Car at bodyshop, workers decided to take for jolly up

NoobCannon

NoobCannon

NoobCannon

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Joined
13 Jun 2011
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6,053
Hi all.

My vehicle has been at the bodyshop for A few weeks as i hit A small deer at the beginning of the year.

Very minor damage, mostly smashed the splitter off the bumper and damaged the under-trays,no paint damage at all.

Completion date was monday but bodyshop pushed it back to tuesday, i called them and asked if it would be back on tues for def as i was using a hire car. Was told no, repairs arent complete. Thought id check the vehicles app just out of interest and could see that the car was being driven.

I called the bodyshop again this morning and said wheres my car as i can see its been/being driven and its quite obviously fixed. It was magically available to be collected an hour after my phone call. I checked the journey logger in the car when i went to pick it up and it showed they had taken it for a 30 mile joy ride round country lanes etc (provides map of drive, mileage but no speed unfortunately)

Bodyshop have literally no explanation, how would proceed with complaining. Or would you just let it go? If it wasnt a company car id be jumping up and down in the office because its taking the mick
 
Not that it's relevant, but what car is it?

I would definitely be ****** off, especially if there's no reason for it (a road test to check it's all tickety boo, but 30 miles is way above this). Go see them in person alongside a written formal complaint email and see what they have to say. Make sure everything is documented / followed up in writing

Definitely do not let it go, that is a joke
 
Probably hired it out to make some extra cash, used it as a courtesy car or someone (staff) used it as a personal vehicle to get to and from work for a couple of days :s sadly some garages/dealers aren't above that.
 
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ShivP said:
Not that it's relevant, but what car is it?

I would definitely be ****** off, especially if there's no reason for it (a road test to check it's all tickety boo, but 30 miles is way above this). Go see them in person alongside a written formal complaint email and see what they have to say. Make sure everything is documented / followed up in writing

Definitely do not let it go, that is a joke
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Polestar 2.

I was in the office, i picked the car up and refused to sign for it before i had

A, checked the vehicle over
B checked where it had been

I didnt go back up after as was fuming but called them and demanded an answer, was fobbed off with an excuse and the manager wouldnt talk to me.

Im going report it to my Boss tomorrow and see what they have to say about it i think.
 
NoobCannon said:
Polestar 2.

I was in the office, i picked the car up and refused to sign for it before i had

A, checked the vehicle over
B checked where it had been

I didnt go back up after as was fuming but called them and demanded an answer, was fobbed off with an excuse and the manager wouldnt talk to me.

Im going report it to my Boss tomorrow and see what they have to say about it i think.
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Not surprised, quick expensive car so probably some apprentice took it for a rag
 
Wait for the impending speeding tickets.

If the manager said he doesn't know how it was taken, then it was work place theft.
Id report then to higher up if they a franchise.
 
thought this had almost died out now with cameras etc.
in the old days often found local mechanics doing sandwich runs, unofficial italian tune ups etc. even recall a new audi being written off one night , making the local rag, as it was only in for a first service.....
 
NoobCannon said:
Bodyshop have literally no explanation, how would proceed with complaining. Or would you just let it go?
Click to expand...

The danger is that whoever was driving it was speeding, ran someone over, caught on camera using a mobile phone, passing a cyclist too close, or whatever. As it's a company car you should probably inform not just your boss but whoever is in charge of the contract, because you don't want to be fired for alleged dangerous driving or whatnot. I hope you have a dashcam in the car; have you reviewed the recordings? If you have an interior camera you might even catch the culprit.

And make sure you have copies of all the paperwork.
 
Quartz said:
The danger is that whoever was driving it was speeding, ran someone over, caught on camera using a mobile phone, passing a cyclist too close, or whatever. As it's a company car you should probably inform not just your boss but whoever is in charge of the contract, because you don't want to be fired for alleged dangerous driving or whatnot. I hope you have a dashcam in the car; have you reviewed the recordings? If you have an interior camera you might even catch the culprit.

And make sure you have copies of all the paperwork.
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No interior or exterior cameras on the polestar unfortunately.

The paperwork is all online and it clearly states when they had the car and when it was finished so will be no worries with that regard fortunately.

Its mostly the utter p take thats got me as you trust these people with your vehicle and they abuse your trust.
 
I wouldn't let them get away with it, hopefully your boss agrees and once they get involved it will be sorted.

Also reminds of this story about a garage owner caught 'test driving' a customers car while over the drink drive limit.
www.dailyecho.co.uk

Wealthy garage owner caught drink-driving in customer's Audi

A wealthy Hampshire garage owner who was caught drink-driving in a customer's Audi Quattro has been cleared of theft - after claiming he was just…
www.dailyecho.co.uk www.dailyecho.co.uk
 
crazyDAJT said:
Report it to your fleet manager. Who then should report it to the lease company.

I assume the lease company selected the place to do the repairs? They will either refuse payment and/or black list the site.
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Will email them all tomorrow.

I hope they so refuse to pay or black list them tbh. Didnt even consider that as a possibility but i suppose the lease company dont want to be messed about either.
 
gc123 said:
thought this had almost died out now with cameras etc.
in the old days often found local mechanics doing sandwich runs, unofficial italian tune ups etc. even recall a new audi being written off one night , making the local rag, as it was only in for a first service.....
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Whenever I take a car in for a service the camera has always been disconnected when I pick it up.
 
Does this qualify as taken without consent, or TWOC as cops call it? Is that even still a thing now? If it does qualify as a crime it could provide some leverage in the discussions?
 
Was it a small, independent body shop or a larger company / dealer? Suspect you wouldn’t get far with a small place but a larger one will have a complaints process.
 
Scuzi said:
Does this qualify as taken without consent, or TWOC as cops call it? Is that even still a thing now? If it does qualify as a crime it could provide some leverage in the discussions?
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If the body shop owner says that they didn't know the car was gone, or didn't authorise staff to take it, then yes it would be. If the owner says they did know and authorised its use, then it's a civil matter instead.

In either case the OP, or his company, should have them over a barrell.
 
Stu999 said:
Was it a small, independent body shop or a larger company / dealer? Suspect you wouldn’t get far with a small place but a larger one will have a complaints process.
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Massive company, if they are independant then they have done very well for themselves.

As for an update however i told my boss and reported it via our system and made sure To add details and times etc but they really didnt seem to care, i expected them to Hit the roof but was mistaken.

Im tempted to complain anyway directly to the bodyshop but i just dont think im gonna get anywhere with it especially if my company dont seem interested in kicking up a fuss.
 
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Rroff said:
Probably hired it out to make some extra cash, used it as a courtesy car or someone (staff) used it as a personal vehicle to get to and from work for a couple of days :s sadly some garages/dealers aren't above that.
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This is standard practice for non-dealer workshops in my experience I try and make sure there isn't much fuel in it when I drop it off can remember leaving it with 3/4 of a tank and when I got it back there was barely a quarter left half a tank gone wonder where they went thats enough to get from one side of the country to the other
 
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