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Has anyone had any trouble with exhaust shops here?

I needed to get some work done at a shop today (add a flange and two hangers). Picked up the car and everything seemed fine. I paid them up and agreed to pick up my old cat back tomorrow.

When I got home and had a closer look at it while admiring and listening to my new can, I noticed the shop deleted my cat completely and cut the flange off my headers and turned my whole exhaust into one big welded pipe.
They did a good job of it and the welds are nice and all.... But this isn't what I asked for. At all.

I'm actually confused about the mishap since I called them and explained what I wanted and when I went in with a mate today we both explained specifically what I wanted done and showed them the work that needed to be done and even went out the to car and discussed it. They agreed and everything was going to be sweet. Afterall, it really was just a new flange to meet my car since this was a cut off system and it needed two more hangers and a gasket. All of which was covered.
Over phone, in person, with car as an example.

Since I picked up my exhaust at closing time and had somewhere to be, I couldn't call them after, so I'll be going in at opening hours (8am) and sorting it out. I've had work at this shop before and it's been really good in the past but honestly find myself a little confused as to why they made such a drastic mistake. I get this awful feeling that they will try to charge me for the work they have to do to fix the mistake THEY made.

Just wondering if anyone else here has had to deal with this before and if so how you negotiated it. I want to deal with this in the most civil and polite way possible. But on the off chance they try to corner me and make me pay up, what can I do and who can I call to help me out?

This is actually the second time I've had a job go awry on me, however unlike last time, the shop I'm dealing with right now is very reputable in my area and they do have good customer service.

If they didnt charge you for it before, they will likely charge you for the flanges now.

Easiest way is to get a sharpie and write on the exhaust itself what you want with lines to show where cuts and flanges go etc.

Dann

Also you should always ask for an itemised bill.

Dann

It's kind of stupid though as to why they did that?

I mean, they've made more work for themselves.


Why take something as simple as a 2 minute welding of a flange and turn it into a bigger job by having to cut and fabricate bits to de-cat it and directly weld to the headers?

/dons tinfoil hat
cats are worth a bit to metal recyclers.

people steal cats from parked cars in the UK.

I would imagine that having a working cat is the law. If the shop has deleted something required by law without you specifically requesting it, I think you have a very strong argument that they either set it right at no cost or make it as it was before you gave it to them at no cost, then you can take it elsewhere.

OurCognitiveSurplus wrote:I would imagine that having a working cat is the law.

Most certainly, and it's a huge fine (I think over $10k) for not having one installed (or having one that has been tempered with)


I'm interested to hear from Josh how he went with the shop, if they fixed it or if they decided to be dicks.

I have to pay up. The midpipe on this catback was longer and they couldnt fit the cat they said so they decated it. Now I have to pay to have either a new midpipe fabricated or this one modified. Same with all new flanges. Its gonna cost me a couple hudred more.

This has pissed me off. A lot, my hands are tied and there is nothing I can do.

NSW Fair Trading. As OurCognitiveSurplus said above, they've illegally modified your car without your permission.

nanotech wrote:I have to pay up. The midpipe on this catback was longer and they couldnt fit the cat they said so they decated it. Now I have to pay to have either a new midpipe fabricated or this one modified. Same with all new flanges. Its gonna cost me a couple hudred more.

This has pissed me off. A lot, my hands are tied and there is nothing I can do.

Why the ƒü¢k didn't they phone you to say "here's why we can't do it, we can do this though. Do you agree?"

I'd still give them sh*t (after you've gone and collected your old exhaust, and your cat)
You asked them to do a simple job, if it couldn't work that way it's not up to them to decide to hack up existing parts to make it work, their responsibility is to contact you and ask what YOU want them to do.

Im happy to do all your future work. But your not in sydney are you?

Dann

No he is in Geelong, bit of a trip.

It is illegal for you or anyone else to remove the Cat, and I beleive if you really want to push the issue you could have the EPA involved and they would be fined.

PM me which exhaust place you sent it to, I have a contact down your area for exhaust systems, I may be able to help you out.

Certainly, if they couldn't do the job you asked to be done they should have contacted you, especially before making your car unroadworthy and more importantly non EPA compliant. Fines for EPA are massive.

If I were in your shoes I'd request for it to be fixed free of charge, or take back to how it went there and your money refunded. If they don't want to comply, then threaten them with EPA involvement, that should change their attitude.

Cheers
Woz

I took my car to probably the most popular exhaust place in Sydney to get the mid pipe extended by 1". Came back, and the car had like 20km on it, and the engine was making noises. After a long discussion it was determined that no-one in the shop drove it (wrote down odo before I left), and that the noise was always there (first time I ever heard it). Also car was left outside (evidenced by rain marks from overnight rain). I hate leaving my car with other people.

Makes you wanna put a gopro in it with a big sd card left on and running huh.

Dann