Halfords Air "Con" - AIBU?
Discussion
The air conditioning in my daughter's Yaris had stopped working gradually so my guess was that the gas had dropped and told her to book it in for a recharge. Halfords were quoting £59.99 and it wasn't far from her office so she booked it in there..
When she got there the technician insists that she has to have a diagnostic (@£35) otherwise they're not responsible if the gas recharge doesn't work. She gets a bit annoyed, arguing that if the diagnostic is compulsory they should include it as part of the overall quoted price rather than price it separately and only tell her when she turned up (knowing that it would be a faff for the customer to go away and get it done from somewhere else). As a "compromise" they agreed to reduce the diagnostic by 50% and given that she's going on a long trip tomorrow she agreed to have it done.
Is this quite sharp business practice from Halfords? Not only about insisting she has a diagnostic but pretending it was half price when that was actually the price that's on their website? I had hoped that, after what happened to Apples Car Clinic, the big chains had cleaned up their acts but it looks like they can be as dodgy as anywhere else.
Never would I usually recommend kwik fit for much but used them this week based on the recharge or no charge promise. The air con in my daily hasn’t worked since buying it so I decided against a DIY refill kit on the basis it could have been any number of issues preventing it from working that I wouldn’t have paid out for unless a simple regas did the job. Was happy to report it’s worked a treat.
https://www.kwik-fit.com/air-conditioning
https://www.kwik-fit.com/air-conditioning
Don’t get the issue with Halfords.
Took my brother car there yesterday as his air con was not working.
Tech charged me for the refill, and said at the same time I’ll refund if doesn’t work.
Went to the car, pressed trigger once and it showed as full. No gas went in. Immediately back inside to give a refund with no hassle argument what so ever.
My brothers car needs further diagnosis.
Took my brother car there yesterday as his air con was not working.
Tech charged me for the refill, and said at the same time I’ll refund if doesn’t work.
Went to the car, pressed trigger once and it showed as full. No gas went in. Immediately back inside to give a refund with no hassle argument what so ever.
My brothers car needs further diagnosis.
Don’t get the issue with Halfords.
Took my brother car there yesterday as his air con was not working.
Tech charged me for the refill, and said at the same time I’ll refund if doesn’t work.
Went to the car, pressed trigger once and it showed as full. No gas went in. Immediately back inside to give a refund with no hassle argument what so ever.
My brothers car needs further diagnosis.
Took my brother car there yesterday as his air con was not working.
Tech charged me for the refill, and said at the same time I’ll refund if doesn’t work.
Went to the car, pressed trigger once and it showed as full. No gas went in. Immediately back inside to give a refund with no hassle argument what so ever.
My brothers car needs further diagnosis.
Kwik fit should check and pressure test the system prior to any gas transfer to ensure its going to hold. This is so a its not wasted and also better for the environment so there should not be an issue or need for diagnosis on a flaming AYGO is not a new merc s class.
Diagnosis will only really find more faults mostly unrelated to the HVAC system, not much to go wrong with an aygo's air con not a 4 zone climate system is it!
Its charging you to read your car and tell you it has other issues, so its a work generator,
Yes and now halfrauds have bought national tyres it will only get worse.
Diagnosis will only really find more faults mostly unrelated to the HVAC system, not much to go wrong with an aygo's air con not a 4 zone climate system is it!
Its charging you to read your car and tell you it has other issues, so its a work generator,
Yes and now halfrauds have bought national tyres it will only get worse.
surveyor_101 said:
Kwik fit should check and pressure test the system prior to any gas transfer to ensure its going to hold. This is so a its not wasted and also better for the environment so there should not be an issue or need for diagnosis on a flaming AYGO is not a new merc s class.
Diagnosis will only really find more faults mostly unrelated to the HVAC system, not much to go wrong with an aygo's air con not a 4 zone climate system is it!
Its charging you to read your car and tell you it has other issues, so its a work generator,
Yes and now halfrauds have bought national tyres it will only get worse.
Thing is the a/c machine does most of it automatically. All the mechanic does is check how much refrigerant that make and model of car takes and types 200g for example into the system and connects the high and lo pipes.Diagnosis will only really find more faults mostly unrelated to the HVAC system, not much to go wrong with an aygo's air con not a 4 zone climate system is it!
Its charging you to read your car and tell you it has other issues, so its a work generator,
Yes and now halfrauds have bought national tyres it will only get worse.
The machine takes over and does a quick pressure test to ensure there is no gopping hole in the system. Then it sucks out the refrigerant (if any). After that it does a longer pressure/vacuum check and if it passes it pumps in the refrigerant. After that the a/c should work and be cold.
There is a difference between Halfords retail, the shop and Halfords Auto centres. Retail do free check and top up with can. Autocentres have HVAC machines and are no doubt the ones asking for "diagnostic fee". Again Quikfit were/are good , I use a local specialist as cheaper and he doesn't recommend changing all your tyres while its there!
Byker28i said:
Panamax said:
So much for the "no naming and shaming" rule.
It won't stay up for long...FWIW I've used Halfords quite often (and will probably continue to do so). However part of me thinks the Tech thought "Young woman who won't know any better so I'll charge her for this as well" and if that's the case then Halfords need to be told about that.
Anyway she's going to write them a strongly worded email and I'll be shopping for some frozen lawn sausages.
Countdown said:
The intention wasn't to "name and shame".
You said it was your "guess" that the car just needed re-gassing. I anticipate Halfords didn't want an unhappy customer with £60 wasted on a re-gas if that (a) might not solve the problem, or (b) ended up with the customer coming back a week later with the gas leaked out again. You weren't present at Halfords when your daughter took the car in and yet have jumped straight on the internet. Have you/your daughter been in touch with Halfords to get their explanation?
It was completely unnecessary for you to name the company in your heading. The topic would have had exactly the same scope for forum input if the word "garage" had been used instead.
To my mind this thread on PH is grossly unfair to Halfords.
kers I have never known any fastfit place not do a leak test first, its normally an automatic cycle, seems sharp to me.
Having said that, I have had the check passed, regassed only for it to leak out by the time I got home. So it seems its not 100% accurate as the pressure during operation is far higher than test.
Having said that, I have had the check passed, regassed only for it to leak out by the time I got home. So it seems its not 100% accurate as the pressure during operation is far higher than test.
Shnozz said:
Never would I usually recommend kwik fit for much but used them this week based on the recharge or no charge promise. The air con in my daily hasn’t worked since buying it so I decided against a DIY refill kit on the basis it could have been any number of issues preventing it from working that I wouldn’t have paid out for unless a simple regas did the job. Was happy to report it’s worked a treat.
https://www.kwik-fit.com/air-conditioning
Out if interested looked at Kwik fit, it didnt recognise my Ford Focus, seems odd, not that it is an unknown vehicle https://www.kwik-fit.com/air-conditioning
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