Volkswagen Princess Benoni
Client Services Manager - Volkswagen I would like to lodge an official complaint regarding service received by Princess Benoni (Great North Road). Firstly I need to state that we have driven Volkswagen and Audi for the last 40 years. We are still driving Volkswagen. We have been supporting Princess Benoni and in particular the workshop manage for the last 10 years as we believe he is a highly s****ed individual. Although I am severely unhappy regarding the last service at Princess Benoni. My vehicle a Mitsubishi Colt was taken in for the replacement of a timing chain kit. As the garage is RMI accredited and that they agreed that they will be able to do the job my vehicle was booked in there. I was under the impression that the workshop manager who has been servicing my vehicles for the last 10 years will be competent to do the job. I wish to provide a time line of the process: My vehicle was at the garage from 13 September to 8 October – 25 days. Fri 13 Sept Booked vehicle in to do a diagnostic to determine the problem. Sat 14 Sept Sun 15 Sept Mon 16 Sept I went to the garage as no contact as made with me – diagnostic indicated timing chain kit needs to be fitted. Tues 17 Sept No communication from garage or myself Wed 18 Sept No communication from garage or myself Thurs 19 Sept No communication from garage or myself Fri 20 Sept I went to garage to enquire about the vehicle as no one contacted me the whole week. The garage indicated Mitsubishi delivered the incorrect part, they managed to get the correct part and they are now going to fit the kit. Does it take a week to exchange a part? They need to get the correct part. They indicated the vehicle will be ready on Monday. Sat 21 Sept Sun 22 Sept Mon 23 Sept I went back to the garage to find out what is happening. The workshop manager was on leave. The mechanic indicated that he is very busy and the vehicle will not be ready. The vehicle will be ready on Wednesday as Tuesday was a public holiday.
Tues 24 Sept Wed 25 Sept The receptionist contacted me to indicate the vehicle is not ready. I asked to talk to Jacques Joubert the workshop manager. He indicated that they are struggling to get the timing cover back in place. I asked how they removed it and he indicated it clipped off. How difficult is it to get it back then? No communication from garage or myself Thurs 26 Sept No communication from garage or myself Fri 27 Sept My son went to the garage to enquire about the vehicle. The vehicle was not ready and they indicated they need to replace the head gasket. This was not part of any problem. Why was this necessary? Sat 28 Sept Sun 29 Sept Mon 30 Sept I went to the garage to enquire yet again. The workshop manager wasn’t there and the manager of the garage was missing in action. I indicated to a lady floor manager that this is now unacceptable. I indicated that I now need my vehicle as I can’t be dependent on other people any more to get to work. The vehicle was still not ready. Still no communication regarding what they are doing or what the problem is. The mechanic was a rude man with a beard. I asked him what the problem was. He turned around a walked away without talking to me. Tues 1 Oct The garage phone and told me the vehicle is still not ready but they will provide me with a courtesy vehicle. WOW after 19 days. Wed 2 Oct No communication from garage or myself Thurs 3 Oct No communication from garage or myself. I was booked in to the Cardiac unit at the Glenwood hospital due the stress that VW caused me up to now. Fri 4 Oct At 13:00 the garage phoned me to collect the vehicle. I was unable to collect the vehicle as I was in hospital. Sat 5 Oct Sun 6 Oct Mon 7 Oct I collected the vehicle at 15:00. I attach photos of the oil pouring out of the vehicle since returned to me. The intercooler is hitting against the bonnet as it was not replaced correctly.
No progress was ever given from the garage. No report on problems or work done was given. I was without a vehicle and no courtesy call was ever made to apologise or to request if they can assist me in any way. I don’t know what was done to the vehicle as the hours allocated for a job like this is 5 - 8 hours. It took them 552 hours. I contacted Mitsubishi to get a quote on the timing chain kit the cost was R2900.00. Princess Benoni charged me R5600 for the part. A mark up of 100%. This I believe is ********* practices. I need advice on the way forward to get my vehicle in a correct running order. I will not take the vehicle back to Princess Benoni as they are clearly not capable of repairing a vehicle. I think the vehicle should be sent to Mitshubishi at Princess Benoni’s cost to repair the vehicle or a refund must be given to me to repair the vehicle. I find this unacceptable and not conducive the reputation that Volkswagen stands for. The website of Princess Benoni praises their own workmanship. This is misleading. Not once did the workshop manager or garage manager contact me to provide any customer service. Is this how VW treats customers? I need to return to the garage every time to get feedback on my vehicle. I am concerned that I don’t know what damage was done to the vehicle during the fitting of the time chain kit.
I wait in anticipation to hear from you regarding a solution.
Regards
Jakkie Erasmus