Dodgy dealers

[timbo]

My wife took the ssv for its 3000km service last thursday as I was at work and she asked holden to change the oil in it for me. When she picked the car up they chrged her $260! When she asked why so much they told her it was because they needed 13L of oil. This to mesounds like bull sh!t :soap:

Im not sure how much oil they hold but 13L sounds like a hell of alot considering the LS1 in my ite only needs about 5L

So.... Can anyone please tell me how much oil they hold so I can go and sort it out with the service department on monday.

Cheers in advance

Timbo

[FANG IT 350]

that is bull shit mate,5 litres including the filter being filled.

[GenTech]

we have serviced 2 ve GTS it holds 8.3 L oil & the genuine oil filter $17.80 rrp


cheers

G-T

[Titanium]

VE SSV is 8.3 ltrs including filter. It be in the user manual.

[Berlina5.7]

13 litres?? that'd be near comin out out the dipstick!! Even the adventra only takes 7 litres! They tripping! Bet they lumping ya heaps for pump oil too! 5 litres would bare cover add mark on a later V8

[bermudablue]

Probably because the apprentice forgot to put the sumplug back and they are recovering their costs.

[Mungrel]

Probably because the apprentice forgot to put the sumplug back and they are recovering their costs.

wouldnt be the first time its happened...

[wanaVE]

That sux man ,show the dealer were to put the dip stick:flipoff:

[SS Enforcer]

Same thing happened to me as well but I got charged $140 for oil so I rang em back and complained and now I have a $60 credit with them. Still $80 for 8.3 litres of oil is a bit steep.

Ring them and tell them what happened, as they stuffed up they will check the service codes and adjust the bill. It could just be that the code in the computer was wrong they said this is what happend to mine.

cheers

[timbo]

Probably because the apprentice forgot to put the sumplug back and they are recovering their costs.


That was my thought...... But I thought I woulod chedck before I went in and saw them on monday. Thanks everyone for the help.

Cheers

Timbo

[planetdavo]

Yet more predictable responses from some people......
Just go back, or ring them, AND BE CALM. The owners manual says 8.3L, and they charged 13.6. They will no doubt fix their error.

[VooDoo]

Yet more predictable responses from some people......
Just go back, or ring them, AND BE CALM. The owners manual says 8.3L, and they charged 13.6. They will no doubt fix their error.


Yet another predictable response from you to mate. 13.6L is not something you can defend. There is NO reason for it, no excuse and should have been picked up by the service adviser when he was processing the bill. Personally i'd talk to the service manager and request a full refund. Its pretty clearly a reaming.

[FANG IT 350]

Yet more predictable responses from some people......
Just go back, or ring them, AND BE CALM. The owners manual says 8.3L, and they charged 13.6. They will no doubt fix their error.

what would u want the responses to be davo,thats cool i dont mind being ripped off.

[DIEFASTER*WH]

From what I understand & not being a SERVICE TECHNICIAN, if they put more than 8.3L of oil in the VE (it wouldn't take 13L anyway) would'nt that be detrimental to the seals etc. I thought overfiling could cause oil seal failure's, high oil pressure etc. Correct me if I got it wrong. I put in my WH what it tells me too (roughly 5L) & no more.

[Y2kGoofball]

could also be a service advisor blunder, their known for occasionally hitting the incorrect key and not noticing when entering it onto the system or mis reading what the tech wrote on the back of the job card ...

so many variables, we wont know until you ask the question and hear their response.

[planetdavo]

Yet another predictable response from you to mate. 13.6L is not something you can defend. There is NO reason for it, no excuse and should have been picked up by the service adviser when he was processing the bill. Personally i'd talk to the service manager and request a full refund. Its pretty clearly a reaming.I'm in NO WAY defending it.
I'm just saying that people in any job make mistakes, and that includes you, me and every person that has an opinion on this forum. The guy should contact them on Monday to clear it up, but as per usual, every dealer hater on this forum jump on the bandwagon, and say it's a deliberate ripoff! And yes, here's little old me, "defending" them again from the angry pack, blah, blah, blah...boring, boring.
Would all you sooks get on a forum next time Bunnings "rip you off"?
Of course you wouldn't, but this stuff happens happens everywhere, everyday in every industry. Wait until the guy tells you how they deal with it after contact, then flame the dealer for their poor customer service if it gets your rocks off.


