Eldon Street Garage

12/08/2026

OUR RESPONSE

We don’t normally discuss individual customer matters publicly. However, following recent posts concerning our garage, and having been unable to respond directly because comments have subsequently been disabled, I feel it is only fair that we are given the opportunity to set out our side.

I want to do that without insults, accusations or a social-media argument.

These are simply the events as we understand them, supported where possible by our records and the engineering inspection report. I am happy for people to read both sides and make up their own minds.

For reasons of professionalism and customer privacy, we will not identify the customer concerned.

The customer initially telephoned our workshop and spoke with our Workshop Manager regarding concerns with her vehicle.

She was invited to attend the garage so that we could discuss the problems she was experiencing and try to help establish what might be required.

The customer attended and the interaction was friendly. Our technicians carried out an initial inspection free of charge.

That initial inspection identified several matters requiring further investigation.

The vehicle had been presented with a reported concern of poor and sluggish starting. During a road test, the clutch was found to be slipping. The battery was also found to be at approximately 50% state of charge.

Importantly, the report did not claim that every possible fault had been conclusively diagnosed.

It recommended replacement of the clutch assembly and, because removal of the gearbox would be required, inspection of the starter motor at the same time for possible clutch-dust contamination, obstruction, damage or deterioration. It also recommended that the battery be fully charged and properly tested.

The engineering report concludes:

“Initial testing was provided free of charge.”

Following this initial consultation, the customer was invited back for an official booking so that further diagnostic work could be carried out, the exact fault or faults established and an appropriate quotation provided.

That further diagnostic booking did not take place.

The customer subsequently informed us that members of her family were unhappy with us, and the booking was cancelled.

During the earlier conversation, we had been asked for an indication of what the repair might cost if the clutch and flywheel ultimately required replacement.

An approximate figure in the region of £1,000–£1,500 was discussed, subject to further investigation and confirmation of exactly what was required.

That was an estimate of a potential repair scenario, not a formal quotation, because the additional diagnostic work necessary to establish the complete repair had not yet been carried out.

At this point:

No repair work had been authorised or carried out.
No formal quotation had been issued.
No charge had been made for the initial inspection.
Further testing had been recommended before confirming the complete repair required.

THE SUBSEQUENT INCIDENT AT OUR GARAGE

The situation unfortunately escalated when a member of the customer’s family subsequently attended the garage.

Having now reviewed our CCTV and audio recording of that interaction, I am satisfied that the manner in which my staff were approached was unacceptable.

The family member entered the workshop area and confronted members of staff in an extremely angry and aggressive manner. During the exchange, she was rude and verbally abusive towards members of our team and repeatedly gave them very little opportunity to explain the circumstances, despite their attempts to do so.

During that confrontation, she also made reference to getting her partner involved.

Given the aggressive nature of the exchange and the context in which that statement was made, members of staff interpreted it as an intimidating remark and a potential threat of further confrontation.

I want to be precise here: I am not claiming that an explicit threat of physical violence was made if those words were not actually used. I am explaining how the remark was reasonably perceived by the members of staff who were on the receiving end of the confrontation.

She also demanded that I telephone her on Monday, despite not leaving a telephone number with the garage for me to contact her.

This was particularly disappointing because, up until that point, our involvement had consisted of trying to assist the customer. We had carried out an initial inspection without charge, produced a written engineering report and invited her back for further testing before providing a definitive diagnosis and formal quotation.

My staff deserve the same basic courtesy and respect that we expect them to show every customer.

We will always listen to a complaint. We will explain our actions, investigate concerns and accept responsibility where we have genuinely got something wrong.

What we will not accept is members of our staff being subjected to abusive, aggressive or intimidating behaviour simply for attempting to do their jobs.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

I subsequently became aware that posts concerning our business had appeared on Facebook.

At that stage, I had not even had the opportunity to speak properly with all the members of staff involved and establish the facts for myself.

I therefore responded politely and explained that I would investigate what had happened, speak with my team and get back to the customer.

I believe that was the responsible thing to do rather than reacting publicly before establishing the facts.

Since then, comments on the relevant posts have been disabled. Despite contacting the administrators, I have therefore been unable to publicly provide the other side of the story in the same place where the allegations have been made.

A NOTE REGARDING ANONYMOUS COMMENTS

I have also seen a number of comments made anonymously regarding our business.

I want to be very clear about this.

We are an open and transparent business, and I genuinely welcome customers bringing concerns, complaints or problems directly to us.

