Dealer failing to supply promised books

[MattC]

Hi All,

I bought a 2006 Golf in January this year, and was promised at the time that the books (manuals and service history) weren't with the car but would be mailed to me soon after (I live a couple of hours away from the dealer). This was confirmed both when putting down a deposit, and when collecting the car.

After a number of unreturned phone calls, they finally admitted that they can't find them. As an alternative, they offered to order in a replacement set, and fill in the log books using their service history records. That sounded reasonable to me, so I accepted it.

Now they've just called to tell me that since the car wasn't serviced at that dealer, they aren't going to be able to complete the service history records. Obviously this is very frustrating...

Do VW dealers have a centralised service history database that should show the history regardless of where it has been serviced? What other options do I have here? Obviously the missing history reduces the value.

Thanks.

[The_Hawk]

They are still going to supply the new books but just can't fill in the details right?? How did they know it's service history in the first place if they didn't/don't have the books?

[MattC]

They will supply the books but no details. I don't know about the service history. No specific details have been provided, other than the fact it has been serviced.

[craig_the_german]

Call me cynical but my guess is there were no books with service history to begin with.

Having worked in a car dealership, it has been known that if the books didn't show a favourable service history they were...."lost"

Didn't mean that it hadn't been serviced but could be that if it was not serviced by the dealer or there was something "unusual" in the history, it would be easier for the salesman to say.."sorry can't find the books" than to supply the books and then face the curly questions.