what would u want the responses to be davo,thats cool i dont mind being ripped off.
Read the response to voodoo. There's a fair chance a simple mistake was made, but since dealer bashing has become an artform on this LS1 forum, how dare benefit of the doubt be allowed in to the equation...


could also be a service advisor blunder, their known for occasionally hitting the incorrect key and not noticing when entering it onto the system or mis reading what the tech wrote on the back of the job card ...

so many variables, we wont know until you ask the question and hear their response.
Another member that can see both potential sides of the story. Good to see.
Careful mate, comments like this will have the davo lynch job after you!

[DIEFASTER*WH]

Read the response to voodoo. There's a fair chance a simple mistake was made, but since dealer bashing has become an artform on this LS1 forum, how dare benefit of the doubt be allowed in to the equation...

I think its the fact that they make too many SIMPLE MISTAKES. Read the threads and see how many Holden customers are constantly ripped off, have cars damaged while at a dealers, overcharged or parts not done up etc (including me). And most people say the same thing...the dealers always have an excuse. "it was an apprenctice" or "it was like that when you brought it in" etc etc. If you pay for a service as a customer most people, if not all expect a decent job. Would you repair/fix your own car & do it half arsed. I think not...

I think its the fact that they make too many SIMPLE MISTAKES. Read the threads and see how many Holden customers are constantly ripped off, have cars damaged while at a dealers, overcharged or parts not done up etc (including me). And most people say the same thing...the dealers always have an excuse. "it was an apprenctice" or "it was like that when you brought it in" etc etc. If you pay for a service as a customer most people, if not all expect a decent job. Would you repair/fix your own car & do it half arsed. I think not...I know there are other non Holden workshops that are just as bad if not worse, but with a warranty its not really like you have a choice & many people think by taking it to a certified dealer that the car will be looked after A1. I think it comes down to taking the car to a place that has already established a good reputation. Plaza Holden dealership in Adelaide have a good reputation from personal experience & from mates Ive talked to.

[QUOTE=DIEFASTER*WH;926276]I think its the fact that they make too many SIMPLE MISTAKES. Read the threads and see how many Holden customers are constantly ripped off, have cars damaged while at a dealers, overcharged or parts not done up etc (including me). And most people say the same thing...the dealers always have an excuse. "it was an apprenctice" or "it was like that when you brought it in" etc etc. If you pay for a service as a customer most people, if not all expect a decent job. Would you repair/fix your own car & do it half arsed. I think not...I know there are other non Holden workshops that are just as bad if not worse, but with a warranty its not really like you have a choice & many people think by taking it to a certified dealer that the car will be looked after A1. I think it comes down to taking the car to a place that has already established a good reputation. Plaza Holden dealership in Adelaide have a good reputation from personal experience & from mates Ive talked to

Can I get a moderator to fix up my last post. It wont let me edit the post & I made a mess :doh: Cheers. Sorry peoples

[planetdavo]

Now let me see. There are approximately 300 Holden dealers in Australia, and Holden is the second biggest selling brand. That's a huge amount of customers bringing their cars in.
Now here, we have a performance forum, where the fast majority have V8 Commodores, with a fair percentage that would rather shag their Commodore's exhaust pipe than shag their girlfriend or wife!
Sorry, but I really don't take the "popular opinion" of a car forum as being the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! On here, a dealer is guilty until proven innocent.

[exwrx]

Sigh....

Davo, IMHO you are missing the point. Its not a matter of guilty until proven innocent - the OP has clearly stated that he appears to have been overcharged. He has already queried it to which the response was that his motor takes 13 odd litres of oil. A simple keying error would have been rectified at that point.

You are correct in advising him to deal with it calmly and hopefully the mistake will be rectified without further unnecessary aggravation.

BTW if you think this forum is anti-dealer, you obviously dont read the many positive posts, including my own occasionally :jester:

[SS Enforcer]

Like I said before due to the fact the Ve is new they may not have to corect info entered into their comp and the guy doing the invoicing may not have any idea that 13.6 litres is too much. It sounds like the Engine and gearbox total oil was charged.

cheers

[VooDoo]

Planetdavo: I work for Holden dealers and have done for many years plus have plenty of mates that do too. IF someone is out of line ill say something, the same as ill stand up and say something about the dealer that charged excessively or did the wrong thing.

