Time to first damage (The Golf Accident Thread)

**backdoc** · 01-04-2012, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by backdoc

A chemist delivery boy (belonging to the pharamcist below my clinic) tonight decided to throw some hard plastic object against a wall. And guess what? It bounces off, hits my 8 week old car and chips the paint in one spot on my bonet and another on the front quarter panel. To say I'm upset is somewhat of an understatement. Little 14 year old s*#t. Wanted to belt him, but I'm an adult and know better.......supposedly.

So after about 6 months of stuffing around I finally got the ok from their insurance to have my car fixed and my by choice of repairer. Took it to Barloworld Bayside as they have a panel shop that only does VW and Mercs. I thought if I'm having my car pulled apart I'd rather it be by them.

Can't complain with initial service. Had a new Passat as loan car and the car was repaired within 24 hours. Not even sure how that was possible, but anyway. I left in a massive rush as they held me up for 30 mins when picking up my car, so I just quickly looked at area they fixed and it looked good. I specifically said to them I didn't want the car cut and polished as the duco was new and I don't trust them.

Got home that night and go to the boot and noticed my LED tail lights (which I paid for at great expense) are dull and scratched all over. Like someone has used fine grit sand paper over them. To say I was p***ed was an understatement. Next day checked over the car, and not only are the taillights completely scratched but the gloss black trims of the B pillars.

Go back to Barloworld and they tell me its from a car wash. Car has never been in a brushed car wash in its life. It's only done 5000km. I was thinking how many car washes would it have had to go through to look like that anyway! That infuriates me, so I speak to the manager and he books it in the next week to repair it.

Anyway, the repair was polishing the plastic, and although quite alot better not great. I tell him I'm still not happy and they tell me that they did it as a courtesy and that I caused it, they had nothing to do with it and basically p*ss off.

What really annoys me is how pedantic I am about my car and they just don't give a sh*t. I get home in the dark every night and see my taillights "on" and they were so badly damaged I noticed immediately. What happened to customer service?

I was unsure what to do about it. I rang consumer affairs but it just seemed like a bit of a headache, so basically, I'm asking you all to do me a favour, and just spread the word about not trusting your car to Barloworld Bayside and avoid doing business with them. It's certainly not the first time I've had poor customer service from them and I'm just kicking myself that I took my car there.

**SChan** · 01-04-2012, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by backdoc

So after about 6 months of stuffing around I finally got the ok from their insurance to have my car fixed and my by choice of repairer. Took it to Barloworld Bayside as they have a panel shop that only does VW and Mercs. I thought if I'm having my car pulled apart I'd rather it be by them.

Can't complain with initial service. Had a new Passat as loan car and the car was repaired within 24 hours. Not even sure how that was possible, but anyway. I left in a massive rush as they held me up for 30 mins when picking up my car, so I just quickly looked at area they fixed and it looked good. I specifically said to them I didn't want the car cut and polished as the duco was new and I don't trust them.

Got home that night and go to the boot and noticed my LED tail lights (which I paid for at great expense) are dull and scratched all over. Like someone has used fine grit sand paper over them. To say I was p***ed was an understatement. Next day checked over the car, and not only are the taillights completely scratched but the gloss black trims of the B pillars.

Go back to Barloworld and they tell me its from a car wash. Car has never been in a brushed car wash in its life. It's only done 5000km. I was thinking how many car washes would it have had to go through to look like that anyway! That infuriates me, so I speak to the manager and he books it in the next week to repair it.

Anyway, the repair was polishing the plastic, and although quite alot better not great. I tell him I'm still not happy and they tell me that they did it as a courtesy and that I caused it, they had nothing to do with it and basically p*ss off.

What really annoys me is how pedantic I am about my car and they just don't give a sh*t. I get home in the dark every night and see my taillights "on" and they were so badly damaged I noticed immediately. What happened to customer service?

I was unsure what to do about it. I rang consumer affairs but it just seemed like a bit of a headache, so basically, I'm asking you all to do me a favour, and just spread the word about not trusting your car to Barloworld Bayside and avoid doing business with them. It's certainly not the first time I've had poor customer service from them and I'm just kicking myself that I took my car there.

Sorry to hear about your car Mate.

**SilvrFoxX** · 02-04-2012, 04:36 AM

What a crap story, what is it with cars and service, appears to be an industry wide issue which in my books is the deciding factor in repeat business. Subaru have a huge repeat business, the product is one element but year after year their Service record is one of the top rated.. something it that don't you think.

