Bodyshop Staff Possibly Using My Vehicle For Their Own Use

[Guest]

Just a quick update.

I have not got round to compiling my complaint as I've been busy this week prepping for a last minute job interview. Just found out a few hours ago I hadn't got the job. Genuinely gutted at this as I was getting positive feedback and vibes throughout the assessment and interview.

Will take my frustration out on the letter which I'll send out on Tuesday.

Edited 30 April, 2016 by Guest

[Adenuf]

Disgusting story this.

I ALWAYS make a note of the mileage as i don't have a tracker or as such, when I take my car anywhere and leave it in their care

 

Meanwhile......http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3563449/Airport-meet-greet-driver-sacked-ragging-customer-s-car-dropped-holiday.html

[Adenuf]

My youngest took his car in to a specialist in Warrington last week, to have the front end stone chip protected with 3M clear protection system, and I got hi to ring Tracker up to advise them that the car should not move for 24 hours.

He rang back the next day after collection and they confirmed it was only started a couple of times and didn't leave the premises.

[FLAPPERJACK7]

5 year's ago when I worked for a Volkswagen dealer we had a valeter who took a car home. Nobody knew about it. Luckily it was only a trade in vehicle. He had been using it for 3 months till he was found out. Instant dismissal.

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[kidology]

Mechanic in york main skoda dealer, took my Vrs home after cambelt water pump. When he came back said car goes well dosent it. I said what do you mean and he said you know.

I went and complained to the manager, about said mechanic taking my vehicle was told its company practice.

[mac11irl]

Mechanic in york main skoda dealer, took my Vrs home after cambelt water pump. When he came back said car goes well dosent it. I said what do you mean and he said you know.

I went and complained to the manager, about said mechanic taking my vehicle was told its company practice.

To which you said its your practice to never go back there if they are taking liberites without telling you i presume!

[kidology]

I had to go back next day for the car, it was not there mechanic took it home. That was martin beevers in york, i found it strange the car was not finished i was told.

No courtesy car available and i had to get to work. That was the first and probrably last time i go to a dealer for work done.

who knows what they get up to when you leave your vehicle. Im not only on about skoda dealers either. 

[domhnall]

Okay, a quick update.

Oh, and before I forget, reference the Theft Act 1968 Sct 12, the driver could use Clause/Sub Section 6 as a get out clause, which in turn would open up some interesting questions for the bodyshop management to answer.

Since the theft act applies in England and Wales only you might find yourself Barking up the wrong tree with that line.

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[Guest]

Since the theft act applies in England and Wales only you might find yourself Barking up the wrong tree with that line.

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Not strictly true. Servicemen who are being investigated by any Arm of the Military Police, wherever they are serving, including Faslane, come under the relevant English Act;TA 1968, MDA 1971, OAPA 1861.

Was not aware TA did not apply in Scotland to civilians. Every day is a School Day.

From my recent experience with the force that operates here, barking up the wrong tree is expecting them to investigate offences. One of them even told me, "If we investigate him, we'd have to investigate everyone we catch using their mobile whilst driving."

Edited 1 May, 2016 by Guest

[Aspman]

Now that I have a VRS I am going to do what a mate does when his Golf R is in the garage. Leave a A4 sheet of paper on the passenger seat saying that the car has a tracker fitted. Should (I hope) stop anybody taking the car on a unnecessary extended test drive. 

 

 

Whilst that may stop your car from leaving the premises it probably isn't going to do much for the guys attitude towards you or more importantly the quality of his work whilst working on your car.

 

Doesn't need to be worded in a threatening manner, just a note that if the car moves unexpectedly the police may be alerted automatically.

 

Doesn't need to be true either does it?

[FLAPPERJACK7]

Trackers are now and also quite recently interfaced from the obd port. So its mostly obvious if it has a tracker fitted to those in the motor trade.

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[Guest]

Trackers are now and also quite recently interfaced from the obd port. So its mostly obvious if it has a tracker fitted to those in the motor trade.

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That's where my tracker is fitted. It also alarms when removed.

