Car at bodyshop, workers decided to take for jolly up

[NoobCannon]

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

 

[NoobCannon]

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

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]

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.

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.

 

[NoobCannon]

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.

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.

 

[NoobCannon]

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.

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.

 

[NoobCannon]

Was it a 30-mile round trip? I wonder if they used it to drop off a customer's car.

It was a round trip as in one continuous journey but was a all the way to the next town (motorway) around the local town then back up past the bodyshop and round the country lanes and back roads i wish the app recorded the speed. And even so, they told me i couldn't collect the car as it wasn't fixed!


On A more positive note my complaint on our works reporting app finally made it to someone who has escalated it to the leasing company. Hopefully they take it seriously and the garage get a talking too