Reporting unprofessional service at a Car dealer?

Question

I want to make an official complaint regarding the lousy service I had done on my vehicle. When I got home I discovered they left their gauges hooked up to my engine and they did not refill my brake fluid reservoir (among other things..).

I checked out the dealers site and there was no complaint line (not surprising!...LOL).

I am considering calling the better business bureau. What should I do?, Have you ever had this experience?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The BBB is really a last resort. Having been in the auto service industry for over 25 years I have seen your situation (unfortunately) more than once. I have to assume that the center you took your vehicle to and the people they have working for them want the same thing I do in my shop..... To do a good job and keep you comming back. First I would contact the dealer and talk directly to your service advisor. In many cases these advisors are paid on a commission basis and it benefits them if you are happy. Now every once in a while you get an advisor that thinks he/she is all that and forgets that you pay his/her salary. In that case you need to go above he or she in the food chain by seeking out the service manager. If you receive no satisfaction, go to the general manager. Now by this time if they still havn't figured out that you are the most important person in this scenario it just probably means thay are completely inept and not trying to sound mean or uncarring but you made the first mistake by going there to begin with. If no satisfaction has been obtained at this point, your next step is what is called the BAR {Beaureau of Auto Repair) The phone # will vary state to state and in some states is just a division of the BBB. I am in hope that you will get this resolved. You deserve what you paid for and in my opinion a little extra at this point and I hope that this poor experience does not taint your view of the rest of us in this buisness that truly strive for 100% satisfaction.

Answer 2

We've had two engines blow in 2 different cars thanks to two different service places when they didn't put the oil plug back in correctly, and a brake line cut, rad emptied when we chose not to get certain services completed at the time..contact the Manager first, or at least the Supervising Mechanic of the service center. A mechanic did a crappy job and perhaps it is policy to ream clients over...but then, it could just be a lazy mechanic or one whose head wasn't really there that day.

Go with the benefit of the doubt first...call the Managing staff there and explain what has happened without laying judgement or being confrontational. It may very well get you a redo at no charge of course, and possibly a free inspection/oil change or something a little later down the road for your trouble. Brake issues are serious issues and if the manager is good...he'll ensure this doesn't go unanswered or unexplained.

If no satisfaction the BBB is an avenue that allows you to place a complaint against them but to have the problem effectively corrected you need to have another route as well as the BBB is not an entity that gets involved in consumer problems, they just keep record of what business has done what, so that other consumers can call and find out whether there are any complaints. A BBB is only slightly useful in this case. If this is a car dealership that is affiliated to a larger dealership...find out who that is and contact them...if it is a franchise, contact the head franchise office of that particular dealer. Sometimes franchise owners can be made aware of problems the manager isn't forwarding or dealing with properly. Decent franchisee's and franchise owners don't like poor publicity.

If you don't get any satisfaction, check to see if you have an Ombudsman who deals with 'rip off' issues in your area..someone who may have an article they write in the paper, a radio show they host or a tv spot, a person who listens to consumer complaints and looks into them for you. We have several here in all of the areas I stated...they work and they give poor publicity to poor customer service businesses that deserve it. They also give kudo's to businesses who had a manager not do his job but the top echelon after learning of the problem, did theirs and corrected things quickly.

Good luck with this...keep your cool, you'll uncover far more this way and even if you have to go down the line to get to the person who will help you with it...you'll come off as a client concerned not only about you but about others who might use them...you'll get action quicker that way than by being confrontational...honestly.

Good luck with this.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Well, if the car is in her name and she does report it stolen, you will have an arrest record. The police will have to arrest you no matter what, and sort it out in court. The problem you are going to have is proving you paid your mom. Hopefully there are some receipts of payment you have. It is important to keep a record of payments to anyone, including family. Just because the car is insured in your name doesn't mean it is your car, and that is what the cops will tell you. The best thing to do is to call her on her bluff. Ask her if you can't pay it by wednesday what time she wants it returned, then return the car to her on that set time, and leave it with her. Come back to her friday with the money and offer to take it. I don't know your family situation, so only you know if your mom is really going to call the cops on you. If you return the car to her and call her bluff, she may be forced to give you till friday to pay it. But if she says bring it back or I report it stolen, then you will be arrested if she calls the cops. If she doesn't sell the car back at the agreed price, or tries to rip you off, get your documentation and proof of payments together and take her to small claims court. You have to be able to prove you paid her though, otherwise she can just say no she didn't and without documentation you are out a car and whatever you paid. It is a shitty lesson to learn, but always get signature and documentation of agreements and payments. When you take the car back wednesday get her to sign something saying what your agreement was and the current status of who paid what, that way you can protect yourself. Like I said, only you know if your mom is really going to call the cops, but for your safety and keeping your record clean, take it back, then go from there. You don't want an arrest record that could prevent you from getting a job, or credit, a house, etc.

Answer 5

What would you expect the BBB agency to do for you? make the mechanic says: I'm sorry..this won't happen again? If I were you, I write a letter ( type letter ) and send to that dealership with a full complaints about their loudsy type of works, their mechanic needs a fully re-certify and at a bottom of that letter c.c: you send one to the local newspaper and pay $10-15 dollars to print one Ads for you in regard to that dealer.

Answer 6

I would curtail the sabre rattling long enough to contact the Service Manager and see what sort of resolution he can offer you. If they blow you off or cannot resolve the issue to your satisfaction then seek remedial action through a different forum such as the BBB. Sounds like it was a simple enough mistake so a satisfactory solution shouldnt be too difficult.

Answer 7

I have never had this expirience before, but no one should have to! When you take your car to be serviced, you should get professional service (ecspecially for the price that you pay!). Here's what you should do, and what I would do- call the dealer where you took your car, and ask for the phone number to their Head office. Then you need to call the head office and tell them about your experience. It will actually help them, because no company wants to have people who don't give good service working for them.

Answer 8

call the zone office for the carmaker

Answer 9

And keep the gauges!