No garage gets everything right every single time. If we have made a mistake, I want to know about it. Give us the opportunity to investigate it, establish what happened and, where appropriate, put it right.

However, we cannot meaningfully investigate an allegation from somebody who remains anonymous and provides us with no information that allows us to identify the vehicle, repair, invoice or circumstances being referred to.

That leaves us unable to check our records, speak with the technicians involved, examine the work carried out or offer any meaningful response.

It also means that neither we nor the people reading those comments have any practical way of establishing their context or accuracy.

So my invitation to anybody posting anonymously about a genuine experience with our business is simple: please contact me directly.

Identify yourself, tell me which vehicle or job you are referring to and give me the opportunity to investigate it properly.

You don’t have to agree with me, and I won’t attempt to silence legitimate criticism. I simply ask that if an allegation is made about our business, we are given a fair opportunity to establish the facts and respond to it.

FINALLY

I fully respect anybody’s right to complain about our business.

We will not always get everything right, and when we make a mistake, I expect us to acknowledge it and put it right.

But fairness works both ways.

In this particular case, we carried out an initial inspection without charge, documented what we found, recommended further investigation and invited the customer back so those tests could be completed before a proper quotation was produced.

That appointment was cancelled before we had the opportunity to do so.

We are prepared to stand behind the written engineering report and the evidence we have retained.

I would also genuinely welcome the opinion of an appropriately qualified independent motor-vehicle engineer if the technical findings themselves are disputed.

I’m not asking anybody to simply take our word for it.

I’m asking for the same fairness, honesty and transparency that any customer would rightly expect from us.

Read what has been said. Read our account. Look at the engineering report. Then make your own mind up.

Thank you for taking the time to read our side of the story.

Dave Massey
Massey Motor-group

11/08/2026

YOU CANNOT HAVE A STEAK FOR THE PRICE OF A BIG MAC……”

An article I wrote years ago which felt more relevant now.

“THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK”

Right then folks…

Following a recent Facebook post about Eldon Street Garage, I've had a little time to reflect. And, more importantly, a power nap. Never underestimate the diplomatic qualities of 40 winks.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given the opportunity to respond on the original forum before being removed, and because a number of previous customers subsequently added their own comments regarding our prices and our policy on customer-supplied parts, I think it's only fair that I finally get to put our side of the story across.

I'm not interested in a Facebook bun fight. Life's too short and I've got a business to run.

This is actually about something much bigger and something I genuinely believe in the future of my business, my team and our trade.

So firstly, let's clear something up.

Expensive does not automatically mean overpriced.

Just because something is outside someone's budget, or they can obtain something cheaper elsewhere, doesn't mean the business charging more is ripping people off.

You have to compare apples with apples.

You wouldn't compare a Premier Inn with the Ritz and accuse the Ritz of daylight robbery because both technically provide a bed.

You wouldn't walk into a quality restaurant carrying a steak from Tesco, tell the chef you got it cheaper down the road and then ask him to cook it for twenty quid.

Well… you might.

But I suspect your table would become available fairly quickly.

And yet garages are regularly expected to operate exactly like this.

“I've found the part cheaper online."

I'm sure you have.

“My mate says he'll fit it for £50."

Fantastic.

“He's got a diagnostic machine as well."

Even better.

But, that isn't the service we're selling.

Our mission at Eldon Street Garage has been the same for years:

Future proof the business.

Modern vehicles are becoming extraordinarily complex.
The days when a socket set, multimeter, Haynes manual and a good swear at it could solve most problems are rapidly disappearing.

Diagnostics, programming, ADAS, emissions systems, EV and hybrid technology, manufacturer-level information and increasingly complicated electronics require serious knowledge and serious investment.

So that's exactly what we do.

We invest.

We invest in our technicians.

We invest in training.

We invest in diagnostic equipment.

We invest in tooling.

We invest in infrastructure.

We invest in our workshop.

And most importantly, we invest in our people.

We do that because I want Eldon Street Garage to be capable of repairing the vehicles of tomorrow, not just the vehicles of yesterday.

And here's the shocking bit…

That costs money.

Even more shocking:

We make a profit.

There. I've said it.

Call the authorities.

Profit isn't a dirty word.

Profit pays wages. It sends technicians on training courses. It buys diagnostic equipment and specialist tooling. It pays for technical information, software subscriptions, insurance, electricity, rates and the other approximately 7,436 things that seem to land on my and every other hard working business owners desk every month requiring payment.

And whatever is left occasionally keeps me in caffeine.

More importantly, profit allows us to continually reinvest.

