In 1987 my husband was in Kwikfit getting a new tyre. The car had passed its MOT that morning but had had an advisory (a new tyre was needed). We were really poor then but decided that the tyre was necessary straight away as it was the only way of transport for our baby twins and for my husband to get to work. It needed to be safe.

I gave my husband the last of our money for the tyre and wondered how I would get any shopping.

Whilst the car was up on the ramps, the mechanic told us that lots of costly work would need to be done or it would never pass its next MOT. My husband kept quiet and declined the work, much to the mechanic's annoyance. The mechanic got quite angry and insisted that the work must be done but my husband just shook his head.

The mechanic changed the tyre and was huffing and puffing while doing it. He put the car back down and walked off in a strop and, whilst doing so, he dropped £20. My husband picked it up off the floor, without the man noticing, said thank you and paid for the tyre.

He gave me the money to get some shopping. We didn't go hungry that week.

We never went back there again and heard many stories after of them ripping customers off and saying they needed work doing when they didn't.