Theft of items whilst servicing - Page 2

rob_o · 25-05-2005, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

Damn,
I'm glad my Dad has his own workshop where I can service my own cars myself...
Heard heaps of bad things about dealers, not too many good things.

Ed

hehe yeah same. The joy of having a dad who runs his own workshop :hihi:

chich · 25-05-2005, 06:31 PM

I never have and never will leave my car with a dealership. I'd rather sit there for 5 hours doing the work myself in the garage than hand my pride and joy over to clueless 16 year old apprentices supervised by dipshit service 'managers'.

mcflux · 25-05-2005, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XKALBR

Mate, if your chest looked like your avstar i'd pinch your *** :party3:

I'm confused!!! Are you metro, a bi chick, or have a gh3y mechanic?

XRQTOR · 25-05-2005, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XKALBR

Mate, if your chest looked like your avstar i'd pinch your *** :party3:

If my chest looked like that i wouldn't be on here at all, but facts are im a bloke and if you touch my *** i'll beat you stupid oh hang on you might be there already.

XRQTOR · 25-05-2005, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

I'm confused!!! Are you metro, a bi chick, or have a gh3y mechanic?

If it's a chick no worries but im going to get my bat if it's any different...............

Dez · 25-05-2005, 08:13 PM

nothing happened to my car or anything like that while gettin it serviced...but i did make a point of standing where I could clearly see my car when they were fitting tyres and doing a wheel alignment.....turns out that 10 minutes before that the mechanic backed an SS into a brand new holden wagon.....the same guy then drove my car! lol

ages ago i sent my discman back to sony for repair...forgot i had a CD In there, and it came back snapped! but still locked into the player (just in 2 pieces!) they said it was like that when it got there....

so i was listening to a CD that was snapped in half? lol

mcflux · 25-05-2005, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRQTOR

If it's a chick no worries but im going to get my bat if it's any different...............

LOL@"it"! XKALBR does word (his?) posts in an interesting manner though :O

XKALBR · 26-05-2005, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

I'm confused!!! Are you metro, a bi chick, or have a gh3y mechanic?

Na Bro Just having some fun. but have you seen my mechanic?

mik · 26-05-2005, 07:32 AM

jezus tuff crowd glad im not a ford apprentice anymore, not many good words given

26-05-2005, 08:18 AM

Well I suppose we are in the lucky percentage. We have been going to the same family owned Ford dealership for the past 19 years, and have a great relationship with the owners and ALL their staff :eclipsee_

We have purchased many cars from them over the years and I would recommend them to anyone. As mentioned before it is all about trust and building a rapour with the staff, from the tea lady, up.

The problem seems to be with most dealerships is the high turnover of mechanics. Some of the young blokes seem to be arrogant and don't have respect for others pride and joy. My daughters ex was like that and used to take the customers cars for joy rides, till he got the sack

ing_sm

FRDGAL · 26-05-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Was speaking to a friend of the family today who said he is pretty sure a Ford dealer who regularly services his car is actually taking things from the car and not replacing them, or even swapping them for substandard parts.
Apparently the latest thing to happen is that his MOMO shifter on his AUIII was taken off and replaced with one of a different colour with damage to it, when he questioned this he was told that it had always been like tha

That's worrying. Got me a bit paranoid now lol. Mine goes to Ford tomorrow. I may just change the MOMO shifter back to the standard one just incase. Hmmmmm might keep the locknut at home too lol.

RED_EL_XR8 · 26-05-2005, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dez

nothing happened to my car or anything like that while gettin it serviced...but i did make a point of standing where I could clearly see my car when they were fitting tyres and doing a wheel alignment.....turns out that 10 minutes before that the mechanic backed an SS into a brand new holden wagon.....the same guy then drove my car! lol......

Was that the punishment dished out to this mechanic for damaging a customer car?

:

**russellw** · 26-05-2005, 10:17 AM

I'd have to say that most of the dealership Service Managers I've ever met would not tolerate any of the things that have been identified in this thread. Theft or deliberate maltreatment of a customer car would absolutely result in instant dismissal for the employee concerned as it should.

I'm also sure that there isn't a DP in the country that would tolerate these things either and it surprises me that so many have experienced issues of this type.

Russ

RED_EL_XR8 · 26-05-2005, 10:25 AM

Theft is Theft, I dont know any employer that'd treat it with anything but dismissal. Especially when it involves a customers property. And I cannot believe many businesses would dismiss any customer complaint without a thorough investigation.

ferris01 · 26-05-2005, 11:06 AM

I can remember years ago when we had a camry and put it into the local dealer to get a service. Later in the day was driving around only to see my car come screaming past me doing some stupid speed in a sixty zone...hmmmm

ing_sm
The gloves can off when I got to the dealer...

LTDHO · 26-05-2005, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellw

I'd have to say that most of the dealership Service Managers I've ever met would not tolerate any of the things that have been identified in this thread. Theft or deliberate maltreatment of a customer car would absolutely result in instant dismissal for the employee concerned as it should.

I'm also sure that there isn't a DP in the country that would tolerate these things either and it surprises me that so many have experienced issues of this type.

Russ

Russ, it happens. This is why when you take your car to a dealer for the 'warrenty service' clean it out, give it to them the way you bought it.

DP's are normally to high to be caught up with these, this should be sorted by the service manager.

mik · 27-05-2005, 02:19 AM

if you think these things dont happen at small garages think again, every thing that happens at dealers can happen at small work shops, but majority try to do the right thing , what russel said.......!

**Mechan1k** · 27-05-2005, 04:58 AM

Just clean your car out a bit .. and lock your glovebox if you want to keep your valuables.

Just put your servicing manuals on the passenger seat for the mechanic.