I would seriously consider a hard wired/monitored system in my next car - funds permitting!

[FLAPPERJACK7]

That's where my tracker is fitted. It also alarms when removed.

I would seriously consider a hard wired/monitored system in my next car - funds permitting!

So would I. The tracker alarm wiring comes out of the box with 40 cm of wiring. So it doesn't take a genius to work out how to remove the tracker and the fact it's position is within 30 to 40 cm of the obd port.

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[Ootohere]

Some technicians and employees in the motor trade should maybe concentrate more on doing what they are paid to do

Less need to worry then about being caught misbehaving. Other people's property they work on while acting like dodgy geezers and geezeresses. I would love to catch a technician tampering with my equipment, I wonder what tool he will need to remove it from where the sun does not shine.

[domhnall]

Not strictly true. Servicemen who are being investigated by any Arm of the Military Police, wherever they are serving, including Faslane, come under the relevant English Act;TA 1968, MDA 1971, OAPA 1861.

Was not aware TA did not apply in Scotland to civilians. Every day is a School Day.

From my recent experience with the force that operates here, barking up the wrong tree is expecting them to investigate offences. One of them even told me, "If we investigate him, we'd have to investigate everyone we catch using their mobile whilst driving."

Where the forces are concerned English law applies worldwide but since we're discussing a bodyshop I had assumed it was a civilian one. :-)

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[silver1011]

Doesn't need to be worded in a threatening manner, just a note that if the car moves unexpectedly the police may be alerted automatically.

 

Doesn't need to be true either does it?

 

Even worded as politely as possible I'm pretty sure it would give out the impression that you have no or very little trust in the mechanic.

 

I just think it would do you more harm than good.

[Lady Elanore]

Any updates?

[Guest]

Any updates?

I've just spent about 30 minutes typing a response, but it was like War and Peace, so I deleted it!

 

I am just about ready (I think) to send it in the next few days.  There are a number of other issues that I have discovered since getting the car back; scratches to the inside of the hatch, the ns front wing is scratched as if someone has been leaning against it, and there are some 'heavy duty' scratches to the drivers door trim that was most definately not me.. 

 

I have loads of evidence to back up my complaint, the difficult part has been putting it in an order that does not confuse the issue.  It does not help that I have ran out of printer ink on two occasions. 

 

The next update will be when I post it.  I dread to think how much this one will cost as my last one to Virgin Media was £8 each.

 

Fin

[Lady Elanore]

I have to say your patience is impressive. I would have demanded to see the Dealer Principle and not moved until he or his representative turned up and discussed the matter at length.

 

At one dealership I worked at, one of the Valeters (who did not possess a driving licence!) used to borrow a service dept lone car at the weekends. As the service department was closed at lunchtime on a Saturday and the sales staff didn't usually use the loan cars for demo's, the cars in question were left free to live their own little lives in secrecy. As it turned out one Monday a Nissan Micra was noted as missing and when the Police turned up later that day, the whole thing became clear. The Valeter in question had been borrowing the car to drive his drug dealing brother around Manchester and on that fateful weekend, someone walked up to the car and shot the valeter's brother in the head. Obviously the police seized the car as a murder had been committed and the Valeter had a spot of explaining to do. It is remarkably easy to take a car from a dealers. We even had a man walk though the workshop and into a backroom, picking up the first keys he saw. He then walked around the car park pressing the remote until a car opened for him. Unfortunately it was a customers car, but luckily it was in because of a fault and the car was recovered after it broke down in a McDonalds' drive through, in Birmingham.

[Guest]

I have to say your patience is impressive. I would have demanded to see the Dealer Principle and not moved until he or his representative turned up and discussed the matter at length.

 

 

It was the DP that lied to me.  in his response, he informed me that he took customer complaints very seriously.  So seriously in fact that he had someone else 'pp' his response to me.  His reasoning as to why they washed my car would have been laughable if it were not for the fact that my vehicle now has long criss-crossing scratches along most of the bodywork.  They also washed my vehicle prior to any work being carried out, but not upon completion of the work.

