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I think a garage broke my stereo by leaving a magnetic lamp in my car - should I report them to Trading Standards?

A couple of weeks ago I had my car serviced at my local garage, then yesterday I parked up and with my wheels at an angle I noticed something dangling from the suspension behind the wheel arch which looked like a strap. I got down on my knees and found that it was an inspection lamp that had obviously been left there by one of the mechanics. It was stuck because it had very strong magnets. Coincidentally my car radio has been playing up too, with different things stopping working one after another, and now the radio has no display and the steering wheel radio controls no longer work, it only switches off manually now and I can't change settings as there is no display.

So, apart from the danger that this lamp could have posed, I feel sure that the magnets have messed my radio up. Please can you tell me if I can prove that the lamp caused the radio faults? Also, do I report this garage to Trading Standards as I am quite concerned at their incompetence?

Asked on 29 June 2010 by Kitty Kat

Answered by David Ross
Things like this do occasionally happen, but that's no excuse. The magnets may have caused the radio fault - it depends on how old the vehicle is and what kind of radio/stereo is fitted. We'd suggest speaking the garage and explaining how concerned you are about this mistake, and suggest that they should fix your stereo and controls.

If you want to know where you stand legally, we'd suggest posting this in the Legal Matters section of the Backroom Forum on the site: honestjohn.co.uk/forum/threads.htm?f=12. Lucy Bonham Carter, our legal expert, should be able to offer you some helpful advice about where you stand and what to do next.
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