Non Alfa: Servicing charge

[Neil Choi]

I am sure most have seen this, what to me an hilarious post, on spacebook or myface or whatever it is called.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151403783998106&set=o.177623605632094&type=1


"Mali Hannun Hyundai Australia

Dear Hyundai, I recently took my Hyundai i30 to my local dealer for its 105K service. I received the seemingly standard phone call where a receptionist tells me all the other things that 'need' to be done to my car, in addition to the regular service. My initial quoted 300 hundred dollar service was now in fact, going to be a one THOUSAND dollar service. My previous service, the 'major 90K service' was only done six months ago so I was a little alarmed at these Hyundai 'recommendations.' However, not being an expert on all things car service, I TRUSTED that these 'recommendations' were necessary, to ensure I was driving a safe and road worthy car. I told them to go ahead with the work, but the receptionist told me that I would need to bring the car back on another day as they didn't have time to complete my job. I paid the $300 and said I would call to book on another day. On my way home I decided to drop into another service centre and asked if they were able to do these 'recommendations' at a better price. After inspecting my car I was told the following: My Brake Fluid DID NOT need a flush (done on 90k service) only TWO tyres were low on tread and, wait for it.... The power steering flush DOES NOT EXIST IN MY CAR. When I asked what that meant, the mechanic said that the power steering flush does not apply to my car because it has ELECTRONIC power steering. He even called HYUNDAI and confirmed this! I took my car across the road to another service centre who confirmed ALL OF THE ABOVE. I was completely outraged! Over $400 worth of services that my car DID NOT REQUIRE and DID NOT EXIST in my car. I went straight back to Hyundai and told the service manager the blatant rip off that had nearly occurred had they been able to get my car back to me that day. He squirmed in his seat for the duration of my rant and all he could offer me in way of explanation was that it may have been a 'typo' on the invoice. Still outraged, I asked him how many people this would happen to each day? How many people just like myself take the word of their mechanic and go ahead with the recommendations? Is this a standard practice? Does this only occur whenever a female puts a car in for a service?
Again no decent explanation, just an offer to give me SOME of my money back. Overall, I am extremely disappointed with my experience and simply cannot believe this blatant attempt to deceive me. Hopefully many people will hear about this incident before their next car service and be more aware of this deliberate fraud."

[GTVeloce]

And $83.05 for wiper inserts!?! What is it wiping??

[aggie57]

Wouldn't happen on an Alfa!

[colcol]

Its $187 for my mates Beemer as they put a whole new arm, because, as the service manager told him, you can't just replace the blade......oh and the $187 is per side, makes you pleased we have some good people around in the club servicing Alfa Romeo's not pulling these stunts, Colin.

[Neil Choi]

A few years ago, we had our new Territory serviced at a dealer.  Service done, inspected bill, fair enough, paid it and drove off happily with wife.  Used windscreen wiper with a bit of washer fluid squirt for the novelty.  It appeared to be only plain water.  I am sure I recall reading a $1.50 charge for washer detergent fluid, yes, that blue stuff.  Stop car, squirt the washer and caught the fluid in my hand, appears to be water, feels like water, looks like water, smells like water, and taste like water, it is water. 

On my way back, stopped at dealer for a chat and asked about what's with the fluid and the $1.50 charge.  He looks at me blankly and not a care in the world, reaches over to a basket, THROWS me a sachet of the fluid concentrate and sends me on my way. 

Well, guess what, never been back to that dealer or any dealer for that matter, if they are taking me for $1.50......  which have me thinking, did they change the oil, etc etc as they charged.


It is not the $1.50 or even $1500 if so but the basic principle and total lost of trust. 

[aggie57]

First service at on a VW Golf we bought new in 2000; $500.  Loan car was a filthy Passat that was obviously someone's company car, complete with old chip wrappers and worse.  What did the $500 buy us?  Engine oil change with filter and that was about it.

Apparently this is pretty common with Veedubs.

[Evan Bottcher]

Its $187 for my mates Beemer as they put a whole new arm, because, as the service manager told him, you can't just replace the blade......oh and the $187 is per side, makes you pleased we have some good people around in the club servicing Alfa Romeo's not pulling these stunts, Colin.

The 159 you can put inserts into, but the clips on the end of the arms don't clip so much after a couple of times and they fall off.  So I bought a new pair of genuine arms from the UK for significantly less than the cost (to Bruno) of the inserts.  They work much better than the Bosch inserts, too.  Damn modern wipers are good!

[Meng]

makes you pleased we have some good people around in the club servicing Alfa Romeo's not pulling these stunts, Colin.

I don't know about that... I know from a certain experience where an Alfa dealer (out of respect I won't mention which) have quoted extortionate bills for what they said was a tedious piece of work which, quite frankly, was a quick fix.  If you had an ongoing relationship with that dealer, the story might be totally different (probably because the customer would actually know what the heck was going on), but let's just say that I wasn't impressed by the way the dealer dealt with the new customer.

[TFJ100]

I once went to an Alfa Indy in Melbourne - I'm not even sure that they still exist.

They had serviced the car one year previously and I'd done 2000km, almost all dry.

I wasn't impressed when for the 2nd year in a row, they changed the wiper blades.

Only $18, but enough for me to change mechanics...

Torben

[aggie57]

I once went to an Alfa Indy in Melbourne - I'm not even sure that they still exist.

They had serviced the car one year previously and I'd done 2000km, almost all dry.

I wasn't impressed when for the 2nd year in a row, they changed the wiper blades.

Only $18, but enough for me to change mechanics...

Torben

Torben - rubber dries out.  The blades should be changed yearly regardless of use.

[colcol]

Wiper blades can be an absolute pain in the bum to change, you can stab yourself in the finger with a spike, and i did and it was sore for a month, the 156 blades are very easy to change, 5 minutes and they are done, but there are good ones such as Trident and not so good ones such as Mechpro, the good ones are a pleasure, they wipe, don't smear or chatter, the bad ones do everything wrong and drive you mad, expect to pay about $14 for a good pair plus fitting, Colin.

[aggie57]

I had a rear window wiper fall off a car a few years back (I won't say what make but it wasn't an Alfa).  $95 thank you very much for a blade and arm.  Ouch.

[oz3litre]

Someone I know had the timing belt break well within the warranty period on his 2006 Fiat Punto diesel, due to a seized water pump. He was told by the dealer that the pump was a consumable item and the damage wouldn't be covered. They proceeded to replace the belt without checking for bent valves, discovered when starting the car that the valves were bent, pulled the head off and fixed that, reusing the belt and charged him $4,500! After a while the car developed a water leak which they said they couldn't find. It took a good independent Alfa mechanic five minutes to find that it was due to a cracked weld on a metal pipe, caused by the fact that the dealer had not reinstalled a mounting bracket on the cylinder head.