Odd one

[Escort3500]

Morning All

Bit of an odd one, but I’d really appreciate any advice regarding the matter.

My car went into the main dealer for a service and MoT last November. Long story short, it required quite a lot of work and for this and other reasons I didn’t get it back until January. However, the service book was missing from the car and the dealer admitted they’d lost it. They provided a duplicate book but it only contained the stamps of the present dealer (rather than the previous ones), and showed the first service at 28k, which wasn’t accurate.

I’ve insisted that they provide a comprehensive service book, from the first service and with all the relevant dealers’ stamps. So far they’ve failed to provide this and I’ve been fobbed off with various excuses: people off work, other dealers refusing to cooperate (untrue, I’ve spoken to one of them) etc

I’ve given them until the end of the month to provide a complete duplicate book, but wonder where I stand legally. Can I pursue such action in the event they fail to supply the new book?

Thanks guys.

[Amused2death]

Whilst not directly being any help in answering your question, could you obtain a printout from the relevant dealers who had serviced it in the past?

With regards to the actual value or not of having a provable service history, and the vehicle's value with or without that, I'd have thought you could issue a claim, but depending on the difference it may not be worth it.

Still a crappy thing to happen though....

[Escort3500]

Amused2death said:

Whilst not directly being any help in answering your question, could you obtain a printout from the relevant dealers who had serviced it in the past?

With regards to the actual value or not of having a provable service history, and the vehicle's value with or without that, I'd have thought you could issue a claim, but depending on the difference it may not be worth it.

Still a crappy thing to happen though....

Thanks. I’ll look at the service printout idea. As for the value angle, a FSH is really critical in order to get a decent price for the car as it’s a fairly high-performance model.

[Amused2death]

Escort3500 said:

Amused2death said:

Whilst not directly being any help in answering your question, could you obtain a printout from the relevant dealers who had serviced it in the past?

With regards to the actual value or not of having a provable service history, and the vehicle's value with or without that, I'd have thought you could issue a claim, but depending on the difference it may not be worth it.

Still a crappy thing to happen though....

Thanks. I’ll look at the service printout idea. As for the value angle, a FSH is really critical in order to get a decent price for the car as it’s a fairly high-performance model.

If you could quantify what the difference would be then that would give you a starting point as to it's loss of value.

[Escort3500]

Amused2death said:

Escort3500 said:

Amused2death said:

Whilst not directly being any help in answering your question, could you obtain a printout from the relevant dealers who had serviced it in the past?

With regards to the actual value or not of having a provable service history, and the vehicle's value with or without that, I'd have thought you could issue a claim, but depending on the difference it may not be worth it.

Still a crappy thing to happen though....

Thanks. I’ll look at the service printout idea. As for the value angle, a FSH is really critical in order to get a decent price for the car as it’s a fairly high-performance model.

If you could quantify what the difference would be then that would give you a starting point as to it's loss of value.

Think I’ll probably have to resort to this. Thanks for the suggestion.

[TooMany2cvs]

Escort3500 said:

My car went into the main dealer for a service and MoT last November. Long story short, it required quite a lot of work and for this and other reasons I didn’t get it back until January. However, the service book was missing from the car and the dealer admitted they’d lost it. They provided a duplicate book but it only contained the stamps of the present dealer (rather than the previous ones), and showed the first service at 28k, which wasn’t accurate.

How many stamps from how many garages across what time period?

Escort3500 said:

I’ve insisted that they provide a comprehensive service book, from the first service and with all the relevant dealers’ stamps.

Do they even know who they need to contact to get all these stamps together?

[Escort3500]

TooMany2cvs said:

Escort3500 said:

My car went into the main dealer for a service and MoT last November. Long story short, it required quite a lot of work and for this and other reasons I didn’t get it back until January. However, the service book was missing from the car and the dealer admitted they’d lost it. They provided a duplicate book but it only contained the stamps of the present dealer (rather than the previous ones), and showed the first service at 28k, which wasn’t accurate.

How many stamps from how many garages across what time period?

Escort3500 said:

I’ve insisted that they provide a comprehensive service book, from the first service and with all the relevant dealers’ stamps.

Do they even know who they need to contact to get all these stamps together?

Can’t remember exactly, but I think it’s about 3 or 4 different main dealers. It’s a 2007 car with 63k on the clock. They've told me that service records are on a central database, so I think they should be able to work out the dealer locations from it. They’ve said that one of the previous dealers they approached wasn’t prepared to stamp a duplicate service book. I rang them; they said they’d not been asked to provide stamps

[TooMany2cvs]

Escort3500 said:

They've told me that service records are on a central database

Then the value of the car should be unaffected by the lost book.

