Did I get screwed?

[Holdens Rule]

I need to vent my anger so I'm sorry if i go on a bit. I took my car into holdens today because of a starting problem with it. I booked it in last week and described the problem and was told it sounded like the fuel pump. I thought I might as well get it serviced and get the aircon fixed cause it takes a while to get cold while it was there.

So I took it in first thing this morning like they told me to and reminded them it is due for the 160 klm service even though it's nearly done 170, it had a oil change at 160 but not the major service that it should have. I also reminded them to fix the aircon and asked them to ring me when they find the problem and we'll go from there. Not hard to understand I thought.

About an hour before they were due to close I still hadn't heard anything so I rang them. I was told the fuel pump is not holding it's back pressure when the car is turned off and would need a new pump. They didn't do this already because it took all day to find out. That didn't bother me too much but it's a pain because I had the day off and need my car so now I need to take another day off.

When I went to pick it up they told me the aircon looks like it got a leak and would need to be regased with a dye so they could find the leak. (didn't I ask them to fix it when I droped it off?) Also they did the 170 klm service not the 160klm even though it's written on the job sheet. They did a bit of crap talking and said the only thing they didn't do was the plugs. So does that mean that the difference between a normal service and major service is just plugs, I don't think so. So now I have to take it back not only to get the pump changed but also the air con fixed and the 160 klm service, the very things I took it to them today for. They could have rang me when they were working on it but they didn't so another day off work for me.

Here is where I really lose it. After I got home and had dinner I had a scary thought. A few years ago I dropped my stato of for a service and they scratched my new clubsport rims. I have put SS rims on my VT lately and they were freshly painted. Guess what, they look very second hand now!!! I cant believe they done it to me again. Last time they denied it and said if one of their techs had done it he would have told them. So tommorow I guess I'm going back there probably only to have them deny it again. I'm very pis..d off now and I got a wierd feeling it's gonna get worse tommorrow.

[VZTHUNDER]

i woudlnt say screwed
more like ****ed around. if i were u id go in asap and ask for the manager and calmly explain the issue with your wheels. ive found being calm whilst placing a complaint gets you thurther than yelling and swearing

good luck with this mate

[Holdens Rule]

I will be calm and I will ask for the manager if they **** me around tommorow. The problem is how do I prove they stuffed my wheels and what obligation do they have to fix them. I wouldn't be so upset if they told me but this is the second time it's happened and after everything else they didn't do today when they should have, my fuse has shrunk to a microscopic lenght.

[kingwalker]

just go in and calmly talk to the head ********, and while your there put a tube of ky jell on the counter ,and explain if your going to be butt ****ed again you would like them to use some lube,

[Holdens Rule]

just go in and calmly talk to the head ********, and while your there put a tube of ky jell on the counter ,and explain if your going to be butt ****ed again you would like them to use some lube,

That's tops, I like it, might try a different spin on it though. If they stuff me around I might drop the strides apply some of that jelly and then ask them which one would like to be the first in recieveing their own treatment.

[Holdens Rule]

Oh there is one more thing. My car isn't lowered but when I put the ss rims on it looked pretty low (as low as my au thats 50mm lower than stock). Now it look about 1 inch higher all round before i dropped it off. What have they done to my car and sanity. Right now I feel like driving it straight through their workshop! Who knows I might be famous tommorow, Lindsey Lohan got just over an hour in prison how long would I get?

[dufus]

That sucks real bad. I know how you feel about the rims though. Walk strait in there and ask to see the manager and tell him what happened, 9 out of 10 times he wont care and will just say it didn't happen (I know, i had a similar thing happen to me). If he says that he wont do anything about it, tell him that you will be taking it further.

As for proof there is no way of proving anything. This situation is similar to when i was getting panel on my car fixed after it was damaged after someone tried to steal to car. When i got the car back one of my rims had been badly scratched, my rear bumper had scrape marks up one side of it, my parcel shelf had been damaged in the corners from sanding on the rear quarter panel and the panel still had not even been fixed properly. So after picking the car up 3 day late, i took it back and showed the owner all of these problems and he strait out said that he doesn't give a (insert swear), the RAA would be paying him for the job regardless because i had no proof. So I don't like your chances but defiantly go in and talk to the manager.

