VW ASSURED!!! Warrenty

seasonalbiz

I've been suffering a bit at the hands of VW.

I've never been one for buying vehicles from main dealers, prefering to pick up vehicles at a snip from auction - and to date (touch wood) this method has not left me with burnt fingers... but last year my business was picking up momentum quickly and I needed a specific light commecial vehicle quickly... and business was good - so I decided to venture into unchartered territory... the dealers showroom!

I purchased a 2½yr old VW commercial from a VW dealership, one previous owner which was the dealership itself... this cost just over £13500 inc VAT - and I paid in full via debit card. The price included something I'd never had before - a 12month warranty, but not just any warranty - a VW Assured Warrenty!!

Unfortunatly, the truck is a nail - it broke down within 3wks of the purchase date and the list of problems was endless - mainly electrical... and its been in and out of my local dealer(s) workshop regularly ever since. In actual fact, its just over 12months since I bought it and I've totted up it has been with VW for the most part of 6months... not alot of good to a business.

The service department of my local dealership has been truly terrible, when it first broke down - they told me they could not book it in for diagnostics for 2wks... so I waited. When my appointment came, they found a list of problems and told me they didn't have workshop time for another 2wks... so I waited. When I took it in, they couldn't find the booking - the person who had booked it was on holiday and I think they thought I was trying my luck. The numbty had booked a courtesy vehicle tho, so finding this booking bolstered my story... and apologies were given... but it wasn't booked into the workshop so I had to wait... yes... another 2wks. First encounter with VW dealership service department, business vehicle out of action for 7wks. As I mentioned earlier, my vehicle is specific and not commen... and although they did provide a courtesy vehicle - it was not like for like and not suitable for our use, merely providing me with transport back to the office, where it sat until I took it back to get our truck.

There were many more situations like this; as I found myself in the miserable world of being at the mercy of a VW service dept. I was a little more blaze about the situation at the begining as I was unaware of what lay ahead... but as things got worse, I started to complain and ended up dealing directly with VW customer service (the dealers were all franchisee's).

Brushing aside the terrible customer service from the dealers... I soon discovered there was a massive spanner in the works, this being the insurance company who back VW's warrentys - Mondial Assurance. After my truck spent almost 3 months in my local dealership over christmas, I started to ask too many questions for the service manager to deal with and it came out that although they had led me to believe the delays were as a result of parts on backorder... in actual fact, the work had been done and the only reason I could not have it back was because Mondial were dragging their heels over paying out... so the franchise couldn't release my vehicle until the repair was autherised (I suppose they would chase me for the money should it not).

In the end (of the 3month period) I got the truck back, and as with all the other incidents of repair during the 12 months, the warranty repair was autherised by Mondial... it had taken them weeks.

After a day or two, the problem for which it had spent 3 months being repaired... returned.

Having had enough of the dealer, I went back to VW customer service who advised me to take it to a different dealer!! The next closest being 30miles away... and primed of the situation by VW customer service - this dealer would not give me a courtsey vehicle, as they knew it could be a long affair. The new dealer had the truck for 3wks before they called to announce they had fixed the problem and I could collect. By this time I was very busy at work, and I had to arrange a lift for the 60mile round trip to collect... so a few days past, 7 to be precise - before the oppertunity arose. I called to find out what time they opened, and on doing so they enquired to what vehicle I was collecting. When I told him, he advised the service manager needed to speak to me... this was at 3pm. I awaited his call and at 4.58pm I realised the git hadn't called me back... so I called again and got lucky - he answered the phone. He told me I couldn't pick my truck up because Mondial had not approved the repair and it was a mistake I had been called a week earlier to say it was done and ready. I immedialtly went back to VW customer service and went mad at them, they said they would get onto it as a matter of urgency... however it was on the morning of the 4th working day after this conversation that the dealership called to say it was autherised and ready for collection.

I called trading standards and they have told me warrenty's are too grey area and there's not much they can do. I feel like I've got an Arthur Daley warrenty dressed up as a manufacturers warrenty, and short of writing to watchdog - don't really know what to do to connect my boot with someones rear end. Any ideas? I did receive a standard letter from VW just as the warrenty period was about to end - inviting me to extend the warrenty... POA!!! I scanned this letter and emailed it to the chap handling my case at VW customer service... suggesting they might want to extend the warrenty for nowt, on the basis its spent 6months of its previous 12month warrenty off the road, doing zero miles... that was a week ago and I've not had a reply.

(apologies for the length of post, this is a considerably condensed version of actual events - still ridiculously long!)

reeac

Unbelievable!

seasonalbiz

reeac wrote: »

Unbelievable!

Indeed.

What Im unable to understand is why the insurance company need to take such a long time to approve.

The 3months repair was replacement of an ignition control unit, perhaps I could begin to understand if the part being replaced could of been subjected to some sort of mis-use... but how could you mis-use an electrical part buried in the dash?

The most recent repair was replacement of the ECU... again, not a part which could of been damaged through thrashing the fook out of a vehicle... so what takes weeks to decide?

crittertog

If it were a consumer purchase, you would be looking at a repair/rejection under the Sales of Goods Act, as it went faulty within 3 weeks (thus the 6 months reversed burden of proof window). Given the amount of problems, and lack of use, it's likely you might be able to reject for a partial refund. When I spoke to one of the legal people at the RAC, they said the manufacturers' extended warranties were basically worthless, and they had so many complaints about them (which ended up in "use the Sales of Goods Act").

Unfortunately, this might not apply as it would appear to be a business purchase?

Do you have RAC/AA cover? If so, they offer a legal helpline.

seasonalbiz

crittertog wrote: »

Do you have RAC/AA cover? If so, they offer a legal helpline.

I have RAC cover on two of my other commercial vehicles, and took out AA cover on the VW when it came out of the assured warrenty (which also had recovery)... a couple of weeks ago.

seasonalbiz

I've had a couple of "general survey" calls from VW asking about my "recent experiences" at VW garages... these poor f**kers sit in a call centre somewhere telephoning to ask daft questions, hoping not to call people such as myself... but something may of actually clicked, as Ive bored two or three of them to death already... and now been contacted by a "Senior Customer Relations Manager" who appears to be trying to "help".

My question is this...

Is it not misleading to wrap up a 3rd party warranty with their own brand?

Point is, I have never thought 3rd party warranties to be worth the paper they are written on. However, never having bought a vehicle from a dealership before... I did think the "VW Assured" warrenty I was promised with my truck to be a little more reliable.

The conversations I have had with VW customer service tend to result in them blaming either the VW franchise doing the works... or Mondial Assurance - the firm behind the warranty.

Ive just pulled out the "Assured Warranty and Volkswagen Roadside Assistance handbook" which came with the vehicle, and throughout I cannot see a single mention of Mondial Assurance. Every point of contact is headed as "Volkswagen Assured Warranty Administration Services".

Something stinks...

You look at it - its Volkswagen
You buy it - its Volkswagen
You use it - its Volkswagen
...you need to complain about it, oh - well its not really us - its a 3rd party, so go complain to them.