Lexus Stockport Tried To Kidnap My Baby!

[Pejay]

Hi guys,

I sent my IS200 SE to Lexus Stockport (Smith Knight Fay Group) for a 10,000 mile service on Friday. They picked the car up and said they would service it and return to my home address for a princely sum of £120 inc.

I asked the service dept to get authourisation from me before any other work is carried out.

They picked the car up at 10am and at 12pm I received the first phone call informing me that my lower front balljoints were in very bad shape and in desperate need of replacing. The cost involved was a whopping £324 plus VAT!!!!!

I asked them to give me a full diagnostic report and a written estimate and I would book in at a later date to have these repairs carried out (in reality I intended to do the job myself at a negligent cost :winky:) They said they would complete the service and return the car with the estimate and report.

An hour later I received another call, this time informing that my car could not be released to me bcus it was extremly dangerous and not roadworthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :tsktsk:

They went onto inform me that the balljoints were "literally hanging off" and if I had an accident after they released the car to me they would be liable for prosecution, irrespective of the fact that I had signed for the release of a defective unroadworthy vehicle.

I explained to them that his was the bigest ***** of sh*t I have ever heard!!!!!!!

I also went on to tell him that it appeared that they were twisting my arm so I would authourise costly (possibly uneeded) repairs.

They said that they would not allow me to drive the vehicle away, I would have to arrange a low loader recovery truck!!!!!!! My baby is being kidnapped!!!!!!!

I was livid and I completly lost it with them over the phone and informed them that if my vehicle was not released within half an hour I would be there with a police officer and my solicitor!!!! He said he would let his manager know and get back to me asap.

Ten minutes later he called back and explained the manager has decided as a "gesture of good will" he will release the vehicle but only on a low loader and they would bare the cost. :duh:

The vehicle was delivered to my home address on a truck. I was still overcharged by £7 (£127-00 instead of the quoted £120!!)

Incidently this is the first time I have EVER seen a Lexus on the back of recovery truck (unless you know better?)

I got on the phone to the best lexus parts manager in the UK, Gareth from Lexus Manchester who promptly informed me that the two ball joint would cost me under £100 inc. I picked them this morning and began to remove the one which were "literally hanging off"

Guess what????............................................. Yep you guessed right.............................. Apart from a small amount of play there was nothing wrong with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :tsktsk:

I have still replaced them as a "gesture of good will" to my baby lexus for a third of the price quoted by the robbing ***********s at lexus stockport.

Apart from letting everyone on LOC know does anyone think I should take this any further?????

Has anyone alse had the same problem with this a***hole dealer?????

Edited May 8, 2005 by Rodders_UK

[lexus_IS_200]

They quoted me 318 for a service as liverpool offered me 197 big difference

[Bazza]

ball joints gone at 10000 miles

balls i say

must still be covered by warranty, unless you do rallying in your lex

[Pejay]

ball joints gone at 10000 miles

balls i say 

must still be covered by warranty, unless you do rallying in your lex 

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Sorry my mistake, the car has actually done more miles but it went in for a 10K service, ie a basic oil/oil filter service and a stamp on the service history book!!!!

[lexus boy]

hmmm i am a bit dubious about lexus stockport, due to the fact they have stamped all the previous owners services. and lexus leeds said it had been very poorly serviced all its life by the looks of it.

Glad it gets looked after properly by the leeds servuice department :D

[Gord]

Go back and tell them what you foundout about your ball joints (not falling of) and see what they have to say, i have i problem with my 1st service, didnt even change the oil+filter, boy did i give it to them if you dont go back they will not know, the service manager only says what the mechanic tells him, if its the same mechanic that did the service on my car then i hope they sack him. plesae please go back and tell them.

[Mr Morse]

That is terrible, almost amounts to blackmail. A phone call to Lexus GB is in order.

[Tony-Bones]

To my knowledge the only time a garage can refuse to release the car back to the owner is on an MOT when given a red ticket, "unfit for the road" this power is an extension from the Ministry Of Transport to the tester. The garage is only liable if an accident is a direct result of there work. You should write a serious letter of complaint and post it to them on the nose of a "sidewinder" missile

[MartinC]

Absolute scum mind you, wouldn't be the first time I've heard of garages doing this, infact I've been standing waiting to pay in Vauxhall and they've phoned up and told someone a similar story.

I suppose in a lot of cases they get away with.

Mind you £120 is cheap for a 10k service, £165 at my local dealer

[liam]

Report the b******s to lexus GB

And ive just paid £207 for my 10k service at lexus newcastle

Edited May 8, 2005 by ScarFace

[Tony-Bones]

What i dont understand is: if all these dealers comply to Lexus franchise "how" can the service costs show such disparity

[Colin P]

What i dont understand is: if all these dealers comply to Lexus franchise "how" can the service costs show such disparity

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some dealers do additional things I believe compared to others, always worth checking what exactly they are doing! That's what i've found, supply your own oil too!

