Hunk

I met a guy (now an instructor on a advanced driving school) and his job had been driving japanese cars from the boat (in Rotterdam) to a large longterm parking 10 miles further in the harbour. Well, what do you think? He raced every car, trashed them from cold... normal practice he told me, 'cause its fun.

(i once worked in a restaurant, what do u think happens to a steak when it falls on the ground? Throw it away? Nope.)

Octane Man

I had a irritating visit to a Dealers Garage over a year ago when I had my Fiat Coupe Turbo.

When I bought the car I received 3 keys, one of which being the red master key. The other 2 keys I had for everyday use, I came to use one of them one dy and found that it hadn't been cut right so it wouldn't turn in the ignition. I popped into the Dealership where I bouight it and they said have a seat sir and we'll cut you another one, I handed over the master key and defective key. I sat in there customer lounge for 15 mins and went to see what was taking so long and my car was not there. I looked in the garage and it wasn't there either, I went back to the service desk and the receptionist told me that they were working on the car. Just as I walked back to sit down I saw my car on the other side of the roundabout pull off scrreching the tyres and come round the roundabout at speed and flying up the road and into the garage. I went out and one of the mechanics was getting out and I said where have you been ? he said "Oh, I had to pop to another garage to get a spare key as we'd ran out"

I went back into the garage and started to kick up a stink with the servicing manager, why should they be using my car to collect parts they said they had. They didn't charge me for the key they had replaced and also gave me a free interim service next time it was due.

Needless to say I never went back as I sold the car and started on the road to Scooby Ownership.

Some garages can be absolute tossers and some are brilliant.

O.M.

RonaldoH

In future go to scoobysport.

If they did that to my car, I would refuse to accept it back.

Speak to the dealer principle if you can.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

This scenario worries me sick. ANY situation where you have to leave your car with someone carries that risk, not so much a bog ordinary motor but any car with a reputation for performance is too much of a temptation to some "mechanic" especially at a garage that does not have quick cars in for most of the time. I have to say I trust NO-ONE and will remain with the car or in the dealership if at all possible and check all work done afterwards. I have a reasonable knowledge of motor vehicle technology which can make me even more scepticle of the ability of a number of mechanics I have come across! And as for the average salesman!! (My supplying salesman described how he had to "initialise" the ECU on my new Scoob (in 99) he was obviously totally unaware that this was unnesessary on ECU`s on the phase II - all the cars he supplied were subjected to the same abuse!) If anyone wants to know what that procedure was I shall be pleased to describe it JohnD

Peter Johnson

Took My Subaru into Local Subaru Dealers for some work (Cam belt being one of them) and when I was paying, the mechanic goes screaming out of the workshop at full revs, then proceeds to disapear down the road at top revs in every gear for about 5 mins, on his return he sees my red face and says "just test driving it", I then looked at my fuel and 1/2 a tank had gone!! What would all you Scooby drivers do about this, remembering that when a cam belt is fit, your sposed to take it easy for a while before screwing it.

I aint gonna mention the dealership name YET?, see what happens in the next few days... But I will tell you all if your interested and send me a mail.

chiark

If they did this, then they'd be doing over 150mph at top revs in 5th.

I guess you're fairly wound up, but could you post the absolute facts of what happened?

Personally, I'd complain like stink to the service manager and ask for some form of compensation, like reducing the labour charge as muppets aren't as valuable as mechanics.

JackClark

I'd have gone mental and asked for a discount.

carl

Agree with chiark -- I can't see how they used half a tank of fuel in 5 mins. Even at 150mph that would equate to 1.8 mpg. Not saying they're right, just it would be nice to know the facts.

Jer

Standard practice Peter. When I left school I served my time as an apprentice mechanic for VW, Audi. Oh what fun at 17 taking out S2 quattro's and VR6's and thrashing the T*ts out them. Cars need a good clean out once in a while.

Peter Johnson

Sorry I'll explain!!!

The car was at the garage for over 2 weeks and yes I did see the service manager and he just ****ed me off!

g man

What you just stood there like a DIPLOMAT with a red face !!! and did you just walk out ??? mmmmmm dont know why you are going to do something now as it would of been better to sort it out there and then ...LIKE SOMEONE GETTING A SLAP ...or witholding part of your PAYMENT BACK M8 . 1/2 tank petrol aswell F***ME someones taken liberty`s.

chiark

A nicely worded letter to the garage owner/director would be my approach then, detailing your complaints.

If they'd had it two weeks, I would feel half a tank of petrol is excessive for test driving, but they'll point out that it's up to you to provide petrol for the service.

More worrying is the mechanics behaviour and, if the service manager gave you ****, his attitude. There may be an explanation, but all the same it's a bit poor.

State that you would not expect this from a JD power winner, and suggest that if the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction you will write to Subaru UK for their comments regarding whether this is appropriate behaviour for a franchised dealer representing the Subaru name...

BarryK

Test driving to "test" what exactly?

DIGGY

Obviously the rev limiter by the sounds of it........

ptholt

Have to say when i used to sell cars anything sitting around the forecourt with road tax + petrol was considered 'fair game' by all and sundry to collect parts, get dinner, see the girl frirnd at lunch time etc, etc.

unless your sitting there watching it, i can't think of a lot you can do about it.

Peter Johnson

EXACTLY!!:

A New Cam Belt, An full system exhaust... a couple of new cam belt pulleys

Pete

Brendan Hughes

Not sure about Peter's situation, but Octane Man, I would genuinely question whether or not this could be turned into a criminal offence. "Taking and driving away without the owner's permission"? Not an expert but I would really look into it. There is no way that leaving a car at a garage gives them permission to do anything they want with it, and I suspect that their insurance if nothing else is conditional on owner's permission.

