Is my Mum being scammed?

Noreen

Aged mother lost her programmed car key, contacted her insurers (SAGA) three weeks ago to organise a replacement.
They arranged for a VW garage to take her car (Fiat Punto) and provided a courtesy car.
Almost daily updates since then with what's happening- "waiting for parts" (!) etc... latest is that the new key provided doesn't work so car has to go to main Fiat dealership for work to be done on the door wiring ?!
This has been THREE WEEKS:( so far, for a car that merely needed a new key programming- locks worked perfectly before they took it away.
Is the garage holding onto it so they can claim more from SAGA?
What would you do?
Grrr

bigjl

Why would a VW Garage be able to sort out a key for a Fiat Punto.

Fiat will unlikely do much if the master key is not present.

Though aftermarket specialists can sort this out without replacing the ECU apparently.

A Google search will locate a local specialist

Noreen

The insurers arranged for the VW garage to sort it- are you saying it's the insurer's fault?
Why did the VW garage take the job if they knew they wouldn't be able to deal with it?
When I've had a new key programmed in the past they just took the key away, not the car. Why would it need a new ECU?
Why would this take this long any way- three weeks and counting?

rs65

Noreen wrote: »

What would you do?

I would continue to enjoy the courtesy car and put miles on it rather than my own.


Where is the scam?

Noreen

Thanks for the replies

You ask Where is the scam?
The garage is making a simple job into a long-drawn-out process in order to make money from the insurance company, and thus put up premiums for all of us?
Mum wants HER car back.

straighttalker

If they're not asking for any money from your mother and are covering it under her insurance policy, how can she be scammed?

s_b

a vw dealer cant make a key to work on a punto
it either needs a good local mobile key maker who has access to quality equipment from the likes of
http://www.mblocks.co.uk/fiat_key_programming.php
or it needs to go to fiat dealer who have access to the latest examiner (its fiats own computer hookup)

saga sound hopeless

Noreen

straighttalker wrote: »

If they're not asking for any money from your mother and are covering it under her insurance policy, how can she be scammed?

OK, you're right- my poor choice of words.
I suppose I suspect my Mum may be involved in a scam on the part of the garage.
(She will also have to pay £250 which is the excess on her insurance which she didn't realise when getting the insurance company involved, but that's not their fault- though it would have been nice if SAGA had checked that Mum understood that before going ahead. We could have got it done far cheaper and quicker- so I'm cross and frustrated about the whole thing!)

EdGasket

Sounds like they turn a simple job into a saga (pun intended)

Noreen

s_b wrote: »

saga sound hopeless

Totally agree with you there.

rs65

Noreen wrote: »

You ask Where is the scam?
The garage is making a simple job into a long-drawn-out process in order to make money from the insurance company

So, how much more are they charging?