I had 6 great years of Subaru ownership with great service, would have bought another one if the Liberty shape had't gone wrong. I have also had a Kia Carnival for 10 years and I would not recommend it to anyone, the service alone was the pits and I mean the lowest of the low. Don't care if their product is now looking better and working better , the service was garbage

**Candyman** · 02-04-2012, 06:35 AM

You can't compare manufacturers by dealers - doesn't work that way

Purely on warranty work, VW 5hit all over Subaru (same goes for quality of materials and build). Been here before so most know my views on Subaru versus VW.

Good luck with repairs to those going through the experience. We all have different levels of expectations with repairs. I've yet to find any repairer come close to meeting mine

**Agolf 5hitstir** · 02-04-2012, 07:44 AM

I had no idea I had so much company when it came to these kinds of stories, I thought I was the only one.

Back in the old days I purchased my very 1st new car (mitsubishi mirage, dont judge me) after only having my licence for 18 months and saving like a bitch. At this stage there was none of these on the road yet as I was one of the first to get one. I had the thing for only 4 weeks to come back to the shopping centre car park where I had parked it to find someone had keyed a full lap around the car

Every panel coped a nice pinstripe

Back in those days being 18 and having a new car meant $1800 excess so there was no hope in hell it was getting fixed in a hurry. So now the car I had worked so hard to own had the best job of touch up paint I could do all the way round it. Every time I would walk up to it to get in my heart would break a little more.

To this day you have no idea how much I would pay to know who / why someone did this to my car and just have 2 minutes alone with them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**peedman** · 02-04-2012, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by backdoc

So after about 6 months of stuffing around I finally got the ok from their insurance to have my car fixed and my by choice of repairer. Took it to Barloworld Bayside as they have a panel shop that only does VW and Mercs. I thought if I'm having my car pulled apart I'd rather it be by them.

Can't complain with initial service. Had a new Passat as loan car and the car was repaired within 24 hours. Not even sure how that was possible, but anyway. I left in a massive rush as they held me up for 30 mins when picking up my car, so I just quickly looked at area they fixed and it looked good. I specifically said to them I didn't want the car cut and polished as the duco was new and I don't trust them.

Got home that night and go to the boot and noticed my LED tail lights (which I paid for at great expense) are dull and scratched all over. Like someone has used fine grit sand paper over them. To say I was p***ed was an understatement. Next day checked over the car, and not only are the taillights completely scratched but the gloss black trims of the B pillars.

Go back to Barloworld and they tell me its from a car wash. Car has never been in a brushed car wash in its life. It's only done 5000km. I was thinking how many car washes would it have had to go through to look like that anyway! That infuriates me, so I speak to the manager and he books it in the next week to repair it.

Anyway, the repair was polishing the plastic, and although quite alot better not great. I tell him I'm still not happy and they tell me that they did it as a courtesy and that I caused it, they had nothing to do with it and basically p*ss off.

What really annoys me is how pedantic I am about my car and they just don't give a sh*t. I get home in the dark every night and see my taillights "on" and they were so badly damaged I noticed immediately. What happened to customer service?

I was unsure what to do about it. I rang consumer affairs but it just seemed like a bit of a headache, so basically, I'm asking you all to do me a favour, and just spread the word about not trusting your car to Barloworld Bayside and avoid doing business with them. It's certainly not the first time I've had poor customer service from them and I'm just kicking myself that I took my car there.

Have you tried contacting your insurance to say that you are not happy? Most insurers have the lifetime guarantee of repairs so i would raise it up with them.

**backdoc** · 02-04-2012, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by peedman

Have you tried contacting your insurance to say that you are not happy? Most insurers have the lifetime guarantee of repairs so i would raise it up with them.

Yes rang them. Because the new damage is not the site of the repair work I can only claim it under my excess if I wish, but essentially it's my word versus theirs. I'm seeing so much of it these days, where people just don't care. I don't know how they live like that. Sometimes I wish I was a bit more like that as maybe my car being damaged wouldn't feel like such a big deal. And I guess in the grand scheme of things it's not............but unfortunately it is!

**Candyman** · 02-04-2012, 02:16 PM

Repairers damaged the front bar when my R was in for rear bumper repair !

They refused to admit fault (even though I had evidence)

They patched it and after the mess they made of the actual other repairs I left it at that.

Industry standard ....

**SilvrFoxX** · 02-04-2012, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Candyman

You can't compare manufacturers by dealers - doesn't work that way

I didn't mention dealers, I am talking about post sales service and the manufacturer is judged by association. I can tell you now that service will be a major determining factor in repeat business.