You clearly take the side of the dealer in every single case when you know as well as anyone here what they get up to at times. Sure they do get tarred with the same brush at times but blind loyalty to them is what gets you these types of reply.

Sure it could be a service adviser blunder... thats why they are supposed to check the paperwork FIRST. Dont they look at the figures on the invoice so they can process the CC? Anyone thats been doing the job for more than 5mins would know 13L of oil isnt correct, they arent servicing a MACK truck. To then defend the 13L as being correct when asked is covering up the mistake. Again, there is NO defence for it. They were either lazy or they knew of the mistake and covered it up. There is no other excuse.

[Carrots]

My wife took the ssv for its 3000km service last thursday as I was at work and she asked holden to change the oil in it for me. When she picked the car up they chrged her $260!


Isn't the 3000km service a no charge service for the V8s? Certainly is for the V6s.....although I spose someone will tell me they don't change the oil on the 6 bangers hence no charge lol.

[planetdavo]

Planetdavo: I work for Holden dealers and have done for many years plus have plenty of mates that do too. IF someone is out of line ill say something, the same as ill stand up and say something about the dealer that charged excessively or did the wrong thing.

You clearly take the side of the dealer in every single case when you know as well as anyone here what they get up to at times. Sure they do get tarred with the same brush at times but blind loyalty to them is what gets you these types of reply.

Sure it could be a service adviser blunder... thats why they are supposed to check the paperwork FIRST. Dont they look at the figures on the invoice so they can process the CC? Anyone thats been doing the job for more than 5mins would know 13L of oil isnt correct, they arent servicing a MACK truck. To then defend the 13L as being correct when asked is covering up the mistake. Again, there is NO defence for it. They were either lazy or they knew of the mistake and covered it up. There is no other excuse.
Voodoo, as the number one poster on this forum, and someone that does work for dealers, you should know better. Have you ever walked into a service reception at 5pm, and seen 20 customers waiting for 4 advisors to serve them? Yep, pretty hectic!
Now what were you saying about how they should check everything carefully?
MISTAKES HAPPEN! All I've been saying is to wait for the dealer's response to this, and how they deal with it, not let some lynch mob on a forum decide who should be hung by the balls for such blatant profiteering, which you and all your like-minded buddies seem hell bent on believing has happened. Maybe it did, or maybe it DIDN'T! Service advisors also put up with a mountainous pile of utter bullsh!t from customers every day too you know (or should).
The ONLY reason you see me as being pro-dealer every time is because you only hear me responding to this thread subject when it gets overrun by simpletons and dealer bashing idiots. Some of the anti dealer threads I agree with, but because I don't have any need to post in them, you think I only favour in one direction.
There are good dealers, and there are bad dealers.
There are good small workshops, and there are bad small workshops.
ALL OF THEM deserve a chance to sort out an invoicing issue without the histerics of this forum.


Sigh....

Davo, IMHO you are missing the point. Its not a matter of guilty until proven innocent - the OP has clearly stated that he appears to have been overcharged. He has already queried it to which the response was that his motor takes 13 odd litres of oil. A simple keying error would have been rectified at that point.
What if the advisor was misinformed, or just simply didn't know? Yes, I agree, it shouldn't happen, but it does, ANYWHERE.
Customers query SO MANY things on their invoices, and 99 plus % are always correct, that maybe the person was just having a bad day, and should have checked. As you and I both agree, a calm chat with the service manager, with the owner book stating 8.3 ltrs of oil, should sort it out, but if the reality is something like the above, the utter bullsh!t of most of this threads posts have been a total waste of time.


BTW if you think this forum is anti-dealer, you obviously dont read the many positive posts, including my own occasionally
There is a very heavy anti-dealer sentiment to this forum, because most people don't have the balls to post up against this type of person to balance the viewpoint out, as there's always a guaranteed flame thrower heading your direction! I couldn't give a toss whether I'm Mr Popularity on this forum, hence the reason people think I'm ALWAYS pro-dealer.

