Neil Webb Parkside Garage - St. Austell, United Kingdom

I brought my Mercedes in after a warning light came up on the dashboard. The 'diagnosis' they gave me was to do with the ABS module to which they recommended purchasing a brand new one (of course they did) at the cost of £960 +VAT plus labour (they mentioned that the whole job would set me back not short of 1500 quid). The car isn't worth much more than about 3/4 Grand, so it was a difficult decision... My mechanic at home suggested whether they would look for a secondhand module for me, but because I lived 'upcountry' they wouldn't be able to guarantee the job. I also asked them whether they could send the part to be repaired, (I even found a link online who could repair it within 24hrs) and again they weren't happy doing that. They insisted that the diagnostic was correct and that a new part was the only option.
My mechanic (I know nothing about cars) was suspicious, and I made the decision to send the car back on a tow truck to him and hire a car to take me and my Mum back home.

I'm glad I did!!

It turned out that it was just a couple of brake pipes that needed replacing... Could have spent £1500...

When I mentioned that their diagnostic was evidently wrong since the car had been recently fixed with a diagnostic showing no fault, and perhaps I could have my fee of £78 (for the diagnostic) back considering they were wrong and I've already spent money hiring a car, they said no and that from the time I took the car away till it got to my mechanic, it could have "fixed itself" Wow!! What thorough service!

You might be asking, well what do you want?

I would have been happy if they had returned my 78 quid.