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Service techs took my stage 2 GTI on a joyride.

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RichardCranium

Ready to race!
Location
Arizona
Neilsdeal said:
And for anyone asking, I’m sorry but I won’t be posting the videos. They’ve been good enough to work with me on this so I’ll give them the chance to make up for it. And if things fall though, well..I might have another post to make I guess:rolleyes:
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Good call. It seems like they're trying to do you right so I wouldn't needlessly go to war with them just to be an opportunistic prick. $1500 for something that didn't cause any quantifiable damages seems exceedingly fair.
 
JC_451

JC_451

Autocross Champion
Location
NJ, one of the nice parts.
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
Techs almost certainly have families so I don't think it's right to seek their jobs, but asking that they be reasonably reprimanded so that they might actually learn the lesson attempting to be taught here.

Best outcome of this would be a culture change at the dealership that emphasizes professionalism and great service instead of being the kind of place you have to be nervous about leaving the car.

That's almost certainly pie in the sky but who knows, they might be terrified of being shamed on social media. Avoiding public humiliation is a powerful motivator for most people. Hopefully everyone involved is -incredibly- embarrassed by what has transpired and understands that this is a fucking business. Act like it.

$1500 is unbelievable for just driving your fucking car the way it was made to be driven.
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Can the components handle it, almost certainly, but that's very different from the car being designed to withstand this sort of rough treatment.
 
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VL3X

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
Something similar happened to me when I brought my STI to NTB for an alignment. I dropped the car off and they took my baby back right away. I waited in a friend's car in the lot. About 30 minutes later I see my car back out of the garage and take off out on the main road. I instantly got enraged and had my friend follow, just to see the tech beat the hell out of my car up ahead. As I'm getting closer, the tech downshifts hard and sends a flame out of exhaust. Now furious, we pull aside at the next light and I tell the tech to gtfo of my car and give me the keys (or something like that.. I was seeing red). He speeds off and loops back to the shop. I gave the manager hell and all they offered were apologies and a year of free alignments. I laughed at their offer and slammed them online. Wish I could have gotten more satisfaction from them, but instead I just got a lesson to find more trustworthy mechanics... or just continue doing the work myself.


*Just a follow-up.. about 10 months later, I brought my car back to a different NTB to take advantage of my free alignment. I made the manager very aware of my last experience and was assured nothing like that would happen. I has an AccessPort and flashed valet mode just in case. No problems that time. ;)
 
R

RichardCranium

Ready to race!
Location
Arizona
My GTI is at the body shop right now. Conveniently, it was on E when I dropped it off. If they want to joyride it, they're gonna be buying gas for it.
 
Oldschoolmk7

Oldschoolmk7

Go Kart Champion
Location
Yonder
Neilsdeal said:
Yesterday I got my GTI back from the dealership after some warranty work(shifter assembly replaced for throwing false codes). It was there for about a week as they took too many cars in to be serviced which was not a big deal as I had a loaner.

When I got back home I decided to check my dashcam to find quite a bit of footage of two techs hooning about in my stage 2 GTI. They're peeling out, flooring the gas pedal, speeding, weaving through traffic, and apparently going on a food run. It really hurt seeing and listening to these guys thrash my car around; just the sound of them giggling as the tires are slipping enrages me.

I was very clear to everyone that there was a camera in the car and it certainly announces itself loudly when the car is started. The two morons joyriding even acknowledge the camera and still decide to go nuts.

I'm much more calm than I was yesterday, especially after talking with management, but I'm still in disbelief that people could care so little about someone else's property.

So I'm pretty much just left venting for the moment until I go over all the details with the GM, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had an experience like this? How would you guys handle this?
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Holy crap! Dealer owes you a freebie of some sort. The world is full of Morons sadly...
 
N

Neilsdeal

Ready to race!
Location
Ft. Worth, Tx
Strange Mud said:
Neil,


How about an update? I'll understand if all you are allowed to say is "it's good"
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Well, I had some complaints about the work that was performed in addition to what my dashcam had recorded. So that just added to the time-frame of settling this whole thing; they've been really good so far about clearing that up. The techs had somehow managed to scratch some of my interior pieces and I asked that they be replaced(on the dealership's dime, not against my warranty). They actually agreed to this and that only the shop foreman would place the trim(and any future work needed) as well as only the service manager being able to drive my car.

They actually did let both of the techs go(which I did not suggest) and followed that up with a workshop for the rest of the technicians/service advisers on the do's and don'ts(I actually did suggest this). I'm comfortable with the action they took, especially if they are sincere as they seem about providing the best service they can. The only part really left unfinished is the compensation they've offered, which should be dealt with shortly.

All in all, it's good.
 
dequardo

dequardo

Autocross Newbie
Location
America’s Dairyland
Car(s)
‘21 GLI Autobahn GLI
Impressed with the way you’ve approached this issue.
 
N

Neilsdeal

Ready to race!
Location
Ft. Worth, Tx
adam1991 said:
...on how to identify a dashcam and the ramifications thereof.

No dashcam = no problem...
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More-so over the ramifications of mistreating customer's property. Which is why I guess they felt it necessary to remove the techs involved. Although I guess I'll have the same attitude as you moving forward; I always suggest people pick up a camera anyway.

There's really no need to not have one in the type of world we live in. I've had one ever since my Mk5 was totaled by a teen driver who ran a red light. No one stopped to be a witness and unfortunately a friend of hers pulled up before the police arrived and said it was me that ran the light. The cop wrote that down so both insurance companies found me at fault..
 
Strange Mud

Strange Mud

Autocross Champion
Location
Small Town CT
Car(s)
Assorted
Thx Neil,


as mentioned by some of the guys Max respect for you and respect to the dealer for making it right. This wasn't just a accidental mistake it was abusing something that wasn't yours.


Jim
 
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