View Full Version : Dealership Trouble - Any Comments?
FastShow
14-10-2002, 15:19
OK, there will be a few posts by me here since I've been posting updates at another forum I visit and I'm gonna whack them all here in one thread. Just wondered if anyone here had any comments since this whole episode is highly irritating.
On with the show:
Bought a new car a year ago now, everything with it was perfect and I didn't have a spot of trouble with it in the first 10k miles at all aside from a buzzing rear speaker which wasn't ever a huge issue as it was under warranty.
As 10k miles drew near, I booked it into the 'local' dealership (by local, I mean the nearest one which is a good 25 or 30 miles from my house) to get it serviced and to fix a minor imperfection on the passenger leather seat. No problem, said they and toddled off to do the work.
Picked the car up after the service after having wandered aimlessly around town for a while due to their refusal of a courtesy car for servicing work and found they'd arranged to order a new seat cover and speaker to replace. This was slightly irritating as they knew about the speaker and could have ordered it well before then, but hey, these things happen.
From there it went down hill and I'll just bullet point the rest because otherwise I'd literally be here all week typing:
* 5 weeks of constant chasing with not one courtesy call from the garage to let me know what was going on with the parts ordered
* Loads of phonecalls to SEAT headoffice to get the dealership chased and the parts brought in
* 6 or so weeks in, the parts were finally arrived and I booked the car in for the work. The speaker was swapped as was the seat cover. To say the new seat cover looked s***e would be an understatement of epic proportions. It was baggy, creased, didn't fit the seat and just looked absolute b*******. The service manager even had the audacity to tell me it was supposed to be like that and there was nothing he could do as, "All cows were different" so the seats would never match.
* The speaker started to buzz again within five minutes of leaving the dealership
* I found they'd bust all the electric motors on the seat a couple of days later
* 3 or 4 weeks later they got another seat cover in for me to look at and decide whether I wanted it fitted or not. It looked just as bad as the last one and they could offer no assurances that it'd be better fitted, so I declined. They then decided I'd have to have the area manager to look at the car to decide where to go from here
* Loads more phone calls and another 2 or 3 weeks later, I get a visit from the guy who all but laughs at the workmanship of the recovering and gets the dealership to order in a brand new base and tells them they need to investigate the speaker problem. I was also promised a decent courtesy car for the duration of the work
* Parts finally arrived after loads more chasing, during which time the dealership never contacted me at all. Spoke to the dealer, sorted out a courtesy car and turned up a week later (the earliest they could get me in) to be told my courtesy car was a 1 litre Suzuki Swift - a far cry from the 1.8T I'd took in. This was also despite the promises of a courtesy vehicle of 'comparable standard' to my own
* Finally got it booked in for the work to be done last week and they've swapped the seat cover and speaker again only for it to be almost identical to their last effort. This is some 18 weeks after the first lot of work was done
And basically, for those of you still awake, that's where I am now - a car that was knackered by the dealership and one that seems will never be fixed. Not only that, but I've had to visit the dealership 6 times so far, so that's 350-odd miles on the car (vehicle running costs are listed at 51p/mile, so it ain't cheap either) and a good 12 or so hours of my time wasted, if not more. The annoying thing is, the car was perfect before I ever let the dealer near it.
That's it - just wanted to vent really.
FastShow
14-10-2002, 15:19
As it stands, I'm well past the 'fix it damn quick' point and want out of the car. Like I said in the initial post; that's a shame since I loved every second of it up to that point, but now I just associate it with hassle.
The ultimatum I'm going to put to them is fairly simple - I'm never likely to buy a SEAT again after this nasty little business, either sort me out a great deal on a Leon Cupra R, or as soon as everything's sorted, I'll flog the current Cupra and buy with another company.
I think in view of everything that's happened, forcing the dealer to give me a slightly above average price on my trade-in and a slightly below average purchase price on the Cupra R isn't hugely unreasonable IMO. The only slight problem with this is that I really don't want to give this dealership any more of my money, since the patently don't deserve it.
Anyway, we'll soon see, I dare say they'll have different views.
FastShow
14-10-2002, 15:20
Brief update...
Just had them on the phone again, they need me to go and have a meeting at the dealership to discuss what we're going to do. Only problem is, as I've mentioned, the dealership is a good distance away from me and there's no way I can make it during their opening hours without taking time off work - something I'm not prepared to do.
So, they've gone back to big boss dude to decide where we go now. Oh joy.
