Bad Service at a Dealership

[Thorin]

I recently took my wife's Suburban in to get a bunch of things fixed.  Here's the email I had to eventually send after receiving a $259 bill for basically an oil change and a quick check if the lights and power seats worked (I bolded the sections that really made my blood boil).  I'm interested in your opinion; do the demands in this email sound reasonable?

<email start>

Addressed to Curtis Goodwin at Ron Hodgson Pontiac Buick GMC.  If you are not Curtis, please pass this email on to him.

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Hi Curtis, my name's XXX YYY.  I have now had a chance to look over the bill for the black Suburban I brought in Tuesday morning and I'm going through it item by item.  I think this is invoice 505220.

- Item A is the driver's seat that wouldn't move up and down.  The seat moved for the tech, so there was nothing to fix and I was charged $66 for labour.  I understand and accept this charge.  This evening, the seat stopped working again.  I expect that if I bring the vehicle back and show that the seat is not working correctly, this charge can be reversed and instead charged through to my Optimum warranty.
- No Item B.
- Item C is the upper liftgate sealing strips that fell off.  No charge and the sealing strips are ordered.
- Item D is the oil change and fifteen point inspection.  I was charged $39.95.  I understand and accept this charge.
- Item E is the broken lower seat trim.  No charge and the trim is ordered.
- Item F is the front passenger's seat intermittently not moving up and down.  The seat moved for the tech, nothing to fix and no charge.
- Item G is a burnt-out headlamp.  The bulb was not replaced because the tech couldn't figure out which one is burnt out but we were charged $22 anyway.  I do not accept this charge and want it refunded.  Checking the lights is covered under the fifteen point inspection.  The bulb that is burnt out is on the passenger side bottom front light, closest to the grille.  I think this is the daytime running light.  I want this bulb replaced when I bring the vehicle back for the sealing strip and seat trim installation.  I expect to pay for the bulb, but is the labour to install it normally covered by the fifteen point inspection cost?
- Item H is a broken seat belt guide.  $22.91 for the guide and it is ordered.  I'm surprised that this part was charged for on this bill while the sealing strips and seat trim were not.  Is there a reason?
- Item I is a rental vehicle.  I've been charged $37.37 twice for a one-day rental.  I picked up the vehicle at 5pm on Tuesday and my wife returned it at 2pm on Wednesday.  That's only 21 hours.  Now, there was only an hour of work done on our vehicle.  We made an appointment for Tuesday and brought it in at eight in the morning.  I was told the vehicle had to be kept overnight but the only work that was done on the vehicle was an oil change, fifteen point inspection, and checking whether the power seats moved up and down.  This is less than an hour of work, and I'm certain it was all performed on Tuesday.  There's no reason for my vehicle to have been kept overnight, and there's no reason for me to have had to get a rental vehicle.  My wife needed a vehicle for Wednesday, not Tuesday night.  If my vehicle had been returned to me on Tuesday as it could have been since there was no repair work to do, I would not have needed a rental.  I do not accept this charge and want it refunded.

After Item I is a charge of $8.80 for shop materials for the repair order.  Nothing was repaired on my vehicle, and I can't imagine what shop materials would have been used in moving power seats up and down to see if they work.  I do not accept this charge and want it refunded.

To sum up:
- I want my $259.06 bill reduced to $147.19 (reduction of $111.87: $22 labour Item G + $74.74 sublet Item I + $8.80 misc charges + $6.33 sales taxes).  I consider paying for the work that was done (checking the seat operation and the oil change/fifteen point inspection) fair, but as outlined in this email I consider about $111 on this bill to have been gouged or otherwise completely unnecessary charges.  Please let me know if this will in fact be refunded to me.
- I expect that if I can prove the driver's seat does not work correctly, the $66 can be recovered from the Optimum warranty.  Please let me know whether this is correct.
- I have two upper liftgate sealing strips on order.  Please provide me with the total cost to install these when they come in.
- I have a lower seat trim on order.  Please provide me with the total cost to install this when it comes in.
- I need a new light bulb.  Please provide me with a total cost to install this.
- I have a seat belt guide on order.  Please provide me with the total cost to install this when it comes in (should be labour only, the part's already paid for).

Thus far my impression of Ron Hodgson's service department has been that the job was not done right the first time, nor that I can trust what the service department is telling me or even that the bill presented is fair.  This directly contradicts what is advertised on the website (http://www.ronhodgson.com/service.htm): "More than just a service department, at Ron Hodgson GM Goodwrench Service you'll find people who really care about your vehicle, people you can trust. Our highly trained professionals are committed to making sure you get the most out of your investment, by doing the job right, the first time."  I hope that you will make an effort to change my impression, as I prefer to have my vehicle serviced closer to home in St. Albert rather than having to travel into Edmonton.

Feel free to respond to this email address (aaa@bbb.ccc) or call me on my cell phone (NNN-NNNN).  I expect we will be able to have this matter resolved by 5pm Friday.

<email end>

[Lazybones]

email might not be effective. I would call or ask for a meeting. Over all the points seem fair.  The overnight might have been needed do to work load and not getting to your vehicle till the next day.

[Thorin]

Oh, I had called earlier in the day and left a message on voice mail.  I'll be following up tomorrow, as well.  It was just too long of a list to leave as a voice mail message.

If they couldn't work on my vehicle that day, they should have told me to come pick it up.  To make me pay for a rental because they can't figure out their work schedule sucks.
Beyond that, though, the only thing they did to my vehicle was an oil change, a fifteen point inspection, and a quick check of the seats.  This was all done by 3pm on Tuesday when they called me.  Since there was nothing else done, there was no reason that I can see to keep the vehicle any longer.  Except that they were waiting on parts that they might've been planning to install on Wednesday.  Of course, none of my ordered parts were in on Wednesday.

[Darren Dirt]

- Item I is a rental vehicle.  I've been charged $37.37 twice for a one-day rental.  I picked up the vehicle at 5pm on Tuesday and my wife returned it at 2pm on Wednesday.  That's only 21 hours.  Now, there was only an hour of work done on our vehicle.  We made an appointment for Tuesday and brought it in at eight in the morning.  I was told the vehicle had to be kept overnight but the only work that was done on the vehicle was an oil change, fifteen point inspection, and checking whether the power seats moved up and down.  This is less than an hour of work, and I'm certain it was all performed on Tuesday.  There's no reason for my vehicle to have been kept overnight, and there's no reason for me to have had to get a rental vehicle.  My wife needed a vehicle for Wednesday, not Tuesday night.  If my vehicle had been returned to me on Tuesday as it could have been since there was no repair work to do, I would not have needed a rental.  I do not accept this charge and want it refunded.

Ouch. Reminds me of that lame moving truck rental place on Yellowhead, where they called every 8 hour period a "day", and claimed that the sales guy TOLD me that when I picked up the truck -- I basically got a charge that was double (or was it triple?) what I expected, but 5 phone calls later (some calm, some angry) I got nowhere and so just accepted it as "live and learn, and warn my friends". Hope this isn't the case for you.

[Lazybones]

By the points seem fair, I meant that your expectation for refund.

[Thorin]

I got a call back on Friday from Curtis Goodwin.  He had a good read through my email and double-checked the invoice, and completely agreed with my view of the situation.  We've got a cheque for the full $111.87 coming in the mail.  I made sure not to get upset with him over the phone, as I'd much rather that he chats about this with his co-workers so that it doesn't happen again rather than chewing them out and pissing them off.  We all make mistakes at our jobs, and hopefully they won't make this one again.