Member Since: 23 Apr 2014
Location: Newport Pagnell
Posts: 144
Loving the car, hating the service
So, here I am, about three weeks into Discovery ownership, and I'm massively impresssed with the car. It drives well, it's comfortable and if I could persuade it to give the same MPG as my old Merc, it would be perfect
However...
It's not all rosy - the supplying dealer suggested that the car was an approved used car, and as such had been subjected to a battery of tests.
I'm a cynical bloke, at heart, so I thought it best to get an independent view, and they found that there were problems with wheel bearings, and the transfer case was leaking oil. I already had a list of issues with the car, so back it went to the dealer, who suggested that it would take a day to resolve the issues.
On the Friday before it went in, I had a phone call from the service department to confirm the work needed so they could ensure the parts were there, I wasn't able to take the call so they left a message. I called back. I called back a lotI called back for over six hours, but not a single returned call...
The following Tuesday (it was a bank holiday on the monday), the car was delivered to them and they cracked on with the work. Later that day, I had a call - could they keep the car overnight as the parts hadn't been ordered. Not happy about that, but agreed.
On Friday, after a frustrating few days of non-returned phone calls, I managed to get an update. Some work had been done, but they were still waiting for authorisation from the warranty company to fix the oil leak. In fact, they still hadn't called the warranty company to arrange an engineer to visit and gtive the OK - the best case scenario was that he would visit on the following Wednesday, which meant that the original one day estimate was over a week.
Anyway, I needed the car back, so agreed to re-book it in for the following week, in a branch of the same dealer two miles from my house, rather than the supplying branch, some 35 miles away.
The day before the agreed date, they discovered that my local branch couldn't guarantee the work would be complete in the agreed timescales (I could let them have the car for 5 days) so it would need to be picked up and left outside a drivers house overnight before being delivered to the dealer the following day. I wasn't happy about the car sitting outside a house overnight when I didn't know where it was, so I delivered the car, at my own inconvenience, at my own cost and at the inconvenience of my wife who had to pick me up as there was no courtesy car available.
So, car delivered - agreed schedule of work was to replace the transfer case seal, valet the car (it was never done properly when the car was bought. How do I know? The tubes of toothpaste and chocolate bars in the back are a give-away. I decided not to remove them, just to see if the car was being properly cleaned, but after their second attempt I mentioned the previous owners detritus and asked if that could either be removed or, at the very least, polished before I picked the car up this morning). They were also to apply pureguard, which I paid for, but was never done.
SO, off I went on my long weekend away, and on Friday I had a mail to say the car was complete, and the driver was delivering it. I had specifically asked for the car to not be delivered as I wanted to inspect it before accepting it.
Forward to this morning and the car is on the drive.
I haven't had a chance to check the oil-leak, but predictably, the chocolate and toothpast are still there, and I don't believe the pureguard has been applied - when we had it applied to my wife's car, there was a definite smell, some guarantee paperwork and a "care pack" in the boot. None of this is present.
What is present, however, is a dent. Not a big one, but a new one all the same.
Predictably, I have called a number of people and as of yet, 2.5 hours later, nobody has called me back.
I love the car, but really don't want to use the dealers anymore.
19th May 2014 11:33 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72901
There are good dealers & there are stealers, this deffo sounds like the latter. Not a branch of S________e by any chance?
19th May 2014 11:41 am
Beretta
Member Since: 11 Oct 2012
Location: Rochdale
Posts: 1180
Can I take a guess at the dealer?
It sounds like the experiences I had with 'crap-bones'
19th May 2014 11:43 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72901
Great minds etc.
Otherwise known as Ratstone.
19th May 2014 11:45 am
Beretta
Member Since: 11 Oct 2012
Location: Rochdale
Posts: 1180
Its got to be....
My delivery was delayed as they wanted to give the car a full valet - as they wanted to make sure the car was perfect for me...
I found sweet wrappers in the seat pockets, gum stuck under the 3rd row seats, bird mess in the door shuts and business cards of the previous owner under the front seat...
In my first few weeks of ownership I bet it spent more time at the garage than with me, and the delivery guy drove it more than me.
Mine was an approved car and when I asked about the approval process due to all the problems I got the reply, yes its an approved car, but not a Jaguar Land Rover approved but a Crapstones approved...
19th May 2014 11:51 am
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20778
Ah, Stratstone Approved cars. The workshop gets £350 (IIRC) to service, and prep a car for sale
Member Since: 12 Mar 2012
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1397
My first thought was Pratstones too, will we get confirmation though?.Displaced Yorkshireman.
=^:^=
SDV6 Auto obviously, Loire blue/Ebony, ugly kid glass, RLD wheel protector, private plate and maybe side steps.