[VZTHUNDER]

if they damaged the 1st set... whyd you go back
from now on im taking a video of before i give my car to a workshop

[Brucefromruse]

Well i wouldn't take it to any holden dealer at all. Some of these independants are good value 4 money. As the old saying goes.."DEALERS ARE STEALERS"..

[pablo]

Well bill of port a gudda, I would be tellin the RAA pronto what the bloke said to you at the repair shop. I had a repair done through the RAA a few years ago, and they followed it up with a phone call to check if it was all OK after the job was done, and then a letter with a claim reference number telling me to immediately contact them if any problems arrise from the claim. After all, YOU are paying the RAA to negotiate and look after your interests.

Pablo

[dufus]

Well bill of port a gudda, I would be tellin the RAA pronto what the bloke said to you at the repair shop. I had a repair done through the RAA a few years ago, and they followed it up with a phone call to check if it was all OK after the job was done, and then a letter with a claim reference number telling me to immediately contact them if any problems arrise from the claim. After all, YOU are paying the RAA to negotiate and look after your interests.

Pablo

Talked to them and they cant do a thing about it because there is no proof. Im over it now though, there is nothing that i can do about it but live with it.

[Emackulation]

For these reasons and stories I dont ever take my car to Holden Sorry to hear your story mate.

[s_ikari2015]

I will be calm and I will ask for the manager if they **** me around tommorow. The problem is how do I prove they stuffed my wheels and what obligation do they have to fix them. I wouldn't be so upset if they told me but this is the second time it's happened and after everything else they didn't do today when they should have, my fuse has shrunk to a microscopic lenght.

THIS is easy. Ask to see the damage report that the technician is required to fill out BEFORE working on the car. (I'm fairly certain it's part of Holden franchising).

Yep, that's right... they need to do it. You'll then have proof of no evidence written by the tech that there was damage to the wheels. They can't fight it (but they will try).

If they don't do a damage report insist on finding out why. It will cover their buttocks if they do. Make the suggestion to them. Tell them how suspicious you are of their service technicians because of the way you've been treated. I think you might need to find a new dealership.

THEN make SURE to complain to Holden. If a dealership isn't upholding the Image of Holden then they run the risk of having the franchise revoked. I've seen it happen before.

Write down everything, take a tape recorder and record the conversation if you like.

[Holdens Rule]

Ok a bit of an update for those who are interested. I took it back after work today and noticed that over 80 klms the steering wheel goes left to right in my hands. It has never done this before and definetly didn't do it on the way there on monday. I told the same guy I delt with on monday about my wheel and he came out to have a look. Basically he denies that they would have damaged my wheel as I thought he would do and said that the techs would tell him if they damage a car because they are covered for this kind of thing.

Also reckons the damage is just paint and no alloy (Bull****!) so this would not damage the balancing of the wheel. My tyres have the lip to protect your rims from a slight scrape, now I know this doesn't save your rims but how hard has it been hit to throw out the balance. Anyhow he quickly offered to repaint and rebalance my wheel without me even having to get nasty with him. Makes me think he knows they did it. Also one of the first things he said to me was that this has never happened with them before, towards the end of our conversation he said it was only the second time it has happened. What does this make you think? I told him I wouldn't have been too bothered by it if they had told me about it instead of pretending that nothing happened just like last time they damaged one of my wheels. So tomorrow I drop off my wheel to get fixed and hopefully everything will work out ok.

Another point to this story, they quoted me $550 to change fuel pump and $450 to do engine mounts. I thought this was a bit steep so I took it to a mechanic around the corner from work that I've heard good things about and his price was $350 for the fuel pump and $240 for the engine mounts. That has confirmed my feelings of never taking it back to a dealer.

