Airdrie Mobile Services , Scotland - South West | ClickMechanic

(49 ratings)
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20 years professional experience
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164 completed bookings
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Active since June 2020
Qualifications
- Self taught / I have my own garage for 5 years+
Airdrie Mobile Services , Scotland - South West | ClickMechanic
Derek S
30th August 2023
Ford Focus Battery jump start
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Derek did a great job - punctual, great communication and fixed my car in under 5 minutes with advice on how to avoid issues in the future. Very grateful!
29th August 2023
Renault Grand Scenic Clutch replacement
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Excellent service, work carried out quickly and to a high standard would definitely use again
27th August 2023
Honda Civic MOT with collection & delivery
Full Service
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Still work to do on the car , costing me more than i thought £1316 , hope the car last a while after that
27th August 2023
Volkswagen up! Full Service
MOT with collection & delivery
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Very happy with service & mot received from click mechanic, have used them before & will do so again. They are very professional. Mechanic Derek was very friendly & kept me informed. Highly recommended 👍.
17th August 2023
Nissan Qashqai Brake discs and pads replacement - front (both)
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Derek was fantastic. Kept me informed of when he was going to be here, Any issues and tried to soften the blow when it came to other issues with my car! Would definitely recommend
16th August 2023
MINI Mini Clubman MOT with collection & delivery
Major Service
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Easily the best experience I’ve had with an MOT, on time, no issues and incredibly friendly.
14th August 2023
Renault Master Basic Pre-purchase Inspection
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Derek was great to deal with communication was spot on.his report on my purchase was very professional and a pleasure to deal with and will be using him again👍🏻
14th August 2023
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer Brake discs and pads replacement - rear (both)
Freed off rear drivers side calliper
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Did the job on time no problems. This despite a tricky car management system. Recommend.
9th August 2023
Ford Focus Timing belt replacement
Water pump replacement
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
I had scheduled my car for a timing belt and water pump replacement—a significant undertaking both financially and in terms of my peace of mind. Derek, the mechanic, had assured me of his expertise and pledged to have the work finished by day's end. Despite the garage being over 20 miles away, they picked up the car on schedule. My assumption was that the job would be wrapped up by the standard 5 pm closing time. To my surprise, work only commenced at 5:15 pm, as confirmed by the Clickmechanic timestamp. Nonetheless, I agreed to postpone the car's return to the following day since I didn’t wish for them to rush any work.
As promised, the car was delivered next day and also with the bonus of a £10 fuel top-up by Derek. This aspect was pleasing, yet matters took a downturn from here. A subsequent inspection of the engine bay later in the day revealed a visibly broken degas pipe patched up with a screw—a makeshift solution that raised concerns. Communicating this to Derek led to his insistence that it wasn't a significant issue and that he was well-versed in addressing it. He further claimed that the pipe had been broken from the outset, although it was deemed inconsequential enough not to warrant documentation. I also inspected notes from all previous garage repairs to see if any such mention had been made, and found no such evidence. Every single garage told me that if any such thing was broken they would have immediately notified me and have a note of it in their work order. This is the standard procedure.
Pressing the matter resulted in Derek agreeing to replace the damaged section of the pipe (for FREE) with a random T connector from eBay. My reservations arose when observing the replacement he sourced—an uncomplicated T connector intended for windshield washer fluid, ill-suited for hot coolant. A cursory online search confirmed the importance of the component for engine functionality [1]. The failure of this very component causes massive problems to this cars engine, and I simply didn’t want to take any chances. Derek was consistently adamant that throughout, citing that the component was unimportant and that he knew what he was doing due to his experience. I simply did not wish to take any chances patching a broken part with something not from Ford. Preferring resolution, I proposed procuring an original Ford part at my expense, provided Derek facilitated the installation. Up until this point the discussion was clear that I would pay for the part provided he fits it. No mention of any additional expenses was discussed.
