Dodgy Main Dealer

LudaMusser

I've worked at a main dealer since last summer and I've always said you have to work somewhere for a little while until you get to see how it really works.

This week I've had a customer come in after his car was recovered by a breakdown patrol. The problem? He was driving down the motorway and heard/felt a vibration from the rear wheel. He pulled over to find one wheel bolt missing from the n/s/r wheel and another nearly all the way out, the remaining three bolts were loose enough to remove with your fingers.

We had removed the wheels previously to replace the rear brakes.

Yesterday I had a customer ring up to see if his MOT was finished. I checked and found another job open under his registration about wheel bearings being replaced. I said i would call him back as this was news to me. I spoke to the technician and he said, don't tell the customer. We're pretending to do it to make some money under warranty and get my hours up.

I've also seen vehicles sold advertised as having had a service done before the sale, no service was ever carried out. Another thing I see, on a daily basis, is work done under warranty and the customer never gets told. The dealership just do a fake signature on the warranty paperwork and send it over to the warranty guy. This work is on the vehicles history! The customer does'nt know. I checked a vehicle's history over with the customer a few weeks back and there was some warranty work that had been done and listed on the history, the customer got quite angry as they had never been told

I really despair. I'm a very honest person and I'm being asked to lie to customers on a daily basis and sign fake warranty papers

Can anybody offer any advice? I'm looking for a new job as this is'nt for me. It's not right. The wheel bolts being loose could have led to somebody being killed. My manager just hid in his office instead of coming and talking to the customer about it and offering reassurance that it was a huge mistake and we were very sorry for any problems caused.

He does this all the time, hides in his office when problems arise instead of lead the team. I've never, ever met anybody who's management skills are this awful

goonarmy

LudaMusser wrote: »

I've worked at a main dealer since last summer and I've always said you have to work somewhere for a little while until you get to see how it really works.

This week I've had a customer come in after his car was recovered by a breakdown patrol. The problem? He was driving down the motorway and heard/felt a vibration from the rear wheel. He pulled over to find one wheel bolt missing from the n/s/r wheel and another nearly all the way out, the remaining three bolts were loose enough to remove with your fingers.

So?
Do you not have a caveat saying to check the nuts on your receipts? Everywhere ive been does.

Richard53

Funny, I have never been told to 'check my nuts' as you put it when I have collected my car from a garage. In the last 6 months I have had 4 x brake discs and (at a separate garage) a wheel bearing done, so the wheels will have been off in both cases. Not a word about my nuts from either place, one a main dealer and the other a busy and well-regarded independent).

I did check them later, with a torque wrench, on both occasions, but only because I'm a bit anal about things like that.

The OP needs to move on. If he makes a fuss at his place of work (and if the dishonesty is endemic) then he will end up being unpopular and so unhappy he will resign anyway. Better to get out while you still have your integrity.

worried_jim

Sound like a job in sales is not for you OP. It#s your job to get as much money out of your customers as possible, if after leaving your dealership they can cross the road and take the family to TGI Fridays then you've not done your job. It's a ruthless profession but it's up to the customer to say no to warranty, paint protection, gap insurance, service plan, finance, ppi and all the other tat dealerships peddle.

Pleased to hear that you are trying to make a difference though and good luck finding a new profession.

Nodding_Donkey

Now you know why they are known as 'Stealers'

jumperjohn

goonarmy wrote: »

So?
Do you not have a caveat saying to check the nuts on your receipts? Everywhere ive been does.

I think you are missing the point somewhat.
It seems that a lot of work is being done fraudulently, someone has to pay for this, would you want to?

For the comments suggesting garages have to make money, I don't think illegal activities are the right way.

Collect evidence and report to trading standards. This should clean this garage act up.

motorguy

worried_jim wrote: »

Sound like a job in sales is not for you OP. It#s your job to get as much money out of your customers as possible, if after leaving your dealership they can cross the road and take the family to TGI Fridays then you've not done your job. It's a ruthless profession but it's up to the customer to say no to warranty, paint protection, gap insurance, service plan, finance, ppi and all the other tat dealerships peddle.

Pleased to hear that you are trying to make a difference though and good luck finding a new profession.

The O/P is talking about manufacturers warranty, not selling the customer a warranty.

The hourly rates that can be charged back to the manufacturer so sometimes some "extra" work is slipped in to get a bit of extra cash out of it.

Saying "no" to gap insurance could cost your dearly.

Saying "no" to a servicing pack will generally end up costing you more.

Saying "no" to finance might mean you dont get the car as you cant otherwise afford it.

Saying "no" to PPI could mean you lose your car if you get made redundant and you cant afford the payments.

motorguy

jumperjohn wrote: »

I think you are missing the point somewhat.
It seems that a lot of work is being done fraudulently, someone has to pay for this, would you want to?

For the comments suggesting garages have to make money, I don't think illegal activities are the right way.

Collect evidence and report to trading standards. This should clean this garage act up.

The examples shown are of it being billed back to the manufacturer, not the customer.

Horizon81

Doesn't make it right though, does it!

Seeing as we're on money saving expert website, I'm sure we all know Martin Lewis's thoughts on needless insurance like gap and buying things like cars on finance.

Nice to hear the OP blowing his/her whistle.

Mr_Mink

To be fair, the dealership does sound a bit dodgy but why would anyone be cross that someone fixed their car, for free, whilst it was already in the garage? I'd think more of a garage that said after servicing, 'Oh this was broken but it came under warranty so we've sorted it out for you and it's cost you nothing'. Also, a large amount of garages will have a specific opt out for having warranty work added for free.

jumperjohn

Some valid points and it's good if warranty work is being done but with quotes like "We're pretending to do it to make some money under warranty and get my hours up." This isn't good as the garage is charging for work not being done, like servicing not being done as mentioned, therfore commiting fraud which we all pay for.