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Hi all,

Need advice.

Took my car in to have a tiny paint scrape sorted at a paint shop I have used many many times.
As an impulse I decided to photograph the cars mileage as I parked it and then again when I left with it repaired.
Surprisongly the car had covered around 4.5 miles when I got it back!!!!
So, I decided to download the dash cam footage. I was shocked and angry to see two w*****s from the garage (one was the boss) ragging my car around the country lanes at times exceeding 80 - 90mph, also sliding it out of the entrance to the business park!!!

Not too sure how to proceed with this, is it a legal/police issue? Would he be insured?
If I do have him prosecuted then no doubt somewhere along the line my car will be scratched when he sees it somewhere.
Should I just go back and say give me the £200 for the job back and we'll call it quits...
Not sure what is best option.

Do we have any qualified legal bods here who can coment???

Blimey

I have picked up car from a service with temp guage at max. Hope the legal eagles will be along soon

Wow Mark, that’s shocking.
I would imagine that the garage has a traders insurance policy so would be covered to drive it, although they certainly didn’t have your permission to take it and rag it round the country roads so there’s grounds for prosecution, and the dash cam footage could lead to dangerous driving and speeding prosecution’s, I also know what you mean about possible repercussions.
Personally I think I’d go and confront the boss and see what he has to say. If you can get your money back it would at least be some compensation.
You could also slag the garage off on social media.

Leave a negative google review a the very least and/or share the footage to youtube citing the Traders name.
Traders rely on reputation and this would no doubt ruin him if savvy clients saw how they are willing to mis-treat customer cars.

They had no right to take your car out on a test drive, they were doing a small bodywork repair.
Not mechanical work that needed testing.
I would speak to the boss, say the car was spotted being driven dangerously, see what he says.
Then back it up with the dashcam if he denies it.
Say you can go to the police with the evidence, see what he comes up with then.
Then name and shame them

Keep up Frederick, one of the joyriders WAS the boss.

Chris_D wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 3:24 pm Keep up Frederick, one of the joyriders WAS the boss.

And?
I did see that Christopher
Doesn't stop MCB approaching him and asking the question, see what he comes back with.

I think you need to decide what outcome you want and start from there....

A) Justice to be done (or)
B) To be compensated in some way, such as the job being done for free

If there is sufficient dashcam evidence and there is no doubt about who is driving the vehicle then, regardless of the fact that they are driving the vehicle without your consent, the police can prosecute for a number of things such as reckless driving, exceeding the speed limit and probably driving without insurance - not 100% sure but I think they need your permission to use the vehicle in order for their policy to cover them.

Many home contents insurance polices have free legal advice and it’s not just limited to house related matters. Maybe have a look at your policy and give them a call.

I’m not a legal expert, but I believe you need to be careful here that you don’t ‘propose’ a course of action that could be considered blackmail or whatever the legal phrase is.

I had an Audi R8 I took to an indy shop. They did 60 miles in it and had the cheek to leave it running in vapour in the tank......

When I worked in the trade we had a valeter who Kindly would offer the workshop help to lock up at night... but always making sure he tucked something decent down the next side road. He was caught when a customer noticed 200 miles on his speedo, he'd used it the night before for a jolly down to Brighton with his girlfriend. I was at another garage where the valeting was done off site and out of view, one of the valeters use to take great enjoyment burning out back tyres on a large metal plate at the offsite entrance. Well that was the 80's early 90's, looks like things haven't improved.

True-Blue wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 5:24 pm I think you need to decide what outcome you want and start from there....

A) Justice to be done (or)
B) To be compensated in some way, such as the job being done for free

Agreed.
Firstly I would call the local cop shop and explain the situation; see what they say. Then you can decide your next course of action either with or without their support.
I don't blame you for being livid BTW

Ahhh man that is like my worst nightmare , i would be bouncing off the ceiling .
The problem is can you really be bothered to go to any great lengths in order to feel better about it .
Getting the £200 back wouldn't satisfy me & asking the police would only split my kipper even more as they are likely to show zero interest .
Is the garage purely paintshop or offer other services too ?

mr wilks wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:22 pm Ahhh man that is like my worst nightmare , i would be bouncing off the ceiling .
The problem is can you really be bothered to go to any great lengths in order to feel better about it .
Getting the £200 back wouldn't satisfy me & asking the police would only split my kipper even more as they are likely to show zero interest .
Is the garage purely paintshop or offer other services too ?

Yep paint/bodywork only - on reflection they must be insured as cars for work are parked on a public space and any accidents like fire in the workshop would need to be covered. Some business insurance is mandatory I do know...

A lot of ideas here fellas, thank you. The one that really caught my attaention is that asking him for the £200 back to 'forget it' might be construed as blackmail! So, I would need to approach him maybe by email or simila, telling him what I know and what he wants to do about it. If he offers the refund when I ask that simple question then he admits guilt and offers recompense.

Sound reasonable?

What a pain, I really don't need all this shite.

A sad but not uncommon tail. If you go back to the garage and ask for any money back, based on the evidence you have. Then the garage will have grounds to drop you in it, if you then take that evidence to the police. Guess it's either put up or shut up, unfortunately. Going back to the garage is not going to get you anything but more grief, would be my thoughts. Either take the evidence to the police and leave them to deal with the garage or walk away.