VW rules regarding retaining parts swapped out of the car

[sTeeDi]

Hi all,

Just dropped my TDI Comfortline in to have the Rear and Side Sunblinds fitted at the Service Centre. (Request from the Mrs. it's for the bub coz we've had enough of those mesh things that seem to ruin the door seals on my last car).

The car is several weeks old now, and I've done just over 1000kms. Love the car, but with a new bub, don't have time to really drive around

Now for 600 bucks, I thought I would at least be able to retain/keep the door panels and the rear hatch panel that they'd swap over when installing the new ones for the sunblinds.

But the guy at the Sales service center who took my keys said that for all parts that are swapped over/exchanged, they will keep this in house. An example he gave was if I bought my car with different rims, then VW get to keep the wheels! I'm sorry, but I've never bought a new car....

Sounds like a bit of a scam to me.....anyone know what the policy is on this?

[Tim]

Id suggest u either demand "YOUR" parts back or get them to write a letter explaining why you cant have them back. they are probly just gonna resell them to someone for some stupid amount.
Unless they are giving u a cheaper deal tokeep your parts then i think it sounds mega dodgy.
price up the parts they are using from a different dealer perhaps?
At work if i upgraded someones computer and flat out refused to give them their old parts back.. well.. thats stealing

[REDMKVGTI]

I've had a dealer pull this one on me as well....

You purchased the car with those parts, therefore they are yours. You are now purchasing new parts, presumably at full price (ie no adjustment to price for them keeping the originals) so rightfully you should get the originals back if you wish.

If you purchase a car with different wheels the price is generally adjusted accordingly (to take into account the "trade in" of the old wheels) or you get to keep the originals.

If you really want those bits back I'd be getting on to them before they do the work.

[gpk_gti]

sounds like a rip off,,which dealer/stealer was this???? also with "the rims" story,the salesman keeps your originals and sells them back to the dealer at a profit.well thats what the guys at dale european used to do.part of their commission

[sTeeDi]

Hi gpk_gti,

I pm'd you the Dealership. Since it's still at the service center...rather not say in public which one.

I have to say thus far....I am not too happy with the Service provided thus far. Coming from my Corolla, I was expecting more Service-wise for this fine automobile. (Really love the car, but loath the dealer/aftersales service. Never get someone on the first call, always running after them). Only the guy who organised my Rego and handed me the keys was ok (not good, just adequate).

What really got me peev'd was that I initially asked how long it would take last week and the reply was...."I've never done this before, not sure how long it will take". So i said will i not have the car for possibly longer than one day? To which he replied "Maybe"....hmmm, as i sit here at work, I am sweating thinking of what work experience kid is using his IKEA toolkit to hack out the internal door panels of my car.

[REDMKVGTI]

I hate negative dealer experiences, but I am getting really good at kicking up a stink and making people pay now.

I rang a few dealer managers to complain about poor service when I was purchasing my golf. Seem they just dot really care, and I have to say on a whole the VW dealers have been a lot worse than most other manufacturers.

If only the MPS3 had a better interior.

[JP-009]

I had ordered a new car (many years ago) and also ordered the factory option mag wheels. I asked if the exchange of the original wheels took any price off the new mags – No was the answer. So I advised them that I expected to see the original wheels in the back of the car when I took delivery. The salesman was very indignant, and reluctantly agreed.

When I picked up the car – no wheels in the back. I had to argue that they had stolen the wheels from me by not delivering 2 sets of wheels (as I did pay for both sets), and that the ACCC would receive a full account of events.

And guess what? They appeared out of the work shop – fancy that.

You have to be aggressive when looking after yourself, because there are plenty of people out there that will skin you if you don’t.

Demand your panels back, because they didn’t tell you it was exchange, or that they would give you a ‘discount’ (buy back) for retaining the original panels. The ACCC is your friend.

[Tim]

screw the ACCC! go straight to today tonight or A current affair!

[drb999]

Call VW directly

I would suggest calling VW or e-mailing through their website. (to get most attention make sure you fill in your VIN) You will see that VW cares, while some (most?) dealerships don't, and will probably take action to rectify the situation in future. Also make sure that you fill out your dealer (dis)satisfaction survey appropriately when your turn comes - I got mine 3mths after getting the car. There is no way for VW to know which dealers are bad unless customers actually let them know. I've filled out mine appropriately and will not be taking the car back to the dealership/service where I got it from ever again.

If the price that you are paying is price for new (as opposed to swapped/upgraded) parts + fitting, then there is no way that they should be keeping the old parts. When you get different rims on delivery you pay the difference, not the full price and that's where their analogy fails! So take that back to them and see what they come up with.

[DubSteve]

screw the ACCC! go straight to today tonight or A current affair!

Take it to John Laws lol.

[pinzvidz]

Hi all,

Just dropped my TDI Comfortline in to have the Rear and Side Sunblinds fitted at the Service Centre. (Request from the Mrs. it's for the bub coz we've had enough of those mesh things that seem to ruin the door seals on my last car).

The car is several weeks old now, and I've done just over 1000kms. Love the car, but with a new bub, don't have time to really drive around

Now for 600 bucks, I thought I would at least be able to retain/keep the door panels and the rear hatch panel that they'd swap over when installing the new ones for the sunblinds.

But the guy at the Sales service center who took my keys said that for all parts that are swapped over/exchanged, they will keep this in house. An example he gave was if I bought my car with different rims, then VW get to keep the wheels! I'm sorry, but I've never bought a new car....

Sounds like a bit of a scam to me.....anyone know what the policy is on this?

What a load of ****. I've worked in dealerships for nearly 20 years, and I've never seen that one pulled before. The first thing I suggest you do is contact the dealer principal of that dealership, and demand you have your parts returned to you. If you don't get a response there, contact VGA.

[phaeton]

I agree with everyone else they are your parts you should keep them or get a discount for the new ones

[sTeeDi]

not as bad as I initially thought

So I got my car back yesterday...and I decided to check how the blinds were installed before I would unleash any type of verbal abuse, fortunately it was not as bad as I thought. The panels didn't appear to be replaced, but they'd drilled some holes into the panel to attach the sunblinds..

So I am sorry for causing some comotion here, but you'd think that the Service Rep should be a little more careful on the analogy that he gave about the rims.... n:

Anyway, now I got my car back, I am a happy camper again...Apologies all for the misunderstanding

[gpk_gti]

better to be prepared for any eventuality! happy it all turned out.

[Moonan]

Apologies all for the misunderstanding

No need to apologise, the service rep should have explained to you the process (at least as far as there being no panels replaced) when you asked the question. Sounds like he didn't know, and was maybe quoting to you from the "warranty work" bit of his training course (they are entitled to keep the parts that they replace under warranty because they do it for free). I know that when I went to book my Touareg TDI in to a nameless dealer (near Botany Bay) for its 60k service, and they told me that it would need it's timing belt changed, so prepare for a big bill, I ran away so fast I almost passed myself going out the door! My R5 TDI has all gear-driven internals - no belt - and I won't go near a service dept that doesn't know some basics. Don't worry, I rang again an hour later, got a different person, and was told the same thing. Their product ignorance was thoroughly well trained across the sample of staff that I encountered!