Dodgy Main Dealer

Richard53

HeavyDuty wrote: »

I think the OP is saying that they charge work on the waranty to the car but don't do the work. The waranty shows work that has never been done but paid for by the waranry company. The garage is fraudulently claiming for work never done on cars owned by people that know nothing about it. This is clearly ilegal and not good practice.

And of course it messes up the car's history. If a prospective purchaser checked on warranty or recall work through the dealer network (as many on here advise to do), it would show up a false record.

Two identical cars, but one has been for service to this dealership and is recorded as having £1000 worth of imaginary warranty work done; the other is clear. It suggests the car might be 'trouble' and influence a buyer in favour of a car that hasn't had this history. If it were my car, I would be furious - especially if they had forged my signature.

Nodding_Donkey

I had an interesting conversation with customer services of a major manufacturer. A car came in to me with leaking/corroded oil pipes. there had been a special service campaign on this model where main dealers had inspected the pipes and replaced if needed. Although that campaign was officially over some dealers would still replace the pipes FOC if required so in an effort to save my customer a couple of hundred quid I rang Customer services (pretending to be the owner, with his permission) to see if it had ever been carried out.

Me: "Hi, I've just bought XX XX XXX can you tell me if the oil pipe inspection had been carried out"
CS: "One moment (tapping of keyboard in background) Yes sir, that was completed in 2009"
Me: "Were the pipes replaced?"
CS: "(more tapping) yes sir, both nearside pipes"
Me: "But the pipes on there are the old design, wouldn't they have been replaced with the updated ones?"
CS: "Yes sir, but someone could have changed them afterwards"

!!!!!! Who in their right minds would do that

marlot

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....

I'm glad to hear that you have a higher moral standard. I've always made it clear what I stand for, and built customer relations based on good work and trust - I believe it pays in the end.

As for the garage you work for - what they are doing is fraud and theft.

marlot

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

...
CS: "Yes sir, but someone could have changed them afterwards"

!!!!!! Who in their right minds would do that

Quite.

If they really wanted to, this would be their opportunity to work out which of their retailers is robbing them!

NewUserHere

madforitdiver wrote: »

My first ever motorbike (ok, ok so it was a 50cc moped!) went in for a service, came out, 10 miles and 2 days later down the road the rear wheel fell out. Being a chain drive fortunately the wheel didn't actually roll down the road but slid all the way back until the chain snapped, bending the final drive shaft and cracking the crankcase.

The garage said that a friend must have "loosend the rear wheel nut as a joke".

After much wrangling they supplied a new chain (whoppee!). Was going to make a big fuss but the bike was nicked a few weeks later. Never saw it again (but was still paying for it 2 years later!)

Lessons learnt - try to avoid buying on finance, don't trust dealers, and of course the MSE mantra - live within your means!

I was 16 and very very naiive

Not sure that's a lesson on taking out finance... more of a lesson of taking out adequate insurance and how GAP insurance can be very beneficial

motorguy

Horizon81 wrote: »

If he's got any sense he'd say buying anything other than a house on finance is for mugs, and gap insurance is just another unnecessary insurance, much like paying Currys £100 'cover' for them to provide a brand new fridge if yours fails in 3 years or so, even though it only cost £300.

Thats your opinion. There are various reasons why taking out finance can make sense for an individual, and i am sure that doesnt make them "mugs".

Again you have to weigh up these insurance "offers". A lot of the dealer based ones are quite expensive, that doesnt mean you dont have other options.

My BIL wrote off his car 3 months after he bought it new. Insurance company were going to pay out the value of a 3 month old one, but he'd RTI insurance and they ordered him up another brand new one.

I took out insurance on a colour laser printer i bought - it was "half price" in Currys, down to £99 - cheapest anywhere. Because their insurance is "banded" i got three years cover for £19. After 2.5 years it quit - as cheaper lasers tend to - and they gave me a brand new one.

Horizon81 wrote: »

I've certainly heard Martin say on the TV that instead of taking all the needless insurance you're offered,

Its only "needless" if you dont need it. I rarely take them out but i do weigh up the risk.

We took out a five year insurance policy on a big american style fridge freezer about 10 years ago that had cost us £1200. Insurance was maybe £100. Close to the end of the term the whole freezer stopped cooling - needed basically all new internals. All done under the insurance. The bill would have been £300-400.

Horizon81 wrote: »

Gap insurance for me at least, falls into this category.

I disagree.

Horizon81 wrote: »

Why a customer would want to buy any extras that just line the cheap suit pocket of a sleazy salesman is beyond me - diamondbrite, scotchguard, gap insurance or whatever. I'll take my chances thanks.

No, you take out the insurance you need, because you need it, and by checking the best prices available.

Diamondbrite / scotchguard are a waste of time in my opinion

Oh, and maybe the car showrooms your frequent have cheap suited sleazy salesmen, but not the ones i use.

motorguy

Horizon81 wrote: »

And this goes against the old fashioned money saving ethos (after all, we are on a money saving site!) of living within ones means. If you can't really afford it then don't buy it. Credit crunch? Housing bubble? Years of austerity?

Finance if used correctly is a very useful tool - and can be very cost effective.

Inappropriate use of finance is where problems arise.

Horizon81

Hey motor guy, great programme on five star at the min about mugs who've bought a car on finance but can't afford it any more having it taken away. Living beyond means is not the mse way.

NewUserHere

Horizon81 wrote: »

Hey motor guy, great programme on five star at the min about mugs who've bought a car on finance but can't afford it any more having it taken away. Living beyond means is not the mse way.

Not everybody who takes finance out is living beyond their means though!

Same could be said about mortgages aswell - should we all stop taking these out as well?

motorguy

Horizon81 wrote: »

Hey motor guy, great programme on five star at the min about mugs who've bought a car on finance but can't afford it any more having it taken away. Living beyond means is not the mse way.

So that would fall under the very last sentence i put before you tried to be smart with this post?

"Inappropriate use of finance is where problems arise"