New Polo GTI delivered with spider webbing in paint...

[mathemagician]

Hi guys,

I'm not sure if I am posting in the right section. Admins, please feel free to move this thread to the appropriate section!

I have recently picked up my new Polo GTI (see signature). However, as it was a sunny day, I saw that the entire paint was covered in those very fine circular scratches, also called spider webbing.

I pointed this out to the salesperson before handing over the bank cheque, and I said this needed to be rectified. He agreed, and in the delivery check list (which I had to sign) we did NOT tick off paintwork as being ok.

As it was a Saturday and their paint guys weren't there, we made an appointment for me to come to the dealership one more time (140km from where I live) on a weekday. When I got there it was cloudy and rainy so the scratches were not visible. They also didn't want to do anything as it "had to go through the proper warranty channels". I was annoyed as I had been promised that this issue would be fixed on that day and I had just driven 2h to get there.

In the end, the service manager promised me he would follow this up with some "higher-ups" in Melbourne. He was in contact with me during the last few days and told me that one of the Melbourne VW people would contact me and come to view the paintwork at my address. He also said that a proper cut-and-polish would probably fix this as it was most likely on the surface of the clear coat.

Yesterday however, I received an email which - indirectly - told me they wouldn't do anything about this. Upon calling the service manager today he explained that the dealer principal as well as some higher-up warranty guy had said that this was not covered by their warranty - only deeper scratches, dents, etc. and that this matter was herewith "resolved", as all their new cars came in this condition.

Now as you all can imagine, I feel tricked and angry!

My questions:

• Has anyone else been sold a new VW with fine scratches? If yes, what have you done about it?
• Are they right, claiming that this is not covered by warranty?
• If I have a claim, would I be able to get it done at a local VW dealership? I obviously don't want to drive there again.

I have spoken to a detailing company and they know of spider webbing. Their professional treatment which would remove the spider webbing costs almost $500 - which I obviously don't want to have to pay out of my own pocket!

Please let me know if you need more details. Any constructive advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[FJ Steve]

Face to face with the DP....only way to resolve this.

They're trying to call your bluff.

[cyborgcuprajq]

If you're not a detailer yourself in 2 weeks your car will look exactly the same or even worse after the first wash. I don't see the point to make them correct the paint right now. Maybe that's why they told you it wasnt covered by warranty. Even if they do try to correct the paint they don't have the necessary skill to do so. They will just polish the car and create holograms which are only visible at strong light.

Ofc I'm just telling you my oppinion and if you do have some detailing experience then I apologize

[R1 Crasher]

I think that this is a dealership issue and not a VW one, ie, detail before handover caused the issue .And as you say a professional detailer will be able to rectify the problems caused by the dealership.They just dont want to pay for a quality detailer to do the rectification work required.

[R1 Crasher]

As a side note,whenever I pick up a new car,I allways ask the dealership not to detail it as I will do it myself. Remember a big dealership selling 100 +vehicles per month will not spend a lot of time detailing your car to a particularly high standard.When I get the new car home I wash, Claybar and wax the car throughout.Usually spending about 6 hrs on it.This way I find any paint defects or other issues that might be there.

[brad]

It is covered - it's what you paid that huge pre-delivery fee for.

One of my mates that bought a new GTI & the PD was a shocker & he had all the paintwork corrected by the detailer of his choice & paid for by the dealership. It was $350 worth at trade rates.

Keep at it. Get in touch with the DP & also VW customer care.

[mathemagician]

@cyborgcuprajq:
I am not a professional detailer but I know how to detail a car and the mistakes that can be made, which can have consequences such as these. And you are right, if not taken good care of, the paint will look bad quite soon - however, that is my choice. But in my eyes, the dealer is obligated to present me with an immaculate vehicle when I'm buying a new car.

@R1 Crasher:
I had originally requested for the car not to be detailed, but then the salesperson said that the cars are usually delivered quite dirty and that they wouldn't want to present me with a dirty car. That's when I agreed for them to do a light clean, but nothing more. Unfortunately, this may have been enough. My original plan was like yours, take it home and spend a good few hours detailing it MY way...

@FJ Steve and brad:
I thought so. Both times when I was at the dealership, the DP tried to smooth-talk me while passing by, that the paint is just fine and that I'm too worried. I didn't deal with him otherwise, only the service manager informed me of the DP's verdict. I will definitely call up VW customer care tomorrow and tell them that I am not letting this go.

And to be honest, I don't see why I should waste my time and petrol (280 km back and forth) to let them do it. I'd much rather have a reputable detailer do it and have them cover the bill.

[gavs]

Ok, you're in Melbourne yeah? This wouldn't be a certain dealership chain that has dealers in Camberwell and Epping?

When I picked up my GTI from the specific Epping dealership, they organised it for late afternoon (which I have since been informed is a ploy to get you out quicker) an I noticed that the Golf GTI also being picked up was covered in swirl marks and spider webbing. The $60k Amarok in black that was being picked up was so bad on the tonneau cover alone, it looked silver in some lights.

My car wasn't too bad, until I got it home and noticed 2 massive swipe marks on the drivers door, they looked as if someone dropped a rag in the dirt and wiped the car. I rang up an got "yeah yeah, no worries, we didn't have time to get a proper detail on it so bring it back and we will organise it..." which was true because I needed the car that night to head up to Yarrawonga.

Next Thursday I drop the car off to get detailed by their detailed in Brunswick (~20kms each way) and head to work. Come to pick up the car that night and it looks clean, it's been vacuumed but the suction cup marks are still all over the rear windscreen and aside from where the rego label goes, the windscreen is still covered in grime so thick I can scrape it off with my fingernails. I start gutting a bit suspicious at this stage, so I pull out my xenon torch (great for inspectin paint) and walk around the car. Not only have the swipes not been corrected but now there are even more swirls and marks in the paint, particularly on the mirror caps. I'm livid at this stage so I confront the sales member with a bit of WTF?!?! And I get "you can't polish mirror caps because theyre plastic, it burns the paint..." and that's when I lost it.

I was doing casual detailing before my current job do I know a fair bit about it so I gave it a bit of "what about bumpers? What about other moulded trim? What about spoilers?" and got "those are different" at which point I cut in and said "no *****, they're not. They are all a Polypropylene base material with a ~30%epdm blend ratio and some talc bulk filler. If you're going to bulltish someone, do it to someone who doesn't know what they are talking about. Don expect to ever see this car at this dealership again and fom now on, I will do my utmost to steer people away from this dealership".

So, if it the dealership in question, don't bother because your car will come back most likely worse than when you droppe it off.

[gavs]

Oh, I forgot to add. The significance of the distance to Brunswick? Well my car had 17kms on the trip computer from when I reset it with an average fuel consumption of 24l/100kms.

[mathemagician]

@gavs:
Wow, gavs! That's some serious crap they tried to pull off with you! So how did you get it all fixed? Got it detailed elsewhere and sent them the bill? Or used your own expertise and skills? - No, it is a dealership far outside Melbourne. But good job keeping your oath warning people of 'that' dealership

UPDATE:
I called VW Customer Service and complained about the issue today around 2:30 pm. The customer care person was quite understanding and said she would contact me on Monday regardless whether things are clarified or not, but to keep me updated. Around 4:20 pm I had a missed call from the dealership but I didn't call them back yet. Don't want to get angry before the weekend Anyway, will return their call on Monday if they don't call me before. Will keep you guys posted!