Sent an ECU to this so-called company after speaking to the "main guy" Alan. He told me he could definitely repair my ECU if there was a fault found on the unit so I sent it down. It's a standard Vauxhall Astra 1.7D Isuzu ECU with the dry joints, very easy repair as I've done a few myself but I was far too busy to take this job on so I had my customer deliver the part to Alan to carry out the repair. After 6 days of no news we rang up to chase this repair up and he said we was waiting on parts (odd because all you need is a soldering iron and some solder & flux).. anyway he said he would get back to us within 24-48 hours with an update so we left it with him over the weekend.. it dragged right the way through into week 3 of endless promises.. He then came back to us saying the unit was BEYOND repair and would require replacing at a cost that was not economical, therefore we requested the unit was returned to us (having to pay a ridiculous TESTING fee and postage). After having the unit come back I could see where he had tried to re-solder the dry joints and burnt the PCB board.. this is why the unit is no longer repairable, because he was not competent at carrying out this repair! - This is the most basic ECU and the EASIEST of repairs to carry out and if he can't do this, he shouldn't be running an ECU company offering repair services!!
I called him to explain my position and my findings in that he had burnt the PCB board damaging it during his attempt to repair the dry joints on the solder. He refused to admit he burnt the board and said that is how it was received by him (which I know is untrue because I opened & checked it for dry joints PRIOR to sending it, I just didn't get the time to do the job myself). After threatening to take him to court, he offered to refund the testing fee & postage cost but I was still £300-600 out of pocket having to try and find a replacement.. I then pushed for the full replacement cost and he advised me that he did not attempt any repairs himself and that, his company (ECU CLINIC) does not carry out ANY repairs to ECU's at all..
Instead, ECU CLINIC is just a holding office for ECU's.. they put up a website offering repair services and when they fish customers in and have them send the ECU's in for repairs, they then forward the ECU's to other companies to carry out the repairs for them.. adding his bit of profit on top of the job and charging the end customer!!!
It's a shamble, offering a service they don't actually do.. if I wanted my ECU sent halfway across the country being cross delivered between 2-3 companies I would have searched for such service.. I was looking for one company who would take my ECU... test it & repair it.. this company failed miserably, it was the first time I used them and I chose them over another company because they were "cheaper" - my mistake.. I have used the other company for many years who I will not mention here but I know now to never use ECU CLINIC again!!
P.S. I had to pay out of pocket £295 VAT for a brand new unit for my customer...
0 comments