greasemonkey

As you say, the car needs to be tested. However, hooning round town at comparatively low speeds isn't testing, it's taking the p*ss. Genuine testing of this sort should be carried out on a dual carriageway or motorway, not around town.

Unfortunately, one of the difficulties of this sort of situation is that if you don't specify in advance that you want to be present/in the driving seat when road testing is carried out, it's difficult to prove that the garage employee was behaving unreasonably.

Get an accurate description of what your two friends saw, then go and see the service manager, and see what develops. It may genuinely be that the brass don't know what their spotty eighteen year old mechanic was up to, in which case you'll probably get a sympathetic reception, and he'll probably be on a written warning. If, OTOH, they try and justify entering your car in the local traffic light grand prix, come back and tell us what they say, and find somewhere else to service it in future.

Edited to say that, unfortunately, phoning your tracker company won't do any good. Trackers aren't like cellular phone systems that constantly transmit their location to fixed bases in real time, and they can't be activated for anything other than theft tracing. In other words, you can't use them to retrospectively find out what your car's been up to.

[Edited by greasemonkey - 8/5/2003 2:53:51 PM]

Chris_O

i always write down the milage and reset the odometer when i drop my car off for services or anything like that. That way you can at least tell how far it's been driven. Personally i'd say to them that you have been reliably informed by two indenpendant people that your car has been getting ragged about the town and ask them why this happened and what they are planning on doing about it.

I

Chris



[Edited by Chris_O - 8/5/2003 3:31:21 PM]

greasemonkey

It's not that hard to control. Just tell the garage in advance that you'd like to be present, and preferably behind the wheel, for any road testing. Reputable garages won't object to this.

If you want insurance, just write the odometer reading plus a few appropriate words on a piece of paper when dropping the car off, and both you and the service manager sign it.

The only problem then is the necessity to actually get back to the garage when they want to take it out.

[Edited by greasemonkey - 8/6/2003 5:22:46 PM]

topboss

Hey everyone,

Recently bought an MY03 STI. Car is in today having first service and ppp fitted. Just had phone call from 2 different people (not known to eachother) to say my car is being driven "round town" and basically getting a right good thrashing (being revved up at traffic lights then burning off etc). I realise cars are taken out for "testing purposes" but seeing as this car is barely run in would you guys play hell at the garage or just put it down as "one of those things". DOn't want to tarnish the relationship with the garage but to say I'm a bit peeved is an understatement!

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Phone your tracker co and find out where it's been. There should be no need for the car to have gone anywhere.

they are taking the pi55

Dracoro

Walk in. Don't let on that you know. Politely ask them about the service and what it entails. Ask them what happens on a test run, does it get thrashed or not (they'll say not of course) and then start to shout 'then why on earth have a number of people phoned me to ask why my car is being thrashed around the town centre!'.

(make sure you look over the car with a fine tooth comb too!)

scooby_si

shame to still se threads like this recall one a while back along the same lines & basically yes get in there & give the MAIN MAN some shyte about not being happy taking custom elsewhere wanting a new clutch & also tell 'em you had a NIP in the post scare the fekers as well. There are many garages you cn trust init but i never leave mine unattended when someone else has the keys! I appreciate this isn't always possible & can be a pain but well when you realise how much things liek clutches etc can cost then it's defo worth keeping track of. Dont know how far you'll get with garage but keep us posted & dont just get fobbed off yer car has undergone wear & tear that sounds beyong the call of duty
Si

Duck_Pond

Best make sure the pilchard driving your pride & joy round the town hasn't picked up any speeding tickets too.

I'd definitely have a word to the Service Manager about it.

Badger Stuffer

Tell them you have had a call from your local police Station asking you to produce your documents as someone has reported you for dangerous driving.

Demand compensation for this like next service free.

fitzscoob

ask them for a new clutch, tyres, brake pads, and if you feel like pushing it a new turbo

cheeky *******s.

sad when things like this happen, take your car in to be repaired, recieve the car back with a new exhaust or something similar - only to find that your tyres are bald and brake pads are knackered

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Whenever my car goes into the garage it comes out with more damage than it went in with I work just round the corner from a Honda garage and hear the cars being ragged past here all day Mechanics have no respect [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Paul

Leslie

There is no way they can justify the mechanic winding your car up and thrashing it like that. I would be furious if that happened to me. I think I would be in the MD's office insisting on another new car to replace the thrashed one because I would no longer be confident in it.

