You think you had a blue Monday? Try mine.

[Perform Computers]

So yesterday morning I get into my car ready to head off to my first client. Start the car, nothing. Try again, nothing.

Call my insurance, they send a breakdown crew to my place, and I see that the battery water needed topping up. The battery was bone dry. ( Yes because you're an idiot -ed ) lol

Anyways, take the car to a mechanic, as it had to be serviced anyway. Wonderful guy, great place. Honest down to earth people.

So I get dropped off at home and await the dreaded call as with any car service. You know the type. "Hi, your car is serviced but we need to replace the whatever whatever coz it's damaging the whatever whatever". You know the drill.

At 2:14pm the call came in.

"Hi, your car has been serviced. Apart from the CV joint on the one side everything seems fine."

GREAT!

"Except......"

Oh shit, here we go.....

& then the owner told me.....

The mechanic took my car for a test drive after the service. Standard protocol. Except, he forgot to clip in the bonnet. Yes, you read correctly....

Cape Town's wonderful gale force winds caught the bonnet, and it flew up, shattering my windshield, denting my roof, totally wrecking the bonnet itself, broke my rear view mirror, glass everywhere, aerial buggered and and and !

<insert freakout session> @%##^$&#%^@#$%@#@#^%^@#^

Luckily the mechanic is ok. Car, wrecked.

Total damage: Estimated between R6k & R8k.

Here's the kicker, the garage doesn't have insurance that covers this. Their insurance only covers write-off's and if they car literally burns out. So they have to carry the costs out of their own pocket.

Got signed statements.
Got mechanic's drivers license. A copy.
Took video footage.
Took a lot of photo's.

So yea. There you have it. LUCKILY the whole who's paying for what went down smoothly. No arguing, no threats etc.

Luckily I have a car to drive around with until mine gets fixed.

I'm still shocked. I have pictures, if anyone wants to see.

Estimated ETA: 3 days ( I'll give them a week ).

[KimH]

Sheesh! Now that's a blue monday of note. Glad everything got sorted without too much drama and that the machie is unharmed. Although I am sure he got his proverbial reamed for not checking the bonnet before going out.

My dad had a workshop for years and the worst incident they had was with the bank manager's combi - problem with the fuel injection and while testing a spark ignited, burning out most of the inside and a lot of the engine bay. Fortunately my dad had insurance up the whazoo and the bank manager thought it was hysterical. I can still see my brother (machie) pushing a burning combi out of the workshop - pity we didn't have cell phone camera's/video back in the day because it would have made for some great you tube material. My dad was hungarian and I think his temper tantrum on video would have gone viral

Hope you get your car back soon.

[mother]

Luckily the mechanic is ok.

Erm, am I the only one thinking "Who gives a flying f%#!$n bonnet about the mechanic's state of wellness?!"...

Damn Andrew, that WAS a blue Monday!

[Perform Computers]

Sad thing is, I highly doubt the owner will change his insurance policy. THAT is the sad part.

I told him, "What would you have done if it was a SLK200 Merc or something?". He couldn't really answer me.

[Neville Bailey]

I also had a Blue Monday incident yesterday.

I travelled up to Richards Bay to give a presentation to a potential new client. The presentation went well.

When I left the client, I parked off in the car park at a local shopping centre and plugged my laptop into my car's cigarette lighter socket to do a series of remote consultations.

I felt cozy and comfortable as the cold front hit Richards Bay and lashed around my car.

Three hours later I decided it was time to hit the road back home. By now the weather was really ugly and it was bucketing down.

Turned the key in the ignition - dead...

The battery was dead - my three hour session with my laptop must have drained my car battery!

So I phoned my new client to please send someone to rescue me with jumper leads (nice start to a business relationship!).

One hour later someone arrives. The rain is whipping down, and we can't figure out how to open his car bonnet!

We are both drenched, as we fumble about and eventually figure it out.

Fortunately the car starts immediately and I'm on my way, albeit soaked to the bone.

[Perform Computers]

Guys, would it be appropriate to ask for some kind of discount on the service + battery costs when I finally get my car back? ( Total cost R1200 ). That's for the service & the new battery. ( Before this incident happened ). Seeing as though I'd had to borrow someone's car until next week Tuesday, and this person needs to be taken to work everyday and fetched in CBD.

I don't know if it's lame to ask for this discount as I've been inconvenienced?

Your thoughts please.

[Perform Computers]

Bump

[KimH]

It'd be lame

[Dave A]

It'd be lame

Maybe I should run one of the moral dilemmas I've got going at the moment for that sort of feedback.

New thread coming.

[daveob]

Personally, when told your car is ready, I would say something along the lines of :

Gee, thanks. I will collect it at x time. I'm sure my friend will be really glad to get his/her car back.

You know, I really do understand how embarrassing this must be for you ( not to mention the inconvenience it caused ), but to be perfectly fair ( and I really am a very reasonable guy ), I do hope you'll let me at least insist on paying for the parts used for the service. It would really make me feel uncomfortable if you didn't.

.... wait for the reply over the phone. Remember the General Rule : he who speaks first, loses.

[AndyD]

I think asking for a discount on the original service & battery because of the accident is trying to connect two unrelated events. Pay him the full amount for his bill and claim separately from him for any out-of-pocket expenses.

[Sparks]

Such as the transport which you had to have while they were fixing your car.

[tec0]

They can be so very happy that they had such an understanding client. If it was me I would have demanded a new car. It was in good condition when they got it, so I will get something in good condition back.

That said a particular Opel dealer in Mpumalanga I cannot be more specific, have a cowboy mechanic and he actually drove a car from the outside into the workshop with the bonnet wide open. I saw it, my friend saw it my Father whose car was being serviced there saw it AND the manager was OK with it…

That “at your own risk” stories are BS you didn’t give the place the right to abuse your car SO I complained to management and he was being a pompous-fool. So I called there head office complain there, finally the cowboy mechanic was addressed with a little verbal warning and a faint smile from the manager…

It was a hallow victory… But I go out-of-my-way not to do business with them.

[adrianh]

he who speaks first, loses.

but..

He who throws the first sucker punch wins!

[Perform Computers]

Well, car collected yesterday & everything was ok. Some touch-up's needed to be done, but no biggie.

Total damage: R6.3k

I paid him for the service & the battery. Bugger gave me no discount. Oh well...