Very bad service from Toyota

Item: Bidvest Mccarthy Toyota
Rating: 1
Author: Shanthal M

<div>My vehicle was left at Toyota Ballito on the 02/01/2025 for a gearbox fault which was diagnosed in December 2024. The service manager at that time Dave had the vehicle assessed in-house and determined that it would need to be replaced with a new gearbox . My vehicle then left Ballito to go to Gearbox Centre on the 08/01/2025 for an assessment. I have been making constant calls and visits to the Ballito branch with Nobody having any feedback for me except that they are waiting for the assessor . Bear in mind the service manager was no longer there to follow up and another service agent Kiron was pushed into taking over the file and follow up. We were now around the 23 January 025 and still the vehicle was not assessed or repaired with the same story that they waiting for the assessor. More visits and calls took place in the following week and still nothing . I left mesages for the Dealer Principal +++++ to call me back which she didnot . I finally got a hold of her and her response was that she cannot do anything as its a process .I was even told by her that I should follow up with Innovation which is the insurance company myself. I was very upset with that . The vehicle was left at her dealership and no follow up was being done regarding the repairs and she didnot want to take responsibility. Last week Wednesday 05/02t2025 we went back to the dealership whereby the service agent Kiron then called Gearbox centre in my presence and was told the assessment was complete and they would be replacing the gearbox . He showed me a quotation of the part costs which was dated 29 January 2025 which means it was approved on that day . He said to me he ordered the parts which was in stock in Johannesburg, it would be in Ballito on Thursday 06 February 2025 and the part would be dispatched on Friday 06 February 2025 to Gearbox centre. Today is 11 February, i called the dealership today and yesterday, the service agent Kiron is not in . I left a message for Lee Anne to call me back , she hasn't. I called Toyota SA , a lady assisted me and she called the dealership and was told that the van would be ready by Thursday which I don't believe. Utterly disappointed with this kind of shoddy service with no accountability whatsoever.Passing the buck as a Gm is also not acceptable. Previously when Kevin , Dave and Precious as well as George was there , i didnot have any issues there . Their customer service was excellent .All the good employees have left or they have gotten rid of them which is sad as they were really good at their jobs.</div>

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Bidvest Mccarthy Toyota's replyOfficial

12 Feb 2025, 13:15

Dear Shanthal,

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns. We were surprised that you chose to address this issue through this platform, given the actual circumstances.

To clarify, you have an extended warranty with the Innovation Group. This means that once your original warranty expires, the extended warranty is managed solely by them. We act as a third-party service provider in this situation, and their administrative processes are entirely beyond our control.

When you contacted our branch, we informed you that we were waiting for an assessor to evaluate the damage to your vehicle. Unfortunately, we cannot influence the processes related to your extended warranty. As a customer of the Innovation Group, it is also your responsibility to follow up with them directly.

At no time were your calls left unanswered or ignored. Management was in a meeting when you called, and afterwards, we reached out to notify you that we were doing our best under the circumstances. Given that your claim could have been denied due to normal wear and tear, we advised you to contact Innovation directly, as your warranty is with them. We cannot influence their decisions; we simply follow their instructions based on your policy.

Kereen, our service advisor, has been in regular communication with you, but he is currently unavailable this week due to illness. As soon as we received authorisation from Innovation, we began the repair work immediately. We had informed you that your vehicle will be repaired by Thursday latest, but did everything possible to expedite the process and have in fact, already notified you that the vehicle is ready for collection. We want to assure you that we have not "passed the buck." Despite our best efforts, certain aspects remain entirely beyond our control.

While some of our previous employees are no longer with the company, our commitment to delivering excellent service remains unchanged.

We appreciate all feedback, whether positive or negative, as long as it is reasonable and understanding of the processes we are bound by. We will use your feedback to improve our services where necessary moving forward.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Bidvest McCarthy Toyota

Bidvest Mccarthy Toyota's reply12 Feb 2025, 13:15

Official