Courtesy vehicle - opinions please

[Trev]

I've got a story here. they lent me a vw caddy while fixing warranty stuff. they failed to warn me the caddy was petrol engine and charged me 256 sheets when I put diesel in it. my argument was apart from the fact they never told me was that my van wouldn't be In there in the first place if it wasn't for warranty failures and also how can I camp in a caddy? couldn't wait to get rid of it. got rid sooner than I thought though when the aa towed it away back to their shed. I'm still pissed about it all to be honest. vw sheffield

Ouch. I’ve done that before. Was my own vehicle though

 

[VW Guru]

I need a replacement front windscreen.
Autoglass have been waiting delivery from Volkswagen for 3 weeks. It’s a screen...!!!
Had I just gone for aftermarket, it would have been fitted 2 weeks ago...

If it’s heated then they are factory back order

 

[VW Guru]

Hi @Trev as a rule the aftersales department don’t have california loan vehicles as they are too expensive to run as a loan vehicle in write down costs and when it gets to the point of it being handed over to the sales department and it’s been out to god knows how many people and damaged/ miss treated the huge costs fall on the dealer remember we are just a franchise of vw and trying to make money/ keep people employed the same as every other company. That being said in your case you have my sympathy if you had bought your Cali from the dealer I work for then by now you would have been in a California demo from our sales department. To be honest though and having read and commented about your problem before then it would have been fixed by now either with a new egr cooler or cylinder head.

 

[Trev]

Hi @Trev as a rule the aftersales department don’t have california loan vehicles as they are too expensive to run as a loan vehicle in write down costs and when it gets to the point of it being handed over to the sales department and it’s been out to god knows how many people and damaged/ miss treated the huge costs fall on the dealer remember we are just a franchise of vw and trying to make money/ keep people employed the same as every other company. That being said in your case you have my sympathy if you had bought your Cali from the dealer I work for then by now you would have been in a California demo from our sales department. To be honest though and having read and commented about your problem before then it would have been fixed by now either with a new egr cooler or cylinder head.

Thanks guru. Looks like some light at yhe end of the tunnel. They have been in touch with another dealer who fixed pretty much identical problem. All thanks to this forum. So hopefully in a couple of weeks it will be fixed. Helpfully they have finally offered a courtesy Cali so I now know it has their full attention and I also have a bit of leverage. If they had done the job properly back in February we wouldn’t be in this situation. Keeping everything crossed. Will update once fixed.

 

[Jay586]

I've just had my heated screen replaced. I'm on first name terms with both VW head office & a lovely girl at Auto Windscreens as it took 6 weeks.

I had a crack bad enough in the driver's line of sight that I felt it unwise to drive the van & it's our only vehicle. I had a massive argument with VWCS (hence now talking to HQ), as I thought I should have a loan vehicle. They said no chance as it's a consumable. I said if you can't tell me a date for supply, you have a manufacturing problem.

They have changed supplier & there is a massive backlog. It might get better now but the screens are like gold dust, according to the fitter.

The new screen is slightly scratched...

HQ did chase the back order for me endlessly & have offered a goodwill gesture but 6 weeks of not having a vehicle is really unacceptable. At least we're not a business tho.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Like Volkswagen said to you, it’s a consumable...

In my mind that’s simple parts which should be readily available. I’m hoping Autoglass do a good job.

Jay, I’m in the same situation. The Cali is our main vehicle and the crack is pretty severe.
I have a trip planned, over to Europe in two weeks. It has to be sorted by then...!

 

[Seaview]

I recently had our Cali in for a service and on paying £20 was told I could have a loan transporter to get me home and use to collect the following day (big service with cam belt change etc).

I was escorted to the car park and handed keys to a huge LWB high top VW transporter (well much larger than a Cali and what I was familiar with driving). My immediate vocal reaction was ‘you’ve got to be joking’ followed by ‘its not happening’ from the front door across the showroom to the service department. They got the message I wasn’t impressed and very quickly found a regular SWB transporter.

LWB may have been ideal should I have wanted to do some removals or or go furniture shopping. However, I was heading into the city centre to a car park with a height restriction.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Call me suspicious but maybe the incidence of Calis being held at dealerships "waiting for back ordered spares" might be so they can be loaned out to other owners who're insisting on a Cali as a courtesy car??

 

[Amarillo]

SMG Tonbridge charged me £15 per day for a “courtesy” Golf. They had my van for a “pre-paid” service and some warranty issues for six days and halved the £120 charge to £60.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Jay586]

I think they are really struggling for spares, which is rubbish. The VW woman I dealt with was getting very unhappy. Auto Windscreens were excellent but told me that they had a lot of vans waiting for screens and just kept getting told by TPS that they were on back order. Even once some came into the country, they sort of disappeared in the system...

SSD, escalate this as a complaint unless you have a confirmed fitting date with a designated screen.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I will give them the bank holiday.
Should have been fitted yesterday, but still no screen. That’s exactly 3 weeks.

