Audi part replaced. Not.

Skynet5 · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:10

A colleague just had his Audi serviced. They suggested a replacement bracket on the exhaust which had rusted, and if it goes could cause more damage. Video provided of issue.

He booked it in for the subsequent work.

Got the car back after spending £100 for the part inc. fitting.

He googled the part number on the invoice and then thought he would look under the car. Part not replaced. Old part rusting badly just as video showed.

He is wondering what to do. He has already reported back to them and they apologised and said bring it back to be fitted.

He hasn't said anything else to them other than he is considering his options as it's not acceptable.

Thoughts?

I suggested ask for a discount on next service (Labour free). But he has a service plan he is already paying for.

bJN · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:17

I'd let them fit the part, as agreed, and probably never return again. Not the most uncommon thing with main dealers though...

Armageus · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:20

Escalate to Audi UK - they take customer service seriously so I'm sure they will be interested to know your experience with a particular dealer.

Dis86 · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:25

Wow, that's shocking. I'd also be reporting to Audi UK with words like fraud involved in my email...

Vita · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:29

Report to Audi UK.

Mcnumpty2323 · 15 Jan 2020 at 19:34

Should ask for the parts they replaced when you go to collect the car
As the old parts still belong to you
I have caught many a garage out by doing that
Suddenly they look embarrassed and your bill is suddenly much smaller than it was
It's a shame some do it as it makes you suspicious of every garage when most are probably totally honest

Skynet5 · 15 Jan 2020 at 20:03

Thanks all.

Guy is 26 I think? And only been in the UK for a year on work. He is from Pakistan. He is genuinely disappointed that he thought he was doing the safest thing as someone that is new to country and not perhaps wise to where to go for a car and its servicing.

To be honest I feel embarrassed too.

Dominic-Toretto · 16 Jan 2020 at 04:27

A main dealer doing shoddy work? Who would have thought

Rroff · 16 Jan 2020 at 04:33

Mcnumpty2323 said:
Should ask for the parts they replaced when you go to collect the car
As the old parts still belong to you
I have caught many a garage out by doing that
Suddenly they look embarrassed and your bill is suddenly much smaller than it was
It's a shame some do it as it makes you suspicious of every garage when most are probably totally honest

Had that kind of with having my tyres changed - the ones on were wrong for vehicle but still almost new - strangely I got my vehicle handed over without the old ones in sight (I guess a lot of people do just want their old ones gone to be fair) - they'd already stashed my old ones away when I enquired but I got them back no hassle.

wolfie138 · 16 Jan 2020 at 07:37

i'd personally take this to any relevant ombudsman/legal body for fraud action as well as reporting to Audi if it was an Audi dealership.

Hades · 16 Jan 2020 at 13:10

Main dealers are usually franchises. So report to Audi UK who will give the franchise a roasting.

Nem · 16 Jan 2020 at 13:11

Armageus said:
Escalate to Audi UK - they take customer service seriously so I'm sure they will be interested to know your experience with a particular dealer.

No, no they really don't take customer care seriously, they really don't care at all. Most of the dealerships are franchised and any issues with care or treatment from a particular dealership they have no interest or control over.

Hades said:
Main dealers are usually franchises. So report to Audi UK who will give the franchise a roasting.

Again, they will not, they are too worried about rocking the boat with people paying for the franchise to actually say or do anything.

Armageus · 16 Jan 2020 at 14:09

Nem said:
No, no they really don't take customer care seriously, they really don't care at all. Most of the dealerships are franchised and any issues with care or treatment from a particular dealership they have no interest or control over.

It must have changed in the last couple of years since I last had an Audi. Every time I took my car in for a service or repair I got a follow up telephone survey on behalf of Audi UK wanting to know about my experience.

a1ex2001 · 16 Jan 2020 at 16:12

Armageus said:
It must have changed in the last couple of years since I last had an Audi. Every time I took my car in for a service or repair I got a follow up telephone survey on behalf of Audi UK wanting to know about my experience.

I reported some terrible/dangerous treatment of my wife by a VW dealership to VW UK who couldn't even get the dealership to write a half decent letter of apology I gave up after the first three failed to actually apologise for what they had done and now take the car to a specialist Indy who is not only cheaper but honest as well. Big dealerships just don't give a damn about the average customer and neither do the parent companies.

As for the OP's situation, get the part replaced lodge a formal complaint with the dealership and escalate to Audi UK if a satisfactory amount of grovelling doesn't follow and regardless of the outcome find a good independent specialist.

Drollic · 16 Jan 2020 at 16:24

This is the exact kind of thing that's one of my main concerns taking my car to anywhere but my local mechanic I use and trust. No idea on how common this kind of practice is on parts that aren't very visible or are internal.

cuke2u · 17 Jan 2020 at 14:00

Armageus said:
It must have changed in the last couple of years since I last had an Audi. Every time I took my car in for a service or repair I got a follow up telephone survey on behalf of Audi UK wanting to know about my experience.

This, not by telephone now though but by email..

Vince · 17 Jan 2020 at 14:08

cuke2u said:
This, not by telephone now though but by email..

They didnt follow up with me at all after they took my car in for investigation into a squeak at the drivers side rear. They then proceeded to spend 4 hours investigating at a cost of about £500 but couldnt find the issue.

I decided to go down to the dealer and then they told me any further investigations they would need to start stripping it down. So yea they spent 500 of my money and 4 hours troubleshooting but never picked up a spanner. In the end i took it home, stripped the rear shock and rebuilt it in 45 mins on my driveway, the broken part cost £16.

After i finished i took it back in and went a bit postal - Audi refunded me a couple of hundred. Never once did I get any Survey.

House · 17 Jan 2020 at 15:37

complaining to Audi UK will get you nothing,
My S5 was in for some warranty work and they asked if it was ok to take if for a test drive, I got it back and they had done nearly 100 miles in it at and average speed of over 60 mph, the problem they were fixing was with the start stop system, sat nav also had another audi dealer set as the previous destination (about 45 miles away) and they had pulled my dashcam while they "test drove" it.

A work colleague stuck a picture of the guys from Ferris Bullers day off "trust me im a professional" on my monitor after i was complaining about it on the phone with the service manager.

Audi UK no reply, dealers response was you said it was ok to test drive it, btw the fix lasted less than 5 miles out of the dealer before i had a orange light on my dash again.

I'm going to be back at the VAG indy that i always used before now main dealer can stuff it.

cuke2u · 18 Jan 2020 at 14:44

Vince said:
They didnt follow up with me at all after they took my car in for investigation into a squeak at the drivers side rear. They then proceeded to spend 4 hours investigating at a cost of about £500 but couldnt find the issue.

I decided to go down to the dealer and then they told me any further investigations they would need to start stripping it down. So yea they spent 500 of my money and 4 hours troubleshooting but never picked up a spanner. In the end i took it home, stripped the rear shock and rebuilt it in 45 mins on my driveway, the broken part cost £16.

After i finished i took it back in and went a bit postal - Audi refunded me a couple of hundred. Never once did I get any Survey.

Mine always has since 2013 when I first had an Audi. Only once did I need to mark them down on the survey, the rest of the time they've been exemplary. There are always good and bad dealership's and definitely no guarantee if you go to an independent some grease monkey won't thrash it around the block either..