VW dealer won't provide servicing history due to privacy act. Is this normal?

[gle1234]

Looking at a used Golf for someone. This particular car has been acquired by a trader and being sold on.

I tried to get some info about the service history but the VW dealer that the car had been serviced at couldn't provide any info as I'm not the owner of the vehicle, citing the privacy act.

Is this normal? How does anyone check on the service history of cars? By blindly believing the book?

The owners manual doesn't even have a tick box for the transmission service which I want to check has been done at 60k & 120k.

[Umai Naa!!]

I usually don't have too much trouble with it, but I guess it depends on what you're asking them to provide.

Copies of invoices are probably out of the question, due to the privacy thing, but I can't see why they couldn't at least tell you over the phone what was done at those services.

[gle1234]

Exactly, but Candice unenthusiastically gave me a flat out No.

I then went on to explain that the book doesn't specify on this particular service item, and got another no.

Must be the easy answer when they don't like the sound of the enquiry - not sure what to do now.

[Umai Naa!!]

Have you at least got the previous owner's name?

Perhaps you could flip it on its head, and pretend you're them, and ask for a quick rundown on what was done, as you're in the process of selling it?

[Eaglen00b]

Might be overkill, but I suppose if a push comes to a shove, FOI application for full service record citing Purchasor's due diligence process.

[jets]

I tried to get some info about the service history but the VW dealer that the car had been serviced at couldn't provide any info as I'm not the owner of the vehicle, citing the privacy act.

The same thing happened to me in around '03 when I bought my first Trakka north of Sydney. I rang CCC who had serviced the vehicle to ask about a timing belt change. They also didn't want to help citing the privacy act so I called the previous owner who rang them on my behalf. When I went to our local dealership, the service adviser told me that if it was them being asked they would have helped.

[VW Convert]

Might be overkill, but I suppose if a push comes to a shove, FOI application for full service record citing Purchasor's due diligence process.

I'm fairly certain that FOI applies only to Government ministers and agencies not corporations.

Cheers

George

[BluChris]

I had this with a Volvo I bought recently. It is abject crap. If they don't identify who the owner was but simply refer to what was done there is no breach of privacy. In my case I had to get a second key coded and went to another Volvo dealer owned by the same company. I had heard that they have access to each other's databases, so I asked and got a rundown on the history from the second dealer without hesitation. As it happens there is a minor issue with the car, and when I pressed dealer 1 they said 'no history of it being reported'. Dealer 2 told me the PO did report it. So not only unhelpful but liars. Guess which one will never see me in their service department?

[feenix74]

Exactly, but Candice unenthusiastically gave me a flat out No.

I then went on to explain that the book doesn't specify on this particular service item, and got another no.

Must be the easy answer when they don't like the sound of the enquiry - not sure what to do now.

Thank them for making the complicated decision of which VW service centre to choose for all your future servicing needs (and those of all your friends on facebook) much simpler?

[theresanothersteve]

Have you at least got the previous owner's name?

Perhaps you could flip it on its head, and pretend you're them, and ask for a quick rundown on what was done, as you're in the process of selling it?

Mate, that is hardly ethical and probably illegal.


If you have the previous owner's name why not contact them?


And if you are prepared to walk away from a sale because of a lack of service details I would expect the dealer's attitutde to change.

[Umai Naa!!]

Mate, that is hardly ethical and probably illegal.


If you have the previous owner's name why not contact them?


And if you are prepared to walk away from a sale because of a lack of service details I would expect the dealer's attitutde to change.

Definitely not my first option. I'd have to be absolutely desperate to buy that particular car. In all honesty, I'd have probably lost interest by that stage and found something else.

[Eaglen00b]

I'm fairly certain that FOI applies only to Government ministers and agencies not corporations.

Shhhhhhh.... your average customer service/service adviser drone won't know that!!!

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh|t."

[Transporter]

Looking at a used Golf for someone. This particular car has been acquired by a trader and being sold on.

I tried to get some info about the service history but the VW dealer that the car had been serviced at couldn't provide any info as I'm not the owner of the vehicle, citing the privacy act.

Is this normal? How does anyone check on the service history of cars? By blindly believing the book?

The owners manual doesn't even have a tick box for the transmission service which I want to check has been done at 60k & 120k.

I know many people who trade in their cars because they don't want to have anything to do with the new owner, so I'm sure that the dealer is right in protecting their privacy. Though, they could've let you know the servicing history.