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Bodyshop Repairs

Jxshh
Jxshh
in Dealer Problems & Consumer Advice

Featured Replies

Does anyone know if you have to pay for an estimate?

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

  • Quote


    Not at all, they give quotes for free, and if one charges you, then leave...

  • Quote
    • Author

    Okay cheers just wondering because ive had a few issues with ford dealers in the past not declaring any cost and then after doing stuff tried to charge me.

    The mighty mk3 focus

  • Quote

    An estimate is wrong word. I refer to them as guesstimate. The reason is, they look at the car having not looked deeply. The surface damage is what they quote along with parts they are sure are wrong and need fixing.

    However the problem is, more often than not you start taking the cat apart and find a new issue, a part that is more damaged than estimated, additional parts underneath need replacing, so it's possible for the quote and actual cost to differ, however they should contact you and approve it prior to the work being started.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • 2 weeks later...

    An estimate is wrong word. I refer to them as guesstimate. The reason is, they look at the car having not looked deeply. The surface damage is what they quote along with parts they are sure are wrong and need fixing.

    However the problem is, more often than not you start taking the cat apart and find a new issue, a part that is more damaged than estimated, additional parts underneath need replacing, so it's possible for the quote and actual cost to differ, however they should contact you and approve it prior to the work being started.

    Had a similar issue with my dad's Ford Fiesta (08 reg) 1.6 he had under Warranty from Bristol Street Motors... took it in for a warranty repair, they "guesstimated" the work required was covered, turns out when he booked it in to be done, there was more work required than initially thought, as a result they tried to charge him £150, he did make a bit of a fuss about it and they knocked £50 off, just goes to show!

  • Quote

    There are legal definition differences between an '' estimate '' and a '' quote ''

  • Quote
    • Like 2

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    The "Digestive"

    • The Digestive Forum Roundup (24th May - 31st May 2026)

      Steve ·
      The Digestive Forum Roundup (24th May - 31st May 2026) We hope this email finds you well and enjoying your week. As always, our forum has been buzzing with activity, so we’ve compiled the highlights for you. Plenty of interesting discussions are taking place, especially around the Ford Focus and Fiesta models. Starting off with the Focus, many members have been discussing issues with the Emergency Call System, particularly in the Mk4 model. PLB raised concerns about persistent malfunctions, a se
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