[SV8er]

Isn't the 3000km service a no charge service for the V8s? Certainly is for the V6s.....although I spose someone will tell me they don't change the oil on the 6 bangers hence no charge lol.


It is actually called a 3 month Free INspection by the book , and is just a general check of car to make sure everything is going ok and to get any faults you have had since new Rectified , it does not cover any oil changes

Cheers

[FANG IT 350]

i didnt wanna bring this up but i will a certain holden dealer in the se burbs has blatently tried to rip us off 3 times,first time when my misses vt ss went in for a svs they kept the k@n filter which is clearly marked on the air box,second time full svs at 50.000 i think from memory was about $500 after
8000 ks engine light came on ,no oil which was supposed to be changed and clearly wasnt as after i fronted them it was svs ed again and what do u know has never used a drop of oil inbetween svs since so it went 18000 k without the oil being changed mmmmmmmm they must of forgot,3 rd time we got charged $340 for the front brakes to be machined and pads replaced,i never asked them to do that,why would i when i can do it my self for a quarter of that price common sense would have been to ring us and ask us if we wanted the work done,anway i took it back and got them to take the bloody pads back out which they did and quess what we didnt pay,and before all u guys ask why keep going there well it was under there warranty and its the closest holden dealer to us,but ill never go back there again,so the proof is in the pudden there are shonky dealers out there ,they shouldnt make that many f*ck ups if there as professional as they all make out to be,thats my 2 bobs worth.

[Alex(AUS)]

I think this "arguement" is overcomplicated. If the service techinician "didnt know" how much oil the car takes why did he quote 13+L as justification for the high price???

Clearly, if they didnt know and there was a query they shouldnt make it up ... they should ask someone who actually knows. I would demand to see where the 13L figure comes from. I bet he just made it up and knew that this was way more than what the actual figure is. As planetdavo says ... there are sometimes many many people visiting the dealership all the time (very busy). These people would have dealt with 100s of customers who had their oil changed almost every time. Dont tell me he didnt know how much oil goes into a commodore!!! He would certainly know 13L is way over what it should be.

Alex

[planetdavo]

I have no problem with your input smick ss. If one dealer has done several things wrong on separate occasions to you, they don't deserve your business. ANY trade or profession doesn't deserve your business after repeated problems.
Footnote: My big issue with this forum has ALWAYS been how many members lump all 300 dealers together as though they are one dealership. Individual dealerships that are repeat offenders to the same customer don't ever deserve you back, just as good dealers don't deserve to be tarred by the same brush (or decent ones that might make a mistake).

[VooDoo]

Have you ever walked into a service reception at 5pm, and seen 20 customers waiting for 4 advisors to serve them? Yep, pretty hectic!
Now what were you saying about how they should check everything carefully?
MISTAKES HAPPEN!

Yes, mistakes happen, ppl get busy.... that can be forgiven. She ASKED about the bill and was told it was correct. The adviser HAD to know as he needed to see why she complained. I have no issue at all with the original mistake, we know they happen. The fact of ignoring the issue and/or covering it up was not in ANY way a mistake.


Service advisors also put up with a mountainous pile of utter bullsh!t from customers every day too you know (or should).

Yes, no issues with you there. Its a shit job for sure. Thats why they shouldnt cover things up. Dont ignore the issues etc. Ive had mistakes on invoices before. I simply point them out and the issue is fixed. In one case they were flat out and simply said to bring the invoice in next time and it would be fixed then. No probs at all. Advisers get a bad rep for doing exactly what this one has. He stuffed up and tried to cover it up.

[planetdavo]

I think this "arguement" is overcomplicated. If the service techinician "didnt know" how much oil the car takes why did he quote 13+L as justification for the high price???

Clearly, if they didnt know and there was a query they shouldnt make it up ... they should ask someone who actually knows. I would demand to see where the 13L figure comes from. I bet he just made it up and knew that this was way more than what the actual figure is. As planetdavo says ... there are sometimes many many people visiting the dealership all the time (very busy). These people would have dealt with 100s of customers who had their oil changed almost every time. Dont tell me he didnt know how much oil goes into a commodore!!! He would certainly know 13L is way over what it should be.
Alex
Yes they should have.
This saga has two outcomes. Either it's a mistake that really should have been checked, or they thought they could get away with it, and got caught.
How about we all wait for this weeks outcome from the guy that actually owns the car???