Escort3500 said:

They’ve said that one of the previous dealers they approached wasn’t prepared to stamp a duplicate service book. I rang them; they said they’d not been asked to provide stamps

I don't see any inherent contradiction in that.
<phone rings> "Will you stamp a duplicate book for a service you did a decade ago?" "No, we don't do that." <hangs up, no note of conversation made anywhere, promptly forgotten>
<some time later>
<phone rings, answered by somebody different> "Have you been asked to?" "No."

[anonymous-user]

Escort3500 said:

Can’t remember exactly, but I think it’s about 3 or 4 different main dealers. It’s a 2007 car with 63k on the clock. They've told me that service records are on a central database, so I think they should be able to work out the dealer locations from it. They’ve said that one of the previous dealers they approached wasn’t prepared to stamp a duplicate service book. I rang them; they said they’d not been asked to provide stamps

if all the records are on a central database then surely they can just print that out?

No one cares if the book is stamped if the service record itself exists

[Escort3500]

TooMany2cvs said:

Escort3500 said:

They've told me that service records are on a central database

Then the value of the car should be unaffected by the lost book.

Escort3500 said:

They’ve said that one of the previous dealers they approached wasn’t prepared to stamp a duplicate service book. I rang them; they said they’d not been asked to provide stamps

I don't see any inherent contradiction in that.
<phone rings> "Will you stamp a duplicate book for a service you did a decade ago?" "No, we don't do that." <hangs up, no note of conversation made anywhere, promptly forgotten>
<some time later>
<phone rings, answered by somebody different> "Have you been asked to?" "No."

I think it’s quite reasonable for a prospective purchaser to expect a fully stamped service book rather than a print off.

After I’d given the the car’s details, reg no etc, the woman I spoke to at the previous dealer’s told me they’d be only to happy to stamp a duplicate book. She also agreed to log my enquiry.

[BertBert]

Escort3500 said:

I think it’s quite reasonable for a prospective purchaser to expect a fully stamped service book rather than a print off.

After I’d given the the car’s details, reg no etc, the woman I spoke to at the previous dealer’s told me they’d be only to happy to stamp a duplicate book. She also agreed to log my enquiry.

Whilst it's reasonable, your potential loss of value doesn't exist if you have a record of the service history, regardless of whether it is on an official printout or in a service book.

Can you contact PGB and ask?

ETA: do you have the invoices for the previous services?

Bert

[bimsb6]

Buy a potato and make your own dealer stamp ?

[Trevor555]

Not sure it'd affect the value so much if you've got a printout, but it may put some "fussy" buyers off who would want the original service book.

I feel for the OP, I'd be livid if a dealer lost the service book for any of my cars.

[mike74]

Paper copies of all service invoices are a far more reliable record than a few stamps in a book that could easily have been forged, as long as you or the dealer can obtain all them I'd be satisfied.

[Red 4]

If the service history is on a central database then it can't be forged (unlike a stamp in the book).

The printout will also show all of the work carried out - unlike a stamp.

I'd rather have both but I'd be happy with just the printout.

I think you'll struggle to prove you've incurred a loss. The car still has a full service history.

I'm not supporting the dealer here BTW - I have no love for them (and it appears they are telling you porkies) but I think their behaviour may be clouding your judgement a little.

I'd make the untruths they have told you a separate issue.

[Escort3500]

It may well be that when the whole sorry saga is concluded it’ll be a printout rather than duplicate service book. So be it. But I’m sorely pissed off that they’ve still not resolved it after 5 months, have lied, haven’t responded to emails and have generally messed me about. And I’ve had it serviced with them for the last 4 years. Thanks for the commentary/suggestions anyway guys.

[Pica-Pica]

I had a service book for my old E36. After a few years it was just a case of keeping service invoices, rather than having a book stamped.

[BertBert]

Escort3500 said:

It may well be that when the whole sorry saga is concluded it’ll be a printout rather than duplicate service book. So be it. But I’m sorely pissed off that they’ve still not resolved it after 5 months, have lied, haven’t responded to emails and have generally messed me about. And I’ve had it serviced with them for the last 4 years. Thanks for the commentary/suggestions anyway guys.

I would be as aggrieved as you with their lack of interest in getting it sorted. Hope you get somewhere!
Bert

[Escort3500]

BertBert said:

Escort3500 said:

It may well be that when the whole sorry saga is concluded it’ll be a printout rather than duplicate service book. So be it. But I’m sorely pissed off that they’ve still not resolved it after 5 months, have lied, haven’t responded to emails and have generally messed me about. And I’ve had it serviced with them for the last 4 years. Thanks for the commentary/suggestions anyway guys.

I would be as aggrieved as you with their lack of interest in getting it sorted. Hope you get somewhere!
Bert

Cheers mate

[The Mad Monk]

Escort3500 said:

I’ve given them until the end of the month to provide a complete duplicate book, but wonder where I stand legally. Can I pursue such action in the event they fail to supply the new book?

Thanks guys.

You can pursue anyone at any time for anything.

Whether you will win is an entirely different matter.