Damaged at the Dealers - advice please!

rob1210

rob1210

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Hi,

Just got my car back from it's first service at Tonbridge Audi, good price, good service. BUT it has come back with a big scratch(es) on it which could only have been done by someone leaning into the engine bay.

My problem is, I didn't collect the car, my wife did as I have been away on business, so it was 3 days until I saw the car, noticed straight away and called them.

Already they are denying it was them and are using the old routine of "it must have been done since you collected it". I love my car and am a bit anal about the paintwork so i know it wasn't there when it went it.

I have emailed pictures and may have to take it down there in person, but at the end of the day if they want to be really awkward it could end up my word verses theirs.

Anyone had a similar problem or any advice on how to deal with this if they deny they did it?

Cheers
Rob

The Damage:

http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=14032009425x.jpg

my.php
 
thats terrible, a lot of places are all the same and unfortunately there is not much we can do! a lot of places do it to alloys as well and then deny it! i know what u mean about the paint work as i have just got mine back from body shop n they done a crap job with re spraying it, i rung them up n complained n now they are sayin it just needs polishin out! so im goin to take it in tomorrow! cant trust anyone with our cars!
 
Your correct there might be not much you can do in regards to it now, but when ever I take mine to the dealer I ask for one of the forms they use to identify damage on their loan cars. I get them to wak around and confirm any marks etc on my own and then both sign it. When I collect the car I check it before I take the car.
At least this way then they they have a lot less room to try and wriggle out of any potentional arguments later.
My only suggestion would be to try a calm and courteous approch with them and see where it goes and if that does not work try higher up - I'm sure somone here has the email address for the head honco at Audi.

Richard
 
walk around their showroom with an open bottle of brake fluid asking if they are sure they wont reconsider LOL
 
I also ask for a loan car form so that they can check my car before i leave...

Why should i look at there car and sign its fine and they have free reign to do whatever to mine!

Some are fine about it some get arsey!
 
That's terrible, I would be gutted if it happened to me. I have just had a word with my friend who used to work at a dealer and he recommended that you ring Audi Uk and speak to them directly (the number is in your service book). They should give you case number (once you get to the right person) you can then use this as pressure on the dealer to sort it out.

I would imagine it will come down to "good faith" though because as you say its your word against theirs.

Good luck, I would be intruiged to know how you get on with Audi though.

Olly
 
Lol haha i agree with Khufu! but on a serious level that does take the ****, if it was me i wouldnt let it end and keep going on till they decide to sort it out, cant you go down there and ask to speak to a manager at all. I had a few issues with my car and after speaking to a manager at my local dealer all got sorted. Also they didnt like the letter i was writing to audi uk. So think that what made them pull up there socks and sort things out

Khufu said:
walk around their showroom with an open bottle of brake fluid asking if they are sure they wont reconsider LOL
Click to expand...
 
As above, just continue to pester them. I had a similar issue with my dealer, not a scratch but missing wheel nuts and eventually the manager came to my house with a torque wrench and some new bolts.

I do the walk-round with them as well and always take the car to them clean as the valet bay seem to use sand-paper to wash cars with.
 
Thanks guys I'll let you know how I get on. I spoke to the dealer again and they have said that when they book the car in the do a damage check like the loan car form and that they have marked the damage on it. I'm sure they havenow that I havetold them where it is.

I'm going down there tomorrow and see what I can sort out.
 
was it cleaned, washed by them? could be a dirty sponge? or paperwork left on the car? :( gutted for you :(
 
wow it looks like torvil and dean bin skating on that id kick off go and see the manager and if they used that your word against mine id flip at the manager .....
 
It may get a cut and polish, so inspect it VERY carefully when you get it back. Are the scratches deep enough to feel with your fingernail?
 
it was cleaned , badly. There was a bit of what looked like wool stuck in the gap between the panel and bonnet, that's what initiall drew my eye to it.
 
Looks like they cleaned it with sand paper! Shocking!
 
looks like someone been working and leaning over with a screwdriver or something in there pocket, as previously said I always clean the car and then get them to look over the car as I leave it. Scratches should polish out though.

Mark
 
Can't say I have much confidence in Audi dealers, Birmingham Audi denied damaging my car and took me three weeks to get them to admit it. I took it to Stratford Audi next, when I got it back it had 6 miles extra on it (2nd service) but I couldn't be ***** complaining.

