My Chevy dealer scratched my new Camaro! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

AdamEL · 08-15-2012, 10:41 PM

So I brought my 3-week old Camaro in to the dealer today at my scheduled appointment at 8am to fix my rattling blower motor cage [figured out what it was thanks to this forum, in fact!]. And not only did they NOT get to my car repair today, but when I got it back home, I found a scratch on my rear passenger side fender!!! My car stayed at the dealer the entire day today, so it was definitely damaged there and nowhere else. I'm not the kind of customer to cause a scene for anything, really. I'm as easy going as it gets. But I don't think I've ever been angrier in my entire life than I am right now. I have to bring my car back in the morning so they can get to the repair that they were supposed to do TODAY, and I'm going to make sure they see the scratch that they put on my car. At least I have a few hours to calm down before I head back up there... I don't know how they're going to compensate me for this, but I'm going to make sure they know what their negligent mechanics did to my brand new car that STILL HAS THE DRIVE-OUT TAGS ON IT!!!

So yea... I'm not just using this forum as a means to rant to people who will truly understand my pain and frustration. I'm wondering who I should talk to when I get there tomorrow. Who would you ask for? The service writer, head mechanic, shop manager or my sales guy? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading...

camaro2lt · 08-15-2012, 10:44 PM

ask for your service manager....tell them to fix it or you will make a claim with gm!.........................gm gives dealers hell over this.......couple of weeks ago my car was in the shop and the sctrached my rear fascia...i went to my service writer and they took care of it i would let your sales guy know too

Grimlock · 08-15-2012, 11:15 PM

Mention it to your service advisor. Mine took care of it right away, no questions asked. Now if he/she puts up a fight, then ask for the manager. Proceed up the ladder as so.

AdamEL · 08-16-2012, 12:37 AM

Thanks for the advice, guys. I've been dealing with one service adviser, and he's a nice guy, so maybe he'll help me out. If not, I'll ask for a manager. I'm a little concerned that they won't fix it because this dealer doesn't do body work. But surely they'll have an orbital sander and some scratch removing compound. We'll see what happens in about 7 hours from now. Wish me luck.

alaskacamaro · 08-16-2012, 01:00 AM

Agreed. I posted a recent rant on the dealer forum earlier today. Only I spoke to the assistant service manager and he was giving me the "that dent was there when you brought it in, I just forgot where I put the note where I documented that.....". I was trying to be a calm customer but this particular person has extremely bad CS. Have a feeling Im going to have to get a little nastier when I go in tomorrow for my oil change.

TheHorse13 · 08-16-2012, 07:01 AM

Be thankful that your dealer is even bothering to try to make it right. Most of the time you will get, "It was like that when it got here.".

dwinva · 08-16-2012, 07:40 AM

I took mine in after 8 days to fix an Onstar issue. They had it for a week and when I picked it up there were a couple of chips in the paint on the door and the fascia. Also, there was a scratch in the dash. I was nice but direct and was immediately put in contact with the service manager. The first words out of his mouth were "I apologize and I will make this right." This made me feel better right away. Be nice but firm (accidents happen...the world is not a perfect place) and give them a chance to make things right for you. If they don't do this or balk at it, then run it up the food chain until you get satisfaction. Good luck.

hightower · 08-16-2012, 08:30 AM

Most dealers suck. :(

VenomInside · 08-16-2012, 08:33 AM

*awaits brandon's post*

Well, I would go in and talk to the service manager. He will probably claim that it didn't happen there and blah blah blah. Stick to your guns.

angie7 · 08-16-2012, 08:41 AM

I soo know how you feel. Before my SS, I bought a new cyber gray LT. It had a tiny scratch in the hip area that could b buffed out. So the day I went in to sign the papers, they took the car to get it buffed. Well whoever did it left deep swirls and even laid the edge of the buffer into the paint on the decklid. At first they denied it but finally agreed to fix it which required a full repaint of the hip and partial trunk. I was pissed. My brand new car w 3 miles on it needed to be repainted!! I had to get temp car for 3 days and demanded a Camaro. I went in with one and I was going to leave with one. I guess that pissed the mgr off who tried to say that he was going to take the car back and not return my $$. Basically stealing my car! He looked over the papers I had just signed looking for a loophole so he could take the car back. We were argueing very loudly bc he was trying to steal my car! and all this happened in the middleof the showroom. We called his boss who handled everything very well after that. I will nvr use that dealer again (Ferman Chevrolet in Brandon, Fl) I also made a complaint with GM directly.

Dont stop fighting. They need to fix this as good as new. But I can tell you that when I traded my LT in 7 mths later, the stripe they replaced was already peeling up and the paint was already fading where they "fixed" it.