This sequence of events extended over a week, during which the car remained unused to mitigate uncertainties. After the component was procured, Derek agreed to install it and then sends me a quote to accept the booking. I assume at this point, that the quote is sent to cover the price of the part and also any overhead such as a small call out fee, which I would have been happy to pay. The retail value of the replacement part was £40, yet the quote revealed a charge of £70 solely for the component. In addition, Derek justified a labor charge equivalent to 0.75 hours due to the perceived complexity of replacing three pipes bringing the total cost of this repair to £115. A brief online investigation contradicted this claim, revealing the simplicity of the repair process, lasting no more than 10 minutes. This finding was validated by another local mechanic offering to install the part free of charge if provided. Moreover, no labour charges were agreed to in any of our conversations, despite the fact that it is reasonable to charge labour for work done. This was not a new job to be carried out. This proposed middle ground where I pay for the part and you fit it was in place due to the fact that any responsibility was simply not being accepted by you, and I was still willing to pay for the oversight on your part. It would have been simple to fix the mistake that should have ever happened, instead it was dragged out for two weeks. While it is understandable that Derek might hesitate to cover the part's cost, the substantial increase in the part cost and installation fee was puzzling and unnecessary.
This situation deviated from expectations, bypassing basic repair protocol and culminating in a proposed solution that would only address the issue superficially. This sequence of events prompts questions about professionalism and service quality. I have had too much mental torture dealing with this situation that any other garage would have dealt with instantly and correctly within 2-3 days.
In entrusting my car for an extensive repair, my hope was for a smoother experience. Unfortunately, the outcome was needlessly protracted and frustrating, spanning two weeks, all for a matter concerning a £40 part. I have tried multiple times to amicably resolve this directly with Derek via Clickmechanic and personal messages before writing this review. However, due to this being needlessly dragged out by a) correct procedure not being followed and b) no acceptable solution being proposed to properly address the issue, I have been unable to use my car for two weeks. I have lost lots of work hours chasing this up trying to get it fixed. Overall I’m not too happy the way this has played out, clickmechanic was of no help either. If a part is broken before a repair is undertaken, it needs to be noted and reported, and if it is broken during the repair, it needs be fixed back to original standard. The response to the situation for either case was not appropriate/justified.
[1] https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/commons-committees/transport/Andy-Barratt-Ford-Ecoboost-131110_Redacted.pdf
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Reply from Derek:
Hi Kanaad
Thanks very much for the review, let’s just start with the ORIGINAL JOB, the timing belt kit and water pump was done to the upmost professional manner, now the return pipe your going on about was already damaged and I did tell you this was not due to me or any of my guys in the garage though I did state I would fix it for FREE which would have been a simple T piece which costs no more than £1 which I ordered for you,
Then this wasn’t good enough for you as you wanted ORIGINAL FORD parts which ok fair enough I get that, I went ahead and ordered you the said part which with Ford comes as 3 pipes connected together and they don’t sell the T Piece separate, Hence why I said I would fix this for free would have been a simple cut the pipe and connect in a T piece which as mechanics this is what we do it’s done properly for the customer,
Once I received the Original Part from Ford and the my cost of running about and sourcing the said hoses for you, Then you decided you didn’t want it it which again is fair enough, I’m sorry we don’t work for free and also
Click mechanic does add their commission too any pricing as they provide a lovely service,
I do still have the said hose/pipes if you want them you can have them and opt for another mechanic to fit them for you before I return it the cost is £54 plus vat ORIGINAL FORD PART
We went above and beyond for you though we can’t keep every customer happy though this is just life, I wish you all the best thanks Derek.
2nd August 2023
BMW 5 Series Plug-in Diagnostic Inspection
Overall
Quality
Punctuality
Communication
Derek told me everything he was doing, he was very friendly, he knew exactly what he Wes doing
Reply from Derek:
Thanks very much for your business and review, it was a pleasure all the best
Dee