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Nicolaos

Please help. I need advice.

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Has anyone had such crap F*cked-up service?:

PART 1
* I bought a brand-new Fiat Grande Punto in May 2006
* During the first week of driving I noticed that there a few defaults:
1) Clip under handbrake would not clip in properly
2) Back right door wouldn't open smoothly - it needed force
3) Cover on dashboard had lifted/bend
4) There was a rattling noise from the front right wheel.
* I arranged to take the car in and was told to leave it for the day and all would be sorted out free of charge as it's a new car.
* At end of the day I was called to pick up the car and on arrival I found that NOTHING was fixed. They just washed the car. (1)
* The service manager apologised and asked me to take the car back the next day.
* I dropped of the car the next day (2). At end of the day I was called to pick up the car again and on arrival I found that only the handbrake clip was fixed. The dashboard was the same and the door wouldn't open AT ALL now.
* I was asked to drop off the car again the next day and after I insisted that they collected the car(3).
* After the third day the door was better but still not smooth and was told that the dashboard had a broken clip and they'd order the part and call me when it arrives.
* After a month I called to inquire about the Dashboard and was told the part has been ordered and that they'd let me know when it arrives.
* The following month I called again and they got abrupt and told me not to call as they would call me when the part arrives.
* Two weeks ago I called Fiat's head office and spoke to a customer consultant and was promised to get a call back.
* The next day after NOT having received a call back I called again and spoke to Fiat's Parts Manager.
* He was upset with the service I had received. He called me back with a reference number and contact person and branch where they had a part like the one I needed for the dashboard was at. He said I should call them and tell them this so they can get the part for me. He also mentioned that he picked up that the part I was waiting for from them was only ordered 2 days ago.
* I phoned them and gave him the details. They never came back to me.
* The following week I phoned and left a message with the Fiat Manager and did not get any response.
* I was at this point, after trying so hard and getting nowhere with anyone from Fiat, unsatisfied with my purchase.
I would wanted to know what I could do. Even if it means canceling the contract, giving the car back and buying another new car from another make.


PART 2
* I spoke to my bank (finance dividion) and mailed the story to them.
* Beginning Oct 2006 Fiat's Regional Manager (RM) called me and set up appointment for meeting.
* At meeting he apologised and promised that the Fiat will get sorted straight away. I gave him a list of the faults as the one that follows:
1) Dashboard top needs replacing
2) Rubber strip on roof needs glueing down.
3) Rattle at front left wheel needs sorting.
4) Right back door-handle needs adjusting.
* End Oct Fiat called, said that they had the new parts for the dashboard and that I should drop the car off for them to sort everything out (4).
* When I picked up the car the handle was adjusted. The dashboard looked much better but not perfect and the top strip looked good. They said that the rattling was as result of the steering-column and that they ordered the part and will let me know to bring the fiat in again for it to be replaced. (They mentioned that this has happen to a Many other G/Puntos as well).
* Next day after I opened my boot I noticed that the top strip had popped out again.
* A week later (4th Nov) the whole dashboard top had lifted.
*I left a message with Fiat and also called the RM (7th Nov) and told them about the dashboard and the strip and made it clear that when I bring the Fiat in for the column EVERYTHING will be fixed and that this WILL be the LAST time that I am prepared to take it in.
*The RM told me that he would call me when the steering-column arrives he would organize a loner car for me and take my car in for 3 days, and he''l personally make sure that EVERYTHING is sorted out before giving it back to me.
*RM called me on Fri 17th Nov. He told me to bring the car in on Mon 20th Nov. He said he would have a loner car ready; they would keep my car for 3 days and return it, in his words: “…to the specification in which the vehicle was built.”
*When I took the car in on that Monday, I was told that they did NOT have a loaner car, so they would fix everything that same day and give it back to me later that afternoon (5).
* In the late afternoon the car was dropped off to me at my work. I was busy so I could not check it out.
* After work I checked the car and NOTHING had been fixed.

It was then the 5th time that I have had to take my car in and it is the 6th month since I bought the car.



PART 3

*24th Nov 2006: One of the main managers of Fiat South Africa (FASA) came to my office. He apologized and promised that this time HE will make sure that my car is either fixed 100% or he’ll cancel the contract for me
* I agreed to give Fiat one last chance.
* He said he'll call me when they have everything on hand so i can take my car in.

IT IS NOW MID JAN 2007 (9TH MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR) AND NO-ONE'S CALLED ME.




Help guys. What can i do? I even -mailed Fiat HQ in Italy and have not received ANY response.

Any suggestions/advice?

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Start e-mailing and calling 2-3 times per day... eventually they'll get sick of you and will just deal with you... I have to do it all the time in the military to get stuff done because people always put stuff on the back burner.
Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

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Start e-mailing and calling 2-3 times per day... eventually they'll get sick of you and will just deal with you... I have to do it all the time in the military to get stuff done because people always put stuff on the back burner.



Awesome dude. Thanx. ie i should bug the shit out of them into submission!!
;)

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it's like a little kid tugging on it's parent's sleeve going, "MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA..."

Eventually, the mother goes, "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?
Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

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it's like a little kid tugging on it's parent's sleeve going, "MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA..."

Eventually, the mother goes, "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?



The tugging and moaning has started!!!
(evil laugh) B|

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Have you got a consumer magazine you can contact? Manufacturers might jump a bit faster when they realise this is all public.