[Rob]

What i dont understand is: if all these dealers comply to Lexus franchise "how" can the service costs show such disparity

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the franchise means nothing - i had a big dispute with Bolton, i complained to lexus GB and the reply was that the dealer can do what they want and lexus GB has no control over the dealers or thier actions.

[Rodders_UK]

Maybe complain to trading standards?

[Tony-Bones]

Maybe complain to trading standards?

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I agree... i thought that all prices had to be shown up front , would TS permit tesco Hemel to sell beans at 10p more than Tesco Watford, on that note some years ago i got hold of an internal memo from a fast fit company (no names) and they demanded their managers use the "10p" rule, this means quote a price,but when the customer pays add 10p to the bill, over 1000s of customers in 100s of centres this comes to £1000s of pounds every day, wellcome to "Rip off Britain".

[squarehead]

I think to be fair they handled the situation realistically, take another example, if your brake pads were on min and they phoned you up to explain that work was required and they were going to retain the car if you didn't have the pads changed would you have treated the call in the same way? Remember, a big part of the service are the visual checks carried out. Perhaps they just weren't very diplomatic about the problem.

On the other hand, I don't think they can hold your car, surely if you signed an agreement to hand over the car that would have been sufficent?

I'm surpised by this - was it Lee who looked after you? I've taken my car there for 3 out of the 4 services I've needed and have never ever had a problem.

Good luck anyway!

[Pejay]

I think to be fair they handled the situation realistically, take another example, if your brake pads were on min and they phoned you up to explain that work was required and they were going to retain the car if you didn't have the pads changed would you have treated the call in the same way?  Remember, a big part of the service are the visual checks carried out. Perhaps they just weren't very diplomatic about the problem.

On the other hand, I don't think they can hold your car, surely if you signed an agreement to hand over the car that would have been sufficent?

I'm surpised by this - was it Lee who looked after you? I've taken my car there for 3 out of the 4 services I've needed and have never ever had a problem.

Good luck anyway!

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Yes it was Lee who dealt with it in the end!!!

[Tony-Bones]

I think to be fair they handled the situation realistically, take another example, if your brake pads were on min and they phoned you up to explain that work was required and they were going to retain the car if you didn't have the pads changed would you have treated the call in the same way?

Work required ok :D retain the car :tsktsk: no way! "NO" garage has the right to predict an accident and retain the car if the advice is based on "soon " to change" components.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Think it's a question of trust to, do you believe what they are telling you. In some postings on this board ( and others ) there is evidence in some cases to the contrary.

I believe the only reason the dealer can refuse to release the car is if you have not paid for the work that has been agreed.

[Pejay]

Think it's a question of trust to, do you believe what they are telling you. In some postings on this board ( and others ) there is evidence in some cases to the contrary.

I believe the only reason the dealer can refuse to release the car is if you have not paid for  the work that has been agreed.

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Agree with you completly steve.

As long as I sign for the vehicle they are no longer responsible, I AM!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fargo]

i thought that even then they cant keep what is not theres, they would have to take you to the small claims to pursue money,, not hold your car to ransom..

[Fidgits]

my advice, Click here, Read this then send in a complaint...

I'd reccomend sending a copy of the letter to Lexus GB as well...

This is the sort of behaviour you expect from fly-by-night cowboy outfits, but not from Main Dealerships..

[Fargo]

ahh ic ,, i have been educated...

[Dodgy]

i thought that even then they cant keep what is not theres,  they would have to take you to the small claims to pursue money,, not hold your car to ransom..

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That’s my understanding as well. A few years back now a garage I went to regular over charged me. I was on the phone constantly checking the bill was as they quoted. When the time came to collect the car it had doubled. I refused to pay the bill stating they had ample time to inform me of any changes and ask my permission to carry out any other work. They didn't, they just took it upon themselves, and then hit me with the bill at the end. They even tried, we'll keep hold of your car until the bill is paid. Now you can just imagine the delight I had when I told them to :tsktsk: :tsktsk: . I paid what they quoted me in the first place demanded my keys and told them if they want the rest. I’d gladly see them in court. I haven’t heard from them. I think the only reason why garages do what they do is because they think that most people don’t know anything about cars. In my case I suppose that’s true. But I do know when someone is trying to RIP ME OFF. :tsktsk:

[the_shamen]

Don't see how the garage could be liable if you chose to ignore their advice. They would be liable if they discovered a problem and didn't inform you of it. It you accepted the finding but chose to ignore it then that would be your fault.

Does sound like the garage were overzealous