It's a good thing I don't work in Burton Upon Trent....

Because the dealership I had the misfortune to take my beloved little monster to, couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

I was expecting to collect my car just after 12:00, but a phone call earlier today put paid to that.  Ok - they would drop the car off to me at work...

16:20 and I get a call...  I jokingly ask if there is another problem...  Only to be told yes - the car will need to go back to them on Monday.

I have to admit I was speechless.  Especially when I was told the reason why...

When the new wheel hub was being fitted, they managed to damage the ABS sensor on the wheel.  Great.  As if I haven't had enough trouble since the car went into them.

I was reassured that the car was safe to drive, albeit I would have no ABS, or traction control - meaning that I would have to seriously re-adjust my driving style when it came to braking.

What they *didn't* tell me was that my dashboard would light up like a Christmas tree, and that I would get multiple warnings and chimes as the car told me that the following issues were going to occur (and these are just the ones I can remember!)

1. The service light on
2. Engine warning light and error messages
3. Hill start inoperative
4. TPMS system issues

To say that I am furious is an understatement. The drive home was probably the slowest I have ever been on that road as the weather was diabolical - heavy rain.  Just what I needed with the car having brake issues. 

The dealership has said that they already have the part and will collect monster from work on Monday.  I won't be charged as it was their fault and will top my fuel tank off as well.

Whilst I appreciate the guesture, I would have preferred that they had sorted the wheel bearing (and found the issue with the wheel hub) without all the stress and hassle this has caused me.

Yet again, it is a weekend where we will have to use Mum's car as mine is out of comission.  Again.

Ah well, I am going to try to relax and de-stress this weekend, ready for all the hassle to restart on Monday.

Back when I need to rant again.

Karen

Spin like a wheel
I fall down to my knees
Don’t you know how bad that feels
It hurts when you’re in need
Never forget
Never regret

Waiting for the monster

Well, this time I’ve not had to chase the dealership for an update. They called me just after 10:30, to say that they didn’t think the car would be ready by 12:00. Great. But they have said that they will drop the car to me to make it easier for me, and wanted to know what time I finished work…

Ok – I appreciate the call, but the question about my finishing time now has me slightly worried. What *else* have they messed up and not told me about?? And I still have the “joy” of paying for the privilege of being stressed out by them – and it’s not cheap. Like £600 type not cheap.

Suffice to say my decision has now been made. The car has been there once – and that was enough for me. They missed things that should have been spotted and have charged top price (£160 per hour for labour) for the “luxury” of having their so-called technicians make a mess of a reasonably simple repair.

The worst part for me was the fact that I had already told them there was an issue with the nearside (left) front wheel where I hit a dratted pothole, so they didn’t have to look very hard.

Luckily, the little monster won’t need to be serviced for another 12 months, so I won’t have to deal with them again. And if I need any work doing before then, my colleagues have recommended a local garage where the fleet cars (and their own private cars) are worked on.

That is good enough for me – I have not had the best experience with this new dealership, and the stress and hassle this has caused me, and the rest of my family isn’t worth this.

Time to call this quits – my lunch break is coming to an end.

Back later…

Karen

Look now the circus is here
Too many clowns
Waiting for freedom to disappear

At last. The monster is ready to come home… Tomorrow.

Well, I can now confirm that the part(s) have landed and are being fitted to the little monster, meaning that I can collect it tomorrow. I could have pushed for this evening, but it would have been my luck for something else to break and delay the collection.

I will admit, I did apologise to the lad I was dealing with for being grumpy – but I think that he could understand my point of view. So, I will give them benefit of the doubt, but will be rather careful the next time the car has to go into them for any work.

Now all I have to do is hope that nothing else happens before I collect the monster – and more to the point make it up to Mum for the last three days of early starts… 

 Especially as I start work in Banbury at 08:30, so we have to leave home at about 07:35… The traffic is hell once you get into Banbury – reminded me of having to fight my way through Leamington – something I did for the last 18 years or so.

Ah well, time to call this quits – got things to do and people to annoy.

Back tomorrow – hopefully with the monster…

Karen

I gave no thought to wisdom

It all but vanished in the haze

This fragile hand of fortune

Had changed and turned it all to grey

Waiting for an update

As I type this, I am waiting for information on the monster.  Which is still with the dealership, waiting for the part to arrive.  

I don't think the car will be ready today, so it is yet another day that it hasn't been sorted.  I know that they have to wait for the part, but not being able to offer me a loan car either???

I pointed out that the issue with the bearing was one thing, but missing that the hub was damaged as well is unforgivable in my book. 

It wasn't like I hadn't warned the dealership.  I told them when I booked the car in that I had hit a pothole, so common sense dictates that you check the whole assembly - not just one part.

I understand that the loan cars are pre-booked.  Fair enough.  But not being able (or willing until I pushed the issue) to sort out a car for someone like me who is out of the area, and was expecting the car today...

