Hi all
I told a friend about the saga and after saying the company name he immediately sighed "not that mob of *****".
Norm, having been in the situation myself I know what you mean by being rushed by a workshop foreman. Accidents happen, but if you are called out to have a look and are shown said gouge and lump of plastic 'peel' torqued down under the bracket you tightened down, the correct answer is not (grumble) "oh yeah... i might have done but I don't think I did ... it was a **** to install) then turn around and walk off without saying anything else.
Honestly,
it wasn't severe but it was worse than the photos show, at least 3-4mm deep in places and clearly visible even though it looks tucked away (more at bottom. If it were a knocked around car it wouldn't be a problem - but it is in exceptional condition and only 117k now
I don't go charging back into these places chucking a wobbly. It takes a fair amount of BS before I get to that stage.
The young counter guy at the smash repairer said "oh yes, we have a good relationship with ___, we do repair work for them
all the time" (old bloke in back visibly winces hearing his employee say that haha). They said that damage required a full bumper repaint ... don't know if it would if I was paying for it but anyway the paint match is good and the scratches that were there when I bought the car are also wiped.
Max, it even happens at the genuine brand dealers. When your family has dealt with a company since 1982, you would think you wouldn't get a run around. Comes back from service and the bonnet has been opened with the wiper arms up - ripped paint off the bonnet edge and ripped powder coating off the wipers.
No wasn't us, can't be. Show them photos of the car the morning it went in... oh it was us. Not major, but don't lie to me about it. They threw me a bottle of touchup paint and the angry rep came out with a rag with polish on it and buffed half the powder coat off the wipers.
Not my car, so I don't drive it regularly, but I immediately got told of a knocking with the wipers on ... drove back.
Was told it was my wiper blades and it was suggested I stop being a tightarse and change them like they suggested in the service. I changed them 2 months before the service.
What it was was the wiper being ripped past its splined drive when they opened the bonnet - the LH wiper was hitting the A pillar. Fixed that myself
I was instructed to give them one more opportunity, so late last year it went in for a service. Price gone up $30. I siphoned out 200ml from the coolant overflow just to see what they would do. I fully checked system, removed any sign of what could even be misconstrued as a coolant leak.
Phone call "your radiator is completely stuffed - amazing you haven't cooked it. That will be $800, plus $19 if it needs a cap (haha)" Decline and get the sales push
"if you buy an aftermarket radiator it is guaranteed the temperature gauge will fluctuate" which would have made me laugh if I wasn't blind with rage.
Pick it up and get the same thing. Once the key were in my hand and the car out front (and I checked everything), I asked them if they thought I look like a ****** idiot, clearly I must do if you think I will fall for that radiator bit.
I get back in my car, she gets in hers and follow home. First corner theres a bump and half the under tray falls off. Stop at repco and get some plugs and fix it myself.
How long have you got - I have plenty more stories
What I want to know is do I look like an idiot who knows nothing about cars, or do they get away with it so often they get brazen?
