Exhaust supplier trouble

[mach1rob]

And that's what these shysters hope, you'll give up and not be bothered to pursue things further, so they get away scott free for ripping people off. Why should they be allowed to send incorrect parts, charge a fortune and expect to get away with it?

[mr rusty]

And that's what these shysters hope, you'll give up and not be bothered to pursue things further, so they get away scott free for ripping people off. Why should they be allowed to send incorrect parts, charge a fortune and expect to get away with it?

Because it's been cut in half! It's too late. It's no longer the supplied item and there's not a cat's chance in hell of getting any redress now, or being taken seriously by trading standards or small claims........say you bought a coat, then cut the sleeves off because they're too tight and don't fit, and then even after the sleeves are cut off it still doesn't fit, so you take it back to the shop to moan about the fit...do you really expect they'd do anything about it? Rule one of complaining: if something isn't correct, complain immediately, don't fiddle with it!

[mach1rob]

But OP has been jerked about by the seller, so, it's been cut, in an attempt to get it fitted, as a last resort to try and get his car working again! Seller still has a legal responsibility he's failed to meet, so irrespective of it being cut or not he's lied about selling incorrect goods. Why should he not take things further if he can?

Besides, if this stops someone else being ripped off, it's a good thing right? Would you now happily buy an exhaust off CES without any nagging doubt?

[mr rusty]

To be fair, it'd be interesting to hear what CES have to say- could be something the mag could take up.

If it were me, the moment I'd seen it wasn't right, I'd be onto the supplier- no luck, then it's the credit card company's problem, as they've bought it, they'll refund you and then recover the money from the supplier, and they have a lot more legal clout than the average punter..... and there's the reason why anything over £100 should always go on the plastic. I certainly wouln't go chopping it up......no supplier will accept back something that's been messed about with, and a dodgy supplier even less so, its just the excuse they'd be looking for to wash their hands of the problem. This is also why manufacturers use anti tamper seals and your phone has water indicators.

Unfortunately we don't know wether the OP bought it on a card, but as it's now been cut up the question is pretty much academic however it was paid for! The legal term is 'accepting the goods'......basically if you alter something, i.e. cut it in half in this case in an attempt to make it fit, that's what it's known as- you are deemed to have 'accepted' the thing and it's a lot harder to get redress. Unfortunate but that's the way it is: in a case like this it'll be an uphill struggle, I'd bite the bullet,and spend an afternoon with the mig and some bits of pipe.

[mach1rob]

It's still worth asking people who deal with these things day in day out though, he has nothing else to loose by ringing Trading Standards has he!

[SirTainleyBarking]

Personally I'd write it down to experience and forget about it...........trouble is, you've cut it in half- if it did go to small claims all he's got to say is that what you've got aint what he supplied you with, assuming the company you bought it off even still exists. Best option, buy some pipe sections of the right diameter, and a couple of flexi joints, and salvage what you have.

I have this problem with the Metro- pattern pipes are avaiable, but they're not quite right....the back boxes are too fat and rattle on the bottom, and they fracture downstream of the two into one joint.....I've found that rather than going back to the supplier with all the time and hassle that involves, cutting the pipe and fitting a flexible section at the fracture point solves all the issues, life's too short to spend months wrangling over a bit of steel tubing!

Personally I'm sick of parts that have to be fettled to fit making what should be an easy job a 10 hour a thon.
There was an EU attempt a while back to insist that aftermarket parts were TUV or equivalent approved. After being stranded dangerously on the M6 thanks to crap branded ignition parts which were Branded yet subcontracted out to China. I sometimes sympathise

[TerryG]

After being stranded dangerously on the M6 thanks to crap branded ignition parts which were Branded yet subcontracted out to China. I sometimes sympathise

This is the best reason for fitting electronic ignition to any car. After a garage sort out I have 2 sets of spare "Lucas" points and condensers for the mog that I will never use. It has a leccy ignition kit fitted and a spare in the boot just in case along with a red rotor arm. They are all probably Chinese made but after 2 condensers failing within 15 miles of each other this has been worth the money (I'm sure they each cost less than a fiver but I may be wrong).

[Richard Moss]

In hindsight, buying branded parts from a motor factor would have been the best bet (it's what I do). Prices are usually very competitive and if the part is not in stock it can usually be obtained within a day or two.

The part supplied by CES should have been correct but sounds like it wasn't. The seller appears to have let down the customer (bear in mind that with all due respect to the OP, we only have one side of the story) and CES should make good on their commitment to supply the correct part. However, once the part has been cut up I think that there is very little chance of a refund.

I would try for a refund, maybe try Trading Standards, but be prepared to make the best of a bad job by adapting the supplied part to fit the car.

[mr rusty]

Personally I'm sick of parts that have to be fettled to fit making what should be an easy job a 10 hour a thon.

...it's because people mess about fettling and don't just send the stuff straight back that they can get away with supplying the stuff.

In hindsight, buying branded parts from a motor factor would have been the best bet (it's what I do). Prices are usually very competitive and if the part is not in stock it can usually be obtained within a day or two.

....that's what I tend to do too- Vitesse starter motor from the local spares place, half the price of the 'specialists' and in next day. I have no doubt if it were a more usual two bolt fitting rather than the Vitesse's three bolts, it would have been in by the afternoon. Now how much demand is there these days for old style inertia starters? Very little but still easy to get. Stromberg diaphragms? On the shelf.

[Paul Castrol R]

Cutting the exhaust in two was a bad idea......but having finally got the front pipe sorted and with the reassurance of the vendor, I was all ready for the final fitting. I had kept saying to the vendor to call it a day and give me a refund as i was sure the exhaust was wrong but the vendor kept telling me it wasn't....

I paid by cheque and didn't receive any sort of receipt so I was already worried if a refund was ever likely. The vendor finally phoned me back this afternoon but is still in denial and obviously hadn't received my letter yet. If I had paid only twenty or thirty quid and had cobbled a bodged together exhaust up it wouldn't be so bad but when you pay good money you tend to expect more.

The old exhaust is going back on this weekend probably! I need some other parts so I may well try my local motorist shop first just in case!