The complaint compartment.

[masseyrider]

My latest complaint is about the mechanics who use my vehicle for personal use while it is in for service.

I had my pickup truck at a body shop to fix a dent last month. A few days after I dropped it off, I was driving through town in my wife's car and saw my truck parked at the local diner. I mentioned it when I picked up the vehicle and they said they always test drive after they do the work. I asked why a test drive was necessary to fix a dent and why take it to a diner? They had no answer, but knocked a few bucks off the bill.

Small town GM dealership.
We bought a new pickup.
The rear end howled like crazy on the highway.
Took it in a bunch of times and they claimed to have done a number of fixes but no improvement.
Finally they said bring it in Friday first thing and they'll keep it all day and fix it right.
Close to the end of the day I called to see if it would be ready.
The service manager claimed to just be doing the paperwork, their kid was putting it through the carwash.
When I got there the service manager told me they had done a number of things but hadn't had a chance to take it for a test drive.
I was to come in Monday if the problem persisted.
I get in the truck, start it up and see my previously full tank of gas is almost on E and my odometer shows an additional 350+ miles. "They hadn't had a chance to take it for a test drive?" I didn't say anything.
At home I put it on my ramp and checked what they said they had fixed. No sign of new parts or that anything was ever touched.
Traded the GM for a Ford the next day.
When the Gm dealership owner saw me driving a Ford he asked me why.
I told him their service sucked. He has never spoken to me since after years of buying vehicles there for the farm and family.
I've talked others out of buying vehicles there.
After ripping off the company for warranty work never done and people in general I don't think they deserve my business.
They have lost many times the value they gained ripping us off.

 

[paulsharvey]

Many many years ago, I had a 1995 Dodge Dakota 2.5l stick shift, POS, that would randomly die (DRT) sometimes when I hit a bump. Take it to local dealer, and they have it for like 5 days, and they finally call, we can't diagnose, and we can't fix. When picking it up, guy says, we only got it to die once, when our mechanic jumped the rail road tracks. "he's a bigger guy, and you a bigger guy, wonder if that has anything to do with it?". Take it to a very small local shop, mechanic speaks almost no english; he plugs in, and sees engine temp varies randomly from -200 degrees F and +200 degrees F. Automatically say, electric problem; he wiggles wiring harness and it dies. Check and a few wires were rubbed bare. He said 1 hour labor and grab me a 100 piece wire connector kit at Discount Auto. Done!

This dealer owns the Dodge, Chevy, Nissan, and Ford dealers. Ever dealing I've ever had with them, crap. They did fix a control box on wife/sons 2012 durango, and "it's no longer made, we can ship it to Canada to a guy that rebuilds them, but we won't warranty repair" cost me like $1200. Go to pay, and they ask, "how are you paying?". Money. They acted like they didn't know what to do with a fist full of $50 bills, and looked annoyed.

 

[WACATTACK]

Nn matter what I buy when I post about it everyone tells what I should have bought.

 

[WinterDeere]

This dealer owns the Dodge, Chevy, Nissan, and Ford dealers. Ever dealing I've ever had with them, crap.

One thing I've learned over 35 years of driving and countless dozens of cars, is that if you're buying new, the servicing dealer matters as much or more than the vehicle brand.

About 2005, I finally found a dealer I like, and they happen to carry Dodge, Jeep, Buick, and GMC. In the time I've been buying my own vehicles from that dealer, I've been buying cars for my wife from Jaguar, Audi, Volvo, and a few other brands... always with substantially more dealer frustration. Volvo has been the worst, almost unbelievably bad across three different Volvo dealerships... I won't go into the details.

When it came time to buy her latest car in 2020, I told her to pick any car she likes, but if she wants me to deal with maintenance, inspections, and other details for her... it had to be from this one dealer that I buy my own cars through. So, now she drives a Dodge.

We've actually come across other good dealers for other brands (Audi, BMW, Jaguar), but none are in my daily travels anymore. This leaves the local Dodge/Buick/GMC dealer as our default, and I'm fine with that.

 

[Molalla1]

For me, it’s hard to believe in Jesus Christ at times when our two-year-old grandson has to be air ambulance down to the cities for problems with a growth on his throat that’s closing his throat and then when he finally gets better, his dad, our son finds out he has cancer and goes through two years of treatment on that and then finds out his wife, our daughter-in-law has cancer.

I know everyone says there’s a reason for it and God gives you what you can handle, but I question it

I'm very sorry SF, but still believe in our Lord God . . .

 

[sunandsand]

From where I'm sitting, this appears to be the market working, as designed. You bought from a low-cost vendor (Lowes), who is able to offer those low prices at least in part due to their lack of customer support on things like this. The $80 option is in part due to low volume, of course, but also due to the cost of operating a business with actual customer interaction.

The guy from Lowes is going to show up here next, saying "this guy bought an $80 mirror for $29, and still expects us to support it with repair parts, as if he was buying from a local manufacturer!"

Hope you don't take offense at that, I'm half just pulling your leg, but it is kinda how we can expect things to work.

Not offended in the least ;-)

The $80 quote was for EACH of the three mirrors, from a local source. Lowes doesn't seem to be interested in supplying them at all, at any price.

So here's my plan B - I'm going to WalMart and buy a couple of $7 full length mirrors, take the frames off, and use a glass cutter to cut them to size (10" wide by 29.5" long). Then I'll smooth the edges with 180 grit wet-or-dry (wet) until they are safe to handle. The old mirrors are attached with double sided tape (man, talk about REAL quality!) and I have a roll of that, too.

What galls me is they have the mirrors, they are in current production on a product they presently sell, but they won't sell them separately - they want me to buy a whole new cabinet.

(Well sir, your tractor is out of fuel and the fuel tank is a sealed unit. You have to buy a new tractor. Where's my can opener?)

The mirrors are not all that big a deal (especially with plan B), it is the "get lost" attitude I don't like. With competition literally across the street, I don't have to shop at Lowes any more.

Best Regards,
Mike/Florida

 

[wolc123]

Don’t quote me, I’m not the one that said believe in Jesus Christ

It appears that the Good Lord has deflected that personal attack upon you. I’m sorry about that, because it was I who brought up His name, and who justly deserved the attack.

 

[dougtrr2]

My latest complaint is businesses which don't plainly post store hours on their window; especially since they are lit up at night the same as in the daytime. I needed a new SIM card for my phone so went to the Verizon store. I wasn't sure until I checked the door that they were open. I also didn't know until I talked to the Rep that they were about to close.

I also think business should have to post their address numbers in BIG numbers that can be easily spotted and read from the street.

Doug in SW IA

 

[CH4Ohio]

It appears that the Good Lord has deflected that personal attack upon you. I’m sorry about that, because it was I who brought up His name, and who justly deserved the attack.

If the Good Lord has so much available time and is even directing activity here, maybe he could talk to Lowes about their medicine cabinets and mirror replacement policy.

 

[bdhsfz6]

They have lost many times the value they gained ripping us off.

This is often true, but unfortunately, it takes them too long to realize it.