Organising breakdown cover when travelling in your car

If you have got to do a lot of travelling over the festive season then you should make sure that you have adequate breakdown cover to help you out should you be in need of it. Breakdown cover is not mandatory for drivers in England but without it you may run the risk of been left stranded and having to fork out hundreds for recovery costs should you break down or have an accident. This is the last thing you want any time of year but especially during Christmas. Breakdown cover is usually offered at different levels depending on what cover you need. The basic cover usually involves them collecting you from the roadside and taking you to the nearest garage. Bear in mind that if this happens you will...
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Are you being quoted a fair price for car repairs?

Car repairs are something that none of us like forking out for and often they can spring up from nowhere and usually at the time that is most inconvenient. Unfortunately, some garages will take advantage of the fact that many of their customers do not know a lot about the internal workings of a car and therefore trust that what the garage says needs to be done is correct. Although this is against the law, some garages will quote for additional work that does not really need doing. They may also quote for work that does need doing but at a lot higher price than you may expect. If you use a chain garage such as QuickFit or National for example, they are often a bit more expensive than an...
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Making sure you don’t pay over the odds for tyres

If you are a car owner then you need to be sure that you look after and maintain it well. If you neglect your tyres and drive your vehicle with flat, worn, damaged or under/over inflated tyres, you run the risk of a serious accident. You can also get points on your licence which may have a knock on effect on the cost of your insurance as well as possibly even your job. Tyres can be very expensive with people often having to fork out in excess of £300 for a set of four new tyres. There are so many options available to your when it comes to buying tyre it can all get a little confusing and you may not know which ones you should buy. You have the...
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Should your car service be carried out at a main dealer?

All cars and vans should be service in accordance with the manufactures schedule to ensure that components are checked and replaced when needed. All service schedules can vary from vehicle to vehicle so it is advised to check what is required for your specific make and model of car. There is often a huge price difference between getting your vehicle serviced at a main dealer garage as opposed to another independent garage. Some cars that are under a warranty must be serviced at a main dealer to ensure that the warranty is not invalidated. If you do use an independent garage, then check what parts they are using when replacing them. It may be that they are going to use non genuine parts, which may be ok as long as...
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Why is it so important to use a garage you trust?

When it comes to finding a garage to carry out any repairs or servicing etc to your vehicle, you need to find one that is reliable and one you can trust. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to use a garage that we have had no previous dealings with due to a breakdown for example. This is not ideal but if you find yourself in this situation, you need to have an idea of what you are talking about to ensure that you receive a good deal. People that take cars into garages and say they have no idea what is wrong and could they fix it are asking for trouble. If you go to the mechanic and say that you have experienced an issue with the vehicle and detail what has...
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