‘My car failed the NCT twice – but I had paid for a full service before both tests. Can I get a refund from the mechanic?’

QI paid a mechanic for a full service on my car – but it failed the NCT the following month. I’d assumed a full service would pick up on faults such as a worn brake line, a loose battery, the shocks and issues with wheel bearings.

I paid the mechanic again to fix everything – but it failed the

NCT for a second time, for many of the same reasons.

After the second fail, he said he was going on holidays and wouldn’t be around to fix the issues. He suggested I go elsewhere – which I’ll definitely do, as I’m fed up paying him for missing issues or failing to correct them. But am I entitled to a refund from him for payments for repairs that failed the NCT?

Stephanie, Co Limerick

AMechanical issues can be hard to resolve, as the agreements are often verbal. Despite this, verbal agreements are still legally binding, though having it in writing would put you in a stronger position. If the initial agreement was to get the car ready to pass the NCT, this may indicate that the service provided didn’t match your agreement.

When you hire a mechanic, you are buying their services. Your rights as a consumer are the same as when buying any other service. If you’re not happy with the work, quality, materials, or completion of the job, you have the right to have the problem resolved.

Most problems can be sorted out by talking to a business. However, if you don’t get a satisfactory response, you could send the mechanic an email or letter, explaining that you’re unhappy with the service provided, that the issues have reoccurred, and how you’d like the matter resolved. You’re entitled to have the work fixed and the mechanic must do this at no cost to you, within a reasonable timeframe, and without significant inconvenience to you.

As the same issues resurfaced in the second NCT, you can request a refund or a price reduction for those repairs.

If they won’t fix their work or give a refund or price reduction, you’ll need to take further action.

You can use the small claims procedure if the total cost was less than €2,000. It only costs €25 to take a case and you don’t need a solicitor. For claims over €2,000, you’d have to take individual legal action and you may want independent legal advice for this.

Before getting any work done in future, always ask a mechanic for a detailed written quote, including Vat and a breakdown of parts and labour. Make sure you get an actual quote and not an estimate. You can refer to this later.