Get it in writing before a wrench is lifted
I WAS listening to a service adviser ask a client at a dealership to read all the terms and conditions written at the rear of the job card as they pertained to the Consumer Protection Act.
I was slightly amused, because on the wall directly behind him the terms were set out in huge, bold letters.
One of them said that if the customer asked the dealership to do further work on the vehicle telephonically, he or she was liable for the cost thereof.
In my view, this is seldom a good idea.
My advice is to ask for a quote in writing for the extra work and send a reply, because this will ensure that no one feels they are getting ripped off.
By writing, I mean at least an SMS on your cellphone outlining the extra work to
If you never asked for or gave instruction to repair, you don’t have to pay for the repair
be carried out. This ensures that there is a record if there is a dispute later on.
I am raising this concern because I was asked to intervene on a client’s behalf after the very same dealership stripped a client’s car without his sayso or having written instructions on the job card. It became a question of he said, she said.
There is no way to prove whether the client did or did not give permission for such major repairs to be carried out.
There was no written communication and the incident escalated to a nightmare for the client.
The dealership would not release the vehicle without a substantial amount of money being paid.
Holding a client’s vehicle hostage is not only unfair, unethical and morally reprehensible, but it goes against everything the consumer act stands for.
What it boils down to is that the dealership did unauthorised work on the vehicle.
This sort of practice is frowned upon by many in the industry, but unfortunately it persists — and it is not a true reflection of the honest mechanics and dealerships out there.
The act insists that for any additional work to be carried out on a client’s vehicle, there has to be some form of traceable communication for the repairer to claim payment.
Eventually, after much arguing and a degree of relief, the gentleman was allowed to pay a much reduced labour charge and the vehicle was released.
Here are some pointers to remember:
Never give a repairer carte blanche with your vehicle repairs because you may have to sell said vehicle merely to pay for the cost of those repairs;
Always insist on a call if there is additional work to be done;
Always insist on taking a copy of the job card that you signed; and
Use your judgment on whether you want to give a go-ahead to repair telephonically or if you want it in writing, depending on the cost.
Finally, if you never asked for or gave instruction to repair, you don’t have to pay for it. It is simple: no quote, no pay.