*groans and clutches head dramatically*

Time to update the 'what Fliss' car costing her this week?' thread...

My MOT today and a service - £50 for the MOT and £120 for the service. But I've just had a call and there's £259-odd worth of Stuff to Fix, apparently. He has a broken coil spring and a cracked offside front strut. If these terms mean anything to you, they don't to me.

Now, I do trust this garage, they get a lot of moneysupermarket.com business - and I'm lucky they can get the parts this afternoon and do it today (I am driving 300 miles later and want to do it in a safe car).

But I get so frustrated that I can't know if or where I have been ripped off. I bought Denton in September - could the garage I bought him from have sold him to me knowing about these problems? Or have they happened since?

I also can't take Denton somewhere else for a second opinion, because I need him to get to work. Today's garage is very close to my office and I was able to walk over.

To summarise: Bah.

How's everyone else's day?

Felicity

Ouch!

Hey, it wasn't you driving that lorry that was pushing that little car, was it?

Embarassingly (but topical)...

I was on a driver awareness course on Saturday from an incident which didn't at all involve me looking in my wing mirror. :-o

Oops...

conmankiller:

2) Remember, the rear view mirror is for observing the traffic behind you, not for putting on your make up in the morning.

: -- )

Arrgh, that is such a typical bloke response! Men are more likely to be involved in car insurance claims, you know. Trust me, I'm a personal finance journalist.

Anyway, I've had his wheels professionally aligned, after my - erm - encounter with the kerb last year.

Fliss - There are two main strategies for avoiding dents : -

1) Get a professional wheel alignment carried out so Denton drives in a straight line.

2) Remember, the rear view mirror is for observing the traffic behind you, not for putting on your make up in the morning.

: -- )

*grins* I am sure Denton will soon have another ding. My cars tend to.

I used (and the following is my personal recommendation and, unless specifically expressed, may not be the view of moneysupermarket.com :) ) Dentwerx Ltd. The local Chips Away bloke will come out and touch up the paintwork next week.

Although, they are local to Moneysupermarket Towers, which is Ewloe, Wales - might be a bit out of your way.

ok - question is, will Denton not now be emotionally scarred by his name considering the lack of owner encouraged remodelling?

And who did you use? The missus' car could do with a bit of straightening up...

Okay, the dents are all gone - just an unsightly line left - but it's much less noticable. Paint man can come and sort it next week with a touch of filler, apparently, so hopefully he'll soon be back to his former glory*.

*However much glory a 2002 car CAN have, that is.

My car is being fixed as we speak! The nice man promises near-perfection without respraying the whole panel and is doing it for £90 (all my other quotes were for £300+).

Fingers crossed it's a good enough resul! I will let you know, I know you're all concerned about Denton.

Fliss

I agree, I think it is an outrage.

There's no way Fliss's little car would span the gap between quay and boat, it would be housing fish at the bottom...

conmankiller:

Huckster - First one, That's Fliss's idea of a cruise drive holiday.

This online bullying must cease! I am going to raise this with the community editor!

huckster:

Can anyone spot Denton at the annual meeting of women drivers in the following link ?

You may hide behind your web anonymity now - but rest assured I shall hunt you down!

I did actually once cause an accident through some very inexperienced driving. Just a few weeks after I passed my test, I crashed my mother's (new) BMW into another car (in a car park. My pride hurt for days).

Bizarrely, the man whose car I hit invited me on a date - so I intend to only hit Ferraris from now on. Maybe Bentleys too.

CMK, I looked at a Jimny when choosing Denton, they're great little cars. Thanks for the advice, I shall shop around and offer cash :)

The Wife bumped her Jimny recently... reversed into a concrete bollard, it needed the back colour coded bumper removing, filling, sanding and respraying. She was initially quoted £120 from one of these bodyshops that operates under the railway arches, small with small overheads, but nevertheless reputable.

When she asked how much for cash he retorted, "hmmmm £90 quid". She replied call it £80 and we have a deal....he said okay, did it the next day and he did a really super job.

Dealer quoted £250.

Huckster - First one, That's Fliss's idea of a cruise drive holiday.

Deary me, I need the toilet. : -- )

Can anyone spot Denton at the annual meeting of women drivers in the following link ?

http://women-drivers.net/category/women-driver-pictures/