Lookers Vauxhall & Free Servicing that costs £150

[mickkid]

Hi,

I bought my brand new Vauxhall Corsa from a Lookers Garage in September 2005 and took it in for its first service today. When I was sold the car I was told that it came with a years free servicing and 3 years free warranty.

When I spoke to the unsympathetic receptionist on the Service Desk this morning and advised that I was bringing the car in for its first service (which I booked in advance) I was told that I should have had a letter stating that I was entitled to a free service from when I bought the car. I calmly explained that I wasn't told of any letter for the service to be free when I bought the car and hadn't received one. Her response was simply - you don't get a free service then meaning that I have had to pay £150 for its service.

Has anyone had a similar problem with any garage and any advice please?

Thanks

Michael

[jcartermad]

Hi - from the horses mouth so to speak. I work in a main dealer and have done for several years. An old trick by salesmen is to promise the earth to close the deal...like free servicing.Customers actually think the salesman is telling the truth! They never ask for it in writing. The result is that when the customer goes to service there is no back-up on the free off, hence you pay cos by this time the salesman has usually moved on. My advice is to ask to see the deal pack. Somewhere he may just have jotted it down. If that fails speak to the dealer principal & if a PLC complain to head office. A letter to the manufacturer is never wasted. The customers who succeed are the ones that do not just pay up but keep complaining. Experience tells me that the customer who does not go away gets theiur money back!

[Odd Fellow]

Indeed. Complain, complian, complain.

I had not dissimilar problems with a VW dealer in Milton Keynes in or around 1999.

I had a new 20K passat. It came with 3 years warranty. I had allow wheels added to the car from the factory.

When the wheels started to corrode in year 2, the dealership wasn't interested saying that the warranty did not extend to the wheels and that it was just 1 year.

I didn't stand for that for long and after months of arguing, got an entirely new set of wheels as nowhere in the guarantee wording did it seem to suggest that the dealer wasn't trying to pull a fast one.

Would never deal with them again.

[debtdrinker]

I bought a Vauxhall Corsa from new, to keep it under guarantee I had to get it serviced at an authorised garage. Fair enough.

However there was not one service below £230, I did a lot of mileage but it was only the usual stuff, oil change and wiper blades etc.

One service cost £580 after the car was 2 years old - all it was was the service, some new wiper blades and two brake pads. I got in my car to find a greasy hand print on the ceiling.

Despite some pretty heavy complaining I still ended up footing the bill. I'm starting to get more wound up by the times I have given in to things like this by shrugging my shoulders and handing over my debit card.

I don't mind paying more for good workmanship - but I feel this was way above what it should have cost and the only reason was I was tied in to their garage to keep the guarantee valid.