I recently attended this garage. I would not recommend it anyone, but in particular I would not…read morerecommend it to women. I believe that the poor service and confrontation I received was due to the fact that I was vulnerable as a 21-year-old who does not know too much about cars before this situation.
I attended this garage as it was local, and I had previously gone there for a service which was a positive experience. This time I attended the garage; I was looking for advice as my car was stalling mid-drive and was having great difficulty accelerating. I was reassured and told that they would be able to diagnose and fix this problem for me and it would be no hassle.
I was told it was the clutch causing the issue and I agreed to have it fixed. I paid €660 (invoice attached). When I received my car back, I was super happy. I was told that my car is running great and that I can "race around in it now". Unfortunately, I didn't even get to drive a few meters before it cut out mid-drive. I had hope that maybe it just needed to run a bit longer, I drove with my friend to Blackrock where she was meeting her friend. While in Blackrock my car died and did not turn back on in the middle of the road, causing a huge build up of traffic and a lot of stress. Eventually, it started and while on my journey back to the mechanic it cut out several times, including on the N11, creating a dangerous hazard for other road users who had to drive around me.
On return to the mechanic, I asked the mechanic who had serviced it if he had test drove the car as the car felt really difficult and dangerous to drive from the get-go. He replied that he had and that he had thought the car was "slow, sluggish and bad to drive". To which I replied, why had he given me the car back then and it was met with "because the issue of the clutch had been solved". I was told then that my battery needed to be replaced which I declined as I have had no previous issues with it and requested a battery test. This test came back as that my battery had good health. However, they wanted to keep in my car to "recharge the battery more".
I was frustrated in this scenario as I needed to use my car to get to my job and each shift without it, I was having to spend minimum €50 euro to get to my job. I was offered the garage car, which I accepted but was told I had to do it through my own insurance and not theirs, which used up all 6 of my days that I can have provided from my insurance without having to pay any extra premium. However, after swapping my insurance onto this car. I was told that there is a chance that I would be pulled over by police as this car did not have any road tax and to say that "I got the car from a friend and not the garage". Honestly, I found this to be super dodgy, but I was desperate, so I still used this car.
The day after, I received a phone call from the mechanic saying my car is ready. In this phone call I asked him could he please test drive the car to which he responded, "the problem might not be visible for a while, I won't test drive it and if it has any issue come back to us". I was unhappy with this response and asked him to please test drive it. Reminding him of my situation where the car almost caused accidents in both Blackrock and on the N11. He reluctantly agreed and said he would. The day after I arrived to collect the car, and when I asked him "how did the test drive go?" he told me that I would have no issues for a long time and that my car was good to go. I drove away and the only words that can be said is that there was no change and that my car was not fixed at all!
I headed towards my job as I had to go to work. However, it was so bad and dangerous that I had to call off of work and head back into the mechanic for the third time. When I got back, I was feeling really frustrated and upset and expressed my disappointment with this service. I requested my money back which was denied and was told no. I was then told that "we can get you in sometime next week". To which I responded, "No offense, but I am going to bring my car to a different mechanic". After this the mechanic got very defensive and patronizing saying "No offense? Do you not know that that is the most offensive thing that you can ever say to a mechanic. That you think I am unable to repair cars."
This resulted in a rant from the mechanic stating, "Do you not understand that cars need money put into them to keep them going?". He also told me of a woman who recently was in and she had a similar situation - unhappy with the service and who claimed her car was worse having come into this mechanic. Throughout this conversation, I was upset and honestly, ashamed to admit it but I cried in there. This conversation ended after I had to interrupt him several times asking for my invoice so I could leave and that I wasn't interested in this conversation anymore.
Overall - The worst experience ever. 0/10
