(Legal) advice - Car repair (7 replies)
I don't normally post stuff like this but I'm looking for some advice/opinions on where to go from here.
I'm in the process of restoring a classic car. I removed the engine and gearbox both to be rebuilt. The gearbox went to 'Garage A' and the engine went to 'Garage B'
So, in July 2021 I supplied 'Garage A' with the gearbox, a special uprated rebuild kit and the oil. They took the casing apart and sent me pictures of the internals, all were fine no damage etc. I then get a message saying they're having trouble and 'trying to save one of the parts' which worried me. These gearboxes are very simple, no special tools or any brute force are needed. Anyway, 5 months later I get a message saying it's all done and to come and collect, brilliant right.
Fast forward to January 2023, the car and engine is with 'Garage B' all ready to be installed together. He immediately sends me a message saying the gearbox will not select 1st - 3rd - 5th. He has to take the gearbox back out, thinking it was something as simple as the gear linkage as it's common with them. Nope. He takes the casing off the gearbox and finds what he called "one of the worst examples of bad workmanship he has ever seen" there was damage to pretty much every component. Heated and burnt gears, chipped gears, c clip missing and one c clip loose. Also a ball bearing was floating around inside the box. He has sent me a report of what he found and it doesn't make for good reading, they even installed some of the old parts and not the uprated ones.
I contacted 'Garage A' immediately and their response was along the lines of "it wasn't like that when it left us so it's not our responsibility" when questioned about the missing parts they chose to ignore me.
I'm now having to pay £100 to buy the uprated part again and another £400-500 for the gearbox to be rebuilt, again
Do I chalk it off as shit happens and leave a bad review or take it further (although I'm not entirely sure what the process would be)?