Dashcam best investment yet (Seat Dealership Service)

[jaba101]

So Had the Cupra serviced yesterday while I waited, this was for the Seat Major service also had the brake fluid changed to the Montul R660 (higher boiling point).

Service took about two and a half hours not to bad I thought as the brakes and clutch would need bleeding as well. The Service technician had to take the car for a road test didn't really think anything of it (my mistake).

Got home had a text from a friend stating he saw me earlier giving it the beans up a duel carriageway around the time I was enjoying my Latte and sat in the waiting room of Seat, so off i went to fetch the dashcam and had a look at what happened during the service.

It started with the Technician swearing his head off and calling me a bast*rd for having to use my brake fluid another technican calling me a F'ing C*ck (don't no anyone from there), slating the car which amazes me after all the comments I have had at various shows .

Then we get to the Road test and for someone who has just changed the brake fluid he was mightily brave and had no clue how to drive a DSG floored it up the road and at every opportunity he could kick down after kick down. Then the dual carriageway which was a 50mph limit, then flooring it through a 20mph residential area.

I called Seat straight away and the service manager called me back and I am sending the files to him today the wife's Ibiza was serviced on Thursday and as I pointed out both cars will be going elsewhere and I want something done about this or the files will end up with Seat UK.

So disheartening when you spend a lot of money and time on your pride and joy and this happens.

 

[Villers]

What can you say about that except for WOW! Those types of incidents make national news, theres a famous one involving a focus ST and Halfords. Personally, for me there would be no making up for this from a trust point of view as these guys would have access to your car again and who knows what kind of service you would get. Im looking forward to their response!

Good work on the dashcam! Certainly paid for itself there. Don't forget that apart from the vehicular abuse they have also recorded themselves speeding & your car could have been reported as a local boy racer, meaning potential hassle if the police decide to keep an eye on you.

Edit: What does 'something done about it' mean to you? What would be appropriate from your point of view? Id have very mixed feelings but anger would be one of them for sure!

 

[jaba101]

Not sure really think I really at least refund the service charge I should go straight to Seat UK. I have been up since 05:00am as I'm fuming and can't decide what to do for the best, so glad I put the cam in

 

[Villers]

You've done well to keep your powder dry this far. It would have been on youtube, twitter and facebook if it was me and the garage would be getting a link. It would spread like wildfire.

I consider myself a 'reasonable' man but that would set me off!

 

[Rog.]

I would definitely include the overall dealership manger on any correspondence as well, and keep copies of all emails. Maybe get a phone app to record calls?
If you think a complete refund is sufficient, the dealership would probably comply, rather than see you take this to SEAT UK as well.

If it was me, I'd be expecting a full refund, but I'd also be notifying SEAT UK, and also the police, and I'd be pleased to see the technician sacked. He's clearly not happy on his job anyway...

Good luck, I'm off to check out prices for dash cams
Edit: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, the national press etc are all excellent threats to use, but I wouldn't post anything unless SEAT absolutely refuse to make things right to your complete satisfaction.

 

[SteJP]

That's aweful, what dash cam u got??

 

[jaba101]

That's aweful, what dash cam u got??

Hi mate mini 805 with a 64gb mini sd really clear HD recording it recorded everything said and all of his brilliant driving skills

 

[Villers]

Does your cam have the GPS info on it including speed etc?

 

[SteJP]

Hi mate mini 805 with a 64gb mini sd really clear HD recording it recorded everything said and all of his brilliant driving skills

U got a link for it? I hope you sort out. This is one of reasons I take my car elsewhere

 

[stu_m]

Of that was me the video would be all over the world by now!

And my first port of call would have been seat UK

 

[sootytorques]

Name and shame dealer so others don't get treated the same, get Seat uk involved asap and the managing director of company, hope your happy with the resolution.

 

[jamie-h]

You definately doing well to keep this quiet for now. I would be demanding a new car and free services for life (elsewhere ofcourse) to keep it that way. This could put a big dent in seat reputation if it goes viral.
As for the driver

 

[chrisRibiza]

I read this thread at lunch and had a think about it...... I would be going to the MD of the company with the video footage and I would 1st expect the mechanics sacked for gross misconduct - they should never be speaking about a customer like that and driving a customers car like a maniac is surely unacceptable

I'd then be asking for a sum of money (what ever you feel acceptable) as goodwill, if they decline I would uploading the footage and contacting Seat UK + as many news, car and social media sites as possible to get the footage viral.

I actually unplugged my cam when my car was in for a service last time as I'd rather not know what goes on!!

 

[Dr.Dash]

...Edit: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, the national press etc are all excellent threats to use, but I wouldn't post anything unless SEAT absolutely refuse to make things right to your complete satisfaction.

Excellent advice IMO. As soon as you make details public then you've lost your major bargaining chip.