FastShow
14-10-2002, 15:22
A quick update for anyone who cares:
Right, had my meeting with the SEAT area manager who seems as pissed off about this whole thing as I am. Showed him the seat which he immediately agreed was poorly fitted, also showed him the speaker and he immediately spotted it wasn't the speaker that was vibrating, it was part of the door. So he spotted in 2 seconds, the dealer had missed for months and months.
Anyway, we got down to what they were going to do to sort this out and I basically said I wanted top trade price for mine and a Cupra R at trade price plus VAT - either that, or SEAT will lose me as a customer forever. He's now gone off to discuss that with the dealer and I'll hear how that goes some time today or tomorrow.
And that's it for now...
HarryHarrison
14-10-2002, 15:29
I thought JCT was just a Northern group :D
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
Our las had a similar problem (but it was the ECU and a break down call out each time). We ended up having to pay to bin the current car and get a new one. A good deal according to the dealership. Cash I didn't want to and shouldn't have had to spend.
:cheers:
Very poor service, i hope you get the result you want Fastshow.
On another note, who is the dealer, i take it you are keeping the name quiet for legal reasons, just in case?
Says it all really, cars arent that badly built, untill they let a numpty dealer near it.
hope it all gets sorted
FastShow - which dealer was it? please name and shame them !
I used Marhsalls in Bedford to get my horn replaced, will never use them again, I used Milton Keynes Seat for my 10k service a few weeks back (gave me courtesey car even though I have an import) would wholeheartly recommend them, just hope it wasn't them that you used!
Marshalls in Bedford are so bad lots of other people have migrated to MK-Seat (http://www.mkseat.com) for sales and servicing !
Pete_slim
14-10-2002, 15:57
Harry,
I think this makes JCT look good...
Fastshow, (apologies as I don't know your name)
As for your issues... I most humbly sympathise... Hope you get what you want and with no arguements from what can only be classed as an 'AVOID AT ALL COSTS' dealer. seems that you've found out the hard way. (BTW Who was it?)
Seems like far too many apprentices and zero brain-cells in that depot. Not much consolation for you but as many will say, some still have their faith in the car and not all dealers are the same. (I hope).
FastShow
14-10-2002, 16:09
I won't name the dealer yet since, potentially, there's still legal action in the offing.
To be fair to SEAT themselves, head office and the area manager have all been excellent, but they're just as much at the mercy of the dealer as I am. I was today told that the dealer will be sub-contracting all their upholstry work from now on since it has become too much trouble to them - something the area manager thought was strange, since all the other dealers cope OK.
The other problem I have is that there aren't any SEAT dealers within about 30 miles of my house, so each and every time I have to return, it's a load more miles on the car and a load more time wasted.
All I can hope for at this point is a stunning deal on a Cupra R, but I don't hold out a huge amount of hope.
Carl.
rally-man
14-10-2002, 16:53
Sorry to hear of your troubles Fastshow.Obviously I can't get involved as you are dealing with the problem but if there is any way in which M K SEAT can help in the future then please don't hesitate to contact us.The last thing I want to see is SEAT customers going away from our product because of the way they have been treated by other dealers.I think that we may now be your local dealer although you would still have a bit of a drive,but we do offer loan cars wherever you purchased your car.
FastShow
14-10-2002, 17:01
Originally posted by rally-man
Sorry to hear of your troubles Fastshow.Obviously I can't get involved as you are dealing with the problem but if there is any way in which M K SEAT can help in the future then please don't hesitate to contact us.The last thing I want to see is SEAT customers going away from our product because of the way they have been treated by other dealers.I think that we may now be your local dealer although you would still have a bit of a drive,but we do offer loan cars wherever you purchased your car. You see, even silly little things like posting stuff like the above on this forum make a world of difference from a customer's perception point of view - I'm currently wishing I'd come to you guys in the first place.
Should I ever get into a Cupra R (and if I don't, I really won't be buying SEAT again - the experience really has been that bad), then you can guarantee I'll be using you guys for servicing and such like. It's a shame we can't somehow transfer the Cupra R sale over to you, but what with the intention of it being a not-for-profit sale, then I guess it really wouldn't do you any favours anyway.
Thanks again for the reply, and all things being well, I may see you in the future.
Carl.
rally-man
14-10-2002, 18:06
If it's a SEAT issue,and there was something like a policy swap available,and if (and it's a big if)we could do it I would gladly help out.
Unfortunately,politicaly I can't get involved but let's hope that SEAT can come up with something beneficial for you.
I hate losing customers,you may have gathered.
FastShow, I too am from Northampton and know how the lack of a county dealer is a pain.
