What are your consumer rights?

When you use a garage for car servicing or car repairs, you enter into a legal contract with the garage, which is covered by various laws such as the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002.

That means you’re entitled to expect that the garage will do the work agreed and the service will be provided with reasonable care and skill. For example, if you paid someone to fix a dent on your car, you would not expect the paint to be uneven or patchy.

Where no specific time for doing the work is agreed, the service must be completed within a reasonable time. If a part is replaced, the new part must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described.

So, if a garage has misled or overcharged you, or you feel you were coerced into agreeing to repairs you didn’t originally request, you have the right to take legal action.