MB official workshop taking the piss!!

[fredT]

Im just off the phones with a mb service manager and im absolutely fuming!!

basically i called to book in for a service on monday and was told it needs a b service plus air and fulefilters, total cost 405 pound. i said fine, go ahead. there was never a mention that some of these items might not be needed or that she needed to see the service book, and beeing a main dealer i wouldnt expect them to take the piss.

now it transires that the fuelfilter was actually changed only 14k miles ago (needs changing every 50k) and hence dont need changing.

i refused to pay it (70 quid) and they refused to give me the car. now they have the car...

what can i do / is it reasonable for them to act in this way???

 

[Sp!ke]

They cannot hold onto the car if you have paid (I think it is over 2/3rds) of the bill. They have to allow you to take the car and pursue any balance through the civil courts.

Go there, demand your keys back and your car and if they refuse, call the police and ask them to accompany you as you go to retrieve your keys and car as you believe there will likely be a breach of the peace.

 

[steve333]

Im just off the phones with a mb service manager and im absolutely fuming!!

basically i called to book in for a service on monday and was told it needs a b service plus air and fulefilters, total cost 405 pound. i said fine, go ahead. there was never a mention that some of these items might not be needed or that she needed to see the service book, and beeing a main dealer i wouldnt expect them to take the piss.

now it transires that the fuelfilter was actually changed only 14k miles ago (needs changing every 50k) and hence dont need changing.

i refused to pay it (70 quid) and they refused to give me the car. now they have the car...
Sorry to hear of your bad experience with an mb main dealer,i know it's hindsight & all that but i always study the mileage/time intervals on all other items(ie;fuel filters,spark plugs,brake fluid etc)that are over & above normal service parts when i book my car in for servicing to avoid the very predicament you find yourself in now.Agreed-the dealer should check the service history/invioces to make sure if additional work had been carried out before duplicating & charging for items that have already been replaced,good luck,let us know how you get on.

 

[The _Don]

Which dealer is this ? I allways check myself before any service is due what was carried out at the last service this way no one can call the shots except me.

 

[fredT]

Leicester MB

sure, had i looked in to it i would've known but thats not the point. not in my view.

since she couldnt possibly know what needed doing without seeing the service book, or asking me more specific questions, she shouldnt have sold me that additional item. end of

 

[dog68]

As Sp!ke says, demand the car back, they cannot lawfully withhold it.

 

[steve333]

Im just off the phones with a mb service manager and im absolutely fuming!!

basically i called to book in for a service on monday and was told it needs a b service plus air and fulefilters, total cost 405 pound. i said fine, go ahead. there was never a mention that some of these items might not be needed or that she needed to see the service book, and beeing a main dealer i wouldnt expect them to take the piss.

now it transires that the fuelfilter was actually changed only 14k miles ago (needs changing every 50k) and hence dont need changing.

i refused to pay it (70 quid) and they refused to give me the car. now they have the car...

what can i do / is it reasonable for them to act in this way???

The very fact that you gave them the go ahead after being told the car needed a B service + fuel filter gives them reason to expect payment,what may of happened is that the fuel filter may have been changed by an indi(non mb garage)in the past therefore mb Leicester will not have seen this appear on the electronic service sheet on there pc?

 

[DJM]

Sorry to hear your news...let us know how you get on...

 

[timwood2000]

Why don't you call MB Head Office Customer Services. They were really helpful when I had a less stressful problem and they got in touch with the dealer on my behalf straight away.

 

[davidjpowell]

I am confused. Did they change it when it was not necessary, or not change it, but still charge you anyway? Either way seems out of order.

MB Customer Services not a bad way to go - perhaps Dealer Principal also.

 

[fredT]

The very fact that you gave them the go ahead after being told the car needed a B service + fuel filter gives them reason to expect payment,what may of happened is that the fuel filter may have been changed by an indi(non mb garage)in the past therefore mb Leicester will not have seen this appear on the electronic service sheet on there pc?

well the car is fully serviced with mb, but appearantly MB direct where i bought the car is not the same as the rest of MB and hence dont use the same database!! How on earth am i as a customer supposed to know this? Go to the website it looks the same, search for used car it looks the same ( i think it even shows mb direct cars on the main mb search engine)

yes i did give the go ahead, but that was based on being misinformed (deliberate or otherwise) by them.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Im just off the phones with a mb service manager and im absolutely fuming!!

basically i called to book in for a service on monday and was told it needs a b service plus air and fulefilters, total cost 405 pound. i said fine, go ahead. there was never a mention that some of these items might not be needed or that she needed to see the service book, and beeing a main dealer i wouldnt expect them to take the piss.

now it transires that the fuelfilter was actually changed only 14k miles ago (needs changing every 50k) and hence dont need changing.

i refused to pay it (70 quid) and they refused to give me the car. now they have the car...

what can i do / is it reasonable for them to act in this way???

There is my answer ^ ^ ^ ^

 

[npuk]

Looks pretty clear to me. Car was serviced at MB direct where the orignal poster purchased it from. The fuel filter was changed as part of that service. He has now taken it to Leicester MB for this B service. They should have told you which were the time / mileage dependant items. I assume you handed in the service book so they could have checked on there if it had been done at the last service (assuming it was ticked in the book).

 

[Meldrew2]

Surely it is simplest to first pay the bill, albeit under protest, and collect your car.

You can subsequently pursue the matter via complaints to the dealer, MB UK, Trading Standards and ultimately through the civil courts.

 

[Sp!ke]

Isnt the service record online?

Why do they need the book?

 

[Meldrew2]

Go there, demand your keys back and your car and if they refuse, call the police and ask them to accompany you as you go to retrieve your keys and car as you believe there will likely be a breach of the peace.

Be VERY careful - it could be you getting arrested for breach of the peace!

 

[clk270]

When you called to book the service, they made a call on what service you needed from the info you gave them, typically car age, reg number and mileage. They will have quoted for work as per the standard maintenance schedule. If they had seen the car previouslt they may have been able to see its specific history and amended the quote accordingly.

Either way it sounds like you gave them the go-ahead to do what had been agreed - you were probably better placed than them to know the filter was changed recently. You agreed to the filter change, they changed the filter so you need to reimburse them for parts and labour time.

If they changed the filter without your consent then you could argue and withhold payment.

 

[DJM]

Sorry but I agree with clk270 too

 

[camerafodder]

Sorry but I agree with clk270 too

So do I I'm afraid.

 

[Burger]

One things for sure. If you approach any disagreement fuming and fists clenched the only thing you'll achieve is to put others on defensive and prolong the argument. Calm down, approach them reasonably, explain the confusion and concern calmly and you might be surprised how people respond.