-con one for €675 +iva= €830ish. I said I would still like to try and locate one myself. I found one for €250, bought it and took it to him, he waited for 5 more days until he fitted it and then called and said it wasn't working and that he was unhappy at doing the extra work. I took the part back and was refunded, I then told the mechanic to get the re-con unit and fit it. He quoted me €100 for the work at the start of all this. 
He called tonight to say the car was ready, i went down and he presented me with a bill for €1,430, to save your maths the original agreed was around €950 in total. The bill for labour was €430, I told him to go forth and multiply. I told him I wasn't going to be ripped off and he was messing with the wrong guy. I explained why I wasn't paying him what he wanted, in no uncertain terms, (my angry Portuguese is getting better) he hid behind his glass partition and told me, we will come to some agreement. In the end I paid him €1176, more than I wanted to, but less than he was claiming. The lesson here is, if you don't agree with the bill, and you feel you are being ripped off, don't take it lying down.


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## stephanie (Nov 11, 2008)

Ooh, James, you are scary when your angry. . .

A good trustworthy mechanic is invaluable, and so hard to find. Thanks for the warning.


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## blackirishgirl (Feb 20, 2009)

James, I can't even imagine you being angry with your soft spoken, patient way. I pity the guy for having the wrath of "silvers" rain upon him! :boxing: :clap2:. Glad you got your wheels back and hope now that it's fixed it's REALLY fixed!


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Unfortunately I do have the capacity to be a very angry person. I don't like to be taken advantage of and feel the guy got what he deserved. It's more of a pity that this guy behaved this way because it sours my whole experience of Portugal and Portuguese. I still love the Portuguese but it will take a lot for me to trust a mechanic again.


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## omostra06 (Sep 11, 2007)

Sorry to hear about what has happend james. 
I know a few expats over this way have also been ripped off by a guy here, one couple knowingly went back to the same garage a second time only to be ripped off again, even though it was common knowledge among the "expat crowd" that he was overcharging and replacing parts that were not required. 
the reason they went back- "its just easier as he speaks English"!


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