Nitrostangracingautosport · 08-16-2012, 08:43 AM

Call them and report it NOW! Don't waste time. The more time the car is back in your possession, the more chance they have to deny helping you out!

Mutant Racer · 08-16-2012, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamEL

but when I got it back home, I found a scratch on my rear passenger side fender!!!

At home is the wrong time to find it. This is just friendly advice Adam but inspect your car before you accept it back and the dealership will have no choice but to fix any problems you find. Take a few minutes and check your vehicle, protect yourself from these situations and you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.

Hopefully they take good care of you and get you back on the road with no fuss.

Todd45thAnniversaryV6 · 08-16-2012, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamEL

Thanks for the advice, guys. I've been dealing with one service adviser, and he's a nice guy, so maybe he'll help me out. If not, I'll ask for a manager. I'm a little concerned that they won't fix it because this dealer doesn't do body work. But surely they'll have an orbital sander and some scratch removing compound. We'll see what happens in about 7 hours from now. Wish me luck.

Dude, don't let them go near it with a sander and compound if they don't have a body shop. You might end up getting it back looking worse than it did when you drop it off. that's what I'm going through right now with my roof repair that I had my dealer do and they do have a body shop. You would be best send to a reputable body shop to have a repair done. The last thing you want is some service guys going after your paint with a sander and compound.

AdamEL · 08-16-2012, 11:09 PM

Thank you for the replies and advice, everybody. Believe it or not, I actually have great news to report - the scratch was completely buffed out and there are no swirl marks to be found. When I got it back, that was the only spot on it that was clean. The rest of the car was filthy. And no, I certainly didn't bring it to the shop filthy, so I guess it just got dirty in the repair bay. But I checked it out closely before I drove off and it looked fine. Then I stopped by the car wash and gave it a super thorough wash [by hand, as always], and there are no new scuffs or scratches, thank God. The only downside is that they didn't clean, fix, or replace the blower motor cage or cabin air filter, which is the reason that I brought it to them to begin with. They said they couldn't make the noise happen for them, so they couldn't do the repair. After two mornings of getting up at the butt crack of dawn, I'm just going to live with that occasional noise, I suppose. At least I know what it is... I'm just really really happy to have the car back. Being without it has been very hard for me to deal with...

And Angie, that is a freaking TERRIBLE story!!! Contacting GM was the right thing to do. Did you contact the BBB, too?

08-15-2012, 10:41 PM	#1
AdamEL Adam E. Lucchesi Drives: 2010 1SS/RS LS3 VR Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,381 View My Garage	My Chevy dealer scratched my new Camaro! So I brought my 3-week old Camaro in to the dealer today at my scheduled appointment at 8am to fix my rattling blower motor cage [figured out what it was thanks to this forum, in fact!]. And not only did they NOT get to my car repair today, but when I got it back home, I found a scratch on my rear passenger side fender!!! My car stayed at the dealer the entire day today, so it was definitely damaged there and nowhere else. I'm not the kind of customer to cause a scene for anything, really. I'm as easy going as it gets. But I don't think I've ever been angrier in my entire life than I am right now. I have to bring my car back in the morning so they can get to the repair that they were supposed to do TODAY, and I'm going to make sure they see the scratch that they put on my car. At least I have a few hours to calm down before I head back up there... I don't know how they're going to compensate me for this, but I'm going to make sure they know what their negligent mechanics did to my brand new car that STILL HAS THE DRIVE-OUT TAGS ON IT!!! So yea... I'm not just using this forum as a means to rant to people who will truly understand my pain and frustration. I'm wondering who I should talk to when I get there tomorrow. Who would you ask for? The service writer, head mechanic, shop manager or my sales guy? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading...

08-15-2012, 10:44 PM	#2
camaro2lt Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT VR/RS CGM Rally's Join Date: May 2009 Location: Palmyra, PA Posts: 5,675 View My Garage	ask for your service manager....tell them to fix it or you will make a claim with gm!.........................gm gives dealers hell over this.......couple of weeks ago my car was in the shop and the sctrached my rear fascia...i went to my service writer and they took care of it i would let your sales guy know too __________________ Email: rdurso1@yahoo.com

08-16-2012, 08:30 AM	#8
hightower LS3 Black Widow Drives: 2012 45th 2SS LS3 and 1968 Mustang Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Madison, GA Posts: 4,557	Most dealers suck. :( __________________ My Camaro Story

