Poor Service

Dear HelloPeter Team,

I am submitting a formal complaint regarding the unacceptable service I received from Car Service City Bloemfontein.

1. Full Timeline of Events (Facts Only):

• Monday, 17 November 2025: I booked in my Honda CR-Z Hybrid for repairs. No one informed me of any limitations regarding Hybrid vehicles or technician availability.

• 17–20 November 2025: I received no updates. I had to call the branch myself each time to ask about progress.

• Friday, 21 November 2025: I was informed that the vehicle was only being attended to on this day, four days after being booked in.

• 25 November 2025: Due to the lack of feedback, I escalated the matter to Car Service City Head Office. Shortly after this, the Bloemfontein branch informed me that they only have one technician capable of working on Hybrid vehicles and that Head Office allegedly instructed them to tell me to either collect the vehicle or leave it there. This critical information was not disclosed at the time of booking.

Throughout this period, I was repeatedly promised call-backs on specific days, but none of these promises were fulfilled.

• Up to 4 December 2025 (Day 18): My vehicle remained at the branch without any repairs being done. Communication remained extremely poor. I still received no timelines, no update on when work would begin, and no clarity from management.

• 4 December 2025: I received a call instructing me to fetch my car. I was told the technician had been admitted to hospital. However, this was never communicated earlier, and again, no apology or explanation from Head Office was provided.

2. Attempts to Resolve the Issue: • I called the branch multiple times between 17–25 November. • I escalated the matter to Head Office on 25 November. • I followed up again on several dates where I was promised call-backs, none of which materialised. • I was never given a reference number for my complaint. • Head Office did not contact me at all after my complaint was submitted.

3. Impact and Inconvenience: Due to the delays and lack of transparency: • I incurred additional travel costs by using Maxima Taxi and other alternative transport options, which are outside my monthly budget. • I was without my vehicle for 18 days with no repairs done. • I experienced unnecessary stress, wasted time, and consistent inconvenience. • As a loyal annual customer, I did not expect this level of mismanagement.

4. Resolution Requested: I request the following: • A formal apology from Car Service City Head Office. • A written explanation for the delays, lack of communication, and the failure to disclose technician limitations upfront. • A goodwill concession or discount on any future repair costs as service recovery for the inconvenience suffered. • Confirmation of what steps will be taken to prevent this experience from happening to other customers.

I am lodging this complaint to ensure accountability and to highlight the poor service standards I experienced at the Bloemfontein branch.