MyVetteDream

You are 100 % right! Let me say I had taken my '03 C5 to Glendora Chevrolet for the past year for oil changes. I finally had a bigger reason to take it in recently. I got in, started the car and my dash lights up like a X-Mas Tree .... "Service ABS, Traction Control, Active Handling" Long story short, I know it's the alternator. (Volt meter low, etc.), later tested with a "Snap-On" load meter. Showed positively car running off battery. Get the picture? Also had them "special order" weatherstripping which had disintegrated on roof panel and "b" column last week, and check headlamp alignment when closed (driver side higher and pass. side lower - both not flush since I got the car.)

So I take a deep breath and take it into the aforementioned jackholes.

8:00 am Tues morning, I drop the car off.
4:30 that same day, message on my machine "Car won't be ready".
8:15 am Wed morning, wake to a call from same, service guy blatherring about my car's eletrical system. I said get to the bottom line, he says he needs me to authorize $75.00 for a diagnostic. I said I'll be there in 30 minutes.
8:45 - 9:20 Show up at the stealership and listen to this Einstein tell me "my tech said a loose aftermarket stereo system connection to" the B+ neat the fuse relay connection "may have causesd a arc and possibly damaged some electrical relay ...", blah blah BS BS blah more BS . He begins by asking me why I didn't warn him I had aftermarket accessories installed? I said I didn't know they were vicious enough to warrant a warning. He said "You know I have mud on my face when I have the tech looking at your car for electrical problems and you didn't warn me about additions. We were trying to clear the codes and your serial bus won't even connect with our computer." Can anyone show me how one is related to the other?

Let me tell you all that it was like having conversation with a little kid that had chocolate cake all over his face and they still deny eating any? I was having the same reaction. I could only stand there and laugh (literally) at this guy's answers and demeanor. I saw this was pi$$ing him off. He started trying to tell me my headlights were not closing flush because I had HID's on there. I asked Sherlock how he came to this conclusion. He told me he "knows the whole headlight assembly gets removed in order to install these lights." He started to pee pee dance when I told him it was a simple bulb replacement. WTF do they find these guys? He didn't even know how to replace the bulb. I asked him if he did and he said he'd seen it done. I just started LOL again. Believe me, I could clearly see his emotions. I was waiting for the first blow ... or attempt thereof. So I asked him what the $75 was for? He said the tech had to be paid. I didn't know Chevy was such a Chicken S@*t outfit that they had to pay their mechanics cash, straight from the customers. I said he was out of his freakin' mind. He said that whenever they see aftermarket parts on a car, it makes them suspicious about the cause of any problem. So am I correct in assuming that if / when you change anything in your car, you are presumed to have caused the problem, thereby, "forcing" the stealer to charge you ahead of time to cover something which may, down the road be something NOT covered under warranty. I asked him what he expected if he gave someone he didn't know a $100 to bet in Vegas for him? Did he expect the person to come back and say, "Here ya go! Here's your money back! Sorry, I didn't win anything over that, but you did break even." He told me I was not comparing the same principle. I re-stated it after simplifying it and said, what does he think I think? Are they gonna take $75 from em and NOT find a reason to keep it?

Then I asked what about my weatherstripping? "Oh uh.... I guess they didn't have time." Great answer jackhole! All the stuff that was unarguably covered by the warranty couldn't even get done! Let's just let the car with the warranty work sit till we can weasle a way to get some cash out of the customer. Hell, they were already stupid enough to buy a car from us, why not nickle and dime them till they have such a disgust for our product, they NEVER buy another product of ours. It's not there aren't at least 20 other types of vehicles to choose from. Besides, why support the US economy? There are tens of thousands other potential victims -aka Loyal GM Customers- just waiting in line to bend over and drop their pants. Why do I feel like the warranty should be called a "We'll fix it if YOU can prove it's not somethiing we can't prove otherwise", I thought I was only of those traveling petting zoo ponies tied to the contraption going in circle after circle after circle! My head hurts everytime I start thinking about it.