I Will definitely follow you advice and chase on Tuesday

 

[Jay586]

Auto Windscreens ordered via the VIN number, so you should have a screen allocated to you if they use the same ordering system. If it's the heated screen, they changed the part number, I think too, which did not help as the VW system, which should have been updated automatically, didn't. As you can tell, this became a mission for me...

Good luck.

 

[DavidKeith]

Hi need some views on what is reasonable to expect from a dealer. Brief history is that our ocean needs to go in for the dealer to resolve a problem re coolant warning light and coolant leak which has been going on for months and lots of back and forth with the dealer. They say they can’t get an ocean so have offered a transporter. I can’t camp or sleep in that though so it’s not much of a replacement. One occasion they had it in for a month and didn’t have anything to give us as an alternate vehicle. It was winter so we stomached that to be helpful. This time round less so. They are part of a regional VW dealership so I’m thinking if they can’t find me an ocean then they provide an equivalent value vehicle. My thinking is also that if I have something of value to them it will focus their attention. After all they have something valuable of mine. This saga has been going on since February hence my patience is wearing thin. VWCC are involved but they are saying it’s down to the dealer to find a vehicle. What’s reasonable?

I had a similar problem last year, and I eventually had to write to the CEO of the dealer network before I got any satisfaction.

 

[Trev]

I had a similar problem last year, and I eventually had to write to the CEO of the dealer network before I got any satisfaction.

Good to know. Head of Business is now my point of contact and we are finally getting some attention. CEO will be next if it isn’t resolved. It really shouldn’t be this difficult though!

 

[DavidKeith]

Good to know. Head of Business is now my point of contact and we are finally getting some attention. CEO will be next if it isn’t resolved. It really shouldn’t be this difficult though!

We spent ages going through Lookers customer complaints procedures and got absolutely nowhere, I just wish I had gone to the top of the tree earlier. Hope you get it sorted out soon!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trev]

We spent ages going through Lookers customer complaints procedures and got absolutely nowhere, I just wish I had gone to the top of the tree earlier. Hope you get it sorted out soon!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PeteS]

Hi
Sorry to here about the problems with the Cali.
I would use a dealership that hires out Cali’s. Then if you need a Cali then you can ask them for a hire Cali. My local dealer hires them. Normally if my van is only in for a day or two I would just make do with a lift back to the station. It did have to go back for a week or so when I first got it and the dealer loaned me a Caravelle.
Personally I would ask for a Cali to be available if I needed it to go away in it. May be a comprise would be to drop the Cali off and tell them you can do with any loan vehicle but you will need a Cali on a certain date as you are camping in it. If they can’t get you a Cali for that date ask them what they plan to do about it ie hire one in, get on from VW to borrow or straight compensation.
Hope you manage to get it fixed.
Regards
Pete

 

[Trev]

Hi
Sorry to here about the problems with the Cali.
I would use a dealership that hires out Cali’s. Then if you need a Cali then you can ask them for a hire Cali. My local dealer hires them. Normally if my van is only in for a day or two I would just make do with a lift back to the station. It did have to go back for a week or so when I first got it and the dealer loaned me a Caravelle.
Personally I would ask for a Cali to be available if I needed it to go away in it. May be a comprise would be to drop the Cali off and tell them you can do with any loan vehicle but you will need a Cali on a certain date as you are camping in it. If they can’t get you a Cali for that date ask them what they plan to do about it ie hire one in, get on from VW to borrow or straight compensation.
Hope you manage to get it fixed.
Regards
Pete

Thanks Peter. Now booked in with a cali as loan vehicle. Fingers crossed they get to the root of the problem.

 

[CALI FATE]

I was given a brand new Red Transporter with DSG and 200+ hp engine for 2 months while my Beach was getting sorted - we were due to go on holiday at the time - the dealer said we were not permitted to take the van out of the country ??. We did - we drove to Spain and back - 3000 miles and took the tents - it was a chance for me to compare the engine / gearbox / economy with my manual 150hp Beach - and realise that the 'wrong' door side on the Beach is much more convenient than having a sliding door on the right side - alls well that ends well - i prefer the manual and the 150 is best combination of usability / economy

 

[micheh20]

Hope you finally get it sorted, sounds very frustrating. I’ve had a new Transporter Kombi. If I’d had a camping trip planned, they would have given me a Cali but I said I didn’t need one. Can’t ask for more than that.

Sorry to jump on this post but you have some tyres for sale and it will not let me reply to your for sale post ...I am interested in a pair and will be driving back through wales on Monday???

 

[Elmo3]

Sorry to jump on this post but you have some tyres for sale and it will not let me reply to your for sale post ...I am interested in a pair and will be driving back through wales on Monday???

Hi, don’t seem able to ‘start conversation’ with you. Not sure if you need to change settings to enable this?

 

[WelshGas]

Sorry to jump on this post but you have some tyres for sale and it will not let me reply to your for sale post ...I am interested in a pair and will be driving back through wales on Monday???

You need to be a VIP member.

Hi, don’t seem able to ‘start conversation’ with you. Not sure if you need to change settings to enable this?

Both parties to a Conversation need to be VIP members.