08-16-2012, 08:41 AM	#10
angie7 Smoked by a GIRL Drives: 2014 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 3,748 View My Garage	I soo know how you feel. Before my SS, I bought a new cyber gray LT. It had a tiny scratch in the hip area that could b buffed out. So the day I went in to sign the papers, they took the car to get it buffed. Well whoever did it left deep swirls and even laid the edge of the buffer into the paint on the decklid. At first they denied it but finally agreed to fix it which required a full repaint of the hip and partial trunk. I was pissed. My brand new car w 3 miles on it needed to be repainted!! I had to get temp car for 3 days and demanded a Camaro. I went in with one and I was going to leave with one. I guess that pissed the mgr off who tried to say that he was going to take the car back and not return my $$. Basically stealing my car! He looked over the papers I had just signed looking for a loophole so he could take the car back. We were argueing very loudly bc he was trying to steal my car! and all this happened in the middleof the showroom. We called his boss who handled everything very well after that. I will nvr use that dealer again (Ferman Chevrolet in Brandon, Fl) I also made a complaint with GM directly. Dont stop fighting. They need to fix this as good as new. But I can tell you that when I traded my LT in 7 mths later, the stripe they replaced was already peeling up and the paint was already fading where they "fixed" it. __________________ 2014 2SS/RS Summit White w/ IOM interior "Powder 2.0"

08-15-2012, 11:15 PM	#3
Grimlock dey see me rollin Drives: the magic school bus Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Vault 101 Posts: 823	Mention it to your service advisor. Mine took care of it right away, no questions asked. Now if he/she puts up a fight, then ask for the manager. Proceed up the ladder as so.

08-16-2012, 12:37 AM	#4
AdamEL Adam E. Lucchesi Drives: 2010 1SS/RS LS3 VR Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,381 View My Garage	Thanks for the advice, guys. I've been dealing with one service adviser, and he's a nice guy, so maybe he'll help me out. If not, I'll ask for a manager. I'm a little concerned that they won't fix it because this dealer doesn't do body work. But surely they'll have an orbital sander and some scratch removing compound. We'll see what happens in about 7 hours from now. Wish me luck.

08-16-2012, 01:00 AM	#5
alaskacamaro Drives: 2012 2SS 45TH Anniversary Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Kentucky Posts: 720	Agreed. I posted a recent rant on the dealer forum earlier today. Only I spoke to the assistant service manager and he was giving me the "that dent was there when you brought it in, I just forgot where I put the note where I documented that.....". I was trying to be a calm customer but this particular person has extremely bad CS. Have a feeling Im going to have to get a little nastier when I go in tomorrow for my oil change.

08-16-2012, 07:01 AM	#6
TheHorse13 Drives: 2011 Black SS M6 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Harpers Ferry, WV Posts: 1,116	Be thankful that your dealer is even bothering to try to make it right. Most of the time you will get, "It was like that when it got here.".

08-16-2012, 07:40 AM	#7
dwinva Drives: 13 2SS/RSvert,CRT,dual-mode exhaust Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 314	I took mine in after 8 days to fix an Onstar issue. They had it for a week and when I picked it up there were a couple of chips in the paint on the door and the fascia. Also, there was a scratch in the dash. I was nice but direct and was immediately put in contact with the service manager. The first words out of his mouth were "I apologize and I will make this right." This made me feel better right away. Be nice but firm (accidents happen...the world is not a perfect place) and give them a chance to make things right for you. If they don't do this or balk at it, then run it up the food chain until you get satisfaction. Good luck.

08-16-2012, 08:43 AM	#11
Nitrostangracingautosport Drives: Brand X Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Margate Florida Posts: 28	Call them and report it NOW! Don't waste time. The more time the car is back in your possession, the more chance they have to deny helping you out!

08-16-2012, 11:09 PM	#14
AdamEL Adam E. Lucchesi Drives: 2010 1SS/RS LS3 VR Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,381 View My Garage	Thank you for the replies and advice, everybody. Believe it or not, I actually have great news to report - the scratch was completely buffed out and there are no swirl marks to be found. When I got it back, that was the only spot on it that was clean. The rest of the car was filthy. And no, I certainly didn't bring it to the shop filthy, so I guess it just got dirty in the repair bay. But I checked it out closely before I drove off and it looked fine. Then I stopped by the car wash and gave it a super thorough wash [by hand, as always], and there are no new scuffs or scratches, thank God. The only downside is that they didn't clean, fix, or replace the blower motor cage or cabin air filter, which is the reason that I brought it to them to begin with. They said they couldn't make the noise happen for them, so they couldn't do the repair. After two mornings of getting up at the butt crack of dawn, I'm just going to live with that occasional noise, I suppose. At least I know what it is... I'm just really really happy to have the car back. Being without it has been very hard for me to deal with... And Angie, that is a freaking TERRIBLE story!!! Contacting GM was the right thing to do. Did you contact the BBB, too?