Service agreements

Item: Renault South Africa
Rating: 1

I purchased a Renault last year, which I must say I am very happy with, and paid for the extended service plan. Just before my car reached 15000kms I used the Renault website to schedule a service with bryanston Renault. I received messages to say someone would call me. Nobody ever did. This carried on for a while, me using the website and getting a text that someone would call me but no one ever did. I started phoning, but either the number is engaged or the right person isn't available please call back later. I'm not sure now if the latter outcome wasn't a lie. I'm very busy all day and most weekends so I rely heavily on Internet and phoning. Eventually I had an early day off from my office in Parktown, and drove personally into the dealership. They said I was late now and would have pay for the service myself. I objected and said they are the ones that made it late. The dealership person even confessed they don't look at the website scheduling for services. The lady at the front desk told me that I should have taken the day off and physically come in myself earlier if I didn't want to pay again for the service I already paid for. For added customer satisfaction they also dropped the gate boom on the back of my car, damaging it, and said it has nothing to do with Renault - I must sue the security company they hired. I phoned Renault customer care who told me I have to pay, they don't care if their advertised systems failed. They even refused to give me a copy of our recorded discussion - they ought to change their recording warning to something that reads you your ******** rights, it would be more honest. Later I wrote a complaint on their Facebook page, the only written complaint mechanism I could find, and I was told someone would call me. Time passed and eventually someone did. They encouraged me to service the car at another dealership, randburg, pay for it and they'd investigate. I did so. The brake had become damaged because the service was delayed, because Renault bryanston does not look at its website service schedules and I had to pay for new brake discs too. The randburg fellow said that the discs would have been saved if bryanston had done the service the first time I asked. The car has now been for its second service already and is approaching its third, I do a lot of driving. Today I have received no feedback from Renault or refunds, despite giving them all the information to conduct their investigation to confirm my story. Next time I will make sure I always have witnesses too, including other lawyers. But here is the legal point, the consumer protection act renders invalid any service contract provision that advantages the service provider unilaterally while disadvantaging the consumer. The service done is the same parts and labour if it is done before or after the mileage guide. It costs Renault the same. But if you don't arrive with your vehicle within a unilaterally determined time period you forfeit the service you paid for and must pay again. Clearly this is *******. You cannot be made to pay again. Renault clearly is advantaged by ignoring requests for services, and clearly bryanston is good at this second billing game. My advice is use another dealership, just it case they drop the boom on the back of your car.

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