Dealership HORROR story...
08-28-2002, 11:06 AM
#41
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Another Crooked Dealership
Yo,
The Audi dealership in San Francisco, Royal Motors (Mazda/Audi/VW), is the biggest bunch of crooks. Sounds just like the dealership in Commonwealth.
For example, on two different occasions I brought my car in to get something fixed and they quoted me an exhobitant cost for the repairs.
Both times I took the car to a different Mazda dealership, who did the same job for half the price.
For my next car I really want an Audi A4, but am really considering another car because my experience with Royal Motors has been so bad.
The Audi dealership in San Francisco, Royal Motors (Mazda/Audi/VW), is the biggest bunch of crooks. Sounds just like the dealership in Commonwealth.
For example, on two different occasions I brought my car in to get something fixed and they quoted me an exhobitant cost for the repairs.
Both times I took the car to a different Mazda dealership, who did the same job for half the price.
For my next car I really want an Audi A4, but am really considering another car because my experience with Royal Motors has been so bad.
08-28-2002, 11:51 AM
#45
Well, I might request that Mark have a zone rep inspect the car. This is the top person for
technical issues in the area. They work for AoA, not the dealership. However, I'm not sure the zone rep is going to like what has been done to your car insofar as how it effects the warranty and Mark sticking his neck out to install the clutch. That goes pretty much for anything major that you contact AoA about. If they open an investigation, they are going to see things that you done to the car that you might not want them to see.
Not only that, but if Mark gets burned by AoA, Commonwealth is going to have to become chip/mod unfriendly like so many other dealerships have become.
It seems to me that the grey area arises from the car leaving without word or complaint for several days. In the dealership's eyes, anything could happen during that time.
I don't know exactly what you've done to the suspension as far as mods go, and how well they were done. Since Mark doesn't have a stock benchmark ( car equipped like yours ) to compare, he can't know what is normal for YOUR car. Now maybe you do. Thing is, he doesn't know if he'll ever get it to to your satisfaction. All he knows is that he went the extra mile to install the clutch, one of his guys MIGHT have done a shoddy job, and he can't ask AoA to pay for troubleshooting a non-stock suspension.
What would I do ? Ask that an alignment be done. Be on hand when it is done, and chat with tech to see if they notice any distortion in the parts or joints. If the noise continues ( immediately after obviously ), ask that the ball joints in the area of the wood be replaced. If the wood was in the location your picture shows, that is about all you can ask of him.
How did the car shift before ? Who adjusted/installed the SS in the first place ? Would that person be available to consult with dealer ( remember that dealer does not usually do short shifters ) ? I've driven lowered A4s that have been bottomed out hard enough to mess up the shifting. Anything like that ring a bell with you ?
Not only that, but if Mark gets burned by AoA, Commonwealth is going to have to become chip/mod unfriendly like so many other dealerships have become.
It seems to me that the grey area arises from the car leaving without word or complaint for several days. In the dealership's eyes, anything could happen during that time.
I don't know exactly what you've done to the suspension as far as mods go, and how well they were done. Since Mark doesn't have a stock benchmark ( car equipped like yours ) to compare, he can't know what is normal for YOUR car. Now maybe you do. Thing is, he doesn't know if he'll ever get it to to your satisfaction. All he knows is that he went the extra mile to install the clutch, one of his guys MIGHT have done a shoddy job, and he can't ask AoA to pay for troubleshooting a non-stock suspension.
What would I do ? Ask that an alignment be done. Be on hand when it is done, and chat with tech to see if they notice any distortion in the parts or joints. If the noise continues ( immediately after obviously ), ask that the ball joints in the area of the wood be replaced. If the wood was in the location your picture shows, that is about all you can ask of him.
How did the car shift before ? Who adjusted/installed the SS in the first place ? Would that person be available to consult with dealer ( remember that dealer does not usually do short shifters ) ? I've driven lowered A4s that have been bottomed out hard enough to mess up the shifting. Anything like that ring a bell with you ?
08-28-2002, 12:00 PM
#47
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Why do you insist on putting them blame on me...
Yes they did it under warranty, that was nice, but that gives them the right to break my car? You have some ****ed up logic.
08-28-2002, 12:09 PM
#48
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Since when any dealership will stick their neck out for its customer??
I've not dealt with this particular dealership, but if you think any service manager (ok, maybe 90% - I'm pulling this number out of thin air) sticks their neck out, you must be "in bed" with the enemy.
Sure, he brought an aftermarket clutch to be installed BUT I can guarantee you the dealership billed AoA for the hours PLUS the cost of a new OEM clutch! I don't see them giving him the OEM clutch, do you?
I bring my own oil in for the free maintanence, but I know for a fact they bill AoA for material and you don't see them giving me the oil, do you? Or giving me credit for whatever money they get from AoA.
You can argue they have to bill AoA for the material in order for the dealership to work on your car in the future if anything goes wrong. Just to have a paper trail. I can confidently say if his aftermarket clutch wears out prematurely, they are not going to be of any help to him. Hey, maybe if they had given him the OEM they billed AoA for, he'll have a replacement clutch now, wouldn't he?