Think also it came from the branch near me, looked at the stock their when I was looking, "it's a bit of a state" I commented, as it looked like it had been driven through a hedge, "don't worry, it will be sorted if you buy it" yeah right, bye.
19th May 2014 6:12 pm
Dickbrowne
Member Since: 23 Apr 2014
Location: Newport Pagnell
Posts: 144
Hmm, well, at this stage, I can't possibly comment, but I'm sure if you looked at my earlier posts I may have inadvertently identified the supplying dealer.
I've now wasted another day leaving multiple messages for people who, it would appear, cannot be bothered to return telephone calls, so I've written (very carefully in my best English, with punctuation, grammar and everything) a long email detailing the current state of my irkedness, copying the Dealer Principal and begging for somebody to talk to me (or even notice me!).
I'm regretting buying the service package, as I really don't want to have to deal with this particular company any more, I wonder if they'll refund that money?
Is now the time to talk to Customer Relations, do you think?
19th May 2014 6:14 pm
gensetsteve
Member Since: 01 Jan 2014
Location: hampshire
Posts: 340
I think the people on this forum are far too nice. If I have a tenth of these problems I spit my dummy out throw all the toys out of the pram and swing the nearest sales man by his tackle above my head. Invariably I get no where and end up selling the vehicle. But the result is I get it out my system move on with life and normally find something with a bit of reliability. I have had a D4 for 6 months and had my share of problems reading these posts I would say mine is one of the better ones. It should not happen on vehicles of this value and age.D4
Hmm, well, at this stage, I can't possibly comment, but I'm sure if you looked at my earlier posts I may have inadvertently identified the supplying dealer.
Dickbrowne wrote:
Yup, the day has arrived - off to Stratstone in Aykesbury at 3pm to collect my "new" car.
Who would have guessed
Dickbrowne wrote:
I'm regretting buying the service package, as I really don't want to have to deal with this particular company any more, I wonder if they'll refund that money?
Is now the time to talk to Customer Relations, do you think?
If it is a service plan you have purchased , you should be able to cancel and get your money back as these are usually with a finance company and not the dealer . As for Customer Relations...i would be knocking down their door Cheers Ian
___________________________________________
MY13 FL2 HSE lux - just gone
MY10 D4 XS
MY07 D3 SE
Massey Ferguson 400 FIS AGTV - Arctic Cat by any other name...
Citroen C3 Picasso for SWMBO so we can remember what fuel economy is!!
Member of the Narpy torch club
19th May 2014 6:38 pm
pgerman
Member Since: 16 Jun 2008
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 68
I had the same problem with these guys when I got my 05 Disco 3 a number of years back now, but it sounds like they haven't changed a bit.
Only way I got it sorted was to firstly, nearly come to blows with the sales manager...I was bigger so he backed down and secondly to say that if the issues (that were undeniably there when I purchased the car) were not fixed in a week then they could keep the car and I'd take my money back and find something else......his choice.
It was fixed but when I picked it up they had managed to damage the dash, so they had to swap that out and from what I understand that is one pig of a job!! (put a smile on my face thinking of them doing it!)
All in all I got everything fixed but did feel like their best was always going to be my idea of a crap job, so found myself a good indy close by and never went back. PM me and I'll send you the details of my indy if you like, they're brilliant.
Yup, the day has arrived - off to Stratstone in Aykesbury at 3pm to collect my "new" car.
Oh dear
They are less than a mile from my door, will not go on the forecourt again, I get cold sweats driving past the place
19th May 2014 8:36 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 14123
You'd think as sponsors they would have their own Customer Relations bod looking in on the forum to see what is going on and how they can engage it.
Too many companies don't understand the value, opportunities, challenges and risks of digital media. Sticking up a banner selling servicing isn't enaging.
There's a yard stick we use in marketing: it takes 15 good deeds to undo one bad mistake with a customer.
Personally I would send an email with a link to this discussion to the dealer principle. I'm sure thngs would improve rapidly.
19th May 2014 8:57 pm
DerbyshireDisco
Member Since: 12 Mar 2012
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1397
Moo has it right good service can reward you 100 fold if not more, look at the reputation of TLO, Mikey, Bodsy, Flack and Geoff to name a few, have only met one of them but would trust them all to maintain my vehicle to the highest standard plus Nick to offer the best possible service.Displaced Yorkshireman.
=^:^=
SDV6 Auto obviously, Loire blue/Ebony, ugly kid glass, RLD wheel protector, private plate and maybe side steps.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
and secondly to say that if the issues (that were undeniably there when I purchased the car) were not fixed in a week then they could keep the car and I'd take my money back and find something else......his choice.