In all this, I realized that my preconceived notions about the stealership's service and types of people they employ has been confirmed. It was my first experience and all I can think is ... I will definately be getting a NON-GM extended warranty so that I can avoid ever having to deal with these cretans. I know for anyone who reads this and thinks they have had no negative experiences, I say count your lucky stars. I stayed sucka' free for 15 years of car ownership and today I've been deflowered. Bottom line, my car still need new weatherstripping, ABS lights, etc. I am close to the end of my rope if this is the type of "service" I'll be getting the future. I almost feel like doing an "owner give away", and buying a different car (Nothing GM or American) with the insurance money. His boss was in the same frame of mind, trying me make me believe that it was the stereo equipment connections. Oh yeah, I have a brand new yellow top installed and my stereo equipment was installed by a GM authorized shop so their work can not void the warranty.

Thanks for letting me I know what kind of frustration Phil aka Gobber went thru with Santa Monica Chevy sveral months ago. I just can't handle the thought that these guys do this so often and succeed with their fraud through misinformation, that they actually thought it would work on me. Don't they know who I am? No? It's because they're stupid. LOL. I had to end with a laugh, but it's true.

If/when any members in the Legal field see this, can you addresst what type of fraud mis-informing a person to for monetary gains constitutes? I'm gonna start researching myself.

BowtieDiva70

Dont leave me here, my friend!

LuS1fer

I enjoyed that rant. Please feel free to rant again. I could almost feel the guy squirming. I get the idea they see a Vette and think "he can afford to be screwed". They ought to wise up and deliver some customer satisfaction and try the "no charge, it was probably our fault" line instead.

BowtieDiva70

Got uid0

if you have a big stereo system the amp draw from the system can cause low voltage on the battery and possibly not allow the tech2 to read the computer.

I've seen tech II actually drain an idle battery.

Just one possibility on a power issue.
But the rest is just complete jerkoff work.

6 speed Sid

And some folks are still wondering why work is going "offshore" !! Sid.

Evil-Twin

David, I am so proud of you... As we have talked about so many times..Dealers suck the big wiennie... I just didn't come up with this notion on my own... People wonder why I rant so much about them. and people still want to get a GMPP extended warranty.. well now GM got smart and said buy our inflated GMPP extended warranty and you can take your car anywhere just Like E-T does with his Warranty Direct warranty.. the only problem with that is GMPP doesn't pay what Warranty Direct pays.. When GM pays a warranty , they only pay the dealership 70 % of what that job would be if the customer came in off the street and had to pay out of his pocket. So if he had a 1000 dollar problem GM would only pay 700 dollars to the dealer. If I have a problem that was 1000 dollars.. Warranty Direct would pay 1000 dollars to who ever I chose to repair the car be it a dealer or an independant... and dealers are so dumb , some wont accept an after market warranty because they don't even know they get paid 30% more and right on the spot.. I think they go to stupid school before becoming a dealer... Warranty direct also pays the independant retail price for the parts, and insists only on genuine GM parts with a one year warranty. So try taking your car to an independant with a 1000 dollar problem,( costs come from a Mitchel Guide ) and GM tells the independant they will only pay 700 dollars...
Anyway David, thanks for the rant.. you can take up the torch for me when I die.. You sound so much like me.. even though your rant is valid I can see you adding the pathetic sense of humor that I try to add to an otherwise sad situation.. While I was working for GM 20 years.. I tried to address some of this issues having owned 20 new cars..even with my inside track I soon came to the conclusion that GM is deaf.... dumb ... and blind.. at least at the customer service level.
AS far as my dealings with over 300 fellow engineers I found the highest level of professionalism and care about the product we design.. the only frustration is that money stands in the way of perfection.. but all in all the C5 is an exceptional car for the money.. even with its faults, and I am proud to have been part of it's birth.

c5rulz

But how do you really feel???????