Sure, he brought an aftermarket clutch to be installed BUT I can guarantee you the dealership billed AoA for the hours PLUS the cost of a new OEM clutch! I don't see them giving him the OEM clutch, do you?
I bring my own oil in for the free maintanence, but I know for a fact they bill AoA for material and you don't see them giving me the oil, do you? Or giving me credit for whatever money they get from AoA.
You can argue they have to bill AoA for the material in order for the dealership to work on your car in the future if anything goes wrong. Just to have a paper trail. I can confidently say if his aftermarket clutch wears out prematurely, they are not going to be of any help to him. Hey, maybe if they had given him the OEM they billed AoA for, he'll have a replacement clutch now, wouldn't he?
08-28-2002, 12:27 PM
#49
I am not blaming you. I am trying to see a workable solution given
the parameters you and Commonwealth have to work with.
It was your choice to mod the car, right ?
You went to the dealer, right ?
Now it appears the dealer has screwed something up, right ?
Because the car is not longer stock, we don't have a widely documented benchmark of how it should work, right ?
You don't want AoA knowing details of this case becuase your warranty will disappear, right ?
I'll grant you that Mark's attitude sounds a little strange, but like I said, I haven't talked with him yet to know his side. I'm not accusing you of doing anything wrong per se. The choice to install the clutch was Mark's. Wood being left behind appears to be the fault of the dealer. Why it was being used instead of some other tool, I don't know. Within the guidelines of what he can do, Mark's options are limited. In addition, neither of you want the news of your car being modded to get passed along to AoA.
Focus on the solution. What is your definition of "fixed" and how can you define that in quantitative terms to the dealer ? Ask yourself if this practical for the dealer to undertake ( in their eyes is it easier to fix your car, or hand it off to AoA and BBB ) ? Put it in writing and go to see Mark.
From the link below:
"What would I do ? Ask that an alignment be done. Be on hand when it is done, and chat with tech to see if they notice any distortion in the parts or joints. If the noise continues ( immediately after obviously ), ask that the ball joints in the area of the wood be replaced. If the wood was in the location your picture shows, that is about all you can ask of him.
How did the car shift before ? Who adjusted/installed the SS in the first place ? Would that person be available to consult with dealer ( remember that dealer does not usually do short shifters ) ? I've driven lowered A4s that have been bottomed out hard enough to mess up the shifting. Anything like that ring a bell with you ?"
PS. What brand of clutch ? What type and clamping force ? Did you include t/o bearing, etc ?<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/1325856.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/1325856.phtml</a</li></ul>
It was your choice to mod the car, right ?
You went to the dealer, right ?
Now it appears the dealer has screwed something up, right ?
Because the car is not longer stock, we don't have a widely documented benchmark of how it should work, right ?
You don't want AoA knowing details of this case becuase your warranty will disappear, right ?
I'll grant you that Mark's attitude sounds a little strange, but like I said, I haven't talked with him yet to know his side. I'm not accusing you of doing anything wrong per se. The choice to install the clutch was Mark's. Wood being left behind appears to be the fault of the dealer. Why it was being used instead of some other tool, I don't know. Within the guidelines of what he can do, Mark's options are limited. In addition, neither of you want the news of your car being modded to get passed along to AoA.
Focus on the solution. What is your definition of "fixed" and how can you define that in quantitative terms to the dealer ? Ask yourself if this practical for the dealer to undertake ( in their eyes is it easier to fix your car, or hand it off to AoA and BBB ) ? Put it in writing and go to see Mark.
From the link below:
"What would I do ? Ask that an alignment be done. Be on hand when it is done, and chat with tech to see if they notice any distortion in the parts or joints. If the noise continues ( immediately after obviously ), ask that the ball joints in the area of the wood be replaced. If the wood was in the location your picture shows, that is about all you can ask of him.
How did the car shift before ? Who adjusted/installed the SS in the first place ? Would that person be available to consult with dealer ( remember that dealer does not usually do short shifters ) ? I've driven lowered A4s that have been bottomed out hard enough to mess up the shifting. Anything like that ring a bell with you ?"
PS. What brand of clutch ? What type and clamping force ? Did you include t/o bearing, etc ?<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/1325856.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/1325856.phtml</a</li></ul>
08-28-2002, 12:31 PM
#50
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Car dealers make about 1/2 of their income on parts and service. It is therefore in the best...
interest of the dealer as a whole and for the service department in particular to satisfy customers, and thus encourage them to come back. Satisfied service customers are also more likely to buy from the same dealer again.
So to say that the dealer doesn't care once you leave the lot makes no economic sense.
Which is not to say that some dealers and/or their service managers aren't incompetent morons, many of them certainly are.
So to say that the dealer doesn't care once you leave the lot makes no economic sense.
Which is not to say that some dealers and/or their service managers aren't incompetent morons, many of them certainly are.