Update: Dealers$$peak Service ripoff

Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005 at 20:11
ThreadID: 24698 Views:3170 Replies:12 FollowUps:10
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This is for those who have been following the story of the $575 service charge to run a new ground wire to fix a malfunctioning security system (NATS) in a Nissan Patrol. Whole story in a long post PostID24583. Sorry about the odd characters which invaded the original post.

On Saturday morning I emailed the dealer principal to:

1. provide a fully itemized invoice (in plain English – not dealerspeak and codes) to explain the charge of $575 to run a new wire,

2. explain why I was not contacted with a quote before work began. I had requested this verbally & in writing – 2 copies - when I dropped off the Patrol

3. explain why the service manager told me that they had worked on my vehicle for 5.6 hours (at $102/hr) to fix the problem (when their invoice clearly showed that the vehicle hit the workshop at 12.45 and I have a saved - and timestamped at 4.03 - voicemail message from the service manager telling me my car is fixed and ready to collect)

(un)surprisingly I have not heard from the dealer.

In the meantime I took the advice of another forumite and phoned another dealer near Bris and asked for a quote on the work.

I was told that the diagnostic test would cost $80. If the test confirmed that the problem is in fact a resistance in a ground wire, it was a minor job to run a new wire and the cost of the wire and the labour to do the job would all be included in the $80. That price would also include the re-registration of any keys which ‘fell out’ during the work.

Well …. quite a difference between $575 and $80!!! Even if I allow some extra time for the first dealer to poke around to find the problem (since they have the dealer diagnostic gear and since I understand that the FIRST thing to be done when working with electrical/electronic gear is to check power in/power out) I expect $200 should cover it.

It looks like it is time for another email to the dealer – set a timeline and demand the return of my $375 or I move on to the next stage of my campaign to help a dealer to put HONESTY back into their customer service mission statement!

Thanks to the many people who gave advice as I tried to research the cause of my Patrol’s initial problem and as I tried to understand this (original) dealer’s behaviour.

I have even discovered that there is a Nissan Owners’ Club in Brisbane, so I may meet some of you at the meeting on Monday!
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