we bought used car, went to garage near Gland with a small leak of unknown fluid from engine, owner himself diagnosed it as cracked tube for engine coolant. Quote of cca 270 chf for few minutes of work and cheap tube. But OK we paid, expecting Swiss quality of service. The owner refused to even refill the missing fluid back to original levels, stating 'this little is enough'.
The leak didn't stop. We went back again in few weeks and the owner himself now claims that its a pump, nice quote for 400 chf for material and work. He even acknowledged that tube was probably OK and just wet from fluid leak elsewhere. Still refusal to return anything, or subtract work already paid for needless repair.
Apart from outright lawyering up, what we can do to protect ourselves? Obviously apart from going back to him for any other work, ever.
Anyway, OP paid 270 CHF for a repair that did not stop the leak. Then, got a 2nd quote to stop to change the water pump for 400 CHF. I assume this work has not been done yet.
OP tried to get a discount on the pump arguing the first repair did not solve the leak, but it went nowhere. This makes sense, if the first repair did not solve, the garage owner could offer a discount over the 2nd job. After all, the first diagnostic was wrong and that generated costs.
Considering it's 270 CHF, it's too low to involve lawyers.