So I took the car to get fixed. They couldn’t find anything wrong, so I went to pick it up.

They said it was parked around the corner. Got there to find a back tyre *completely* flat with a screw sticking out near the sidewall (too close to repair).

It’s a relatively new set of goodyear tyres with very little wear, especially on the rear.

Drove it back to the garage who said they’ll try and find one locally (?). Nothing said about payment yet…

Who pays??? Pretty sure the screw was picked up whilst in garages care (tyre was holding pressure fine before) but I can’t be sure.

but I can’t be sure.

That’s your answer.

You pay because its your car and you cant prove it was their fault.

As rich says, it’ll likely be you. I wouldn’t even bother arguing about it, unless they put their hands up you’re on a hiding to nothing.

It’s got damaged in their care, surely they’re liable?

Can it not be sorted with a bung for a fiver?

I’d have thought that for the price of a puncture fix (that tar-like string stiff and a big pokey thing (you guessed it, I’m not a professional), the garage should purely to keep a customer.

Have I been away from the UK too long and if they fixed it and you had an accident 10 years later, they’d be paying for your wet-room modification?

Bad luck,so suck it up.

It’s got damaged in their care, surely they’re liable?

Agreed, but if I deliver my car to them with a screw in the tyre and it deflates while in their care they’re not liable for that.

Which may actually be what happened.

Due to the possibility of you picking up the puncture on the way to the garage and the possibility it was done when (I would suspect) they test drove it.
I would probably sell you the tire at cost and supply and fit and dispose of the old tyre FOC, or poss go halfs if your a long term customer.
It’s simply not worth the loss of a good customer over a cost as small as a tyre.

Do you know for sure that you didn’t drive it in with a partial flat?

I it happened in thier care I’d expect them to sort it out, but it sounds like it won’t be possible to prove that.

It’s the first time I’ve taken the car there. They’ve not been great so far… I’ve already booked the car in somewhere else to get the actual original problem fixed.

I’ll see what they say when I pick it up, but i’m kind of expecting to pay for the new tyre.

It’s a 16 year old car, and I got the impression he would have just stuck a cheap replacement on there at his expense, but he semeed surprised there were 4 new good quality ones on there so was a bit hesitant (I skimped on tyres once before, not doing it again!)

They probably stuck the screw in after they have laughed at your profile on social media, most motor mechanics are poorly educated, council house oafs with no deference to their betters at all these days.

A strong letter to the owner ought to put a flea in their grubby ears.

Agreed, but if I deliver my car to them with a screw in the tyre and it deflates while in their care they’re not liable for that.

What state’s the tyre wall in? You should be able to tell pretty readily whether it’s been driven any distance with a flat (or excessively low even) tyre.

Lets put some perspective on this, you take your car in for a service and notice a dent you know for sure wasn’t there prior to dropping off (who pays?).
Well you do because the garage will be adamant it didn’t happen in there. (why would a tyre be any different)

hey probably stuck the screw in after they have laughed at your profile on social media, most motor mechanics are poorly educated, council house oafs with no deference to their betters at all these days.

hmm, they did see me get my bike out of the back when I dropped the car off.

Some garages are good, some bad, same as any trade.
I’d personally not deal with them further if they don’t fix /replace the tyre.. IF you are certain the puncture occurred whilst the car was in thier care.

I wouldn’t get too het up about it.. Punctures do happen, and if it was a random screw lying on the road.. That’s just the way it goes, tyres are consumable items.

Thing is, can you prove it 100% when it happened?

Happened to me at uni, parked my car just before my exam started.

Came back and greeted by flat tyre with a screw in the tread.

5hit happens. I would be pi55ed too.

Just don’t use that garage again.

Use your feet to walk away and take your business elsewhere.

Or use your feet and Bruce Lee the manager and mechanics as seen in the Fist of Fury.

Same happened to me. Wasn’t my regular garage so didn’t hold out much hope, but in the end got a new tyre at cost and fitted for free.

There’s no winners in these situations – it’s just bad luck, so don’t expect too much.

Don’t really see how they can be faulted even if it happened when they went round the block on a test drive. Which would be hard to prove. I hope they would do their best to fix cheaply though.

You dot see how they can be faulted if they caused it to happen? Interesting Can I borrow your bike for a test ride?

tyre for cost and fitted free would be an acceptable compromise and I have no idea of the legal position
We used to suck it up when i worked in a garage assuming we thought they had not just put a screw in the tyre to rip us off[ no offence meant OP]

I wouldn’t consider a puncture to be a sign of negligence on their part (or a hypothetical bike-borrower), any more than if the engine blew up when they started it, assuming they didn’t rev the shit out of it or do something else stupid. I would hope for a cheap fix as stated above though. I don’t think we really disagree much do we?

I suspect legally that’s their problem though there’s the burden of proof. Personally, I reckon punctures are a karma deal and your tyre had it coming, it just happened to occur while someone else was driving it. If you don’t accept it, you’ll regret it when next you be judged in the bardo.

I disagree. Clearly it was the garages Karma and their opportunity to negate it’s negativity in this world to further enhance their ability to enter nirvana, Guilt free.