[nicko]

Good to hear that they are finally getting u sorted out. regarding taking it back to the dealer again i wouldnt bother either. if u find a mechanic who u have confidence in and has good prices then go for it. as all mechanics give reciepts for their work u will still have all the evidence u need if u sell it etc.

all the best, hope the wheels come up good

[Holdens Rule]

if they damaged the 1st set... whyd you go back
from now on im taking a video of before i give my car to a workshop

The first set they damaged was about 8 years ago and I didn't go back after that. When I bought my calais a couple of years ago I took it to them to get a once over and it was a completely new bunch of guys there. They were fantastic that time and bent over backwards to help me and were reasonably priced, but as I noticed this week the guys running it have changed again and are nobs also.

Thanks for all the advice guys and I am interested in complaining to holden about this dealer if you guys think it will achieve anything. Does anyone know where I should direct my complaint?

[Holdens Rule]

if they damaged the 1st set... whyd you go back
from now on im taking a video of before i give my car to a workshop

The first set they damaged was about 8 years ago and I didn't go back after that. When I bought my calais a couple of years ago I took it to them to get a once over and it was a completely new bunch of guys there. They were fantastic that time and bent over backwards to help me and were reasonably priced, but as I noticed this week the guys running it have changed again and are nobs also.

Thanks for all the advice guys and I am interested in complaining to holden about this dealer if you guys think it will achieve anything. Does anyone know where I should direct my complaint?

[Holdens Rule]

Sorry about the double post but I'm having problems with my computer also. Seems I'm not having a good week.

[nicko]

there was a thread on here not long ago about complaining 'higher' up at holden. try looking for that. ill have a look 2 and let u no

[pablo]

Hey BILL, if you phone the Adelaide headquarters of the RAA and tell them you want to complain about service, they will send you a complaint card to fill out with your woes which goes before a panel who must respond to you. I presume you have only contacted your local office. These pricks who just brush off the general public with poor service give me the ****s!!!
Pablo

[dufus]

Hey BILL, if you phone the Adelaide headquarters of the RAA and tell them you want to complain about service, they will send you a complaint card to fill out with your woes which goes before a panel who must respond to you. I presume you have only contacted your local office. These pricks who just brush off the general public with poor service give me the ****s!!!
Pablo

Thanks for that I will check it out

[VTPREDATOR]

Oh there is one more thing. My car isn't lowered but when I put the ss rims on it looked pretty low (as low as my au thats 50mm lower than stock). Now it look about 1 inch higher all round before i dropped it off. What have they done to my car and sanity. Right now I feel like driving it straight through their workshop! Who knows I might be famous tommorow, Lindsey Lohan got just over an hour in prison how long would I get?

yeh, they put new raised springs in every service........ lol

dont blame holden for the bug guts on the windshield

[jessedevery]

a mate of mine used to work for robina holden, he said they don't like working on
cars over 5 years old, when VS's used to come in used to be shotgun not! that was 3 years ago....Vt's gettin on the old pile now. Once its outa warranty they dont care about your car or your business.

[s_ikari2015]

You can always contact the MTAA. ... they care SOOO much... tehehehe

[Holdens Rule]

yeh, they put new raised springs in every service........ lol

dont blame holden for the bug guts on the windshield

If I knew that I would have asked for lowered springs instead. There is definetly something different about it though, It does look higher and feels different on the road. It was such a smooth car with no vibration in the steering at all and now it vibrates. I put the spare on and it halved the vibration so hopefully the spare is out of wack also but I will jack it up and check things out on the weekend cause I got a strange feeling something is a miss. I did notice the nuts weren't very tight, and when I put on wheels I make sure they are! I have lost wheel nuts on the drive home from getting new tyres before so it is one thing I do check.

I droped of the spare today and they seemed a bit suprised that I droped the wheel off and not the whole car, also he told me he talked to the tech that worked on it and was told that the wheels got rotated. I had two nearly new tyres on the front and two fairly worn tyres on the back, Guess what? I still have the good tyres on the front and the crap ones on the back. Maybe that should indicate who talking crap to him. This dealer is sounding worse everytime I go there, maybe if I check the oil I'll find it still dirty. Hopefully I get my wheel back tomorrow fixed and we can both go our seperate ways.

P.S. I don't blame holdens for the bug guts on the windshield, only the bird crap on my paint.