Two-year service time. I won't repeat my furious rants about what happened at the time of the one-year service, that's covered elsewhere. I had hoped to go to a different dealer for the two-year one, but circumstances (a door lock/unlock button failure) conspired against me and I found myself booking in to Macklin again, under its new identity as Vertu. I had a fairly simple wish-list.
- do the service
- apply the SC077 service bulletin (the LKA fix)
- infotainment version R38 please
- sort out the problem that the car still won't pre-heat while it's plugged in but not charging
- fix the passenger door button
I told them in advance about the door button, I even took the car there in advance of the service and asked if they could sort out the new door handle so that it could be fitted at the time of the service, but although they eventually, after a fair bit of nagging, promised to do that, they didn't. So I'm back there again come what may.
As far as I know the software updates have been done properly this time. The infotainment update has been done, but I haven't checked the rest yet. So far so good, but then comes the bit that propelled me towards my inevitable incandescent fury.
I was told they had found a couple of things that were safety issues that should be addressed. The "couple of things" turned out to be as follows.
- two new front undertrays due to damage. On the video they showed me this didn't look particularly serious, but I got an earful about how it could damage the "engine" (sic.) if débris got in there. A marked change of attitude from their dismissal of my concerns about the saggy rear undertray scooping up everything in its path
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- Damage to a wheel arch again necessitating a new part. This is apparently poised to cause the car to crash if something does something and stops the wheel from turning
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- new brake pads and discs all round, by the sound of it, because heavy corrosion
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- regas the aircon, recommended at two years. (I would have thought this would have been included in the service if it was required maintenance, but apparently not).
I was handed a two-page list of costings for all this, which without adding up the detail looked like a big bill. My spidey-sense was going off all over the place warning me that this looked like a scam or at the very least over-selling. I was told that the brakes could be done right now because they had the parts, but that the undertrays and wheel arch liner would have to be ordered in. I said I couldn't afford all that right now and they started telling me about their finance options. I said no thanks, I need to think about this. I was also given an earful about how it all had to be genuine MG parts, which could only be supplied by an MG dealer, which suggests to me they had some idea which way my mind was tending.
I left it that I'd take the car as it was, and book it in for the door handle, and think about the rest. I didn't tell them I wasn't going to have it done, just that I wanted to think about it.
I was given the usual sheaf of paperwork, and I particularly asked for the list of advisories to be included, as somehow that had been spirited away from me. I was scolded that these weren't "advisories", they were essential, indeed urgent work. I assumed the detailed estimates for the work had been included as I asked, but when I got home it wasn't there, just the basic service ticks and crosses with no prices at all. I phoned the dealer back and was told that that work had been purged from the system as I had declined it. I said I wanted that copy of the estimates so that I could see the detailed costings to add it all up and think about it. I was told it was their property and it wasn't policy to let customers have that information. Finally the guy agreed to tell me the total cost of all the items they had listed. Almost £2,000. I yelled a bit and put the phone down. This is getting to be a bit of a habit.
Anyway, I did what I had intended to do anyway and went to my own garage with the list. The car is booked in there on Tuesday anyway, to have the tyre situation sorted out post Hardknott Pass adventures, so he will have the chance to look at these issues while he's at it. It's possible, indeed likely, that the undertray and wheel arch liner damage happened during the Hardknott pass incidents, but the question is, is it bad enough to need replacement parts?
I'm also pretty dubious that the car needs a whole new round of brake blocks and discs after 20,000 miles. At the very least I want a second opinion about this.
So I guess my present position is that if Andrew confirms some or all of this work needs done, I'll get it done. But I'm extremely reluctant to let Macklin/Vertu near it. Andrew confirms that he can order up genuine MG parts, they're not only available from MG dealers, and I'm pretty damn sure that (a) he won't recommend work unless it's necessary, and (b) he won't charge me what Macklin/Vertu were proposing to charge. But we'll see.
OK, comment away. What do you guys think? Am I being oversold/scammed? Or is the stealer on the level?
www.centralgaragegalashiels.co.uk
