Service at Porsche :censored:

[Timvw]

Hi

I am not a regular user of the forum, but I wanted to give a heads up to other Porsche owners regarding the above business.

My wife drives a 944 cabriolet which we have owned for the last nine years and nearly 50k miles. Early in our ownership, I carried out a great deal of work myself but in the last few years other commitments have made this impossible.

The car is serviced regularly, and I have to say finding a reliable caring workshop has been an ongoing trial. In November last year we decided to try the above Company as they are based in which is local-ish for us and co-located on a site with a Porsche re-seller with a good reputation.

Unfortunately, it has taken us until now to resolve issues we had resulting from that service and it has been the discovery, today, that not even the oil change (charged for, or at least oil and filter is itemised) seems to have been carried out that has prompted me to post this warning.

Examples of the issues that we had are:

Clock lamp bulb replaced using a 911 item and siliconed in place (stopped working before we got the car home and I repalced it myself two weeks later)

Broken heater control knob in process + crack in facia trim.

Numerous oil marks on linen leather trim

Oil apparrently not changed - The car has done less than 2k miles since the service and the oil level warning light came on yesterday. Investigation showed oil is much blacker than I would expect for 2k miles and just above bottom mark on dipstick despite never before using more than 500ml between services (5-6000 miles avg).

Water leak from pump housing - housing and seal renewed and billed. Today water level in expansion tank below minimum (just) again despite being told that the car was now water tight.

Replaced door lock actuation arm - on collection locks buzzed constantly until I took the door card off and adjusted the mechanism. Auto lock-in on ignition stopped working since service.

Additional days without the car while 'parts' were ordered despite emailing a list of works a week before the service was due.

The result - great scepticism that any of the work was carried out properly

Then there is the response to our complaint which as I say has taken until a couple of weeks ago to resolve and even then we were only finally sent a new heater knob to fit myself and a refund for one hour labour for fitting the clock bulb.

Unfortunately I don't have the time to pursue this further, but I feel that the least I can do is warn others. I have tried to register on the PCGB forum but it doesn't like my firewall, so if anyone on here is also a PCGB member please feel free to copy my post to their forum.

Tim
Mod Edit: Apologies for edit but PH follows a no nameing and shaming policy, hope you understand.

Edited by David Godfrey on Saturday 1st September 17:26

[rich 36]

Could you give us a clue ........geographically




(without upsetting mods tender sensitivities that is)

[Timvw]

Mod:

While I respect your policy - all forums are different, surely you would want other owners to be able to approach the Company concerned fully informed?

I note your censorship has removed everything including the 'Region' information. 'Surely' there is something that you will allow that could give people who wish to be informed a heads up?

Thanks

Tim

[Ballcock]

Maybe you could edit the 'region' you hail from

[rich 36]

Yes, a bit more info in profile should keep most happy.

On topic my own search for a decent garage continues, I've a small job lined. Up with a locallish oufit and ill let you know tim

[flatfour]

Tell where the dealership is not..... e.g. it is not in Mid sussex etc....
we will assume that you were confused.

J

[rich 36]

Odd censorship, considering this....

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

opens with a rant at a Northern OPC

[fastfreddy]

Just out of interest, when is it OK to name a dealer when they've done something wrong? What if there was a legal case and the dealer lost? Surely the information is then in the public domain anyway, so it would just be reporting a fact and not someone trying to stir things.

[deadslow]

I can think of two pork servicing firms based adjacent to sales firms, based in Coventry and Sevenoaks. Is this a sweepstake?

[David Godfrey]

rich 36 said:

Odd censorship, considering this....

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

opens with a rant at a Northern OPC

Fine for region, perhaps I was alittle over cautious. The rules however are there for a reason. This post in website feedback may help you understand:

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

Interesting that got missed so far, IMO it should not have, but then PH has a large audience and a large volume of post throughput, there are only so many Mods.

[fastfreddy]

David Godfrey said:

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

Hence my question. If there's been a dispute and it's all been settled in court, surely the facts have been established by then so it's OK to report what's happened on here so others can be warned about a bad business?

[Weltmeister]

There are two near Coventry that are sales & repair on same site but seperate businesses, that would deal with a 944. Just a few miles apart too


Allan

[SidewaysSid]

rich 36 said:

Could you give us a clue ........geographically




(without upsetting mods tender sensitivities that is)

Oh how nice it is that Titanic isn't censored. Censorship always open to interpretation and inconsistency so no censorship works for us. No problems so far as Titanicers are all grown up boys & girls.

[rich 36]

its all part of the fun here Sid,


we grade contestants on how hot/cold they are on location

[Timvw]

S W Sid

Back in the days when I had the time, I went to PC track days & events plus many other and spent many a good day with diver944, sidestream, David Sims,et al. This is partly why I felt the need to tell other Porsche owners of my latest issues.

I don't know why PH takes the no name and shame route, but the forum has it's rules.

If you are a member of titanic form then by all means copy my post on there.

Thanks

Tim

[Timvw]

Weltmeister

You've nailed it.

Let;'s just say I've not yet tried the German motorway but girls names are bad;(

Tim

[Weltmeister]

Thats a great cryptic clue. I bought a GT3 from the guys with the motorway name, their cars were much better presented than their neighbours with the girls name at the former home of Triumph motorcycles.


Allan

[Timvw]

I gather that the German motorway now has a different servicing agent from when they were based in the North of the city. Also, they've moved a bit upmarket since the move into the old Landrover unit.

Love the GT3, had a couple of trips around Local tracks in them (well actually 996 GT2). It was a hoot. For comparison I made the same trip in a Turbo 4 and it was like chalk and cheese - GT all mean and growly and the Turbo 4 all classical music and whooshing - if you see what i mean.

[911addict]

There are so many bad experiences that NEVER get reported or published. The offending dealer then gets more customers unaware of these problems and more dissatisfaction ensues.

I named & shamed a dealer last year and after much censorship/ banning of posts on various forums, I went to court and won. Of course by word of mouth I warn others but how many other unsuspecting customers have gone to these people and suffered similar crap service?

I do appriate forum moderators need to be mindful of potential lible, but its not right to censor all bad comments.

[Timvw]

I agree.

In some respects, one of the huge plusses of the internet is the ability to spread the word widely. If everything on the net is sensored then it takes away a huge chunk of the point - IMHO.

Also, why should some of these guys take large amounts of our hard earned and turn out a shoddy job: and think it's OK.