So when your vehicle develops some wonderfully obscure electronic fault that requires £20,000 worth of equipment and a technician who's spent years learning how to use it, we're hopefully still here to help.

That brings me to the recent post.

One fairly important part of the story seemed to get lost along the way.

We carried out a professional diagnostic assessment of the vehicle and provided our findings and advice without charging for that assessment.

Our diagnosis and advice were sound.

The customer was completely free to accept our quotation, decline it, seek another opinion or have the vehicle repaired elsewhere.

And that's absolutely fine.

A quotation isn't a hostage situation.

There are no armed guards at the workshop doors.

If we're not right for you, genuinely, there's no animosity whatsoever.

But where I draw the line is the suggestion that because somebody can source a component somewhere else for less money, our price must therefore be dishonest or inflated.

That's simply not a fair comparison.

When you pay a professional garage, you're not merely buying whatever happens to be inside the cardboard box.

You're buying the whole service.

You're paying for the technician who knows what to do with that part.

You're paying for the years spent gaining that knowledge.

You're paying for the diagnostic equipment that identified the problem in the first place.

You're paying for access to technical information and manufacturer software.

You're paying for specialist tooling.

You're paying for the workshop and infrastructure surrounding the repair.

You're paying for accountability.

And you're paying for a business that intends to be around afterwards and stand behind the work it has carried out.

We've also been criticised because we generally won't fit customer-supplied parts.

Again, that's not arrogance.

It's a business decision.

If we're expected to put our name to a repair and take professional responsibility for it, I believe we should have control over the quality and provenance of the components we're fitting.

Other garages operate differently.

And that's absolutely fine too.

There are some fantastic garages and technicians out there operating with completely different business models to ours, and I've got enormous respect for them.

There is room in this trade for everybody.

We're simply not trying to be the cheapest garage.

Never have been.

We're trying to build one of the best-equipped, best-trained and most capable independent workshops we possibly can.

That vision won't suit everybody.

Our prices won't suit every budget.

Our policies won't suit every customer.

And that's okay.

But if you're going to judge us, then please judge us fairly.

Judge us on the quality of our diagnostics.

Judge us on our workmanship.

Judge us on our facilities and equipment.

Judge us on the training, knowledge and dedication of our technicians.

Judge us on how we look after people's vehicles.

Judge us on whether we stand behind our work.

And importantly, judge us on the excellent reviews left by the many customers who have trusted us with their vehicles and taken the time afterwards to tell others about their experience.

Those reviews mean an enormous amount to me and the team.

Because behind every five-star review isn't a marketing department or some clever advertising campaign.

It's a real customer.

A real vehicle.

And a team of people who've tried their absolute best to do a bloody good job.

We're not perfect. Nobody is.

We'll occasionally get things wrong, and when we do, we'll hold our hands up and do our best to put them right.

But please judge the business on the whole body of its work”. not simply on whether somebody somewhere can sell a particular component cheaper.

Then, once you've looked at the complete service, compare us with another business offering the same level of expertise, equipment, investment, facilities, accountability and support.

That's comparing apples with apples.

If another garage genuinely provides all of that for considerably less money, then fair play to them.

That's competition.

And healthy competition keeps all of us on our toes.

But:

“I found the part cheaper on the internet"

isn't evidence that a professional business is overcharging.

It's evidence that…

“you found the part cheaper on the internet.”

That's it.

I'm incredibly proud of what we're building at Eldon Street Garage.

I'm proud of our team.

I'm proud of the skills we've developed.

I'm proud of the equipment we've invested in.

I'm proud of our reputation.

And I'm especially proud when another garage or technician comes to “us” for help with something difficult, because that tells me our years of investment and learning are taking us in the right direction.

We're not building the cheapest garage.

We're trying to build an exceptional one.

We're investing today because I want this business and the people who work in it to have a future tomorrow.

Some people will understand that vision.

Some won't.

And genuinely, that's okay.

There are customers for every garage and garages for every customer.

But please don't confuse:

“That's more than I want to pay"

with:

“They're overcharging."

They are two very different statements.

As I wrote many years ago following another rather memorable customer encounter:

You cannot have a steak for the price of a Big Mac.

Although given what McDonald's charges nowadays, I may have to retire that analogy before it comes back to bite me.

Thank you, genuinely, to everybody who continues to support us, recommends us, leaves us a review, sends friends and family our way or simply pops their head through the workshop door for a brew and a bit of abuse.

We notice it.

We appreciate it.

And it's because of you that we keep investing, learning and pushing this little garage forward.