Yes, no issues with you there. Its a shit job for sure. Thats why they shouldnt cover things up. Dont ignore the issues etc. Ive had mistakes on invoices before. I simply point them out and the issue is fixed. In one case they were flat out and simply said to bring the invoice in next time and it would be fixed then. No probs at all. Advisers get a bad rep for doing exactly what this one has. He stuffed up and tried to cover it up.
Our parts dep't has a counter person that's incapable of doing his job, and it's embarassing for the rest of us how it must be for customers out there. We try really hard with the customer service, just to have one person f#ck it up basically...
He regularly covers up his mistakes (and we regularly find out about them!). Maybe the service advisor is like him, whereas the rest of the service department are decent people that will go out of their way to fix it this week. Time will tell, but they deserve a chance...

[Alex(AUS)]

How about we all wait for this weeks outcome from the guy that actually owns the car???

Agreed.



Time will tell, but they deserve a chance...

Agreed.

But, this should ever happen again. It is a simple problem that shouldnt be repeated.

Alex

[vh-holden]

would they have changed any other oils? like diff or trans?

[VooDoo]

Planetdavo: notice im talking about the SERVICE ADVISER not the dealership. I cant see any fault the dealership made at this point, just one of the staff members. If you read the rest of the posts, others have mentioned the adviser as well. You came in with guns blazing defending the dealership when nobody was having a go at them in the first place.

[planetdavo]

You came in with guns blazing defending the dealership when nobody was having a go at them in the first place.
No one's having a go??? People, including yourself, reckon this place has intentionally ripped him off! Maybe they have, maybe they haven't, maybe it's an easily fixed mistake. Yes, people are having a go, and I'm not the only one going in "with all guns blazing"!
Dealerships have many departments. I usually say "dealership", no matter whether it's one or more departments. This doesn't mean I'm including other departments that haven't been brought up.
PS: I mentioned issues in my part of the dealership to provide a scenario that yourself and others don't seem to accept as possible (different department but same possibilities).

[VooDoo]

I guess your reading a different thread then. I mentioned the ADVISER was doing the reaming. Others also mentioned the adviser but yes, the dealership does have to take some responsibility for the problem. They hired/trained him and he is either incompetent or was following direction. We cant know which at this stage as we weren't there.

Its clear your just to close to the issue and cant see that individuals make mistakes that often reflect poorly on the employer. Thats a normal reaction that ppl make and if the individuals are that bad it IS a result of negligence on the employer to fix the issue.

You say you have a bad adviser at your dealership... WHY is he still there? The dealership should have either retrained and fixed the issue or removed him. Are they ignoring the issue or covering it up in this case?

[planetdavo]

Bad parts person. Let's just say that getting rid of people easily with unfair dismissal rules makes it harder than it should be...
I'm bored with this subject now.
I'll come back once timbo gives an answer from his contact with the dealership.

[timbo]

Righto guys I didnt mean to start a shit fight... I havent spoken to holden yet but I will on monday. Im not going to walk in there yelling and screaming! I have not had any problems with this dealer so far actually I would have to say the sales side of things have been the complete opposite! They have been extremely helpful and I would recomend them to anyone I know in perth. This is the dissapointing part though.... It has been such a good experience so far that I dont want the service side of the dealership to let it all down.

I havent mentioned names or gotten upset yet! All I came on here to ask was the volume of oil that goes into the motor sol when I went to speak to holden on monday there wouldnt be any guessing I would know what Im talking about.

Thankyou for the help on this subject but I dont think this argument needs to continue becuase Im not angry and im not going to storm in there on molday and scream at anyone im simply looking for info so I can sort out the problem.

[ratty05]

As someone who recently spat the dummy on this site I can honestly say I see both sides here.
Yes it's very easy to jump on here and vent frustration (both justified and unjustified) as it's always open and very convenient. Also most people do tend to get a little upset when their 40, 50, 60 or 70,000 dollar cars have problems that you wouldn't expect them too and rightly so given the money involved....it's not exactly like getting ripped by bunnings!
But planetdavo is correct in staying calm and questioning the dealer first as it may be an honest mistake (albeit a very stupid one). VooDoo and the others are also correct in that it should have been fixed when questioned the first time.
I spat the dummy on here as it was a long weekend and the dealer was closed, but after a sleep on it and calm down I realised it was just one of those things and thankfully was calm when I rang them, however my dummyspit had already been had.
Timbo at least has only asked a question on here to get some facts before ringing them.

