car driven MILES whilst in for service - Baz100
I had my Corsa in the Vauxhall Dealer garage over the weekend whilst some warranty work was carried out. The day after I picked it up I checked the mileage (I forgot at the time of collecting it) and it had done over 200 miles whilst in the garage!!! Obviously used by a member of staff. I have no proof of this though. Any advice would be appreciated.
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Adam {P}
Soooo funny you should say that:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=28...8

Although the outlook isn't good by the looks of things.
--
Adam
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Aprilia
If you live near someone who works at a car dealership you'll find that they come home is a different car every night.

Mate of mine used to work at a Volvo dealership and rarely used his own car. Went shopping at the weekend to a town about 30 miles away and the 'borrowed' car got broken into and some damage done! The dealership had a job persuading the customer that they were 'waiting for parts' and need to keep the car a couple more days (whilst damage was fixed).

Moral is to get the service manager to give you a signed note of the mileage at the time of drop-off - this might deter them from using it as a runaround (as a youngster in the '70's we always used to borrow a customers car to go and get the chips at lunchtime).
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Altea Ego
Or the other end of the spectrum:

"My car has an intermitant fault"

"We will take it for a good test drive sir"

"All fixed sir"

"And you even managed to do the test drive without clocking up
any miles at all"

"uuummmm"

car driven MILES whilst in for service - Stuartli
>>they come home is a different car every night.>>

This is not unusual, particularly in the case of sales staff, but it will be in vehicles that are up for sale or the demonstration models; the staff who use such vehicles for personal use are, as far as I am aware, fully liable for tax.

Using a customer's car, however, is a definite no-no and the matter should be raised with the dealership principal as quickly as possible.

Either an unexpected personal visit or a confidential letter to the dealership principal should elicit some favourable response - if not get in touch with your local newspaper...:-)

The only drawback will be/probably proving that such a high mileage was covered.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Aprilia
>>they come home is a different car every night.>>
This is not unusual, particularly in the case of sales staff,
but it will be in vehicles that are up for sale
or the demonstration models; the staff who use such vehicles for
personal use are, as far as I am aware, fully liable
for tax.
Using a customer's car, however, is a definite no-no and the
matter should be raised with the dealership principal as quickly as
possible.


LOL! How many dealerships have you worked in. I don't think I've known one where the customers cars are *not* used. I know one of the mechanics at the local MB dealership. I saw him picking his lad up in a classic Merc belonging to a famous rock star!! Did a real 'double take' until I realised who it was.

Most customers never know because they don't check the mileage.

One of my best stories is from the early '80's at the local Rover dealer. Two newish 3.5's were in for work. Both taken out for lengthy 'test drive' at about the same - and the race is on!
Come to hump-backed bridge and lead car has to brake hard over the crest for slow traffic. Second comes belting up behind and ploughs into it. A lot of explaining to do!
car driven MILES whilst in for service - rustbucket
I had my Corsa in the Vauxhall Dealer garage over the
weekend whilst some warranty work was carried out. The day after
I picked it up I checked the mileage (I forgot at
the time of collecting it) and it had done over 200
miles whilst in the garage!!! Obviously used by a member of
staff. I have no proof of this though. Any advice would
be appreciated.


Years ago a company car I was driving went into the dealer for body repair to bonnet (thats a different long story),they wanted it for several days then phoned me to say it would not start.The dealer then phoned me later to ask for the petrol cap key as it had run out of fuel.When it went into the dealer it had the best part of half a tank full.They were very embarrased when I asked where the fuel had gone and why it had 150 miles more on the clock.
A work collegue with a company car found someones new tyre on the rear seat when he went to pick it up after a service, it would seem they had used his car to pick up spares ie the new tyre from elswhere.

rustbucket (the original)
car driven MILES whilst in for service - john deacon
the only way to stop it is to actually hang around and watch

car driven MILES whilst in for service - Duchess
the only way to stop it is to actually hang around
and watch

Ah, but then you come across the Mechanics Law of Hourly Labour Charges:

Standard Rate - for owners who let us do the job
Premium Rate - for owners who stand over us while we do it
PremiumPlus Rate - for owners who stand over us while we do it and give instructions/advice whilst doing so.


:)
car driven MILES whilst in for service - john deacon
well acually as halfords, and some main dealers do it too, having a little area where u can sit behind a glass screen and have a coffee while they do the service is perfectly possible

nice to be able to see them actually take the back drums off to check shoes or whatever, the jobs that would be easy to skip

so it is possible

my fathers car has never been out of his sight, if he couldnt watch the mot i dont think he would let anyone mot it



car driven MILES whilst in for service - Duchess
I know it's a very old joke but I still think it's funny!
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Toby
A family friend was a customer of a nearby Ferrari dealer many years back. When it went in for a service it was written off by a mechanic collecting lunch... he started legal procedings against the dealer.
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Stuartli
The same happened with a Honda NSX a few years ago that was taken to a garage about seven miles from where I live.

It made all the national newspapers as the NSX was new to the UK at that time....:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
car driven MILES whilst in for service - machika
I had a similar experience with an Alfa 164 about 10 years ago. It had a transmission whine and the local dealer at that time was new to Alfas and absolutely clueless. The car was driven for about 80 miles to try to identify the cause of the whine. Of course they had no idea what the cause was before, or after having driven it.

I had to take it to an ex Alfa franchised dealer to get it sorted out. Needless to say, they didn't need to drive it for 80 miles.
car driven MILES whilst in for service - Ian (Cape Town)
Mmmm. Maybe you'll get 'lucky' and receive a notice from Plod, and an accompanying photo...

It's happened to me before, and was a HEFTY one - 140 in an 80 zone!
It went straight to the head honcho at the dealership, who went puce with anger.
Upshot was that a certain customer care consultant (what a stupid name!) was no longer employed, and I got a full refund on the work done PLUS a freebie on the next service.
car driven MILES whilst in for service - 007
Some years ago we were visited by the boys-in-blue who wanted us to account for our movements at a certain time on a certain day when our car had been seen 'acting suspiciously' in a town twenty miles away......we were able to prove that it was in for a service at the time. Unfortunately we had not made a note of the mileage when leaving the car at the garage so could not claim that there too many extra miles on the clock when we got it back!!