All you can do is provide the pictures and write a letter to the manager of the dealership and audi uk, next step after that would be the small claims court. Although it is your word against theres I doubt you'd make up such damage and the dealer wouldn't note it down before taking the car. The people at the front are not even worth looking at as they simply do not care.

The best thing to do is find a trusted independent dealer, I go to one that looks so basic yet they always do a massively better job than official audi dealers.
 
i know now milage, pictures, and signiture reqired on a piece of paper from now on before i leave my car anywhere. i suggest everyone does it audi are a pile of **** love the cars hate the company. we should start a thread every one with a case put it down in the thread with pictures and print it out with names and addresses and just wright to watchdog. i had numerous wrong doings from derby audi even scuffed the crap out of one of the wheels when delivered my car ,,,nata not a thing done basically ignored if we dont do anything except mone there wont be change so what do you say lets start a thread ,if watchdog pull em on tv they will have to get there act together or sign a form inspecting the car before they take it on then problem solved
 
audi upgrades
Feel for you mate. I had the same problem on my last A4 with a mysterious dent which appeared in the boot. Audi flatly denied it and said it must have been there prior to them having the car. They told me the car had only moved from the bay to the service area. The only reason why they repaired it was the lies went a bit far as I noticed the car as it drove past me half an hour after I had dropped it off LOL. Due to this called the service manager a lying t**t and if that was the length of ******** he would go to save admitting liability I would write to anyone who would listen including Audi UK. Ten minuted later the car was booked in for repair.
 
Rob,

When i saw the thread I thought of the usual inconspicious marks I see when my car comes back - but that is shocking. I feel so sorry for you as I know I would be gutted too.

I am definately taking the advice as above from now on hand doing a handover/takeover with anyone who deals with my car, from now on.

The on-site valet guys are not the greatest and the last time my car was in, it came back with what looked like scratches all across the O/S F wing. (Luckily?) It was just a chalky residue after the car had rubbed on something!! Some of the valet drivers are just kids straight from passing their tests -what is that all about?

Rant off.

I hope that you get a good conclusion.
 
A quick update.

My email showing the damage that I sent to the dealer got rejected as the file size of the pictures were too big. So instead I asked them to fax me the form they use to show any damage on the car when they receive it.

Bearing in mind that I had pretty accuratly descibed where the damage is but not which side of the car, suprise, superise they have marked the diagram as having damage to both front wings! I ran to the car the check and the other wing, and it is immaculate with not the slighest hint of any damage. They really must think I'm stupid.

I'm going down there Friday to kick ***.
 
Mines going in for MOT today.... Confirms that you can't trust them and have to get the car signed off before leaving....

Why can these people not just do a decent job! I mean accidents happen but not to the degree they seem to! Careless!
 
You've got an open/shut case then as its clear they have added this afterwards, unreal they would deny this time & time again, I know some people are sly & try there luck, but that is very clearly not something you could miss of an inspection, really defies belief these people.

I'd go in there & say, its clear you've attempted to cover this up & almost or does constitude fraud, say you're prepared to let that slide legally, but they have to fix the damage, say if they dont you'll take the copy of the document as evidence to support your court claims, they wont want the hassle or risk I should think, plus the costs.
 
rob1210 said:
Bearing in mind that I had pretty accuratly descibed where the damage is but not which side of the car, suprise, superise they have marked the diagram as having damage to both front wings! I ran to the car the check and the other wing, and it is immaculate with not the slighest hint of any damage. They really must think I'm stupid.

I'm going down there Friday to kick ***.
Click to expand...

I'd kill them.

Blatantly lying to cover the damage isn't on. Make sure you get to speak to the dealer principal - I'm guessing he wouldn't be impressed with how his staff have treated you or your car.
 
I would definately go higher up before doing anything drastic, if it all settles and nothing is done. Then at night I would go to the dealer and do the same damage to both wings on as many cars on the forecourt as possible.

They'll soon learn their lesson.
 
At my dealer in Germany, when you take a car in for service, the service manager comes out with an inspection form and goes round the car with you to note any damage... on collection he shows you over the car with the work check list before inviting you to pay...proper customer service.
 
Jo Sharp said:
At my dealer in Germany, when you take a car in for service, the service manager comes out with an inspection form and goes round the car with you to note any damage... on collection he shows you over the car with the work check list before inviting you to pay...proper customer service.
Click to expand...

Customer service is close to a forgotten art in the UK. Cash extraction is the primary driver.
 
warrencox said:
Customer service is close to a forgotten art in the UK. Cash extraction is the primary driver.
Click to expand...

