Kwik-Fit mechanics accused of ripping off customers by quoting them for work they didn't need during free brake and tyre test Kwik-Fit accused of conning mystery shoppers in BBC programme Garage 'tricked shoppers into paying over £700 for unnecessary work' Kwik-Fit says it 'strongly disagrees' with broadcaster's findings It says it 'stands by the majority of recommendations given' Kwik-Fit mechanics have been accused of ripping off customers by tricking them into paying for work they did not need. The garage chain has been criticised after staff tried to con mystery shoppers into paying for more than £700 worth of work which was not necessary in an undercover investigation. The team from the new BBC1 consumer show Your Money, Their Tricks, made the allegations after sending 10 cars into 10 Kwik-Fit branches across Britain for a 'free brake check' and 'free tyre check'. BBC presenter Nicky Campbell on the show, which found Kwik-Fit mechanics allegedly attempting to con mystery shoppers All of the cars had been examined by a top expert before and after they were taken in to the garages. The BBC, which did not reveal the specific locations of the garages, has said Kwik-Fit tried to trick the mystery shoppers into paying for more than £700 worth of work by exaggerating the urgency on 4 of the 10 cars. The programme's reporter Rebecca Wilcox said: 'I was shocked by what we uncovered and disappointed that we found such a large well-known company on occasions exaggerating the urgency and quoting for unnecessary work and not carrying out all the checks they promised and as a car owner and car lover this story was very close to my heart. 'In this time when every penny counts it's really disappointing that some companies might mislead and trick potential customers into spending more than they have to. A lot of work went into uncovering the tricks in this episode - it was a large scale investigation. Working with our expert John was definitely an eye opener, I wish I could have him with me whenever I need to put my car in the garage. I consider myself to be a minor petrol head and was very surprised by how easy it can be to be misled. BBC reporter Rebecca Wilcox said she was 'shocked' by what was uncovered in the programme The broadcaster has said as part of the full tyre and brake checks the mechanics should have examined the tyre pressures and tread and taken the wheels off to measure the brake pads and discs but they failed to do this on a number of occasions. The BBC said the mechanics also failed to spot nails in the tyres and did not notice some tyres were dangerously underinflated. A BBC spokesman said: 'In fact, our expert found that Kwik-Fit had failed to do the full checks on seven out of the ten cars' Kwik-Fit has said it 'seriously disagrees' with most of the BBC's findings and stands by 'the majority of the recommendations we gave' (file picture) A Kwik-Fit spokesman has said: 'From the limited information the BBC has provided in advance of its broadcast we, and an independent expert, seriously disagree with most of its findings. As a result of our detailed response to its allegations, the BBC has accepted that a number of its conclusions were wrong. In a few cases we fully accept that our staff could have been clearer with their communication; for this we apologise and are intent on improving how we communicate our advice to customers. From the limited information the BBC has provided in advance of its broadcast we, and an independent expert, seriously disagree with most of its findings A Kwik-Fit spokesman However, we stand by the majority of the recommendations we gave, and completely reject the way the BBC has calculated the cost of work it has deemed "unnecessary" by not considering how worn these parts were. We have even made the BBC four separate offers for one car to be re-inspected at an independent laboratory in order to put our diagnosis to the test. The BBC continues to decline this offer. We have zero tolerance of staff recommending unnecessary work and any proven cases result in disciplinary action. We have a whistleblower line on which staff can anonymously report any aspect of malpractice from their colleagues and a senior management team will investigate and act on any reports. Any recommendations we make on replacing parts take into account manufacturers" information and advice from organisations such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The wear of items such as tyres and brake pads is not an exact science, but we believe ours is a professional and responsible approach which focuses first and foremost on the safety of our four and a half million customers. Ms Wilcox said 'a lot of work went into uncovering the tricks' used by the companies involved in the programme The garage said staff are regularly audited through its own mystery shopping programmes. A spokesman said: 'We expect high standards to be delivered across all areas of our business, and continue to make significant investment in training our staff. We take customer feedback very seriously and guarantee to take any remedial action required, should our procedures be less than satisfactory, which was the case in a minority of the BBC's mystery shop exercise. It is notable that our customer complaints have fallen by 28 per cent over the last year and we are proud of a customer satisfaction level of 98 per cent. The programme makers say the sales tactics used by staff at one of the UK's leading car supermarket Carcraft have also been revealed in the episode. 'In this time when every penny counts it's really disappointing that some companies might mislead and trick potential customers into spending more than they have to' BBC reporter Rebecca Wilcox The BBC said salesmen revealed they advertised cars as much as £2,000 cheaper on their website in order to 'get people through the door'. During their six visits to six Carcraft branches the team say they have uncovered a number of tactics designed to get customers to part with their cash including lying about the pre-sale checks. One sales manager admitted to an undercover mole who applied for a job with the company: 'you've basically got to get them in and you gotta hammer them into a car when they are here. 'You've basically got to beat people up without them knowing you're beating them up and get them to love you for it.' A Carcraft spokesman said: 'We provide quality cars with an industry leading warranty package that includes one year's free servicing, a free MOT in the first year and a 12 month extended guarantee in addition to comprehensive RAC Breakdown Cover and Accident Care. Our cars are accredited by the RAC which was awarded following comprehensive audits by RAC engineers at all of our Preparation Centres and involves substantive audits of our cars at every site every month. We always score very high ratings across all our sites. 'Price alone doesn't determine a good deal as the part exchange price and the finance package combined determines the best overall deal and we're confident that our deals and quality of cars are aligned to our customer needs. 'We have strict pricing policies and will review the BBC footage and take action against any individuals that haven't adhered to our policies. In addition, we are evaluating our training and monitoring procedures. We apologise unreservedly to any customers affected. Your Money, Their Tricks will be broadcast tonight at 8pm on BBC One