spiral04vette

David, I live in Glendora and I wouldn't take my vette to Glendora Chevrolet for a free car wash. My brother was until a yr ago, a Master Mechanic for Chevrolet at a dealership in MT. We took my one week old 2003 Chevy Tahoe to Glendora Chevrolet for a headlamp replacement. I thought my brother was going to come UNGLUED!!! First the service counter guy didnt get off his fat a$$ to come out to the car we had to go inside and talk to him about why we were there. Next he said, "why would the headlamp be covered under warranty." WTF?!?!?! Are you kidding me! He said and I guote, "thats like saying the gas was used up and you want a new tank." And he laughed and went back to what ever it was he was doing before we WALKED in to service dept. My brother looked at this this kid and said you have got to be the most worhtless piece of sh*t this dealership has, where is the manager? The kid replied, its Saturday you really think he's here??
Well, to make a long story short I take my 03 Tahoe and 04 Vette (which I purchased in Pasadena) to the Pasadena dealership. Which isn't much better, after they had to order me a new glass top 3 times because their mechanics didn't check for cracks before having me show up for the replacement fitting. Dealerships=LOSERS!! Period!

ACELR8N

This complete dysfunction in the service network is typical in America today. Corporations spend billions developing products and marketing them, then employ underpaid, unknowing personnel for all aspects of customer service. It's the "We Got Your Money Sucker, Have A Nice Day" mindset. I have had four contacts with Chevrolet Dealerships in the 10 mos that I have owned the Vette. Each has been a disaster in terms of information and performance. I also have an Acura and have to say that they do a much, much better job on all counts. My latest encounter for the ECL recall typified their dysfunction. During a conversation about after market products, my GM tech advised me there was a bulletin from GM to deny all warranty claims if there was any aftermarket product upon the car. I attempted to rationalize the absurdity of this, informed him of the federal law concerning causal relation, but his bottom line was DENY! Clearly, they are looking for excuses to not pay claims which is a mindset adopted from the insurance industry. I know any warranty claim will be an uphill battle. I am always up for a fight, but I remain pessimistic about my next twenty months of coverage. It doesn't have to be this way, but unfortunately it has become the business as usual standard in much of American industry.

spiral04vette

I couldn't agree anymore with you on those statements. Complete and utter and I don't foresee it stopping anytime soon. I actually printed out the federal law concerning casual relation and leave it in my glove box.

Evil-Twin

Take your car to an independant, they work hard for your business.. because its their business.. There are many competent tuners, and independant mechanics that can handle most of your needs... Personally I cant wait to get out from under GM's warrantys. Its a pleasure to take my car in for repairs to my local specialist.. he has no kids working for him.. he treats me with respect.. allows me to watch... treats my car like it was his own... doesnt tie it up for days.. doesnt try to void my warranty or look for reasons not to repair something.. Goes the extra mile all the time because he wants my business...

Wicked Weasel

This is great stuff. It is about time that dealers (aka stealers) hire people that really care about the customer. I wonder if they have a video at each GM dealer that says F the customer do what you can to get more money for GM.

On the Internet you can now Rate Your Dealer (I found it searching through google one day) you can post your opinions of each dealer, even if the dealer doesn't think so it is a big deal. I am traveling 30 miles out of my way to use a dealer that has great reviews from its customers. There are at 4 other closer dealers (1 about 5 mins away) that have so many bad reviews no one in their right mind would buy or service a car in these places.

Keep the information alive and together we will beat these guys...

Evil-Twin

GM has been in business since 1908, we tried to band together against them then .. and they coined the expression "what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger".. You will never beat them....
they are worse now than ever and they are only stronger for it...They laugh in the face of threats and litigation.

ACELR8N

I would like to add to this that GM doesn't make any profit from their car business. It is a dismal failure. All of their profit is made from Finance. They are essentially a credit card company. This further explains their rotten customer service and mediocre product line, with the exception of the Vette and some Cadillacs. Since the Dealerships are franchises, we are at the whim and/or the business acumen of each individual owner. Our plight is worsened by the fact that GM sends out the wrong message to their dealers concerning warranty work and customer satisfaction. But, hey, they would love to give you a loan.

