PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

Just got back from Chandlers after driving 120mile round trip and paying £97 for completely nothing..... let me explain

I got my car serviced at Carnetix (great subaru specialists) and they informed me that one of the rear suspension struts has a bit of play in it and would be worth me getting sorted out under warranty.

I also have had a new stereo headunit fitted and since then my battery has been going dead after about 15 mins if I'm sat parked up with the engine off. I got halfords to look at this and they checked the battery (which came back as unservicable) and they also reckon the alternator was charging the battery incorrectly.

Anyways basically I thought fine my warranty has almost run out I'll go and get the guys at subaru to check it out before it does.

To cut a very long story short they found no faults at all, blamed the headunit for drawing too much power and said the struts are fine and it took them 1 hour and 15 minutes to decide this and handed me a bill of £97 for labour for checking it out ..... FAPPING BARGAIN

Spoke to Carnetix (who actually spoke to the service manager and chandlers as he couldn't believe that they could spend this long looking at these faults) I could hear the service manager fobbing him off ...

Anyhow £97 lighter I will never ever ever step foot in there again they have certainly lost a customer.

I would also urge anyone else thinking of going there to go elsewhere.

....Now their answer to this was well we looked at it in good faith therefore we must charge you for labour now no fault has been found.

To a small extent I could understand this but £97 **** off! Carnetix reckon 20 mins for this tops ... in fact Chandlers reckoned "two subaru trained mechanics" had looked at this. Well you'd have thought they'd have been a bit quicker about it then wouldn't you.

They also never mentioned that if no fault was found they would have to charge me the labour.

...

Anyhow I'm £97 worse off just before xmas ... BLO-ODY JOY!

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Does your warranty stipulate you HAVE to have work carried out by them?

S3TH

iTrader: (2)

Thats appalling customer service.

Consitution in norwich are almost as bad.

Dingles whom are now the main subaru dealer are superb however.

gazza_howard

I could have told you not to go before you made the effort mate. They are my local dealer and I used to have all my servicing done there, but on the last services i've had a leak from the oil sump plug (they forgot to replace the seal gasket). Now it's carnetix all the way for me much better service and a lot cheaper too.

That reminds me I must ring them about replacing my neutral position switch.

Soobmeister

I am the subaru service manager you speak of. I am not going to comment on this on an open forum. If you have any comments to make please calll me and we will discuss further.

Gaz - I am dissapointed you feel this way, however you fail to mention that i diagnosed your faulty neutral position switch for you 2 weeks ago with no charge!!

tolster

iTrader: (2)

Hey Pants,

Did you speak to Jason at chandlers. I've known him for some years and he normally looks after people although i would never go through a dealer as the prices they charge are ridiculous and in your case totally unjustified that's why i only use carnetix even though chandlers are only four miles from my house.

Si

adman73

Chandlers Grantham used to be my local dealer (8 miles away) but due to some small niggles and my car being off the road for around 5 days after a cambelt service a couple of years ago, I stopped using them. I found TSL (over 27 miles away) were similar price wise but far exceeded the level of customer service provided to me by Chandlers.

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

I was going to send you and the branch managers a link to this so the fact you've seen it without me is great at least your involved in the community.

Your entitled to not discuss this in an open forum but unless you intend to repay any of the money I paid you earlier I have nothing more to say to you. Frankly in all the cars I've had and have dealt with countless main dealers (toyota, lexus, vw, audi, ford etc) I've never had a reason to complain in public this is the first time. As I said earlier I'm not going to have a slanging match with you I've told my story as I see it. I'll also be repeating it in other public forums based in your local area of which I'm a member. I could have quite easily lost my temper earlier but have chosen to take the high ground and accept your poor customer service and just make sure that other people are aware of it.

I was discussing the purchase of a replacement for my STI with one of your salesmen before this again this is business I will be taking elsewhere as a matter of principle.

With times as tough as they are keeping customers happy should be the top of every company out there it certainly is with my customers. You didn't even offer to meet me halfway. O well short term greed long term loss!

If you'd like to comment out of the public light feel free to PM me.

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

No idea mate the salesman was very helpful though no complaints there!

Scoobydudey

iTrader: (4)

Customer service what a load of ****
Email a copy of this thread to there service manager and there managing director with a letter of complaint see what he has to say
I did this with Vauxhall they refunded me the money and gave me a 40% discount on a roof rack i had on order

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

The guy above IS the service manager!!!! LOL

ScoobLou

iTrader: (21)

Agree with you there, after the money Consitution cost me I really hope they go bust

war1974

pants my boy just stick to carnetix great advice and they do more than go the extra yard imo!
i personally have found most dealers fookin awful vauxhall and renault to be the worst by a country mile only when i had a fabia vrs did skoda of all people come across as helpful?

by the way mr manager i would trust carnetix with my car any day and if they said it needed changing then i would bet my life it needed changing!!

scoobynutta555

Same with the majority of main dealers I'm afraid.

scoobyboy

how did they diagnose play in the suspension strut?