From your comments I'm 99% sure what dealer you are talking about, the one thats a maze to get to? The one with a rover garage next to it? Well that's the one I'm thinking of. If so, I know exactly what you mean about unfriendliness, the sales guy was very awkward when it came to buying our Ibiza Cupra, he fiddle figures and made us feel awkward. The sales manager seemed very friendly and also did another salesman, but this one is particulary nasty, I would like to vote him onto 'Car salesman from hell'.
I hope you can get all this sorted and also if possible you can transfer your warranty over to MK SEAT. Rally-man, can that be done so my mum can come to you when she needs anything?
Tom
rally-man
15-10-2002, 09:03
As long as any warranty is registered by SEAT uk then warranty work can be done by any SEAT dealership (as long as it's us lol).
HarryHarrison
15-10-2002, 09:16
If you won't name and shame, which you obviously cannot do at the mo, PM someone and I am sure they will name and shame.
:D
How about a system on hear which you enter the dealer name and a score for the work / service done, say 0-10. We can then view each dealers average scores??? Don't know how it would work. May do the job for recommended dealers though.
Anyone any thoughts on such a system? Easy to set up? etc etc. Would it just be used for bad work and therefore not really work?
:cheers:
rally-man
15-10-2002, 09:26
As a recomended dealer I'd agree with that as occasionally we do get things wrong and I'd like to know about it straight away.
It would also be good to know how we perform in the eyes of you guys.
Fastshow - sounds like you've been to Cupra hell & back :devil: with this one.
I'm self employed and if I had to spend as much time as you have sorting this out I'd be very angry indeed (and out of pocket).
Very savvy of you to go for the Cupra R trade up - although it is a great shame as you current car is less than a year old.
Does anyone know from a legal perspective how Fastshow would get on with claiming from the dealer or Seat UK for the loss of time, petrol, wear & tear etc...
Sounds like another example of the poor service culture we have in this country. Keep plugging away and (eventually) you'll rightly get what you want (and paid for)!
FastShow
15-10-2002, 10:02
I'm not gonna name and shame the dealer, suffice to say that there are only 3 within 50 miles of where I live, one of which is Milton Keynes, who it certainly isn't. Bearing in mind I live a few miles from Kettering and work in Huntingdon, you can probably work out which dealer I'm using.
That's as much as I'm saying though.
rally-man
15-10-2002, 10:12
I think that Fastshow is right,with the possibility of impending legal action it would be wrong for him to name the dealer and could jeopardise any claim made against them.
I'm not saying that anything should be covered up,in fact exactly the opposite,it's important that everyone gets to know about these problems so that you can all make informed judgements on where to have work done on your cars,value for money etc.
I'm sure that in time fastshow will tell us who was involved once the dust has settled on what seems to be a very unsavoury incident and one which,no doubt has caused him a great deal of worry and hassle.
So let's give him the time to tell us when he's ready
I agree with Rally Man, when a problem gets this bad I think the nameing and shaming should not be advertised here, we as a website would not want to be involved in any legal stuff.
It was tried by an ex user of these forums before, and to be honest, he came of worse.
Pretty pathetic that what I would consider to be two minor issues have turned you from happy-camper to seriously disgruntled customer :(
How hard can it be to fix a speaker buzz? :mad:
I'm surprised that dealers even attempt upholstery repairs ~ must get so few jobs that surely a specialist would be a better bet (?) :confused:
rally-man
15-10-2002, 11:10
I would say that all of our guys in the workshop know what they are doing.But I don't think that any of them would touch any upholstery repairs,we have sub-contract guys for that kind of thing.
FastShow
15-10-2002, 11:13
Originally posted by mik
Pretty pathetic that what I would consider to be two minor issues have turned you from happy-camper to seriously disgruntled customer :(
How hard can it be to fix a speaker buzz? :mad:Absolutely, this is what makes it all the more annoying - it annoys me that I'm getting so wound up about such stupid little things. But at the end of the day, the seat and the speaker are neither here nor there, I'm pissed off at the fact that I've spent countless hours and driven hundreds of miles over 5 months to get absolutely nowhere!
I'm surprised that dealers even attempt upholstery repairs ~ must get so few jobs that surely a specialist would be a better bet (?) :confused: They didn't repair it as such, they re-covered the base which they messed up. Then they re-covered a brand new base and made a mess of that as well. Like I mentioned (I think), they're now gonna sub-contract all their upholstry work as they're "fed-up with all the hassle" it's caused them. What about all the bloody hassle it's cause me?