Onwards. ❤️🔧

Dave Massey
The proud owner
Eldon Street Garage

09/08/2026

# Eldon Street Garage — Our Story, Mission and Promise

Eldon Street Garage has been serving motorists across Ashton, Preston and the surrounding areas for more than 40 years.

The business was founded by Steve Smith, who spent 35 successful years building an outstanding reputation within the local community. Through hard work, personal service and honest advice, Steve created a garage that generations of customers came to know and trust.

Five years ago, as vehicle technology continued to advance and the demands of running a modern workshop increased, Steve decided it was time to pass the business on. A mutual contact through Preston Golf Club introduced us, and following dinner and a good conversation, a sale was agreed.

Since then, Steve and I have become good friends. It has been a genuine honour to take responsibility for the legacy he built—preserving the traditional values that made Eldon Street Garage successful while preparing the business for the future.

# # Investing in the future

Modern vehicles are changing rapidly. The electronic systems that keep drivers safe, comfortable and connected require specialist equipment, continuous training and significant investment.

Since taking ownership, we have completely revamped the workshop and invested in:

* New vehicle ramps
* A modern digital MOT bay
* Electric vehicle training and equipment
* ADAS calibration and alignment equipment for vehicle radar and safety systems
* Specialist tooling for modern engines
* Wet-belt replacement equipment for Ford and PSA Group vehicles
* A new internal network that allows us to diagnose and programme vehicles in every bay
* New signage and major workshop improvements

Our attitude is simple: we would rather find a way to do the job properly than say, “Sorry, we can’t do that.”

# # Our mission

Our mission is to combine traditional customer service with modern technical expertise, providing every customer with honest advice, complete transparency and reliable repairs carried out to the highest standard.

We give customers a full picture of their vehicle’s condition so they can make properly informed decisions. We use genuine parts, aim to diagnose and repair faults correctly the first time, and support our workmanship with an unrivalled one-year guarantee.

We do not believe in hiding problems or recommending a cheap shortcut simply because it is the easiest option. Our responsibility is to explain what we have found, present the available choices clearly and help each customer decide what is right for them and their vehicle.

# # Moving forward while respecting our past

Change is not always easy. Some long-standing customers were accustomed to supplying their own parts, choosing the quickest or cheapest repair, or paying prices from an earlier era. We understand that people do not always welcome a different way of doing things.

However, to future-proof Eldon Street Garage and continue serving the Preston community for many years to come, we must keep investing in our people, training, technology and equipment. Our prices must fairly reflect that investment and the professional standard we promise to every customer.

Our approach may not suit everyone, and we respect that. However, we will not compromise our standards or change course simply to become the cheapest garage.

If you are looking for the lowest possible price or a quick repair that may not last, we may not be the right garage for you.

But if you value your vehicle and want honest advice, expert workmanship, dependable repairs and a team committed to getting the job right first time, we would be proud to look after you.

# # Our promise

We will respect the legacy on which Eldon Street Garage was built while continuing to invest in its future.

We will be honest about what your vehicle needs, transparent about what it will cost and committed to doing the work properly.

That is our ethos. That is our promise. And that is the future we are building at Eldon Street Garage.

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

Hello everyone,

Following a recent post shared on social media, we would like to explain our approach and reassure our friends, community and loyal customers.

As a family-run business, our responsibility is to give every customer honest, professional advice based on the condition of their vehicle at the time it is inspected. That means providing the full picture not simply identifying the most immediate problem, but also explaining any underlying or additional faults shown by our testing.

Our aim is to give customers clear information so they can make an educated and informed decision. We will never pressure anyone into authorising work, and we fully respect every customer’s right to seek a second opinion.

We understand that people may sometimes be unhappy with advice or question a diagnosis. What is disappointing is when serious allegations are posted and shared across social media before we, or our manager, have been contacted and given an opportunity to review the matter or explain our findings.

A social media post can quickly reach thousands of people, but it may only present one side of the story. For a small family business, accusations concerning our honesty can be extremely damaging—particularly when we hold inspection notes and digital test results that support the advice provided.

We are always willing to listen. If any customer has a concern, we respectfully ask that they contact us directly first. Give us the opportunity to examine the facts, explain our findings and, where something has gone wrong, put it right.

We are proud to look after thousands of customers, including many who have trusted us with their vehicles year after year. That trust has been earned through honest advice, professional workmanship and treating people fairly.

Our door is always open, and we will continue to provide every customer with the honest, complete advice they need to make the right decision for themselves and their vehicle.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our family business.

Dave and the team
Eldon Street Garage