Dear all,
This little saga has been bubbling along for a few days and I didn't want to post anything until the matter was fully resolved - which it is now I'm pleased to say.
Following a bit of detective work - I discovered that the fuel filter on my car (Petrol estate) was the original one fitted in the factory 11 years ago - so wanted to change it.
Looking at the guide in the maint section led me to conclude that as I don't have a ramp or special pliers it wasn't a DIY job. I would therefore get a price from a local high sreet chain for the job "how hard can it be" for them to do I thought.
So, National tyres gave me a price of £19 all in, so it was booked in for the job mid day on thursday last week. "Should take abut 15 mins Sir".
So, I took her in, and sat down to read the paper. Half an hour later the fitter came in and pronouced that he was really really sorry but had broken the outgoing fuel line and was seeking guidance from Head Office Technical Support. He was honest about it, I was in no hurry and had been informed that it was their problem to resolve.
So, I walked into town, met the Wife for lunch and eventually the mobile rang. "We have been told the replace the entire fuel line and have ordered the parts from Vx", I was informed. I told them to take their time and do it properly. Needless to say Vx didn't have the parts in stock so placed a VOR (vehicle off road) order on Luton.
So, I got the car back this morning, job done and free of charge to boot. It appears that it was quite a significant job due to the way in which the pipe was pre-formed and had to be fitted.
The thing is I wasn't in the least bit angry about it. They made a genuine mistake, admitted it and then sorted it at significant expense to themselves - both in labour, cost of parts and the fact that my car was sitting on one of their ramps for several days. It was a bit inconvenient I suppose, but I worked around it.
I know we OOF'ers don't normally like this type of place - but I have to say that I was delighted with the outcome. Also, I don't really think I had an alternative, it really is a pig to get to the filter in a safe manner unless you have a ramp which really excludes DIY and many of the OOF service guys.
So, National Tyres in Lincoln gets my vote - credit where it's due.

Rob