FastShow
15-10-2002, 15:44
Righty, update time:
Just got off of the phone from the SEAT area manager who has basically informed me that the original dealer have pretty much refused point blank to take my vehicle as part-ex or work any sort of deal on a Cupra R. No huge shock, since that's exactly the level of service I've come to expect from them, but it'd have been nice to think they'd like to put in some modicum of effort considering all I've been put through, but there you go.
So, next step is to get the work done by someone who; a) is actually remotely capable of doing it and; b) has the slightest interest in the customer. Step forward MK SEAT who I've just had a nice long chat with and who will now be taking over the repairs. They've also very graciously agreed to sort me out something like the deal I'm after on a Cupra R which is going well beyond their call of duty IMO.
As it stands, I'm mighty pissed off that I've had to drop another dealership's problems onto MK, but I'm assured it's no problem. I'm also very upset that the original dealer seems as though they're going to get away with this very lightly. However, I will be chasing for - at the very least - my out-of-pocket expenses plus time. Petrol alone comes to ~£130 and once you add the many, many hours I've wasted on this, I'll be requesting a reasonable amount. If it takes legal action to extract this from them, then I'm perfectly happy to push ahead with that.
Finally, SEAT themselves have offered to help out on any car change also in terms of some sort of goodwill payment. Again, whilst this is good of them, I'm upset that everyone else seems to be paying for the original dealer's cock-up apart from the dealer themselves.
I'll update again after we're all sorted (I hope).
Pete_slim
15-10-2002, 15:56
Carl,
Not the best news but Good form to MK SEAT for their offers.. (Big thumbs up), and as you said, way above the call of duty.
Hope Mk can help re-build your faith, as it seems a shame that one dealer can create such bad blood..
Good luck with it in the future. Please keep us posted. Any chance of a name & shame table at some point in the near future. (Just to warmn others away)?.
HarryHarrison
15-10-2002, 16:20
Don't understand why if the original garage is to fix the problems on your car then they will not offer a p/x before it is fixed.
Nice one MK. Fancy expanding into the Leeds area? ;) (Our cows are real :D )
:cheers:
FastShow
15-10-2002, 16:24
Originally posted by HarryHarrison
Don't understand why if the original garage is to fix the problems on your car then they will not offer a p/x before it is fixed.They won't part-ex because it's an import - at least, that's the reason they're giving, I get the distinct impression they just like being difficult.
Also, MK will be finishing the job as the original dealer have proven themselves utterly incapable.
good news, kind of, Carl
very good of MK to try and put things right, at least you might get somewhere positive with them
Yeah, a big thumbs up to MK SEAT for helping out! I will be seeing you all soon as my car has developed another fault now :(
The dealer is saying it's an import. Is this actually the case or is it them just trying to keep you away?
FastShow
16-10-2002, 10:09
Originally posted by toXXin
The dealer is saying it's an import. Is this actually the case or is it them just trying to keep you away? No, it is actually an import - but they were only too happy to take my money off of me for servicing and accessories, so it seems they want everything their own way. Also, like I said, it'd be nice to think they'd bend the rules slightly considering the crap they've put me through.
Ho hum.
Dealer's refusal to p/x may not be solely due to import. My experience was the refusal to p/x my car was just because they didn't want to have a MY2002 in stock, and they gave such a low offer to buy it back I would be mad to take it.
Its a pity that such a fantastic range of mostly well built cars,are let
down by a shoddy bunch of dealers.
One reason is they have got you by the short and curlies, not a huge amount of dealership compition,for example only one in Derbyshire.
Next time i need a service im going to book a day off and spend a day
in Milton Keynes!!!
FastShow
18-11-2002, 10:56
Well I finally got around to getting the car into MK SEAT and what can I say - utterly superb! Dropped the car in, they stuck it straight in the workshop to have a look at it - an hour and a half later and it was fixed!
So, what the other dealership managed to bollox up for months and months on end, MK sorted almost immediately. Not only that, but they gave the car an almost full valet - it was spotless inside and out by the time I got it back. The service guy also took the time to come and fetch me and explain exactly what he'd done and to check I was happy with it, something the other dealership didn't once bother to do.
I can't even begin to go into how happy I am with MK, I've had this crap going on for so long now it's driven me nuts - it's just a shame Chris wasn't around as I'd liked to have had a chat with him; apparantly he was skiving off watching some rally in Wales. :p
So, that's it for now, just need to sort out my Cupra R next. :)
I'm there on thursday for some warrantee work to be done (which reminds me to check how early I can get there)
glad you're happy, so far we are too
Mark