£90 to change a fuse...

poppyflorence

I recently went into my local volkswagen dealership, my car is under 3 year warranty the back window wiper mechanism had failed, looked as though it has got stuck. They were very polite saying i could bring the car in in a few days.
On bringing in my car i signed for a visual inspection and to solve the wiper problem. It turned out to be a fuse, pretty dim i know i could have changed that myself i didn't even think it would be that simple. I was then charged £90 for an hours labour, minus the cost of the fuses because i complained they should have told me this but they said they didn't know until they 'put the computers on the car'.

I am going to complain but i have already paid as i was in a rush didn't really think about it and i did sign to say they could do this to my car. Am i actually right? Other people i have spoken to say they should have done this as a courtesy?

Thanks

Coveredinbees!!!!

wouldn't mind betting it goes again, fuses don't just blow.

Gloomendoom

Courtesy is the wrong word. They should have fixed it under warranty and charged VW

Also, as has been said, fuses don't usually blow for no reason.

1956

hi
#1

poppyflorence

so just to clarify, it was not £90.00 to change just a fuse !, but to have your vehicle checked, put on the diagnosic computer( you said"'put the computers on the car'") , which with modern vehicles and mechanics is what dealers do as it tells them whats wrong and how to fix it! so there is at least a £80.00 charge there ( fords charge £80.00 ! to do the same, but the equipment costs thousands so they have to charge something, the manufactures dont supply free equipment to dealers)

not saying its right it depends why the wiper "got stuck" in the first place?, as to weather it is warrenty or not,as you dont say how it got stuck? , but all that work as a courtesy , no i dont see why it should be based on the info so far..

colino

Maybe that in the frozen weather you had left the wiper on and when you started the car the fuse blew? As above, you've presented that car to a main agent and been hit with their minimum diagnostics.

goldspanners

if its £90 per hour labour then you were charged accordingly.
similarly if it was a mechanism that had came loose and they fixed it with a split pin similar value to a fuse) would you still complain.

i think you just feel a bit daft for not checking the fuses yorself don't you?

poppyflorence

there is not an £80 charge to put computers on cars that is ridiculous i have had many diagnostic checks run on other cars for various faults which do not incurr a charge of £80, most reputable places would only charge you for the amount of time it cost not just round it up either.

colino

You have been charged the minimum for a dealership = 1 hours labour. Would you have been happier if it was a more serious fault?

poppyflorence

yes i wish the car had fallen in half at least i wouldn't have had to have paid for it! the fact is changing a fuse does not fall under the warranty. if vw were even slightly fair they would give me a ring and say "its not a big job, tell you what you could probably do it yourself." i want to know which mechanic is getting paid £90 an hour cos im in the wrong job! i spent £10000 on a car the least you expect is that the fuses dont start to go in under a year, is that value for money?

forgotmyname

I would ask them what sensors the computer diagnostic reads on the wipers. Even on a car with automatic
rain sensing wires i would doubt there being much info on a diagnostic test.

If its under warranty why would you pay for a repair?

poppyflorence

we paid because they said when i went to pick the car up that fuses dont fall under the warranty and they had my car keys, when we originally went in and said the wiper wasnt working they said "ahhh no problem, faulty wiper is it? that falls under your warranty!" very nice when you go in, dont want to look you in the eye when you need to pay exstortionate fees!