How to take a car after repair

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Even if you are a careful driver, take good care of your car and do everything that is required for its maintenance in a timely manner, there will come a time when your “iron friend” needs professional help. Not every motorist is sufficiently versed in the device of the car and is able to perform diagnostics and repairs of a medium degree of complexity. And there are situations when even a person with solid experience in mechanical work cannot fix a malfunction. Modern cars are quite complicated; their repair often requires expensive diagnostic stands, special equipment, specific tools, software, and much more. Having all this in your own garage is simply unthinkable. So you have to reluctantly give your car to a car service.

Taking your car to a service center is only half the battle.

Let's say you did everything right - you entered into a maintenance and repair agreement with a detailed list of all necessary work, a list of spare parts and consumables that the contractor will provide and that the customer will provide, agreed on the timing of the work, their cost and payment procedure, as well as warranty obligations .

Let's also assume that you duly handed over your vehicle for safekeeping by filling out an appropriate act, in which you recorded the condition of the body and its paintwork, windows, lights, bumpers, interior trim, seats, indicating all existing defects.

Of course, you noted the serial number of the battery, the date of manufacture of the tires, the presence of wiper blades, spare tire, fire extinguisher, tools and other equipment that was left in the trunk or cabin. Probably, they did not forget about the audio system, GPS-navigator and other electronic devices. And they probably had a detailed photo session of your car so as not to miss a single detail. And having paid an advance, they undoubtedly received a check, which they carefully kept along with the rest of the documents.

And now you can breathe a sigh of relief? Far from it. It’s too early to relax, only half the battle has been done, because the car still needs to be repaired. And this is not always a trivial task. You may expect surprises, for which it is better to be prepared in advance. The quality of the repair may not be what you hoped for, the car may have damage that was not there before. You may encounter deception, rudeness or other unpleasant moments.

Correctly tune in before visiting the service station

For a trip to a car service, choose the right time so that you do not have to rush anywhere. Save other important things for another day, because we are talking about your car, which in itself costs a lot, and repairs will probably cost a pretty penny. The procedure for receiving a car from repair can be somewhat delayed. There is no need to rush here, it is better to act carefully and thoughtfully.

So that a visit to the service center does not lead to unpleasant consequences for your health, be mentally prepared for the fact that something can go wrong. It is possible that it will not be possible to pick up the car on this day. Perhaps the repair will be of poor quality and something will need to be redone. There may be various points of contention that will have to be settled. Take care of your nerves, screams and fists will not solve anything and will only complicate the situation. Your weapons are documents, in which case you can go to court with them.

Legal savvy will strengthen your position

When dealing with automotive service, it's a good idea to be aware of consumer protection laws regarding the purchase, operation, repair, and maintenance of vehicles. If you are having a hard time with this, you can invite a more experienced person who will tell you how to act in a given situation. Even better, hire a professional lawyer who specializes in resolving automotive legal issues. It will cost some amount of money that you will have to pay as a fee, but it will certainly save you a headache. It should be noted that the field of automobile law has many specific features that are not always known to a generalist lawyer. Therefore, it is better to contact specialized firms that provide legal assistance to motorists.

Autograph and money - last

Do not sign or pay for anything until everything has been inspected, tested in action, and all disputes have been resolved. Your signature will mean that there are no complaints about the quality of the repair and the condition of the car. If you are offered to sign documents immediately, in no case do not agree. First, a thorough inspection, a detailed conversation with a representative of the service organization and clarification of the details of the repair.

When talking with the manager, do not hesitate to ask any questions, even if they are naive and not quite correctly formulated. If the performer has nothing to hide, he will gladly and politely answer them. It is unprofitable to be rude to the customer, because they expect that you will become their regular customer. If the service employee is nervous and obviously doesn’t say something, this is an occasion for a particularly thorough inspection and verification.

First, a visual inspection

The sequence of your actions can be arbitrary, but it is worth starting with a general inspection. Carefully check the condition, in particular, the paintwork - if there are any new defects that were not there during the transfer of the car to the car service. Pay special attention to those places where there is dirt. If a fresh scratch or dent is found under it, then this performer is not distinguished by decency, and you have the right to demand that the damage be repaired “at the expense of the institution” or compensate for the damage. In an honest service company that values ​​its reputation, such own oversights do not hide and often eliminate them even before the client arrives.

Look inside the salon. It happens that during the repair process it turns out to be damaged, they can tear or stain the upholstery of the seats. Look also under the hood and in the trunk.

Check the mileage readings with those that were when the car was handed over for repair. If the difference is of the order of a kilometer or more, then the car drove out of the garage. Ask the manager for an explanation.

Make sure that you have not changed the battery and, and that all the things that you left in the car are safe and sound. Check the operation of the audio system and other electronics.

Next, pick up the work order and carefully check each item.

Checking completed work

Make sure that all the items specified in the order are completed and that you are not forced to work or services that you did not order.

Be sure to ask for the removed parts, their presence will confirm the replacement. In addition, you can make sure that the replacement was really necessary. Quite serviceable parts are often dismantled in service centers, which are then used when repairing other cars. And the client at the same time overpays for unnecessary work. By law, the removed parts are yours and you are entitled to take them with you, as well as the remaining unused parts and materials (surplus) that you paid for. By mutual agreement, the surplus can be left in a car service, having received appropriate compensation for them. Sometimes the fate of dismantled spare parts is specified in advance in the contract. They can also be requested by insurers if the repair is carried out under insurance.

Check that the parts installed match what was ordered. It is possible that you could have installed cheaper, worse quality, used parts or your own, only refurbished. Ask to see the packages of assembled parts and their accompanying documentation. Check the serial numbers of the installed parts with the numbers given in the documentation. This applies not only to the details provided by the performer, but also to those provided by you.

If you need to inspect the machine from below, ask to install it on a lift. You should not be refused, because you pay money and have every right to know why. New details will stand out against the general background. Make sure, as far as possible, that they are free from defects.

In the area of ​​special attention

Of course, during the acceptance of a car after repair, it is impossible to thoroughly check every little thing, but some things are worth paying attention to.

If work has been done on the body, measure the gaps between the articulated elements. Their value must comply with factory standards, otherwise adjustment will be required.

If the repair involved welding work, check the quality and security of the seams.

Make sure that the electrical systems are working - power windows, central locking, alarms and more. Sometimes they fail due to erroneous actions when disconnecting and connecting the battery.

Check the health of the security system. During repair work, it could be turned off and then forgotten to be turned on.

Check how many keys are registered in the memory of the control unit. Sometimes among the car service employees there is an accomplice of the hijackers who prescribes an additional key in the computer. The threat of theft of your car in this case increases dramatically.

If the results of the inspection and verification satisfy you, and the controversial points are resolved, you can proceed to the final stage.

final stage of acceptance

Finally, you should conduct a small test drive together with a car service representative to check the car on the go. Make sure that the motor is working properly, the gears are shifting normally, there are no knocks and other extraneous sounds, the correct functioning of all systems.

If there are no oddities in the behavior of the car and everything suits you, you can return to the car service and sign the documents. An act of acceptance and transfer of the vehicle after repair is drawn up. If the contract for the provision of services was not concluded, then an order is signed. The document is sealed by the signatures of the parties and the seal of the service organization.

The customer must also be issued a warranty card and a certificate-invoice for the numbered parts provided and installed by the service center.

After transferring money to the cashier, be sure to take a check, otherwise, if a disputable situation arises, you will not be able to prove that you paid for the repair.

All! You can get behind the wheel and drive away. Now it’s not a sin to relax a little and celebrate a successful renovation. And if any malfunctions later appear, then there are warranty obligations.