If you buy a brand new vehicle from Europe, that is, a country within the European Union, the car comes is supplied with a Pan-European Warranty. This basically means, that no matter where you are within the EU, you can take it to any manufacturer's franchised dealership and under the terms and conditions of the warranty, they are obliged to carry out repairs on your vehicle.
This goes for servicing also. However, from time to time, some dealerships will give you a promotional gift voucher for a 'free inspection' after a certain amount of miles. This is just a ploy to get you to come back into the dealership and return time after time. Always check the terms and conditions of each voucher.
We reccommend that you take your vehicle to a ruputable, insured and qualified mechanic to undertake any repairs to your car, no matter how small a task, it's always advisable.
Many people are attracted to having friends work on their cars because they are cheaper than many garages and it's more convenient. Many people don't think of the possible consequences. Imagine what would happen if your mechanic left your wheel nuts loose and while driving your wheel came off causing you to crash.
Would your insurance cover you? Would you be able to sue your friend for damages? The chances are that a family friend is not insured, therefore, any damage that he/she causes through negligence falls on that individual. If you took it to a well insured garage, then you could sue the garage and be more likely for the court case to be a lot less messy and your insurance would almost certainly pay out. |
