Old timer

[oscar]

The saga continues........picked the car up today after getting a new turbo fitted, service and MOT.

I got 5 miles down the road, engine didn't feel like it was responding, hit a hill in 5th gear, no power, misfiring, smoke from exhaust, engine management light flashing, service light on and one pissed off me.

After phoning the dealer, I phoned the AA to to pick me up, road side diagnosis done. Got a tow to the garage (fairly scary) to only be told I would be charged for a new diagnosis and if any other work needed done from dealer.

So alot of arguing (2 hours) camped up in the dealership refusing to leave without a car, being told bu**sheet. I was introduced to a nice manager (whom I was told had left and went home) who sorted me out a car, that only 15 minutes before was not available hmmmm

This is it in short and I'm sure the recorded telephone calls and CCTV will be priceless. But I venture on and sure the next few days will be fun and full of argument.

you have consumer rights, as you paid for a service ; the likes of which you did not receive. you have even more levels of industry protection within the institute of the motor industry whom you can contact to report professional negligence and they will investigate. tell them that regardless of wether they do anything to rectify the situation, that you are writing to every local newspaper. take the names of every employee you dealt with as well as their respective job titles within the franchise. speak politely and calmly, do not budge whatsoever even if they rectify the situation. also inform them you are reporting this to trading standards.

i say it day in day out, and i'm not saying it to give you a cheap stab doug .. but i wish more people will listen when i say that a dealership is in no way whatsoever more equipped to carry out non routine maintenance on a car, than a good local garage is and it's double the price. i spent three years in one, and the moment i finished year three i choose to dash as quickly as i entered. here is your prime example, renaults official job time for the turbo replacement is 4.3 hours, but the service manager will allocate you 3 and you loose pay if you don't meet it. no two ways about it. this is dealership, and not renault!!!!!!!! the best part is that you get charged for the full 4.3

get the joints rolled, i'll be around tomorrow with the tools mate! lol, get your hard act on and verbally roundhouse kick them. buncha dobbers!

 

[Dougmc81]

cheers Oscar, I'll keep you updated. I'm sure tomorrow will be a fun day.

 

[singlespeed]

That's not good progress. I wonder what was the cause this time.

Hopefully it gets sorted without needing to resort to throwing your teddies to get anything done

 

[Dougmc81]

drum roll..........

Finally getting things resolved, ignition coil is goosed. After alot of verbally roundhouse kicking, teddies being chucked and sticking to my guns, I think we have light at the end of the tunnel.

They where gong to charge me another £221, but have managed to get them down to an fair price fo £0!!

As they overlooked the electric warning light and even though it was on my initial report, they failed to mention it on the job notes, they said they took the car for a full test drive after the turbo was fitted in an industrial estate, till I pointed out I knew the area and it is 20mph zone, then they came back and claimed an 8 mile road test, until I pointed out that the car had only done 5 miles whilst in theire loving care, they must have went and checked a road map and explained the route to me and I pointed out that at the point the enter the bypass it is a 50 zone and everyone is slowing down as you hit a huge round about so would never have got 50mph where car would start losing power.

So, no doubt your bored reading that, I pulled out every bit of info I have learned from these forums to argue with the service manager, and after he saying I need to go away and have a good think about what to do, he phones me back to say full repair will be completed free of charge.

Many thanks guys.

 

[oscar]

well done doug, i'm glad you took my advice and stuck to your guns and went down the 'polite threatening' route. general manages will always fold the moment you leave the premises after sticking to your guns with threats involving investigations from professional bodies! on monday i had a guy come in after renault done a cylinder head gasket & turbo rebuilt for him ... 1800 quid later, the car was still running on 3 cylinders ans they wouldn't do a thing about it. not got a clue how he got sent my way but i spent 3 days hunting down a freak of a problem and fixing it for him after i got my old boss in renault to agree to a partial 50% refund to refund the labour he was charged which more than covered the cost of the work i had to bloody undertake. it's a really long story and it was a twingo gt, i've told him to sign up to the forum because he asked if the blue twingo with green wheels was mines so fingers crossed!