And I have to admit I am somewhat disappointed with the lack of communication.  

If the dealership had kept me informed, I wouldn't be as angry / fustrated as I am now.  It seems to be me having to chase for updates - which was something I began to hate about Arbury....

I am expecting a call at 16:00.  Hopefully with good news, or the offer of a suitable loan car...

Back later with good news - I hope.

Karen

You always take the hard road
And people say you're a bad seed
Take the hard road
You always take the hard road
That's really something you don't need
Take the hard road

Yet another issue…

Just called the dealership to see how the car is getting on with fitting the new bearing, as I know it takes about 90min to fit.... 

And I have to wait another day, because they missed another issue – I’ve bent the wheel hub on the wheel that had the issue with the bearing.

Why this wasn’t found when the car was serviced, and the damaged bearing was being replaced is a question that I shall be asking when I finally pick the monster up. Hopefully tomorrow, but at the moment, I am *not* holding my breath.  

But as it stands, when I *do* pick the car up, I shall be asking questions along the lines of “why wasn’t this picked up when the car was serviced, and what about a discount for the inconvenience.  

Simply because I have been without the car for 2 days when I was told that this would be sorted out today. 

Luckily for me, I can get a lift, but that’s not the point. I was planning on getting the car this afternoon and was thinking that I may have struck lucky with the new dealership...

And this started all so well when I dropped the car in yesterday. I just hope this isn’t a sign of things to come, as this is starting to feel like déjà vu...

Back tomorrow – hopefully with good news.

Karen

In these days of no trust
Evermore hostility
We’re all living under the same old sky
We’re all telling the same old lie
In these days of no trust

The wheel bearing explodes

And no – I am not joking. I’ve just had a call from the dealership…

They went to fit the new bearing, and the dratted thing exploded – ball bearings everywhere – all across the workshop. So, the monster is out of service as they need to get the new bearing in and can’t fit it until tomorrow.

This meant I have just had to do my ET bit and call home. Luckily for me, Mum can pick me up, but it means that she will have to be up early tomorrow to drop me off at work.

I am going to be so popular for that… Not.

Ah well, at least they had the decency to call me before I left and travelled down…

Time to call this quits – I need to get ready to escape…

Back tomorrow.

Karen

Like a broken wheel keeps turnin’,
You ain’t going nowhere,

Now you’ve gotta heal that burnin’,
Or you ain’t got a prayer,
Like a broken wheel

Relieved isn’t the word

I’ve just had the news I wanted to hear… The monster has passed the MOT. And the nasty knocking? A wheel bearing.

Ok – it could have been worse – I thought I had damaged the front suspension strut on the car, as I dropped the little beastie down a pothole. (Thanks a lot for using my road theft (aka road tax) for road repairs WCC!!)  

So, the dealership – (NOT Arbury I have to say) have got the pattern part on order. A price difference of £200 for not having Peugeot stamped on it (not to mention the delay in getting the things sorted out – ok, one whole day, but £200 is £200…)

And why am I not using Arbury after all this time? Simples. I have changed jobs and can’t trust them not to mess the booking up. After all, it took three attempts for them to sort out a dratted timing belt change for Mum’s car…    

First time, they didn’t let us know that they hadn’t got the part until 07:45 the day of the collection. That didn’t go down well… Second time… They forgot to book the car in, which Mum found out after she called them to ask where the driver was, who was supposed to collect the car from home at 08:30. As it was a 5-hr job (and she called them at 11:30) there was no way they could do the job.  

What really annoyed Mum was being told that there was a booking… For the day that they had called to say the part hadn’t arrived.  

Mum pointed out that she had re-booked the car, only to be asked who she spoke to. Not a good move, as it was the person on the phone who had allegedly booked the car in! 

Third time lucky – but only after Mum let loose with a few well-deserved verbal rockets at the so-called service reception.  

OK – the car is now sorted, but shall we say that Mum is less than impressed with them. As she has one more service courtesy of her service plan, the car will go to them for that, but after that… Arbury is no longer looking after the two family Peugeots.

Which is a shame as I have said. I have had my Peugeots looked after them for the past 18 years, and Mum has had her Peugeots looked after them for rather longer than that… Like about 30 something years.  

So now I shall be letting new engineers look after my little monster… Which is a shame, as the team in the Arbury workshop were really good – it was the service “reception” that let them down. And that will not help them in future, as the old saying goes…

“You get good service; you might tell 1 / 2 people about it. Bad service… You tell EVERYONE about it”

And that is what is happening now.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’m due back from lunch in a few minutes…

Back when I have something else to rant about.

Karen

And now it’s time to cross that river
And show your feelings just before you depart
You know it’s real, you must consider
No good remaining, so hold back the tears
Don’t ever give up the fight