Review of Awesome Gti £117.00 Service

[bluevrs200]

Mat , If it was done in the first place by the vat registered garage I wouldn't have had to lol ... .

I don't think the issue would be with setting the service interval which is just a remainder you can even buy a crude kit in argos ......

The issue would be what mileage is displayed on the odometer and when the last service was carried out .I could understand if you were altering the odometer which in itself would be a criminal offence

And my warranty isn't with skoda so I'm safe if skoda are watching plus in this current economic climate do you really think that some bean counter from skoda uk reads every message on the Briskoda forum sign me up for that job please .

I have no issues with Awsome just posting an honest appraisal of the experience I hope that everyone else can provide feedback on their experiences from other retailers so that people can make informed choices based on the reviews available .

All the best

Dave

[cheezemonkhai]

If you could please contact us with your card details, I would be more than happy to credit the difference to your account no problems. However, we do not have your Card details as any card details we use during mail order transactions are Shreaded to protect all our customers.

Regardless of everything else, this comment worries me, as what records do you have if you shred it all and don't have a record of transactions.

I'm fairly certain there are PCI compliance rules on this.

I'm not saying you should have records of cards linked to people, just asking for confirmation that you do keep records of work and payments.

Edited 12 May, 2010 by cheezemonkhai

[wardth]

I have to say that in my humble opinion, the response Wega received regarding his suspension was unnaceptable.

If I took that line with my customers I would expect to (a) lose their future business and ( expect a difficult time (at best!) from my MD.

There is a golden rule in customer service; do everything possible to ensure that the customer feels as if they've been "serviced" and that they will come back for more. You NEVER leave a customer with a bad taste in their mouth because thats a customer you've just lost. Not only that but you've also lost any potential business from other family members, friends, collegues, forum users.....the list goes on. One upset customer leads to the loss of far more potential customers.

Throwing out the box with the old units in it was an obvious oversight that could easily have been prevented by a simple phone call. There appears to be a number of "operational issues" at Awsome than may need correcting, not least the destruction of customer details which is potentially in breach of PCI rules. These rules are positively scary and describe how you have to safeguard credit card details against potential theft. They apply to the software you use, your servers and your office environment and simply shredding details of transactions is >I believe< insufficient.

I personally think that a buisness having forum presence needs to be very careful about how they respond to issues that are aired online.

Everybody makes mistakes but its how you deal with the fallout that matters. Wega's issue wasn't handled very well but full marks to Al for his comprehensive response to Dave.

[Dodgy]

The PCI comments are misplaced, it is quite acceptable to destroy credit card details such as numbers etc. The PCI DSS is focussed on how credit card details should be secured if they are stored (i.e. encrypted if stored). Payment card systems routinely erase records as they store and forward, there is no requirement that says you have to store everything. Awesome will still have records to indicate a customer has paid (cross referenced with number plate for example), it's purely a matter of admin if they subsequently have to refund someone and need to ask for credit card details to do so.

[AwesomeAl]

You can rectify this by sending out confirmation that it was a long life service , the oil that was used and a new service remainder sticker .

The pollen filter that I was quoted £15.00 and charged £25.00 please just send me a cheque for the difference with the service confirmation .

Brake fluid boiling test was 210 degrees on checking in front of me so like I said was done 2 months ago so can't understand why it would have 3% water in and would need changing .

Confirmation that the service was done to Longlife Specification has been sent out in the post and should be with you soon.

As for the Refund, I would Prefer not to do this by Cheque as it s a very long winded process for us to rectify the situation that way.

As mentioned, If you could please contact me with your Card details, I would be more than happy to credit the outstanding amount.

As for the Brake Fluid, Fresh Dot 4, has a Dry Boiling point of 230ºC. The 'boil test' showing 210ºC would suggest that the brake fluid used a few months ago, may possibly have been Contaminated.

As soon as brake fluid comes into contact with air, It starts to absorb moisture. If the brake fluid had been used from a container which has already been opened, This could well explain why our brake fluid test has failed.

Regardless of everything else, this comment worries me, as what records do you have if you shred it all and don't have a record of transactions.

I'm fairly certain there are PCI compliance rules on this.

I'm not saying you should have records of cards linked to people, just asking for confirmation that you do keep records of work and payments.

I can't believe you have even made that comment!

For the Data Protection act, we Destroy ALL card details that we receive in order to process transactions.

This does not mean that we go destroying all of the invoices as well? What even gave you that idea?

Would you be happy if I kept hold of any credit card details from transactions that you had made?

The PCI comments are misplaced, it is quite acceptable to destroy credit card details such as numbers etc. The PCI DSS is focussed on how credit card details should be secured if they are stored (i.e. encrypted if stored). Payment card systems routinely erase records as they store and forward, there is no requirement that says you have to store everything. Awesome will still have records to indicate a customer has paid (cross referenced with number plate for example), it's purely a matter of admin if they subsequently have to refund someone and need to ask for credit card details to do so.

Absolutely Correct! Thank you for getting the correct end of the stick

I have to say that in my humble opinion, the response Wega received regarding his suspension was unnaceptable.

