My experience with a local dealership service department “had police involved”
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10-31-2017, 10:23 AM
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Indiana
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My experience with a local dealership service department “had police involved”
Hi Guys, a Dodge newbie here. I have an amazing Dodge Journey 2015. I have since it had 40 k miles, and now at 75k miles, it started hesitating and jerking while driving 50+ mph.
Here is the condensed version of my experience with this dealership, before I give someone a headache:
I dropped off the car due to the engine hesitating and jerking. They informed me that the diagnostic fee is $113. I said OK, they call me later and say, “you are right, the tech confirmed that the engine is jerking, we want an additional $360 to diagnose the problem”.
I refused and went to pick up the car, since the original agreement is to diagnose for $113 and then they need to quote me on the repair. They tried to quote me additional $360 for the diagnosis. I understand that the tech might take many more hours to do the diagnosis, but I don’t want to spend a chunk of $$$ just for the diagnosis, so I just said no, I will take it somewhere else.
When I tried to pick up the car, they held my keys until I pay the $113. I refused since there was no service delivered, there was no diagnosis other than “you are right, the car is jerking”. That’s a breach of the original agreement.
I informed the manager that I’m calling the police and so I did, 5 minutes later, the manager came back and said, we are waiving the fee. Here are your keys. I called the police back and let them know that the issue is resolved and no need to come in.
***Extended version:
Me: "Dropping off the car to be checked as it seems the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating".
Them: "sure, it will be $113 to diagnose the problem and then will let you know of the cost of repair and can go from there".
Me: "Great, please take your time and please call me when you find out what's going on"
Around 4:30 they call me.
Them: "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating. For him to find out what's causing that we want you to authorize us to diagnose the engine and this will cost $360".
Me: "but you guys said it is going to be $113?"
Them: "The $360 doesn't substitute the $113, it is an additional amount to be paid" !!!
Me, after choking on my breaths: "I'm coming to pick up the car"
I went to the dealership to pick up the car and they still want to charge me $113 for a diagnosis that was not completed. The only outcome of this so-called diagnosis is as mentioned above "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating."
If I drop a car mentioning that the engine is hesitating, how do you charge me $113 just to tell me the exact same thing "the engine is hesitating"?
I asked to speak to a manager, the manager came and said that they couldn't complete the diagnosis because I don't want to pay an additional $360. I informed him that the agreement is to pay $113 for the diagnosis, not $113 and a surprising additional $360. I asked him not to charge me $113 diagnosis fee because there was no diagnosis, and the outcome is that they couldn't identify the problem and only told me you are right, the engine is hesitating.
The manager insisted that I pay the fee even when the diagnosis is not done or completed, or he is holding the car key until I pay. I informed him that I'm calling the police department and he said OK.
I called the police requesting for an officer to come over "the dealership staff are listening". I informed the police that my car keys are being held at the dealership since they are asking me to pay for a service that hasn't been done.
Few moments later, the manager approached me and said "OK, here is your diagnosis, your car coils are bad", I told him "but I thought you wanted me to pay $360 to diagnose the engine and find out what's the problem. Now you say it's the coils, after I called the police? So why you asked for the additional $360 too? Is it really the coils?".
Few moments later, the advisor that was supposedly taking care of my car, Keisha, very nice-looking gal, yet so deceiving and so eager to get me pay the additional $113 + $360, comes out and says that the manager agreed to take out the $113.
After this ordeal, I took the car keys and before I leave I call the police department again and let them know that the issue has been resolved, and that the officer doesn't need to come over. I thanked them for the notion of sending him to the dealership. after all, this played a good part in making the dealership realize how invalid the $113 charge that they were asking from me.
Dealership: Champion Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM in Indianapolis, IN
Parties involved: Jeff Klein, John Lutane and Keisha Tranbarger.
*** end of extended version
Did I really need to pay them the diagnosis fee for a diagnosis that never happened “completed”? For a diagnosis outcome where they only tell me "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating."? And then hold the car keys until I pay them for no service?
I welcome any support or any criticism. I really just would like to know if I was unfair or if I only got lucky by them waiving that $113 ? I used to own a Mercedes GL450, Infiniti M37, Mazda 6, another Mazda 6 and I remember taking them to dealerships and never had to argue about a half assed diagnosis and being forced to pay for it.
