Defective Brakes - ?

[Drago]

You should pay extra for their home start service. It could be in your garage and they'll still come out. Sadly you're getting the service you chose and paid for.

 

[vickster]

Yes, I know that, but they were expecting me to drive a car illegally; with all the possible ramifications stated, simply in order to comply with 'the quarter of a mile' terms of their home start policy.

huh..did they actually tell you to drive the car illegally to avoid the charge? presumably not (or you never mentioned that) so if you had, that would have been solely down to you

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Yes, I know that, but they were expecting me to drive a car illegally; with all the possible ramifications stated, simply in order to comply with 'the quarter of a mile' terms of their home start policy.

Really? They *told* you to do that??

 

[Drago]

Really? They *told* you to do that??

I believe they actually threatened to beat him up if he didn't.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes, I know that, but they were expecting me to drive a car illegally

No they weren’t , what they did expect is for you to pay for the service requested.

 

[Profpointy]

I heard an admittedly second hand story about a guy who'd had a rear brake seal fail. A mechanic friend came to the rescue and cut the brake pipe, folded it and squashed it flat so it would hold pressure. This was OK(ish) to get home just on the front brakes if driven cautiously, then he could take it to the garage to fix properly on the Monday. They met up a couple of weeks later and to the mechanic's utter horror, the guy said "Thanks for helping me out the other day. I've managed to sell the car "

PS for the avoidance of doubt, this is not a recommendation !

 

[CXRAndy]

Just get a local garage with either towing or flatbed recovery to collect your car. Get it fixed or sell it with clear disclaimer on the brakes

 

[gbb]

Yes, I know that, but they were expecting me to drive a car illegally; with all the possible ramifications stated, simply in order to comply with 'the quarter of a mile' terms of their home start policy.

Tbf ( and I sympathise with your situation), they wouldn't expect you to drive home....they'd assume you'd get it recovered. How you do that isn't their concern, harsh as it is but it's the reality.

I had similar (not so similar but kinda) when my car was hit by persons unknown, leaving it apparently u driveable.
I called my recovery, who promptly knocked me back....sorry, its breakdown cover they explained...not accident recovery.
My first reaction was...wtf !!!! But almost instantly thought...oh yeah, they're right.

 

[Drago]

Although you can add accident recovery for a few quid...

 

[Alex321]

Yes, I know that, but they were expecting me to drive a car illegally; with all the possible ramifications stated, simply in order to comply with 'the quarter of a mile' terms of their home start policy.

They weren't expecting you to do anything. They were expecting you to not call them as your situation was not covered.

 

[simongt]

Tbf ( and I sympathise with your situation), they wouldn't expect you to drive home....they'd assume you'd get it recovered. How you do that isn't their concern, harsh as it is but it's the reality.

To qualify for the Home Start, I would have had to drive the required quarter mile from home thus risk the issue of the brakes locking up at any point during that journey and completely blocking the road to the chagrin and inconvenience of other road users until a recovery could be effected.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

To qualify for the Home Start, I would have had to drive the required quarter mile from home thus risk the issue of the brakes locking up at any point during that journey and completely blocking the road to the chagrin and inconvenience of other road users until a recovery could be effected.

Surely, to qualify for home start, you'd have had to have paid for Home Start before the breakdown occurred? As you hadn't, the costs of recovery are simply down to you.

It's a mystery to me, and I think several others, as to why you believe you were entitled to a service you hadn't paid for.

But perhaps we're missing something.

 

[Jody]

To qualify for the Home Start, I would have had to drive the required quarter mile from home thus risk the issue of the brakes locking up at any point during that journey and completely blocking the road to the chagrin and inconvenience of other road users until a recovery could be effected.

Home start does what it says on the tin. Recovery or assistance whilst sat on your drive.

Quarter of a mile down the road is because the policy doesn't include home start.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Surely, to qualify for home start, you'd have had to have paid for Home Start before the breakdown occurred? As you hadn't, the costs of recovery are simply down to you.

It's a mystery to me, and I think several others, as to why you believe you were entitled to a service you hadn't paid for.

But perhaps we're missing something.

Money - it's always about the money

They offer to let you put Home Start on retrospectively because once you have it you are likely to keep it next year
so the accountants will have worked out that, assuming you have a good record, it is worth allowing you to cheat a little bit

Of course, if you have tried this a few times before the offers will suddenly disappear I suspect!

 

[vickster]

Money - it's always about the money

They offer to let you put Home Start on retrospectively because once you have it you are likely to keep it next year
so the accountants will have worked out that, assuming you have a good record, it is worth allowing you to cheat a little bit

Of course, if you have tried this a few times before the offers will suddenly disappear I suspect!

How cheat? He was asked to pay to add Home start so they would deal with his car close to home. He could have always just said no and tried to find another supplier to take his car to a garage