Decide on what you think is a reasonable outcome for you, if you don't get it then stick the footage on YouTube, e-mail the local press/What Car and post a link here. Little gems like that will travel quickly without any effort on your part.

What's reasonable? Entirely up to you, I'd be looking for more than a refund of the service cost (a couple of years free services? How about extending the warranty to 5 years? ...given that an idiot has been ragging your car around).
SEAT or the dealership may require a confidentiality agreement before settling.

A number of dealerships require dashcams to be disconnected whilst on their premises, I expect this will become common practice as they gain popularity. They will usually cite the reasonable expectation of privacy/Data Protection Act/ECHR or some other bit of legislation... just e-mail them a copy of the footage and then you can claim that any footage made public came from them .

One more reason to go to a reputable independent.

 

[Fmxvxx]

First I would like to point out that what mechanics say in the workshop about cars and customers isn't really relevant we've all dealt with customers and had a moan behind closed doors that's the nature of the retail industry.

The point of the road test is to drive the car hard if you move drive slow and carefully that's not testing the car, it's a cupra if you then drove the car hard and it developed a fault you would be straight back complaining typically cupra owners dont buy a cupra to drive it slow and when testing the brakes yes he needs to brake hard how else is going to test the brakes work under those circumstances?

It's pretty clear nobody here has worked as a technician and don;t really understand what a test drive entails they are not a leisurely cruise around the the car is tested to make sure it performs as it should under all the conditions it can operate at.

I cant comment on the exact manner as I have not seen the footage but typically Revving through the rev range hard braking are all common place on a road test speed limits should not be broken but if the dealership is located miles from any suitable road It is fairly common place, not saying it right but I lightly press the brakes and everything is fine you get in rag it and the brakes failed under full pressure I'm sure you'd be lodging a complaint...

 

[Wings988]

This is shocking, I'd be furious so I can only begin to imagine how you feel. Gutted for you. Makes me want to get a dash cam myself.

Certainly escalate to seat and get resolution.

If it was my car I'd also report this to the police and give them the video footage so they can take action against the driver. If you had video footage of anyone breaking the law then surely it's the only option.

 

[stu_m]

when testing the brakes yes he needs to brake hard how else is going to test the brakes work under those circumstances?

a brake tester on an MOT bay is designed to test brakes!

brakes either work or the don't

testing them hard on a test drive is asking for trouble and idiotic!

if the brakes did fail while they are testing those brakes when braking hard then there would be some big trouble! thats if the driver is still alive of course!

 

[chrisRibiza]

First I would like to point out that what mechanics say in the workshop about cars and customers isn't really relevant we've all dealt with customers and had a moan behind closed doors that's the nature of the retail industry.

The point of the road test is to drive the car hard if you move drive slow and carefully that's not testing the car, it's a cupra if you then drove the car hard and it developed a fault you would be straight back complaining typically cupra owners dont buy a cupra to drive it slow and when testing the brakes yes he needs to brake hard how else is going to test the brakes work under those circumstances?

It's pretty clear nobody here has worked as a technician and don;t really understand what a test drive entails they are not a leisurely cruise around the the car is tested to make sure it performs as it should under all the conditions it can operate at.

I cant comment on the exact manner as I have not seen the footage but typically Revving through the rev range hard braking are all common place on a road test speed limits should not be broken but if the dealership is located miles from any suitable road It is fairly common place, not saying it right but I lightly press the brakes and everything is fine you get in rag it and the brakes failed under full pressure I'm sure you'd be lodging a complaint...

Do you work in the Seat dealership this happened in?

 

[Fmxvxx]

a brake tester on an MOT bay is designed to test brakes!

brakes either work or the don't

testing them hard on a test drive is asking for trouble and idiotic!

if the brakes did fail while they are testing those brakes when braking hard then there would be some big trouble! thats if the driver is still alive of course!

Well that's just not true, braking require a linear amount of force the more force applied on the pedal the more pressure that the system is under saying the system works fine when 20 bar of pressure is applied when a system is capable of producing 300 bar is crazy.

You are not just looking for braking performance while under heavy braking does the car pull to one side does the abs cut in as it should does the wheel vibrate is the stopping distance comparable to other vehicles etc.


Mot station has brake rollers but as with any busy garage the MOT station is running all day solid once an MOT has been started the tester cant stop the Test so you can do a brake efficiency check .

And no I do not work for the Seat Garage in question But I have worked in various dealerships over the years including prestige brands and Understand what goes on in the workshop.

 

[stu_m]

you can apply all the pressure without driving the car fast you can do it when stationary!!

you don't have to be driving fast to check them nor do you have to brake stupidly hard

during an MOT the rollers aren't been used constantly and you can easily get a car on the rollers while a car is been inspected underneath on a ramp!

plus you have load balancing on the rollers too

so there is no excuse