I'm not a massive feminist this has made me see red!.....

I always go to a small local garage who are always polite and explain things clearly. Been going there for years and never feel ripped off.

Works both ways! - men buying flowers - they get ripped off! My OH once bought me a bunch of flowers that lost all its petals as I put them in the jug. They would not have got away with selling such rubbish if I had been buying!

Craftycat, how awful. Thank goodness you didn’t fall for it. Was that a company whose name starts with K? I had to use them for a tyre repair the other day but was ready to do battle as they are apparently notorious for doing what you describe.

I quite agree. I had my car serviced at a dealership in October(mainly for technical updates) I was told that my rear tyres were dangerous and they could replace them there and then. I declined and had them checked at my local garage...they laughed and told me that this was a common ploy....4 months later and 2 thousand miles I had my MOT without even an advisory. It would be nice to feel you could trust a dealership.

My car was due to have its MOT in a weeks time when I had a puncture. There was a tyre place nearby ( not Kwickfit) so I went in to get the tyre repaired and was told that my shock absorbers were in a very poor state etc etc. I listened and then politely told them that the car was going in for its MOT and I would have my usual garage do it. When I took the car into my trusted garage I told them to pay particular attention to the shock absorbers. When I went to collect it my mechanic asked me who had told me the shock absorbers needed replaced because there was nothing wrong with them. I told him and he just shook his head in disgust. He was brilliant!

I was told after my cars first MOT in 2015, by a tyre company garage [KF], that I would need 2 new tyres before the next MOT. This was a car that had less than 10k miles on the clock!

I have now had the same car 3 more years, had 3 more MOT's … with no warnings about the tyres since. Of course they will need changing in time but plenty of use left in them. They are safe.

They try it on, especially on female drivers. I just don't and won't use that garage again. They are idiots. I've been driving/taking my cars into garages for 40+ years and know the tricks they pull.

That happened to me many years ago after my 1st husband died! It was that that company whose name begins with K!!

Many many years ago we made a sharp exit from a dealership when the 15 year old salesman asked
“Would Sir like to look under the bonnet while Madam looks at the upholstery options”
“Sir” would not have known a dipstick from a cocktail stick - but we both knew who the dipstick was!!

Actually I think this post is a bit sexist as well. I have male friends who wouldn't know which end of their car held the engine, never mind what things did, and female friends who could inspect and replace most things on their car. It's nothing to do with gender, just if you have either the interest or the time to learn about it. And garages seem to be in the market to rip anybody and everybody off.

Great post MawBroon

Places like garages and the like will tell anyone who they think will not know better that their car needs repairs that are unnecessary. The K company are notorious for doing this. They have tried it on me several times.

Like others when ever we move one of the first things we do is find for a small local garage that we can rely on. DH does know abut cars and with a small garage with only a few staff they soon get to know him (and me) and we have always found good honest garages that give good service.

As we speak my daughter has a mechanic fitting a new alternator to her " big beast " of a car ( Chrysler ) completely electronic so it's a vital part of the car.
Before Christmas she forked out for a new battery but when the car came to a stop last week she knew exactly what it was and told her mechanic as she knows the car inside out and also because it has foreign parts to it knows who/where to contact.
Granted,it's about 12 years old but still has plenty of life left in it------well it will have when it's fixed. New tyres included.
The guy' s a trustworthy independent mechanic who she's used before, replacing the battery, so knows he'll do a good job with a guarantee.

Good job she's got a well paid job but it just means that she can't get further with jobs on the house until a month or two, but never mind, her new kitchen will have to wait.

Actually I think this post is a bit sexist as well. I have male friends who wouldn't know which end of their car held the engine, never mind what things did, and female friends who could inspect and replace most things on their car. It's nothing to do with gender, just if you have either the interest or the time to learn about it. And garages seem to be in the market to rip anybody and everybody off
My post?
Actually Trisher that was my point.

I always used to buy our car as my dh was never that interested, I went to a dealer selling Japanese cars, had a look round asked questions, how many owners etc and how much he would give me in part exchange.
He answered my questions but then said I ought to bring my husband along. I gave him short, but polite, shrift and never went back.

I've been buying and having my own car maintained for over twenty years and haven't come across these attitudes.

Though my Dh, (who is an engineer!) was recently told his car needed four new tyres. When he took it in to the original dealer they poo-pooed that and said just two needed replacing and there is still plenty of life left in the other two.

Rip-off merchants target anyone they think will cough up the readies, irrespective of sex or age.

Yes - it was Kwikfit.
I have lodged a complaint on their site.
Yes Trisher - maybe my post was a bit sexist too but I did acknowledge that my DH wouldn't have known what a brake looked like- he probably couldn't tell one from a cauliflower.
He uses the small local garage where I took I my car. As it is leased it goes back for services -which are free- from dealer. It is due to go back in March when I will get a new one before any MOT is due. It works for me as neither of us is mechanically minded.

MawBroon is no-one allowed to make a similar comment to yours then?

I went to hire a transit van recently to help my daughter move home. The young chap asked ‘ are you sure you wouldn’t like your husband on the insurance? They can be quite tricky to park’ He did have the grace to look embarrassed when I told him my profession, Paramedic who drives 5 ton ambulances at considerable speed. ??

Loved your post MawBroon. Dizzyblone you are my hero, I would be terrified to drive an ambulance but admire people who do.

DH was told we would soon need new tyres by the main dealer we bought the car from. He thanked them and said we had a good local garage. No surprise that they said we didn't need new tyres.

My local tyre place is very helpful, but I do get annoyed when they are filling in the invoice and ask 'Do you happen to know the car number?'. Of course I do! I noticed that a male customer was not asked in the same way.

My husband took our car to a garage in Cornwall several years ago for a repair, and had to come outside to ask me, the non driver, what the reg number was!

Sorry trisher I must have misunderstood you. Your comment that this post is a bit sexist as well came straight after mine and I did not appreciate you meant the original post - how could I?
Couldn’t see what was “sexist” in my comment .

Oh apologies MawBroon it never occurred to me that my comment could be read like that. I will try to remember to put OP in future so there can be no confusion.