Les

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Come on Topboss update???

RLE

iTrader: (2)

Exact same thing happened to me when I had my Rover 220 Turboa few years back.
Goes in for a routine service at a Rover main dealer and a friend rings me at work and says some lad has just over taken him at 100 mph plus trying to race his Escort RS-went to pick the car up and took my friend with me-luckily he points the lad out and we tell him that he was seen driving like a *****. He doesnt deny it and I refuse to pay my bill. Sent a letter to the Principle in charge to make it official and complained. Ended up getting £500.00 worth of disks and pads fitted free as a way of compensation providing I dropped the matter.

Enough said. Individual was reprimanded. Never went back there. Feel much better at the local Subaru garage given they have both older technicians and deal with similar performance cars on a daily basis.

CRAIGFIN

This kind of thing makes my blood boil. Every time my car has gone into a garage for any work, it has come out with substantial mileage added on to it without fail.
The advice being dished out ref demanding compensation/parts/work is all well and good, but unfortunately they can just deny everything. You can't even take a digital photo of your mileage as time/dates can be changed. You will not be able to prove anything and they know it. I'm not sure how much clout your friends stories will hold if you go down the judicial route.
It just seems to part of the teritory with owning a scooby and its annoying to say the least.[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Craig.

CRAIGFIN

greasemonkey,

Its more awkward if you have to work and the car is kept in overnight.

Craig.

TON3

Go feckin nuts at them m8 i would, but say u saw it urself tearing around! My old lady got her vw back 2day from service with 56 miles extra on the clock Been on the phone already, not impressed!

esmerelda9920750

There is a certain thing called 'duty of care'. Garages sould abide to at all times. Once you have received proof from the odometer and tracking device that the test drive was longer than expected and that you have witness statements saying the car was seen bein driven in a disorderly fashion, warn them in writing hat if they do not compensate you for wear and tear you will seek damages through the county court, also get writen assurance that the practice of driving like a lunatic will not happen again.

You have a right to have your car cared for correctly whlst in their care. If it isn't, then you have the right to complain and sue if necessary.

topboss

Update:

Service cost has been refunded and their going to fit my Defi guages free of charge for me. Total mileage for "testing" was 9 miles which I don't mind too much.....it was the way the car was driven whilst being tested. Garage has been excellent in handling it and have been told that I want to be present during all future "tests".

what would scooby do

That's good to hear, no doubt they have learnt a small lesson from this (we hope)

SiDHEaD

Excellent!! Good to see they compensated!

Andy

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Good to see that they accepted it and seem fair.

Treacle

Top result, hope you've checked the car for any damage.
Treacle

greasemonkey

Excellent, nice to hear that their response was as it should have been. It's to be hoped that they weren't previously aware of their employee's behaviour, and that they've taken appropriate measures to prevent a repeat performance.

Leslie

Glad it all worked out as it should have done.

Les

LoFi

. . . . and the dealer was?????

LoFi

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Shame you didnt get the PPP for free though

Tony

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

When my STi went in for it's PPP I set one of the two trips to zero, leaving the other as it was. I checked on picking it up and BOTH were on 3.4 miles! The mechanic obviously re-set the 2nd one to zero?
You could always ask them to plug in the diagnostic and have a look at Vmax and, more relevant, the max rpm recorded?
When, as you pay the bill, they say "It really goes now" gets you worried?
JohnD

itsajapthing

Happened to my mate in his EVO 6 he noticed tyre and alloy scuffed when he was garaging car that night we phoned NavTrak who downloaded his box and told him car was driven at 3.20 to 3 55 around town highest speed recorded was 93 mph!! on a 30 mph road............Thing is dealers argued and argued...until we got printouts of vehicle movement via tracking device.!!!!

Cost them 2 new Oz wheels 2xTyres and full laser aligning also his service money was refunded

Scary what those tracking devices can do but in this instance worth the price......

G



[Edited by itsajapthing - 8/8/2003 6:27:36 PM]