Ripped off

[leiba1]

I had problems starting my little Honda 90 last week. Had the recovery guys out who replaced the plug cap so I drove it home. The next day it wouldn't start again so I took it to a new guy who's just started up at the end of my road. I told him the problem and specifically asked him to clean out the carb for me and change the oil while he was about it. This I believe he did and when I went to pick it up it seemed to be running fine. But this morning it wouldn't start. I was already going to be visiting him today to get him to take the side stand off for me and again I had to push it down to him. He did the stand job but when I asked him about it not starting, (what he was supposed to have fixed, and been paid for) he wanted more money to look at it and get it going again. He gave different excuses this time as to why it wouldn't work. I am so mad! I can't afford all this. I'm disabled and on a low income and this bike is/was my only form of transport. I can't afford to pay twice for a problem that was supposed to have been fixed already.
To make matters worse, I had to borrow the money to get it repaired in the first place and that was a minimum amount. So I bought myself another 90, a younger one with the idea of selling this older one and recouping some of the money. But now it's a non runner so I won't get much for it.
And just to f**k me up a bit more, the new bike has no front brakes so I'm going to have to pay up again to get that sorted out.
(Just as a matter of interest, the rip-off guy told me to get the brake shoes myself and he would fit them for me, for £35.)

[Ariel Badger]

I never work on other peoples bikes for cash. Once they have paid you they expect a lifelong guarantee on the entire machine. Trying to trace an intermittent fault can be a nightmare, are you paying a mechanic to fix the job or to try and fix it? I had an Ariel KH twin to sort last month, I spent a day sorting it and did a lot of work but what actually sorted things was bunging the new plugs in the bin and fitting a pair of old Lodges, would I charge him for all the work that I did but did not improve things or do I bill him for a pair of old spark plugs?
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[leiba1]

It's had four new plugs since Wednesday. My spare one, two from the recovery guys, and one from the rip-off guy. I'm not even sure that the old one is not back in it. The recovery guys told me they put it back in and I suspect the other mechanic might have too. (they condemned the other plugs as faulty)
I asked him to sort out the starting problem, to make it reliable, and told him I need it, it's not just a toy or hobby to me, it's my access to the shops etc. Heck, I'd even borrowed the money to get it fixed. I used what was left over to buy the newer model but as I said, I've now discovered that it needs new front brakes.
I need to get these brakes done ASAP. Anybody know any where in Nth London where I can limp to to get them done (cheap)?

[Eddie Hitler]

You want it done cheap, but expect a good job?

I think you will find your answer in that last sentence.

[leiba1]

I want it done at a reasonable price and done properly. Not cowboys who charge the earth for a crap job. It's a Honda C90, not a Harley. It's not complicated or awkward, (for me it is because I'm not so agile nowadays). I used to do a lot of the smaller jobs myself (like the brake shoes) but now I have to rely on other people. And now I'm meeting the unreliable sort and paying for the privilege.

[thegubner]

Why do all of your rants have to tell us you are disabled?


It makes no difference to you getting ripped off, or would it be fine for able bodied to be ripped off?


I am not having a pop but I always think its unfair when people have to add they are disabled when complaining about something.

Unless both of your recent problems happened BECAUSE of the disability, if this is the case I am sorry as it would have relevant to the story.

[Noxious89123]

Well from reading your post;

You didn't ask him to fix the problem, you merely told him about the problem, and told him to change the oil and clean the carbs. Which he could have done; which didn't fix th problem.
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'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[Paivi]

[MaybeGuy]

dont get me started on cheap mechanics
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[thegubner]

[NSR Mick]

[thegubner]

[NSR Mick]

You should see the nice new Citroen C2 my wifes cousin has got on mobility because she's been faking fucked knees for the last 2 or 3 years.

I find it hard to belive that a shagged C90 is all you can get.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[thegubner]

Thats my point, my stepdad was blagging the social for years, he was a useless fat wanker though, there was nothing wrong with him yet he got a new car every three yrs and decent benefits. So I think the same as you mick.


I dont agree with cheating the system though, it costs us all money.



And obviously before the usual brigade take this the wrong way its not intended to say anyone here is lying.

[slj23]

do the repairs yourself,that would be cheap,and you'll learn somthing new.
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'isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to beleif that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?'

[leiba1]

Thank you Paivi.
For example, this new bike I've just bought, I had to buy unseen as I couldn't get out to view it and also the price included delivery so I didn't even get to test drive it. And yes, I know that was unwise but I was expecting it to at least be usable.
And when I pay someone to do a job, is it unreasonable to expect that job to be done properly? I would have paid more, within reason, to get it done, he had my phone number, he could have called and asked.
I take your point Ariel, that one thing can lead to another and back again and time is money but I did emphasize how much we relied on the bike and as today was the first time I'd tried to drive it after his fix, I thought he might take another look at it for free especially as it was in his garage already today for another matter.
(Oh, and my hubby paid for last weeks job and gave the guy a £10 tip for getting it going. He only told me today when he saw the bike being pushed back home.)

[leiba1]

Part of the reason that it's a Honda 90 is because I've had them for years and know the basics of how to look after it. I can adjust bits and pieces, general maintenance type jobs, but anything bigger I need help. Especially any thing needing muscle power. I couldn't undo the wing mirrors to take them from one bike to the other so I had to get my hubby to use his muscle on them. It was sad to see him trying to put the spanner on the nut and missing it each time. I wanted to guide the spanner for him but he's a proud man and doesn't like to give in. We did it in the end but it took about ten minutes. Every thing we do now is in slow motion .
I too won't cheat the system that's probably another reason why I've only got a C90.

[thegubner]

I sick of this soppy bollocks, this aint a dig but give it a rest eh?

No one was having a go, but if you are that skint cos of your disability how can hubby go round giving out ten quid tips when someone does something you already paid them to?

[Ariel Badger]

I do not know the extent or manner of your disability but brakes arte not a hard job to change. Three years ago I did a rear puncture with a broken hand, masivly inflamed and imobilised knee and whiplash injuries by getting all the tools ready and laying on the floor to do the work. When I had finished I phoned my ex to come and lift me from the deck ( She did bollock me a bit).
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Paivi]

Why don't you give it a rest, Guvnor?

You haven't even met Leiba and you think it's your place to start judging her and her husband.
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My other bike's a Monster...

[thegubner]

[Paivi]

Could have fooled me...
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My other bike's a Monster...

[Pete.]

[thegubner]

A pension is different to a disability, at least put some reasoning in your argument.

[thegubner]