P.S. Hey Evil, I knew you were an old curmudgeon,
but were you really around since 1908?

MyVetteDream

First of all, Thanks for all the support everybody! Bill, it's funny you mention litigation, 'cause Sphincter Boy ended up telling me that, "... In case this ends up in court, I have to be able to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that I charged you money for a reason." I busted out laughing then too. First of all, in civil issues, it's "perponderance of the evidence" ... (didn't tell him that) Maybe these guys need to stop watching Court TV in the employee lounge and thinking they are litigators. I had to end his legal carrer by saying, are you an attorney? No. YOU will NEVER have to prove ANYTHING in court because YOU are a SERVICE WRITER. YOU are NOT a GM ATTORNEY. YOU work at Glendora Chevrolet for way to much money for what you know and will NEVER appear in court. (Then I stopped and smiled ... again ... and he began pee pee dancing ... again). Some of that have gotten to know me a little better, know I am patinent. So I don't argue with people ... I just put them in their place. I like to say, "You might not be able to get blood from a turnip, but people aren't turnips."

I am having a meeting with the General Manager of the one I bought mine from this morning. I'll lay this out to him. I am hoping for some resolution for a couple of reasons. I have sent plenty of business his way and he doesn't much care for their service people anyway. Wish me luck and cover me ... I'm going in! I'll keep you all posted. See you in a bit.

BTW, thanks to Bill (Evil-Twin) and CN RED. CN RED called me yesterday and said if I didn't get it done, he would put a new alt in for me Sunday. I don't work so I figure I might as well go and rattle some cages for fun in the mean time. Uh oh... I think you were right Bill ... I am gonna make you look like a saint by the time I'm your age! LMAO. You guys are all the greatest! Viva La Revolution!

boatboatboat

I am blessed, lucky...........what ever you want to call it.

my local dealer treats me like GOLD.

Last week I snapped a bolt on a brake calp. bracket, while working on the car at home. I called the dealer at 8:05 monday morning, telling them what I had done. At 8:30 a truck with a hydrolic(sp) lift was at my house. They took the car away to the dealer (Buds Chevy) and 3 hours latter called me to tell me that rather then drill the broken bolt out they would rather order a whole new bracket and bolt set, which would be in the next day. They ask me if I needed a loaner car. They called me the next day and said your car is ready to pick up.

They never ONCE questioned the fact that I broke the bolt.

They covered the repair and the new braket, and in fact the went ahead and removed the two rotars that I hadn't replaced yet, and checked all the work I had done on the other corners.

I couldn't have ask for better service......

ACELR8N

You're not the owner's son-in-law are you? . Yeah, you blessed, this is the exception to just about any service oriented business in America. Think you would have to go back to about 1955 to find this kind of work ethic and pride. Service people in my area mean well, they just don't know their business. Neither do the majority of their Techs. Most people are either displaced Mill Workers or Farmers caught in a growth explosion. However, I would rather deal with this situation than what I dealt with in the Northeast. At least these people try to do the right thing and it really helps to have Forum brothers to learn from, so you can help them help you.

boatboatboat

LOL .........I wish I were his daughters are very attractive. AND YOUNG!!!! lol......

I am lucky. I live in the sticks (town of 10k people) but have a top 10 vette volume dealer 8 miles away. The service is unreal. When ever I have after market parts for them to put on, like wheels or GHL's, they allow me to have the parts just sent right to them, and they call me when they get the parts. They have a mech., who just works on Vettes. I would trust him, more then myself to do things right.

ExRedRacer

I guess I've been lucky with the service I've gotten from Friendly Chevrolet in Puyallup, WA. Every request I've had has been handled promptly and competently by the service advisor and mechanics. When I had a question about the piston slap issue, I was offered an extended 100,000 mile warranty.

Looks like service varies widely across the country...