Oh, trust me, if they do not give me a new car or a refund i will go to all the media. I'm prepared to take out a half page advert in the national newspaper and write my story. >:(

Thanx bud. ;)

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Can't comment on Fiat service in SA but as I practically live next door to them (Fiat, not the south africans) I can only confirm that their cars are indeed pieces of garbage, but by this time you have probably figured it out by yourself B|
So my advice would be never to buy a Fiat, but it's a bit late for that right? Unless of course you have strong enough of a case that you can force them to take it back with no penalty for you. In that case you probably need a lawyer.
Cheers,

Vale

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Advice:
1. Get your mini back
2. Hit on chicks with hot cars and date them so that you can borrow the car for the day.
3. Use public transport B|B|
4. Hire a chopper and skydive into work everyday

Am I helpful or what?!:D



Lo there Chanti. I think i'll go with #2, thanx.

Does anyone out there know of a rich babe who's willing to lend me her Porsche and (while i'm at it) buy me a new rig? (Bonus if her dad owns a brewery).
;):P

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Not sure how this kind of stuff is setup over there, but in the US I would say write a letter of complaint to the Better Business Bureau and to the State Attorney General including your timeline that you just stated here. In my past situation like this I wrote a letter to both, copying the president of the company I was complaining about. The Attorney General's office then responded that they would investigate and copied that letter to the company president also. I don't believe the investigation ever happened. I got the offer for a full refund shortly after the letter from the attorney general's office was received. It's worth a try. My situation was significantly less expensive than a car, but I did get a full purchase price refund on a 5 year old computer.
Killing threads since 2004.

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Do you have a "lemon law" there? Here , if the car makes x number of trips to the repair shop for the same problem within a specified period, and spends more than y number of days at the shop, then the maufacturer has to take the car back.



Haven't heared about lemon law here, but i'll look it up. Thanx bud. :)

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Not sure how this kind of stuff is setup over there, but in the US I would say write a letter of complaint to the Better Business Bureau and to the State Attorney General including your timeline that you just stated here. In my past situation like this I wrote a letter to both, copying the president of the company I was complaining about. The Attorney General's office then responded that they would investigate and copied that letter to the company president also. I don't believe the investigation ever happened. I got the offer for a full refund shortly after the letter from the attorney general's office was received. It's worth a try. My situation was significantly less expensive than a car, but I did get a full purchase price refund on a 5 year old computer.



Awesome jason. I already mailed Fiat SA ans Fiat HQ in Italy. The HQ in Italy has not bothered to reply. Fiat SA replied and said theyed look into it (ie do'nt call us, we'll call you). :S

I'll see what happens this week and if nothing happens by Thu i'll start writting offivial letters. ;)

Thanx dude.

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Going to an outside source like a better business org or attorney general office works because not only does the original company realize that you are indeed serious and passing the investigation along, but it could potentially hurt their business as a whole by having them on record as being investigated.

I think I mentioned, in my case no investigation ever happened. The company receiving a letter asking them for their side of my story was all that was needed for them to understand that I wasn't dicking around.
Killing threads since 2004.

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Jeez bro, that's a seriously kak position to be in.

I'd phone the head of Fiat SA again, explain your situation, again, and let him know that you are armed and ready to go the press unless it is sorted in the next few days. Before you phone him i'd phne the Star newspaper and the Beeld and find out who the hed of motoring is there and ask them the best way to get this thing splashed all over the newspapers. i'd also phone the folks at Mnet and ask them if they'd be interested in working your case into a story somehow. Does Isabelle Jones still do that "Fair Deal" segment on SABC? As far as i'm concerned threatening these people with bad press is the only way that you will ever get something done.

Good luck.


armed with a number of Newspaper sources, the head of motoring at the Star

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

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Update for all of you who gave me hekpfull advice:

I eventually (one year after my purchase) got Fiat to give me a brand-new car without having to pay anything in.

I took the brand-new car and traded it in for a New Renault Megan. It's an awesome car and renault's service is outstanding.

Thank you to all for your replies and help.

Nicolaos

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Fiat are so shit they had to abandon the USA market completely, but it sounds like you're getting the shaft from some a real shyster dealer.

There's no excuse for what they've done w.r.t. incomplete service.

Get a placard and picket them.

Pick a major sales holiday weekend and stand outside their premises with a large placard and hand out fliers. Alternatively you can just do this every weekend and tell them you will continue until they give you a written apology signed by the dealership manager and they resolved your problems to your complete satisfaction (sometimes retribution takes commitment). You could place a placard on your vehicle and drive it there & park it outside their dealership. Make sure everything you say is backed up by documentation.

It sounds to me like you've gone hot & cold on this at times and whenever you've relaxed they've promptly paced you back on square zero. 9 months is a long time to hobble along on broken promises and they probably think they've worn you down or if they've gotten away with it this far they can keep ignoring you because you're a sap. Do you have lemon laws there?

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Update for all of you who gave me hekpfull advice:

I eventually (one year after my purchase) got Fiat to give me a brand-new car without having to pay anything in.

I took the brand-new car and traded it in for a New Renault Megan. It's an awesome car and renault's service is outstanding.

Thank you to all for your replies and help.

Nicolaos





You won! Good job! Get a Porsche next time:)

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

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