In our defence you have only heard one side of the story.

The customer was informed that all his parts were by the door for him to take if he still wanted them. The customer then drove away without collecting his parts and contacted us just short of a month later to state that he still wanted them.

If we were to keep hold of all the parts we remove from customers cars indefinitely, we wouldn't be able to keep our workshop in the clean and tidy condition that we are expected to keep it in.

Edited 12 May, 2010 by AwesomeAl

[fraserpants]

Skoda UK DO monitor this forum and you may have done yourself out of a warranty with the above statement.

Matthew

How would Skoda UK know which car bluevrs200 drives - there are quire a few blue vRSs about and its not like you have to register your reg plate to log in here!!

[bluevrs200]

Just had a good long chat with Al on the phone what a genuine decent bloke . Apologised for some of the issues raised and refunded the difference in the price on the air filter . Also guaranteed that documentation would be sent regarding the long life service to myself .Provided an honest explanation for the brake fluid issue stating the fluid could have been contaminated in the first instance .

Regarding the credit card details these are destroyed for security however customer details ie invoices are retained ....

I would not hestitate to take my car back to awsome after speaking to Al (if they will have me??) and like I said from the start the workmanship was first class .

Kind Regards

Dave

:yes:

[wardth]

The PCI comments are misplaced, it is quite acceptable to destroy credit card details such as numbers etc. The PCI DSS is focussed on how credit card details should be secured if they are stored (i.e. encrypted if stored). Payment card systems routinely erase records as they store and forward, there is no requirement that says you have to store everything. Awesome will still have records to indicate a customer has paid (cross referenced with number plate for example), it's purely a matter of admin if they subsequently have to refund someone and need to ask for credit card details to do so.

I stand corrected Dodgy. Apologies to Al and his team.

[Nick P]

In our defence you have only heard one side of the story.

I didn't miss anything out though did I? I posted it all to give an accurate picture of what happened. I included that it took me nearly 5 weeks to realise and I acknowledged that was ridiculous on my part, BUT that time scale is also irrelevant given the parts were thrown away after one week. So even if I'd phoned you up after after a less silly sounding two weeks or maybe even 8 or 9 days,depending exactly when they got chucked, it would have still been too late.

[matt_theforce]

How would Skoda UK know which car bluevrs200 drives - there are quire a few blue vRSs about and its not like you have to register your reg plate to log in here!!

You would be supprised how easy it is to find details on anyone using the internet.

[cheezemonkhai]

<snip>

I can't believe you have even made that comment!

For the Data Protection act, we Destroy ALL card details that we receive in order to process transactions.

This does not mean that we go destroying all of the invoices as well? What even gave you that idea?

Would you be happy if I kept hold of any credit card details from transactions that you had made?

<snip>

I believe it was a perfectly reasonable comment IMHO bearing in mind what I've seen of some companies records systems. (I'd like to point out I am not referring to Awesome)

Maybe the PCI was the wrong set of rules and I'm quite happy to admit my error on that and apologise.

On the flip side however, I think you guys need to go and read the DPA again, because while it's a clause many companies like to to hide behind (not saying you are), it's not going to cover that.

You'd need DPA registration to hold names and addresses on a database or any information that can be linked back to a person (reg plate could be), never mind credit card details.

As for holding my credit card details, No I wouldn't be happy with Awesome holding them, which is why I don't use you. That's for more than just the CC reasons however.

You will however notice that lots of people here buy from Amazon, ebay and the like. They all hold full transaction details and often CC details, so I think people have a lot more to worry about than that.

I'm certainly happy for some companies to hold onto my CC details, it's just as I said, Awesome isn't one of them.

Honestly, in my opinion the explanations given here don't address the root causes and identify resolutions to prevent the same happening again.

A genuine suggestion and obviously feel free to ignore me on this, but have you guys considered looking at ISO9001 and while maybe not getting certification following some of the key aspects of it?

Just as everyone can make their mind up, I have certainly made mine up. Not that it is actually an issue as I am a distance away so it's not as if you have lost anything from that.

That said and done, that's just my view and obviously I don't want to get into an argument and I'm going to leave it there.

Obviously plenty of people like awesome and I'm sure there will be many happy customers out there who will keep using your services.

Edited 12 May, 2010 by cheezemonkhai

[AwesomeAl]

I didn't miss anything out though did I? I posted it all to give an accurate picture of what happened. I included that it took me nearly 5 weeks to realise and I acknowledged that was ridiculous on my part, BUT that time scale is also irrelevant given the parts were thrown away after one week. So even if I'd phoned you up after after a less silly sounding two weeks or maybe even 8 or 9 days,depending exactly when they got chucked, it would have still been too late.

I haven't stated that your parts in particular were disposed of after just one week?

Our POLICY is that if customers old parts are left with us for longer than 7 days, they are either moved outside, or scrapped. However We have no record of which parts are binned and when.

Your kit may well have been with us for One, Two or maybe Three weeks after the job was done. It's just unfortunate that we had a bit of a tidy up before you requested your parts back.

