absolutley disgusted.... Fiat

[Tony sirett]

my daughter has just passed her driving test and has saved every penny she could and bought herself an old 2006 Fiat Grande Punto, every morning she goes out to start it and she gets a warning saying temperature too high.... even when starting from cold, the Fiat forum suggested contacting Fiat to see if there was a product recall or a software up grade needed, so she booked it in.

i have just got home this evening to my daughter in tears, they checked to see if there was a product recall and there wasn't one, they checked to see if it required new software, no the software is upto date. instead of asking her if she wanted them to re install the software they went ahead and did it. when she got the call to go and get it the fault was still there, the software re install didnt work, they then tell her she can't have her car back until she pays £148.00 for the update, so now i have to give her £150 so she can buy petrol to get to University.

surely they should have asked her first if she wanted the re install? surely they shoudn't charge if the work they carry out doesn't rectify the fault? and more importantly why BULLY a young person into paying for non requested work?

rant over..... still VERY ****ed off and angry, will be going down the dealers on my next day off with a large hammer......

 

[Taffy7hfa]

Feel for you, my daughter (at Norwich Uni ) is costing me a fortune, she's on placement at different hospitals every day and is averaging about 60 miles a day. Car, provided by me has been fairly reliable so far, only needing a coil pack which the dealer replaced foc as we'd only had the car a month. I try and avoid using random garages if I can, I know there are lots of decent reputable garages around but sometimes you have to use what's available when you need it, far from home, that's the problem.

 

[Tony sirett]

I'm just so cross, why not just say no recall, software is fine, would you like us to investigate what the problem is and give you a price, it should be that easy.

 

[Tony Dyson]

my daughter has just passed her driving test and has saved every penny she could and bought herself an old 2006 Fiat Grande Punto, every morning she goes out to start it and she gets a warning saying temperature too high.... even when starting from cold, the Fiat forum suggested contacting Fiat to see if there was a product recall or a software up grade needed, so she booked it in.

i have just got home this evening to my daughter in tears, they checked to see if there was a product recall and there wasn't one, they checked to see if it required new software, no the software is upto date. instead of asking her if she wanted them to re install the software they went ahead and did it. when she got the call to go and get it the fault was still there, the software re install didnt work, they then tell her she can't have her car back until she pays £148.00 for the update, so now i have to give her £150 so she can buy petrol to get to University.

surely they should have asked her first if she wanted the re install? surely they shoudn't charge if the work they carry out doesn't rectify the fault? and more importantly why BULLY a young person into paying for non requested work?

rant over..... still VERY ****ed off and angry, will be going down the dealers on my next day off with a large hammer......

Take a deep breath, pour yourself a drink and draw up a plan of action that's not going to end up with you being arrested! "the pen is mightier than the sword" someone said, you need to write a letter to the engineer and not the oil rags who did the dirty deed!

 

[00slk]

If she didn't ask for the update they had no right in doing it. Therefore she is not obliged to pay a penny. If on the other hand it had been suggested to her that it may be required that could be a different story, these dealers have a way with wording stuff to us not clued up too much on the talk tech!
They should have at least come back to her with the option of the up date requirement, then it would have been up to the customer whether they want it at the price or not.
A lot of the time the technicians just carry out unnecessary work because their not sure what their doing and the poor customers get stung.

 

[DSK]

Sad to hear especially when it happens to those more vulnerable. Why it happens is only down to a few possibilities;

1. Unethical way of not doing work but being able to charge the unassuming for it.
2. Makes a quick buck, do the work, knowing the customer will just moan and pay if the fault remains.
3. Don’t give the customer options. They may change their mind, take too long to decide or assume they are dumb and won’t be able to make an informed decision.

If the work is done under agreement but the fault remains instantly, then it’s clear it made no difference. Therefore it’s reasonable to charge labour time but the remainder should be waived. Sorry I’m stuck in the dark ages where common sense and fairness was all around us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bahnsturmer]

Daylight robbery. If she didn't ask for the software to be updated she should not have to pay.

 

[Mr Greedy]

Take a deep breath, pour yourself a drink and draw up a plan of action that's not going to end up with you being arrested! "the pen is mightier than the sword" someone said, you need to write a letter to the engineer and not the oil rags who did the dirty deed!

A man who knows he stuff. Sound advice Mr D.

If the work was not done under agreement, ask them to put the car back in the state before they did any work (shouldn't be hard, as it's exactly the same with no software updates reportedly available).

Also open a case with FIAT head office as we would for MB.

Make sure you gather the proof, as I'm not saying your daughter is lying necessarily, but in the heat of all this mess up, might not be remembering clearly, and I can't blame anyone for that.
If they can't furnish evidence of authorisation to proceed, fight it via FIAT head office.
I would assume a main dealer gets authorisation via signature?

Who knows.

The other option (which I'm sure the garage are banking on) is £150 for an easy lift.
But do get them to explain in writing why they applied a £150 software update when they knew full well in advance that no updates were available.

