Mr Clutch, Norwich doesn’t even deserve x1 star. Do not use this company. They rip you off, use pressuring tactics to persuade you to use their services, they do not road test vehicles, exercise poor workmanship and do not work to the level of skill they profess, being experts in clutches and gearboxes. Their customer service skills are also abysmal. In any professional relationship you should be referred to as “Mr/ Mrs/ Miss/ Ms…” unless they are given permission by you to use your first, Christian or other name, not immediately address you as “Mate” or “My Love”. My “mates” would not rip me off, carry out a shoddy job on my car, cost me my car and very nearly my life. My clutch went whilst driving to work in July 2018. I called my garage but they had most of their mechanics on summer leave so wouldn’t have been able to carry out the work for weeks and advised I tried someone competitive in Norwich. I found Mr Clutch (its in the name, isn’t it, specialists in clutches and gearboxes). The recovery chap, who put my car on the lorry, said that there was nothing wrong with my gearbox. Later Mr Clutch called me to say that the gearbox had gone too. When they showed me the gearbox there was a clean, shiny, silver break, whereas the rest of the gearbox was caked in over a decade of road grease and dirt, as if the break had just happened. I found this suspicious but of course could not prove anything. Mr Clutch told me that they had a replacement part but that I would have to make a decision by that afternoon. I felt pressured as I need a car for work and knew that my garage wouldn’t be able to get to it for weeks. They quoted £1,300 for a re-conditioned (although initially I was told “new”) clutch and gearbox. My mistake was saying yes to them. I collected the car after a few days and within less than 48 hours (it may even have been the same day!) when driving home, round the Northern Distributor bypass (so in no position to turn back and they were closed) I realised that I had no 5th gear and that 4th felt like 2nd. This was quite a terrifying drive home for me. When I arrived home I only got so far round the drive as I realised that I had no reverse either and needed assistance from neighbours’ in the morning to move my car so that I could drive straight in to Mr Clutch. When I arrived the manager, Shaun immediately said “It’s your Selector”. All I knew of the Selector at this stage was that it was part of the gearbox/ clutch scenario. I asked him why this had not been quoted for in the initial quote. His tone completely changed at this point and he said that they didn’t “normally quote for a Selector unless there is a problem with it”. This Selector didn’t just develop play overnight! He was expecting my return. I was at the end of my tether with this shoddy organisation by this stage so said I that they needed to sort it; I had paid them £1,300 to fix my car and it was not fixed! At this point I got a “Madam, your car was not driveable when it came in” to which I retorted that on the contrary I had driven it 18 miles and apart from the noise and bad smell it had felt far safer to drive than the state they’d returned it to me in! Mr Clutch gave me a “new” Selector (later I found out that it was second hand), about a week later as we were “at the mercy of the courier” in delivering the part. We don’t live in the 1800s so a courier coming from their depot in London to their branch in Norwich does not take several working days when asked for overnight delivery. I had to make several trips to my garage for this “new” Selector because by this stage I just did not trust Mr Clutch. My garage confirmed that this Selector had play on it. I didn’t want to use Mr Clutch again but didn’t feel it right to make someone else clear up another’s mess so I went back to Mr Clutch who agreed to get me another Selector. They confirmed that it would be second hand again as they are expensive and this is the second time they’d be giving me another one “free of charge” (not free for me with all the bus fares and disruption to me and my work and trips to my garage), expecting me to be grateful for the months of upheaval and returning a car unsafe to drive. They also issued a document to me stating that this was the last one that they would give me ‘in full and final settlement of any claim’. I’m afraid that this statement isn’t worth the piece of paper it’s written on because in law both parties need to agree to this statement. Again, I had to wait about a week “at the mercy of the courier”. I suggested they find a new courier. Mr Clutch also said that I needed new Selector cables as mine had play on them. Yet another piece of the clutch/ gearbox/ Selector scenario which they should have looked at and advised upon at the outset, in July, not November. After this next “new” Selector was fitted I went straight back to my garage who confirmed that this third Selector also had play on it, as did the Selector cables. I decided at this stage to get my garage to quote for all the work and that I would make a decision whether to present this to Mr Clutch to put right as per the quote or whether to get my garage (who can be trusted) to carry out the work and sue Mr Clutch for the costs and potentially all the other costs attributed to them failing to fix my car as promised in July. Intermittently I was still having problems getting into and out of 5th gear on Selector no.3. Upon the last visit to Mr Clutch in November they also invalidated my warranty by writing the mileage as 7,000 miles under the actual (and about 4,000 less than their previous sign-off). Sure this could be a “mistake” but given everything else, I doubt it. If this is an offence and anyone considers worth reporting then please advise who I could contact. Unfortunately, before I could get the quote for the Selector and cables (that should have been dealt with in July), on 1st December, I was driving to a friend near Wroxham. Yet again, I’d been having problems getting into 5th gear and upon approaching and anticipating a bend I tried to come out of 5th gear but could not. The roads were very greasy and wet that day. I went into the bend in 5th gear, the wheels lost traction causing me to skid, hit the bank several times, skid across the road, up the other bank, hit a telegraph pole and roll. No one knows how I managed to climb out of my car alive and largely unscathed, apart from being a mess mentally and emotionally about what I had just been through. I put it down to being in a well-built German car with a body cage. I have been driving for 15 years and know my driving to be safe. The fact is that if I had been able to get out of 5th gear it would not have happened. Had I not gone to Mr Clutch I would still have my car, fully repaired, to a good standard, driving beautifully, not sitting here without my beautiful car, the other side of a devastating crash. This company has cost me 5 months upheaval, the best part of £2,000 in repairs and investigation for an unfixed, shoddy job, which has resulted in the loss of my car and nearly my life. Do not use this company. They will rip you off, exercise poor workmanship and not carry out work to the level of skill that they profess. I know that many share my views and have had similar experiences. I honestly don’t know how the people responsible can sleep at night. I know there are a lot of bad people out there but I cannot understand or empathise with cheating people in any way. I have learnt my lesson and will never use this or any other mechanic again unless I know them to be reputable. I had a sickening feeling in my gut every time I spoke to/ thought of or processed anything to do with Mr Clutch. I should have listened to my gut. It is always right. This company is just wrong.