Here is the condensed version of my experience with this dealership, before I give someone a headache:
I dropped off the car due to the engine hesitating and jerking. They informed me that the diagnostic fee is $113. I said OK, they call me later and say, “you are right, the tech confirmed that the engine is jerking, we want an additional $360 to diagnose the problem”.
I refused and went to pick up the car, since the original agreement is to diagnose for $113 and then they need to quote me on the repair. They tried to quote me additional $360 for the diagnosis. I understand that the tech might take many more hours to do the diagnosis, but I don’t want to spend a chunk of $$$ just for the diagnosis, so I just said no, I will take it somewhere else.
When I tried to pick up the car, they held my keys until I pay the $113. I refused since there was no service delivered, there was no diagnosis other than “you are right, the car is jerking”. That’s a breach of the original agreement.
I informed the manager that I’m calling the police and so I did, 5 minutes later, the manager came back and said, we are waiving the fee. Here are your keys. I called the police back and let them know that the issue is resolved and no need to come in.
***Extended version:
Me: "Dropping off the car to be checked as it seems the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating".
Them: "sure, it will be $113 to diagnose the problem and then will let you know of the cost of repair and can go from there".
Me: "Great, please take your time and please call me when you find out what's going on"
Around 4:30 they call me.
Them: "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating. For him to find out what's causing that we want you to authorize us to diagnose the engine and this will cost $360".
Me: "but you guys said it is going to be $113?"
Them: "The $360 doesn't substitute the $113, it is an additional amount to be paid" !!!
Me, after choking on my breaths: "I'm coming to pick up the car"
I went to the dealership to pick up the car and they still want to charge me $113 for a diagnosis that was not completed. The only outcome of this so-called diagnosis is as mentioned above "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating."
If I drop a car mentioning that the engine is hesitating, how do you charge me $113 just to tell me the exact same thing "the engine is hesitating"?
I asked to speak to a manager, the manager came and said that they couldn't complete the diagnosis because I don't want to pay an additional $360. I informed him that the agreement is to pay $113 for the diagnosis, not $113 and a surprising additional $360. I asked him not to charge me $113 diagnosis fee because there was no diagnosis, and the outcome is that they couldn't identify the problem and only told me you are right, the engine is hesitating.
The manager insisted that I pay the fee even when the diagnosis is not done or completed, or he is holding the car key until I pay. I informed him that I'm calling the police department and he said OK.
I called the police requesting for an officer to come over "the dealership staff are listening". I informed the police that my car keys are being held at the dealership since they are asking me to pay for a service that hasn't been done.
Few moments later, the manager approached me and said "OK, here is your diagnosis, your car coils are bad", I told him "but I thought you wanted me to pay $360 to diagnose the engine and find out what's the problem. Now you say it's the coils, after I called the police? So why you asked for the additional $360 too? Is it really the coils?".
Few moments later, the advisor that was supposedly taking care of my car, Keisha, very nice-looking gal, yet so deceiving and so eager to get me pay the additional $113 + $360, comes out and says that the manager agreed to take out the $113.
After this ordeal, I took the car keys and before I leave I call the police department again and let them know that the issue has been resolved, and that the officer doesn't need to come over. I thanked them for the notion of sending him to the dealership. after all, this played a good part in making the dealership realize how invalid the $113 charge that they were asking from me.
Dealership: Champion Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM in Indianapolis, IN
Parties involved: Jeff Klein, John Lutane and Keisha Tranbarger.
*** end of extended version
Did I really need to pay them the diagnosis fee for a diagnosis that never happened “completed”? For a diagnosis outcome where they only tell me "The technician checked the car and you are right, the engine is hesitating and jerking when accelerating."? And then hold the car keys until I pay them for no service?
I welcome any support or any criticism. I really just would like to know if I was unfair or if I only got lucky by them waiving that $113 ? I used to own a Mercedes GL450, Infiniti M37, Mazda 6, another Mazda 6 and I remember taking them to dealerships and never had to argue about a half assed diagnosis and being forced to pay for it.