 

I try and wash my vehicle prior to it going to the dealership, that way I can spot any fresh damage.  Unfortunately, that is the case here. I would estimate there are over a hundred scratches approximately 5mm in length,  There are also longer scratches, which appear to me to be have been caused by something rubbing agains the body work.  They only appear on the NS front wing and approximately 10cm of the front of the front passenger door.  There are no other marks like them any where else on the car.  It would not be unreasonable to speculate that it was caused by someone wearing denims or overalls leaning against the vehicle, 'shooting the breeze' with his oppo.

 

There is a strong whiff of deja vu.  Last year I left it too late to pursue the issue with SUK as I started a new job with various week long courses, exams, long hours (up at 0245 to be there for 0500, finishing at 1500, but not getting home until 1600.  In bed by 2100), and this afternoon, I received a phone call asking if I wanted to start back with that company, and if so, I would be on a week long course on Monday!

 

Once I finish typing this, I'm back on the case! 

[Ootohere]

It is really the 'Bodyshop staff possibly using my car for their own use' that i am waiting to hear about.

Was someone, and what came of that?

[Lady Elanore]

It was the DP that lied to me.  in his response, he informed me that he took customer complaints very seriously.  So seriously in fact that he had someone else 'pp' his response to me.  His reasoning as to why they washed my car would have been laughable if it were not for the fact that my vehicle now has long criss-crossing scratches along most of the bodywork.  They also washed my vehicle prior to any work being carried out, but not upon completion of the work.

 

I try and wash my vehicle prior to it going to the dealership, that way I can spot any fresh damage.  Unfortunately, that is the case here. I would estimate there are over a hundred scratches approximately 5mm in length,  There are also longer scratches, which appear to me to be have been caused by something rubbing agains the body work.  They only appear on the NS front wing and approximately 10cm of the front of the front passenger door.  There are no other marks like them any where else on the car.  It would not be unreasonable to speculate that it was caused by someone wearing denims or overalls leaning against the vehicle, 'shooting the breeze' with his oppo.

 

There is a strong whiff of deja vu.  Last year I left it too late to pursue the issue with SUK as I started a new job with various week long courses, exams, long hours (up at 0245 to be there for 0500, finishing at 1500, but not getting home until 1600.  In bed by 2100), and this afternoon, I received a phone call asking if I wanted to start back with that company, and if so, I would be on a week long course on Monday!

 

Once I finish typing this, I'm back on the case! 

 

 

Wow, that is terrible. When the boss doesn't take this matter seriously, you know the dealership is not in good hands :( Hope he finds this thread

[Ootohere]

So is it a Skoda Dealership, maybe Arnold Clark, Park's of Hamilton or Henrys Skoda?

[Guest]

It is really the 'Bodyshop staff possibly using my car for their own use' that i am waiting to hear about.

Was someone, and what came of that?

The dealership have still not got back to me either by email, telephone, text or answer machine message, so no idea ATT if they are doing anything about it.

The fact the dealership appears so far to have ignored my complaint gives me an opportunity to raise my previous complaint with SUK who also totally ignored the complaint.

That complaint raises very serious concerns about how dealerships treat customer vehicles whilst they are in their custody. In that particular complaint there are at least seven different incidents where they abused that trust. The photographic and In Car Footage I supplied to support my complaint comes to nearly 2Gb. None of the footage or the numerous Photographic Supplements are frivolous. Each of the 100mb 1 minute segments show the person driving my car ragged it from the moment he got in until he returned to the dealership. It also showed him driving through a red light.

I was up until 0245 this morning working on it, and am hoping to have it sent off this week. Unfortunately (fortunately for my finances!) I was offered a job opportunity, but as I live South of Glasgow and the job is in Auld Reekie, it means 0430 starts and home for 1700. So only a little time to work on this.

[Guest]

So is it a Skoda Dealership, maybe Arnold Clark, Park's of Hamilton or Henrys Skoda?

Not prepared to mention them ATT. You never know who reads these posts!

Hopefully, if all goes my way, will be happy to disclose all at a later date.