Yet *another* Audi update.
They said the car would be ready on Friday. Today is Monday. No car. I called the mothership. The mothership called the dealership, then called me back.
Apparently when they went to put the odometer in, they broke the tip off the ignition.
This was last week.
They will not, I said, be charging me for this, I assume. The very nice mothership lady said she assumed not. Why did they not call me to tell me this had happened, I asked. She had no idea. Because it was their fault, she guessed. Yeah, so?
If the part comes in today, the car will be ready tomorrow. If the dealership calls me tomorrow, I will say to them, “I assume you will not be charging me for any of this. Any of it at all.”
I suspect they’ll say they have to, in which case I’ll call the mothership and tell *them* that I expect to not have to pay for any of it, and that any other organization would have offered me a loaner car EIGHT WEEKS AGO, and that it would be just barely reaching reasonable for them to reimburse me for the cost of the odometer as well, at this point.
I mean, for God’s sake. This has taken on an element of a comedy of errors. I’m sort of fascinated to just keep watching to see how it goes, you know?
Unreal.
I think they should pay you as a part-time employee, for the time & effort *you’ve* put into this.
Stick with the mothership. Beat on the mothership until you get your car back and then some.
You’ve got a fax machine, so have the mothership fax you (and the dealership) a letter saying you’re getting your car back and Not Paying For Any Of This.
Make sure you mention that you’ve been posting about this misadventure online, so they know they’re not just dealing with an isolated customer. Even if the dealership doesn’t much care, the mothership should have some concern for their customer service reputation.
[Disclosure: I am the owner of a 2004 Audi A4, which I like very much, which has been no trouble, and which is still under warranty.]
The *Audi* is great. I don’t hate the Audi, or even Audi The Mothership Company at all. I’m just insanely frustrated by the dealership.
Oooh, good idea about the fax thing, and I shall mention my online writeups about all this nonsense. Clever Robert!