MowbrayWRX

Sorry to hear of your concerns. I must say the last new Impreza I brought was from this dealer. All I can say is that I found them very helpful and they supplied me with exactly what I requested.

They also offered me a good trade in on my old car so I have no gripes with this dealer.

All I can say is that I am supprised if you have had problems with Chandlers of Grantham.

PS I am not connected to the company.

dj219957

Main dealers arnt worth sh*t. Once my cars go out of warranty I avoid them like the plauge.

If the car is under warranty you should not have to pay a penny to get somethng checked out. If you hve reason to believe there is a problem with the car then it is up to them to check it out FOC. end of. I think its too late to comlain now. You should have kicked up a stink there and then in front of everyone in the showroom, I would. I cant beleieve you paid! You live and learn.

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

As I said the salesguy was very helpful and in fact I've dealt with chandlers from a sales side before and they've always been helpful this is the first time I've used their service department at Grantham.

scoobyboy

yawn the anti dealer brigade are here again!

war1974

yeah but until we all STOP feeding them they will always rip you
and labour rates dont even get me going

scoobyboy

everyone gets ripped off no matter what it's not just dealers, i resent what i have to pay for a plumber/electrician it's life get used to it

ScoobLou

iTrader: (21)

There is no smoke without fire

I quite happily went to my main dealer when I got my car as that is where I bought it from, had they provided the customer service and quality of work I required I would have had no reason to leave and go to a specialist.

I hope all the ones which don't provide a quality service, crash and burn and the ones who provide the customer service and quality of work people expect, keep thriving

Ved

I've only had good experiences with the two dealers I've had work done by. It does only take one bad experience to turn people off them so I hope you get it sorted and they see that charging you a fairly high bit of money will probably end up them losing out on a new car sale. Best of luck with it all but don't paint all dealers bad, guys. Some are very good. SGT in Maidenhead and Slipend (where I bought mine from) have always been very good to me.

Bonehead

Bit suprised at this, although I've never used them I've always heard Chandlers that although expensive were really good.

Still, I dont trust my classic with anyone but Carnetix

PantsUK

iTrader: (1)

In principle I'm not anti dealer just anti bad service. I've had contact again with them so I'll await an outcome.

hodgy0_2

i used to laugh when i collected my Golf from a main dealer many years ago

(the only car I have ever had serviced at a main dealer)

the service manager would sit me down and in a low sombre voice would tell me, after presenting me with a £600 bill, that my peddle rubbers were very worn and my gear lever gator was cracked

i used to smile back and think "well if you think i,m gonna let you charge me 2 x 15mins @ £60 an hour to replace them your dafter than you look"

+Doc+

How anyone can justify the prices main dealers charge is beyond me, the independant specialists rule the roost and for a good reason.
You cannot blame the people on the front line though, they are only taking instruction from above.

DCI Gene Hunt

Chandlers service all my scoobs, from a WRX, 2 x STi's, a new STi and a "different" scoob and I've had no issues whatsoever, in fact I'm about to book the "different" scoob in this afternoon

Soobmeister

If anyone has any problems with Chandlers and the service they have received I am more than willing to listen to any problems either by phone or a pm. There are 2 sides to every story and we do not always get it right but we do try. I will not discuss things here. People that have dealt with me in the past will know that I always TRY to help as best as I can working within the parameters set down by the manufacturer. I am a car enthusiast myself, my wife owns and drives a classic shape impreza sport, i have a forester 2.0, and i also have a mk2 escort mexico. I will post no further comments on this thread, Pants uk knows what I am trying to do and i will leave it at that.

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

I've had good, and bad experiences at dealers, (NOT Chandlers of Grantham, although their Lincoln branch used to be very good for parts, pity it closed).

What gets my goat is being charged exhorbitant prices for labour. WHY?

Do their technicians earn huge sums? Nope, thought not.

I once needed a heater matrix done on a Xantia. Dealer wanted over £400, local garge, £220.

Service manager at dealer quoted me £60 an hour labour. There was a technician walking by, so I stopped him and asked him if he got anywhere near £60 an hour, He looked very embarrassed.

I ended up asking service manager why he thought I should pay stupid prices for labour so that his salesmen could sit in a fancy carpeted showroom etc.

He eventually offered to do it for same price as the local garage.

It's a rip-off, but you don't HAVE to pay their silly prices. Either argue the toss, or take your custom elsewhere.

Unless you have a stupid Xantia and it wants suspension work...........THEN you'll have to pay, arm and a leg, I think