lessons about handing your car to dealers

[steveatesh]

No doubt this is not the first time it's happened to car owners but some real learning for me. On 14th december I left the 1 year old V8V at my local dealer in the north east for a service and a warranty job - (a slight intermittent whine from the engine). They kept the car until Thursday 6/1/11, because of the xmas holidays, the bad weather and the fact the whine could only be heard when first starting the car after a night of standing and they needed several goes at it.
I picked it up on Thursday evening (dark), drove straight home, left it yesterday due to weather and went out to clean it today. Sure enough there was a chip and ever so slight dent on the passenger door consistent with a car door being opened on it. I know it was not there when I handed it over, 100%
I drove it straight back and had a member of staff look at it and of course it's going to be a liability issue with proof being the key ingredient.
Whether I win or not, never again will I hand over the car, or collect it, without a good examination - it's not a practice to do so at my dealers and I guess I've gone along with it not wanting to appear that I didn't trust them. Sometimes being nice is the same as being stupid I guess!
Fingers crossed for monday anyway. Worse is that it has to go back to have the whine sorted, and also while cleaning it I noticed the chrome on the right hand side "gill" is pitted and the Tracker fobs are failing again, having been replaced just a few months ago. It's tough keeping the faith at times isn't it?

Edited by steveatesh on Saturday 8th January 19:50

[SLINC]

Keep the faith.

You've just had a heap of bad luck all at the same time.
In fact it's a mathematical certainty that it comes along in "clumps" rather than evenly spread.
(Although I reckon "The Pits" might question that!? )

My world crashed before Xmas too.
Having picked up the chariot from an unsuccessful (and weather delayed) stint at TDI to find improved ECU performance, I managed just 10 miles before the engine blew up!

My good luck clump began with the dealer finding that rather than an engine rebuild, the problem had only been a breather valve issue.
Hence a very quick fix.
Picked up a few days later to find that the tags had failed on journey home.
Back to dealer again and persuaded a mechanic to see if he could locate the source of an annoying rattle that had been lingering for a few weeks.
An hour later PERFECTION was handed back to me!

Ups and downs.... but plenty more of the former awaits you I'm sure.

[Steve*B]

Over on a BMW forum that I used to frequent they had designed a pictorial handover sheet (Zod, remember these on BM3W?) showing lined drawings of the wheels (a common area for dealership damage), left and right sides, front, rear and top view. The idea behind it was that you'd get the dealer to sign the sheet stating that the car was in perfect, or otherwise, condition in all of these areas at the point of the handover thereby avoiding unnecessary proof issues at the time of collection. It's the same sort of procedure you go through when collecting a courtesy car only in reverse as you, the customer, get the signed confirmation of the condition of your pride and joy when you hand it over for servicing, etc. Any issues discovered at collection then become indisputable.

For whatever reason, we the customer, generally just accept that it will be in safe hands and getting them to sign a form is a bit like checking every £50 note a bank hands over to you at the counter, i.e. it's not something we generally do. If you're dubious about some of the employees within the service area of your chosen dealership then perhaps it's worth the effort?

[steveatesh]

Steve*B said:

Over on a BMW forum that I used to frequent they had designed a pictorial handover sheet (Zod, remember these on BM3W?) showing lined drawings of the wheels (a common area for dealership damage), left and right sides, front, rear and top view. The idea behind it was that you'd get the dealer to sign the sheet stating that the car was in perfect, or otherwise, condition in all of these areas at the point of the handover thereby avoiding unnecessary proof issues at the time of collection. It's the same sort of procedure you go through when collecting a courtesy car only in reverse as you, the customer, get the signed confirmation of the condition of your pride and joy when you hand it over for servicing, etc. Any issues discovered at collection then become indisputable.

For whatever reason, we the customer, generally just accept that it will be in safe hands and getting them to sign a form is a bit like checking every £50 note a bank hands over to you at the counter, i.e. it's not something we generally do. If you're dubious about some of the employees within the service area of your chosen dealership then perhaps it's worth the effort?

Thanks for that - well having had this experience it is definately worth the effort thanks. Now all I need is a flat line drawing of a V8V I'll be doing just such a handover both ways in future.

[Siy]

I remember that form well Steve*B and indeed used ita few times in my M// days... It's a good idea, and one that we should probably all use - if we can be bothered!!!

[blackice1]

Our cars are checked over and signed by the customer on collection , and again once it is delivered back to agree it is in the same condition.

Common practice i would of thought across the dealer network as it covers both the customer and the dealer.

[bungie]

Not common practice at all. In my experience, you must also check mileage and fuel too. I have had a car delivered from the midlands to the south with all the lacquor polished off and left. It went in for a service and a rear wing painted where someone keyed it, why the whole car had been stripped heaven knows!