A month ago, I purchased a cheap runabout Ford Fiesta for £750 from a dealer in Enfield, London. Someone had part-exchanged it, although it came with a new MoT, two new tyres and exhaust. The MoT was obtained by the previous owner from a garage in Essex, where I live. Two weeks later I went into a branch of KwikFit for an oil change and there was a problem. The bottom flange on the catalytic converter had broken off from the body of the cat. I agreed there and then for KwikFit to fit a replacement. The car had been driving okay up to that point, but I felt under some pressure to get it repaired as I use it every day.

I tried to contact the dealer that day, but did not manage to speak to him until the next day. Perhaps quite rightly he felt put out that I had not contacted him before I commissioned the repair. He maintained he could have got it repaired at a trade price well below the KwikFit price. But then went on to suggest, had he got it repaired I would have been happy to pay half the price. We agreed I would send him a copy of the KwikFit invoice, for his consideration. This I did by special delivery. Since then I have heard nothing. In the letter I suggested that had he undertaken the repair, it would have cost him the trade price he quoted and not the figure I paid KwikFit. I went on to suggest that I would be happy to receive a refund equal to his trade price. I have also questioned the price of £300 that KwikFit charged me, as the dealer felt it was far too high, and a refund is in the post. I thought I would buy from a dealer, because I would have some sort of comeback if things went wrong. Interested to hear your views on this matter.