 

[supernoodle]

Dodgy advice from the Fiat forum. An update or recall for a temperature too high message? Slightly plausible on a new car, but on a 16 year old one?

What was it booked in the garage for? I can not imagine that if it was booked in with the symptom of a temperature too high message that they too would have thought software problem. And not that installing the same software would resolve.
If they were investigating the symptom, would they not have charged for the labour of checking the sensors, wiring etc?

 

[Tony sirett]

My daughter contacted them and said she was getting the radiator temperature too high message, she also told them she had been advised by the forum that it was possibly a recall fault, ALL communication is done via text messaging (updates and work required reports ect) I have read the texts and yes there is a little tick box that recommended that she has a software update BUT she didn't tick it, I have printed it out and shall take it with me.

 

[ajlsl600]

Do like French, rock up with full muck spreader. If they behave take home. If not fire up the pto

 

[fabes]

As above, take your text messages in. And do it sooner rather than later (important!)

The dealer principle will probably accept an error on their part, apologise, wiave the £150 (or initially offer it off a future service) and may even offer goodwill.

I helped someone out in a similar situation a few years back and the above us what happened. And yes the dealer did it to a female.
Misogynistic, sexism lives on in the UK motor trade....

At minimum, require they return the car to its original state and refund.
If not all agreed and actioned on the spot, follow up in writing then advise them small claims court proceedings will follow.

I would expect them to be reasonable.

And go to a good local garage....

Good luck

 

[peterws1957]

My daughter contacted them and said she was getting the radiator temperature too high message, she also told them she had been advised by the forum that it was possibly a recall fault, ALL communication is done via text messaging (updates and work required reports ect) I have read the texts and yes there is a little tick box that recommended that she has a software update BUT she didn't tick it, I have printed it out and shall take it with me.

I'm sure you've checked, but does the cost not relate to, or include, a diagnostic fee? Very rarely will a main dealer check a fault on a car without charging in my experience. Shame daughter went to a main dealer - it's a problem which most good garages could sort I would think. But yes if the dealer has done work without authorisation, it's their problem. A polite but firm letter to the dealer with screen shots of the texts should prove effective. Confronting in person is not usually as good.

 

[Frontstep]

Very annoying and I like most parents would be similarly aggrieved.

I had to take up the cudgels with my youth's VW on a similar incident.

We parted on good terms, indeed the car went back there for an issue.

He was very fairly recompensed, don't immediately think it is down to her age or sex they are just as bad with everyone as that is their training, essentially "get the money in".

As said the recourse to the courts is available but don't declare that at first contact or even second.

Nothing glazes the eyes quicker than Judge Google requoting something off the internet, often wrongly.

 

[Wighty]

My daughter contacted them and said she was getting the radiator temperature too high message, she also told them she had been advised by the forum that it was possibly a recall fault, ALL communication is done via text messaging (updates and work required reports ect) I have read the texts and yes there is a little tick box that recommended that she has a software update BUT she didn't tick it, I have printed it out and shall take it with me.

Do they have an online presence that you can target with poor reviews ?

 

[A.J.]

Where does the seller of the car stand in all of this, unfit for purpose isn’t it ?

 

[eman]

A syringe full of nitromoors and a walk past the new cars should do the trick

 

[EmilysDad]

A syringe full of nitromoors and a walk past the new cars should do the trick

A serving copper once suggested an old style squeezy Jiff lemon was ideal ....

 

[Rory]

My daughters are in their mid 30's and I can't let them take cars to dealers themselves - I've tried and, basically, dealers just try and steal their money.

Dealers seem to be unlike other businesses who will take a look at a problem and then quote to fix it. The investigation is routinely charged as a diagnostic fee and £150 is probably the going rate (MB dealer would be ~£200).

To be honest, taking a car a few years old, never mind 12yrs old, to a dealer is asking for trouble. Bear in mind dealers aren't interested in doing you a favour - the technicians, service advisors and service manager all get bonused on finding work and selling it to you. They probably get fired if they don't find and sell enough of it.

Fair enough if there was an outstanding recall - which would be done free - or even a specific technical service bulletin - which would probably need to be paid for - but otherwise, stay away.

 

[EmilysDad]

.......

Dealers seem to be unlike other businesses who will take a look at a problem and then quote to fix it. The investigation is routinely charged as a diagnostic fee and £150 is probably the going rate (MB dealer would be ~£200).

.....

I forget now the job I wanted quoting for at MB ... I just wanted them to quote out of curiosity and something to compare against because I was considering being a lazy bugger and not do it myself. It was impossible to get a quote .... they wanted £150 to diagnose - I already knew what the fault was, I just wanted them to quote for the job, but I couldn't get passed the receptionist even when I said that I wasn't prepared to pay them to tell me something that I already knew. I gave up & did the job myself.

I have to admit that EmilysMum's 60 plate Citroen has seen inside a dealer quite a few times for servicing and prts & another time when I made a dog's dinner of changing a simple 'fan belt' ..... long story but it cost me dearly! They have always been very reasonable and I got to speak to someone helpful on the front desk.