Im not trying to be a complete kiss-ass (well, may be a bit of one!) but I must say that the people who answer the questions on this board and post comments or recommendations are doing a fine job!
Its the first place I come when I've got a worry about my car - I havent got hundreds to spend on it, have absolutely no idea how it works and get scared stiff at the prospect of going into a garage and handing over the keys!!! The help I got on here about over 2 years ago helped me to choose the car I eventually bought (Mondeo tdi) and I've had minimum trouble with it - after having done 52,000. Obviously, no one on here actually picked the car for me - but the advice I got and the pointers to look out for - helped me find the right car for me.
I don't know what you guys get out of it, I don't know why you do it - but I want to say that Im glad you do and it really helps when I can walk into a garage with more of an idea about what might be going on - or at least come on here afterwards and check I've not been swizzed.
Cheers!
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Thanks!
I answer a few questions because that's all I know! Most of which I've learnt from this site. Of all the numerous questions I've aksed on here, they've all been answered by friendly people in the know.
So to echo Patricia,
Thanks Guys.
--
Adam
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On the other hand, you might be like me, 'been in the trade', 'know a bit about cars', then you come on here and find you really know next to naff all!
But thanks anyway guys.
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... just got back from a trip to the shops during which a lovely lady smashed into the back of said Mondeo!!! ARGH!!! Don't you just HATE it when that happens? I REALLY feel like having a right good effing swear!!! And my necks killing now ...
So, what do you all know about whiplash then???
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Whiplash?
Well I have had it. Got struck up the rear at a roundabout. The neck pains lasted about three days. It can be that problem free but it could be worse.
As its obviously the other parties fault, if you feel your injury is bad enough, you can go to the doctor and get a referal privately to a specialist. The cost of this can be charged back to the other parties insurance as part of your claim. Note the injury when you make your claim which you should do ASAP
The biggest headache will be the agro of getting your car fixed.
Who are you insured with?
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Whiplash? As its obviously the other parties fault, if you feel your injury is bad enough, you can go to the doctor and get a referal privately to a specialist.
>>
Go to the doctor. You have then got the injury logged in case of any long term problems.The biggest headache will be the agro of getting your car fixed.
Mondeo bumpers are just very very thin plastic skins with lots of air behind them.
That is one reason why so many Mondeos have split bumpers.
I just touched a pillar when reversing, very slowly, in a carpark and was totally unaware I had split the bumper.
The main problem was my good wife was standing watching it happen so I got GBH of the ear.
A clone bumper is about £120 plus fitting. I think a Ford one is about twice the price.
You need to get it checked out in case of any hidden damage.
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totally agree frostbite i too was in the trade and am amazed at how little i know, but to answer the question why do we do it , because we may be stuck one day and hope that someone will help us with their knowledge or views, in the discussion side it's just the same we may not agree with one another but hey thats life and by reading others advice ,points of view etc you learn ,sometimes from their knowledge sometimes from their mistakes.. and for that i also thank all of you...cheers...keo.
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Surely we do it because we don't want to see people taken to the cleaners by garages? I know they are not all crooks (my local one is excellent - trustworthy and inexpensive) but generally their reputation is such that an increasing number of vehicle owners seem to be unable to trust them.
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I think it's just "nice" to help people, if possible. I think the time and trouble some contributors go to amazing, especially when there is no thought of recompence, and the chances of meeting other contributors must be extremely small.
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My view:
Human contact
shared interest
Well moderated site: no trolls, spammers or idiots.
All views tolerated.
No politics.
Friendly.
Of use (solved son's Peugeot 106 starting problems from here)
well organised and easy to use site.
(I collect 50,000 creep points next week:-)
madf
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Interesting replies. I think we/you do it because it's partly a male thing (an on-line community or tribe) where individuals are united by common causes (controlling that beast, the motor car and getting it to behave the way we want it to, and also opposing the tyranny of the rip-off motor trade) and partly sheer altruism. In the give and take that marks out the community , there's knowledge gained (men like to know how things work, on the whole) and knowledge given - maybe there's an element of ego in this, too. Whatever it is, the postings are usually friendly, interesting, entertaining and useful. I look in at least once a day. (I am male, by the way, if it helps readers to put my comments in context.)
Specifically to the original posting, did people see the article in last weekend's Sunday Times under the headline "Is it because I'm a woman?" in which it was reported that a lady took her three-year-old Ford Focus in for an MOT and got a bill for £612 on an illegible invoice, the garage having allegedly done work unauthorised by the customer. Apparently the cost of actually getting the car through the MOT was £19.17.
It is accepted that there are big discrepancies between the way men and women are treated by garages - in charging and in the thoroughness of the work done. Every year there are 1.3m complaints to trading standards officers about car servicing in general.
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And thats exactly why I get so nervous when going to a garage.
AND another reason why this place is SO important and useful - the reason I started this thread was to emphasise this very point - so that the people who have helped me over the past couple of years would at least know that their efforts are valued - and I see that this is the case for a lot of others too.
I do get the feeling that people on here really do enjoy helping others out - I actually think we should run the country from this very board ... it would be such a touch-feely world with excellent fuel economy !! ;)
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