You will however notice that lots of people here buy from Amazon, ebay and the like. They all hold full transaction details and often CC details, so I think people have a lot more to worry about than that.

I'm certainly happy for some companies to hold onto my CC details, it's just as I said, Awesome isn't one of them.

Honestly, in my opinion the explanations given here don't address the root causes and identify resolutions to prevent the same happening again.

A genuine suggestion and obviously feel free to ignore me on this, but have you guys considered looking at ISO9001 and while maybe not getting certification following some of the key aspects of it?

How we do, or don't deal with card details have never and are not an issue at all! There is no more need to discuss these points you keep bringing up.

All issues have now been resolved with the Dave and he is more than happy with the Outcome!

Edited 12 May, 2010 by AwesomeAl

[cheezemonkhai]

You are now pulling this off onto a complete tangent with no regards to the problems which we have now resolved with the customer following a phone call. Why are you arguing about something that hasn't even caused a problem? We have all the relevent licencing in position.

I disagree on the tangent comment and I think you should perhaps read the whole post and take into account that while I was negative in some ways I was more positive in others.

I was simply replying to your point.

As I said I don't want an argument as it helps nobody.

Edited 12 May, 2010 by cheezemonkhai

[kenny]

to be honest ive just read this thread from begining to end, im glad both parties have got the service issue sorted and glad that bluevrs200 is feeling happy enough with the resolution to actually use Awesome again.

on Wega3k's issue i can see both sides and to be honest it sounds like a genuine mistake on his part and awesome have just stuck to their normal policy. in my heart of hearts i personally dont have much complaint with Awesome on that one. if i was the customer i would be annoyed but know it was my own fault really. i think its just one of those things. i couldnt see any sense for a garage to hold onto parts any longer than the week that they do as they would be buried in the stuff :(

just my opinion and not intended to offend or take sides, just how i see it.

[furn]

i think a moderator should lock this thread because the issue has been sorted out , before people take things too far and awesomes reputation is damaged for christ sake people just nit pick tiny details for the sake of it. im sure awesome go about there business professionally and dont really need to explain to nit pickers on here how they go about it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SideshowBob]

i think a moderator should lock this thread because the issue has been sorted out , before people take things too far and awesomes reputation is damaged for christ sake people just nit pick tiny details for the sake of it. im sure awesome go about there business professionally and dont really need to explain to nit pickers on here how they go about it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couldn't agree more mate. It's easy for people to sit here in a forum, in judgement of a situation that didn't even involve them. I would hate for Awesome's reputation to be sullied by this, because I've not dealt with a more professional outfit in my 20 years of having work done on my cars.

Yes I agree they could probably do all the nitpicky things that people have suggested, and have everything nailed down, a system put in place for tracking parts removed from customer's cars, items tagged or put in bins etc but all that would require employing more staff, having more overheads, and everything taking longer. And ultimately that cost would be passed on to you and I, the customer. And to be honest if I drove off having left some parts at a workshop, I'd expect them to be there the same day and maybe the following day, but after that it would be a bonus or a gamble. Yeah it's a sting, but that's how it goes.

[bond007]

i disagree i think anybody reading this can make an informed opinion of what they have read, personally, even though i've never used them, would use them even after reading this they've made an honest mistake with the OP's car and rectified it. way i see it everyone makes mistakes but its how they are dealt with that leaves the lasting impression

[AdamR]

way i see it everyone makes mistakes but its how they are dealt with that leaves the lasting impression

Which is also why I reckon it's good that this thread appeared (and has been contributed to by the guys at Awesome), it gives them chance to 'stick up' for themselves. I run a very similar business/shop (but for bicycles) and would always want to have the chance to reply to any criticism, justified or not.

[Steve vRS]

My wifes A3 goes to Awesome for servicing and repairs and I think they are pretty good - certainly better than the local Skoda dealers I have to use for my company vRS.

Steve

[AwesomeAl]

Thanks to all the guys that have posted up very understanding comments and thank you for your continued support!

[furn]

Thanks to all the guys that have posted up very understanding comments and thank you for your continued support!

does that mean i get a discount

[trickett_james]

I think I've found where all the parts that get "scrapped" after a week by awesome. Check out the used exhausts etc all for sale on ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Awesome-GTI-Store?_rdc=1

wega3k I wonder if your suspension ended up getting "scrapped" here

[Dodgy]

I think I've found where all the parts that get "scrapped" after a week by awesome. Check out the used exhausts etc all for sale on ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Awesome-GTI-Store?_rdc=1

wega3k I wonder if your suspension ended up getting "scrapped" here

Ouch!

[GeorgeL]

How is it possible to tell if your vehicle has been set to variable servicing? Also where is the service indicator? Is it a staged indicator, or just a service light?

[Nick P]

I think I've found where all the parts that get "scrapped" after a week by awesome. Check out the used exhausts etc all for sale on ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Awesome-GTI-Store?_rdc=1

wega3k I wonder if your suspension ended up getting "scrapped" here

Doesn't look they did, looking through the seller feedbacks.