Have a chat with Plod and get them to visit the garage. Scare the garage witless anyway.

EDIT - also agree with Chiark's comment about writing to Subaru UK re franchises.

BJH

[This message has been edited by Brendan Hughes (edited 18 July 2001).]

Dave P

Brendan,

Vaguely from my O'level law, I believe that when you hand the keys over they take possesion of the vehicle.

The 1966 theft act specifically uses the word possesion and not property. Thus if you were to go into a garage and drive away with your car using your keys without having paid the bill, it would be you who would be charged with theft. TWOC again if my memory serves me correctly is an addendum to the 1966 theft act. I should imagine that handing over the keys you give up temporarily rights of possesion and they can do with it as they will. Any recourse you have on the garage will be a civil matter and not a criminal matter.

I did enjoy my law..... but 20 years ago now so I could be wrong.

Dave

jon hill

mmm... had something similar with a honda dealer in hampstead who recently went bust (no suprises). Picking the integra up, after paying for the bill i was told the car would be there shortly - have a seat & a coffee.

Being a nice day I decided to wander outside, so i'm standing at the front of the shop when i see a black integra nailing it out of a side street, down the road towards me, radio blasting and some guy with one arm dangling out the window...

no prizes for guessing who's integra it was. Anyway, when the guy pulled up and realised i was standing there he was suitably embaressed. I didnt take it any further (couldnt see the point), but i just never went back (and then they went down the pan...).

But, yeah, i think that its just the way of things - and I guess its pretty much the same in any industry. Turn it the other way round - how much tlc do you give the hire car...

I've also heard stories from a couple friends in the met traffic - after picking up a drunk driver someone has to take the car to the pound. You can imagine how much mechanical sympathy is shown in that scenario...

jon

Murray53

I'm surprised no one has commented on the potential damage done to a cold engine being thrashed.

From what the original post said the engine could not have been up to working temperature, reving an cold engine is NOT something a trained mechanic should be doing.

The answer is to take said mechanic to a quiet spot and show him the error of his ways

Olly

Sad but very true: a good friend used to be a salesman at a Nissan dealership, where the mechanics in the workshop had a bit of competition between themselves in the form of a little 'rally stage' set out up a quiet B road near to the garage. Times were recorded and written on the back of the calendar in the workshop.

At the time, the record was held by one of the mechanics driving a new 200SX on PDI check..

TonyNesta

Peter, can you email me (tony@arnesta.freeserve.co.uk) with the dealer name please ? I'm in the area and need servicing (!) and want to avoid these muppets.

Cheers,

T

alexf

Peter, I would not be happy at all with their attitude if they treated you and your car like that. I can understand if you don't want to name the garage in question so please can you send details to alexfogarty@postmaster.co.uk cos I'm about to book my car in for a major service at a main dealers and don't want any idiots "playing" with it during the day it will be out of my sight

mark.coleman

I not going to bother and address your comments, let's face it, who wants to write a detailed essay detailing the exact amount of petrol used to the nearest teaspoon, they were direspectful towards your car and you contribute to their salary. I was exactly the same when I took my car to the local dealer after already switching because of crap service. They installed aircon and left the centre console hanging out and left glue all around the newly fitted sunroof, I was told to contact the fitters, great service. I called Int. Motors, who then called the dealer. Who said 'white men can't jump'.

Give 'em hell!!!

Dream Weaver

It is frightening what [some] mechanics get up to. I used to know quite a few in the trade and they screwed EVERY car that went in for something.

One of them once smashed a brand new Pug 605 through a wall. The tales they used to tell were dreadful

NBW

Give then hell! Worked for me, especially when I got in touch with Subaru. Problem sorted, a phone call from a nice man at Subaru, and no labour charge on my next service.... and my dealer was just incompetent, not downright disrespectful. Not sure Plod would be interested, unless they also nicked the mechanic for speeding....

MARK MORRIS

i remember my local audi dealer rolling a ur quattro on a test drive, they had a shell over from germany in two days and reshelled it, also our local toyota dealer totalled a supra turbo some years ago
mark

Miles

Back in the mists of time I was a car cleaner for a local dealership and, yes, new motors were thrashed by the staff (myself included - I now know the errors of my ways)...... Apologies to any early L reg Nissan drivers in my neck of the woods.

But for the most conclusive proof, about 18 months ago, there was an Evo V that was written off by a garage mechanic showing off to the garage receptionist. Very nasty mess - the details were on the EVO list. Ligation ensued and even then the owner was not adequately compensated from the loss. Not nice

camk

Write to the dealership owner or manager and tell them your experience and then just ask in the letter if he'd personally find this acceptable.
If you get no answer write to IM, I work for a service organisation and there is nothing like management escalation to light a few fires.
I did the same a few years back after I bought a Golf GTi who's electric ariel packed in after a week, Sales guy said they could only fit a std VW manual one. I spoke to his manager and got the same, so I wrote a nice letter to Arnold Clark and said I like the car,I liked the dealership and I liked the no pressure sale but was left dissapointed for the want of a 30 quid ariel, and that was a shame.
They picked it up from my work and returned it with new ariel and full tank of petrol. Plus I got a nice call from Area Sales manager asking if everything was OK a month later.
No need to demand anything or rant and rave, just ask them as a person if they think its OK, if your not satisfied then ask their boss

Regards
Cammy

Peter Johnson

JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW.

I have sent the Managing Director an Email as I will let you all know whats happening, if he does nothing I will kick **** with someone higher, if he helps I will tell you all how nice he is, but be warned Subaru Dealership (no names YET) I will let the people of SCOOBYNET know how you work!!!

Glad I got that of my chest