Take a mental note of what yuo have left in the car and check it when you pick it up .... if things are different enough to cause suspicion ... ask about it ... or take the matter further.

But it pays to take a quick mental stocktake of the contents of your car before dropping it off for service.

FRDGAL · 27-05-2005, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Just clean your car out a bit .. and lock your glovebox if you want to keep your valuables.

Just put your servicing manuals on the passenger seat for the mechanic.

Take a mental note of what yuo have left in the car and check it when you pick it up .... if things are different enough to cause suspicion ... ask about it ... or take the matter further.

But it pays to take a quick mental stocktake of the contents of your car before dropping it off for service.

I ripped everything out of my car this morning before taking it to Ford. I even changed the shifter back to the original one. Honestly, until this thread I don't think I would have believed that this sort of thing happens at big dealerships like Ford but have had a few conversations since reading all this and was surprised to find out that this happens alot.

These people that steal from the car's - don't they care about being confronted about it by the owners? Don't they worry that they will be caught out? I'm shocked and disgusted and it annoys me that we have to empty our whole car "just in case" Ridiculous!!

Common sense would tell you to obviously not leave cash or valuables in the car but after finding out that one guy had his Ford mats pinched - well that's just crazy sh*t!

EA2BA · 27-05-2005, 11:27 AM

Well I have always emptied my cars before service or work carried out, I guess its just easier to remove temptation.

jonbays · 27-05-2005, 11:52 AM

You just know the bigger the dealer the less personal the relationship between the customer and the mechanic then this is just going to happen.

I used to be in auto spares and we uesed to try an keep some of the dodgy mechs honest but they get up to all sorts of tricks.

I'd be handing out parts for a job only to find out the new parts went home in someones boot and the old parts got cleaned and reused. As long as I booked them to a job my **** was safe and most owners never knew!

Most decent service managers weed out these guys but it can take time to sack people these days and if they have the front to deny everything point blank and you can't prove anything its difficult. I have had big issues with cash register takings discrepencies and without the camera proof we would have been stuffed. Even then they never admitted it even when caught on tape!!!

xceler8shun · 27-05-2005, 02:34 PM

I took mine to ford today to get a momo steering wheel fitted

Ive got tools everywhere behind the seats, digital camera and binoculars in the glovebox, and one massive steerbar also behind the drivers seat. If somethings missing, i'll start swinging.

dershba · 27-05-2005, 08:31 PM

Guys, I get my AU serviced at Wayne Phillis Ford at Christies Beach in South Australia. Have been taking it there since new, (4 years) and have had nothing but excellent service from them. The only thing they don't do is wash your car. I guess that maybe that's a good thing, they might too use a broom !!

ratter · 27-05-2005, 09:19 PM

I have my own workshop and I hate having to search through peoples glove boxes etc to try to find lock nut sockets. I feel guilty about it, I have no interest in knowing what they have in their cars and I have no interest in taking their belongings, but unfortunately not all mechanics are like this.

I normally check my customers spare wheel pressure when servicing their cars, but if they have their boot loaded I tell them i have not checked it, so i don't have to remove their property in case something may end up in the wrong place and they may think it is missing.

If you are getting your car serviced, leave the owners manual and your lock nut socket on the seat or in view so they have no excuse to be going through your car

I used to be the service manager at a holden dealership, and if we had anyone accusing us of removing their property and not returning it, we would tell them if they beleived this to be true, to please inform the police, that way they could see that we had nothing to hide and if anyone ever did steal and got caught we would have a legit excuse to get rid of them. It's amazing how much harder the customer would look and then find what they thought was missing.

Most dealerships will not stand for theft by any emplyee.

Dez · 28-05-2005, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairmont_Krissy

These people that steal from the car's - don't they care about being confronted about it by the owners? Don't they worry that they will be caught out? I'm shocked and disgusted and it annoys me that we have to empty our whole car "just in case" Ridiculous!!

I think if their boss' attitude is "i'm not taking your word over my mechanic's" then they would feel pretty comfortable doing it. thats the problem

xyute · 28-05-2005, 11:55 PM

When I used to take my XB in for some work, no matter where or what for, my plugs and leads would go missing. (9mm stainless cored leads and Splitfire plugs) They would usually turn up on some mechanics ride, and I wouldn't leave until I got them back..

TURBOTAXI · 29-05-2005, 09:47 AM

I once had a panel damaged in a workshop, when I confronted them about it, they didnt deny it, but refused to do anything about it too. I am now older and wiser and know how to be much more annoying.
I am dirty on all Ford dealers (I know I am stereotyping) after being charged $92 for a quote. I didnt bring cash or cards because I did not expect to be paying any money. When I said I would have to come back to pay they refused to release my car to me. So they charged me $92 to tell me it was going to cost $800 to fix. Ended up doing it with second hand parts for half that price.
So I guess what I am saying is after that experience I dont trust them, I dont like them, and I take every opportunity to tell people about that experience.

29-05-2005, 10:50 AM

i also had a intake snorkle and a few covers removed and not replaced whilst being serviced (and which i knew were there due to putting a new snorkle on not two weeks before) on my ed fairmont and upon request was told they were never there...my answer is never go back and bag them out to everyone

:

GlennBA · 29-05-2005, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

Was that the punishment dished out to this mechanic for damaging a customer car?

:

LOL

GlennBA · 29-05-2005, 11:19 AM

I did work experience at Metro Ford in fortitude valley last year and i thought it was great. I didn't see any of the guys damage anything and they treated the customers cars very well. We even got the AU serviced the week i was there, they did a good job. I also went in a few cars such as BA Ghia V8 and BA XR8 when they were getting road tested and the guys didn't thrash them, but they do have to be road tested to try replicate the problems.