The UK has always been terrible for customer service. A few years ago there seemed to be a big push to improve it, but then, as with everything in this country, it was quietly dumped coz it was too much effort.

People complain about the yanks a lot and how false their "Have a nice day" sounds but they have a fantastic optimisitc outlook on life and it comes across in their manners.

Slightly ranting, sry, but your dealer problems are the UK in a nutshell.
 
no offence to people who work in car industries but i think that a lot of garages are taking on the younger people out of college, the younger ones doen't seem like they have any care for other peoples cars, when i was waiting at a nissan garage, i saw mechanics working on a few 350z's n when they were done, two were goin out at a time n ragging the hell out of these cars, getting the back out, so close to crashing! there needs to be cameras in there so the public are able to see the work they do n if anything goes wrong, then we should be able to ask for the recordings!
 
we bought my wife a 2008 TT roadster 2 weeks ago, it was the FD of Guilder Audi in Sheffields car since March last year, and we got a very good deal on it, even if I do say so myself.

Thrown in for good measure, lovingly i maight add, by the valetors was a nice crease down the pasenger door where they had opened it into the wall, polished it, put some touch up on it, and not told anyone in sales they had done it.

It's all very good advertising that you only use Autoglym on customers "pride and joy" but it makes no diff if you can't be othered to take care of ot whilst you're applying the stuff.

The valetor was about 12 years old, and I'm pretty sure he couldn't read.

:sign_unfair:
 
see autoglym isnt even that good of stuff, its ok for the price, but the tings that annoys me, is i spend a lot of time making sure i only clean my car with a mitt n staying well away from sponges, i go to collect my car n they got sponges all over it, scrubbing at it really hard to get dirt of, not realising that they are actually scratchin my car!!!!
 
gixxer600k4 said:
see autoglym isnt even that good of stuff, its ok for the price, but the tings that annoys me, is i spend a lot of time making sure i only clean my car with a mitt n staying well away from sponges, i go to collect my car n they got sponges all over it, scrubbing at it really hard to get dirt of, not realising that they are actually scratchin my car!!!!
Click to expand...

don't ever buy a mercedes then, i just replaced a cclass with my S3, and became a member of the human race, yes i know, but the thing is, i turned up at a petrol station to find my bl**dy car going through the carwash!!!!

with 2 technicians in it! Yes mercedes benz of sheffield, on sheffield road, you know who you are, cowboys!!
 
without ur permission?! what did they say afterwards?! dont tell me they even asked you to pay?!
 
Please tell me you guys are leaving STRICT instructions NOT to wash the car!! You have to be insane to let any of these dealerships throw dirty water over it and sponge it down!

Good luck getting it sorted!
 
gixxer600k4 said:
without ur permission?! what did they say afterwards?! dont tell me they even asked you to pay?!
Click to expand...

My wife just pushed me back in the loan car i had just finished filling up, you know out of rspect for the dealership. Saying, leave it, it's just a car.

I then followed them back to the showroom, and went ballistic! the rear bumper even had that stripe of dirt down the back where the rollers sometimes miss, you know? And i watched as some apprentice car washer reached for a chamoise to wipe it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never been back since, I don't think I'm allowed on site.
 
they need to go on some sort of car caring course! i go to a place called ravenscroft in fleet now! my missus works there and all the people there are really decent! they make sure they dont put a bit of dirt on it at all! they use all the correct wing covers seat covers, floor covers, its very good there!a few people have had their wheels chipped there and they have taken responsibilty and paid for a refurb
 
I have to say I am so suprised you are having a negative experience at Tonbridge Audi. They are second to non as far as I am concerned and knowing the team down their they are as honest as they come. They have long term staff on the front and in the showroom which speaks volumes and my cars have been treated with great care and attention over the past 10 years. I had to register having read your comments by chance on a friends site and quite honestly would totally disagree with most of the comments. I don't think we should judge all the Audi centres based on one experience. If you are going there tomorrow ask for Lee Seward (Aftersales Manager). He is fantastic and I am sure he will assist you and help you get this sorted!! A long serving happy customer of Tonbridge Audi..:yum:
 
I'm due to book my car in there for a service in the next two weeks so I'd be very interested to hear how they deal with this issue.
 
I always try to take the car in looking uber clean, that way I hope they think he is anal therefore i better take care of it.

Also if the lean on it your less likely to get it scratched.
 
Id grill your wife first, she may break under the pressure and own up.. If not then its the garage. Speak with the boss direct and be nice about it..
 
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