[timbo]

Righto.... Its good to say that it was all sorted out in the end. The story I got was that it was busy on thursday afternoon and when she asked the question about the 13L of oil he apparently misheard her and then gave the answer that they require alot of oil as others have asked about the 8L they normally use.

I wasnt very happy at this stage as it was very clearly marked on the invoice and it should have been spotted but the service manager sorted it all out straight away and gave me a credit for the amount I was overcharged.

I mentioned to the manager that these sorts of problems realy make dealerships look bad as it seems to happen alot, more so at dealers than other places that do service only and after someone has spent 60K with the dealer the last thing they want is to be shafted by the serv ice department. He told me that he understands this and they currently have a program in place to try and stop this. Personaly I hope they do because I still feel better dropping the car to a dealer when it is new because imo if holdens are the only thing they work on they should have a better idea than others of the problems involved with these cars and how to fix them.

[planetdavo]

Pleased to hear that they acknowledge their fault, and have procedures in place to fix it. Bad SSS customer satisfaction results don't go down well with Holden or management in almost all cases.
PS (to ratty)- Bunnings was simply one example used. One can substitute any alternative that suits.

[Ridin-High]

[QUOTE=timbo;927140]Righto.... Its good to say that it was all sorted out in the end. The story I got was that it was busy on thursday afternoon and when she asked the question about the 13L of oil he apparently misheard her and then gave the answer that they require alot of oil as others have asked about the 8L they normally use.
QUOTE]


What a crock of sh*t

say to urself 13 and then say 8... ur dealer is so full of it

[planetdavo]

What a crock of sh*t
say to urself 13 and then say 8... ur dealer is so full of it
Here we go again.....:rolleyes:

[ratty05]

Pleased to hear that they acknowledge their fault, and have procedures in place to fix it. Bad SSS customer satisfaction results don't go down well with Holden or management in almost all cases.
PS (to ratty)- Bunnings was simply one example used. One can substitute any alternative that suits.

Yeah that's fine, I was only pointing out that we all get a litlle agro, a little too quickly, when large sums of money are involved...me included!

[Peter B - CV8]

Sounds like the adviser has keyed in 5 litres (older style capacity) - then realized it should be 8 litres (new capacity)- and somehow added the two together & come up with 13 litres.

[SS Enforcer]

Sounds like the adviser has keyed in 5 litres (older style capacity) - then realized it should be 8 litres (new capacity)- and somehow added the two together & come up with 13 litres.

Sounds plausible I could live with that.

I had a problem when I first got my car and it was a real bugger for Holden to diagnose. People kept saying demand a new car name the dealer threaten them blah blah blah. I did neither, they got a tech up from Melbourne kept the car for 3 days gave me a replacement and fixed it. I believe in allowing people to do their job before I fly off the handle.
As a result they thanked me for being understanding of the situation and I get treated exceptionally well now whenever I have to ring them or go in there for any reason.
lf I though I was being lied to or stitched up in any way I would have let em have it with both barrels . I once grabbed a service manager for Mack trucks by the throat when he kept lying to me about a problem I was having with my truck. I sold the truck shortly after and vowed to never buy another and I havn't.

cheers

[German Statesman]

Damn....the things you miss when you're away :)

Good to see the usual fisticuffs happening about everyone's favourite subject - dealers - and great to see the old sparring partners foaming at the mouth again :rofl:

The short summary - everyone is correct with all of their statements. Dealers bump up their profit percentages with oil, and its an easy thing to try & pass it over a wooduck who might not know better. Remember too that a greedy service advisor will get commission $$ on oil sales...

Good to be back, boys. Will post some pics of the new Caprice corporate sedan limo ill be in shortly.

Cheers

JOHN

[planetdavo]

Hi German. Good to see you back with your usual input as well!
No frothing, as I'm just here to keep the b@stards honest.
That's all....