Thread: Thinking about pulling the pin

Originally posted by CraigE
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>It is illegal to enter the workshop if you do not work there. I tried that only to get booted out

I have never had too much problem entering a workshop. You do have to make yourself known though and generally tell the office staff you want to have a chat with the mechanic working on your car. If they do not want you in the workshop for any reason they have something to hide. They can not however have people wondering around willy nilly as it becomes an insurance issue.[/b][/quote]

I wanted to talk with the mechanics, and they told me that "Any communications to the mechanics must go through the service manager"

I think that it is because they do not have anyone trained to service Landrovers.
They put an add in the paper, I asked the service manager about the add and if the position was filled, he told me that "we can always do with more" so I take it that they did not find anyone.
The other problem is that the whole show is run by young bucks, not one single grey hair in the place. Hence the attitude of "we know everything and are the experts" type of thing. Shame to say but they are totally incompetent.

When I took the fender into them about the clutch, I said it is like the fluid is by-passing the piston. He just looked astonished and said "Sir that is a phyiscal impossibility"

I would not even like to get my mower service there, and it is a 2 stroke. But for warrenty issues, well I am stuck with them. I did tell LRA customer service about them. The answer I got was "Well give them time, theyy have to learn".

If you cannot do the job, then don't take it on! It is as simple as that.

Grunt - which mob was this?

I have come in a bit late so its not on the current topic of discussion but here is my 2c's worth Disco.

You need a car you can rely on out where you are, if you are forever going back because a dealer cant fix a few simply problems you can either put up with it or buy another daily driver and get a cheap disco for playing in on the weekends. One that you can fix yourself and know the job has been done properly. That way you have something that you can get service on where you are and still own a land rover. Matt

Did you say the roof lining had to be fixed five times? Unbelievable. Didn't they glue it? Any decent vehicle upholsterer could do that.
Fortunately our Disco is well out of warranty so we don't have to use dealers. I look for Landy and 4WD specialists. Plus my brother in law in a former mechanic. He's currently looking after the Disco while we're OS.
Landy specialists are the go I reckon. They're usually enthusiasts themselves.
Landy's are good vehicles but in Oz their sales volume is so low they usually have to be part of larger dealership groups so its hard to find ones with specialist Landy mechanics, as you'd know. Plus the big dealerships have large overheads and have to charge more than the small guys.

Originally posted by Farnarkle
Grunt - which mob was this?

Blacklocks Ford Wodonga

Originally posted by Farnarkle
I, who am about to purchase a new D3, is getting a bit scared after reading all this. May I ask here what the Landy Dealers are like here in Bris.? Forking out heaps of cash just to spend my time travelling to the dealer is not a turn on for me. I was looking forward to my first landy in 20 years.

Farnarkle

I think you should do what I so wished I had done before I entered into the "SM" relationship with LR. ops:

NOW TAKE A BIG BREATH... :roll:

Tell them what you want from the company.. A 4WD that can tour, go shopping , go off road, get fixed without coming back with any further damage etc etc.
Get them to agree to an acceptable amount of time off the road each year, get them to agree to a loan car for the entire period that your car is of road for warranty. even if your are in the middle of a tour, have them agree how long you should have to sit in a caravan park with a wife who just cant forgive you for buying a LR etc etc. get them to put all this in writing. If they wont then you may well be asking for trouble.

Now don't ask for to much,, but ask for the bare minimum that will keep you happy and not financially burdened.
If you are reasonable with your requests and they wont give you a written, agreement then dont buy it. AND make sure you explain to them why you are going to buy a competitors car. 8O

When I bought my disco I explained to the dealer exactly what I needed the thing for and where I would be living. I asked them for an assurance that they could cope with my requirements, they assured me.
I have had quite a lot of trouble with my Disco...actually I have had only two problems with my disco that have been continually misdiagnosed and poorly (criminally) attended to. but they have forgotten my pre purchase requirements.
I have luckily had the support of the RAAF lawyers behind me.... But I must say that have never had to actually use them. If you have trouble from the dealers or Customer beware desk... push straight thru to PAG ask for there company solisiters name as you would like to commence legal dealings concerning your Vehicle. Dont take **** from service managers or regional/area managers. give them one chance to resolve a problem and then go over their head.(its not in most of our nature to do this and the dealers pray on this) I have learnt some expensive lessons with my vehicle. LR will try and say its not there problem because the dealer sold the car to you.....CRAP get legal definition on this one as part of your pre purchase written agreement.

When you buy this car, you really need to have a seperate/individual/dedicated agreement with the company as well as the one with the dealer. and again if either the company or dealer baulk at this, calmly explain the fact that while the vehicles have desperately clung to a good reputation for ability and you would like to reward the designers with a sale.. The dealer/parent company performance in Australia has very little credability and you cant afford to finance their mistakes...and you will.

Always keep in your mind that even with the really helpfull and honest guys that do work for LR. Most of them are far from your mate or even interested in your car, they are simply out to maximise profit for the company share holders. THEY WILL PROMISE YOU THE WORLD BEFORE YOU BUY IT, AND IF THEY HAVE JUST SPOKEN THE WORDS,, THEY WILL LOOK PRETTY STUPID IF THEY WONT COMMIT TO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT. 8)

You are about to pay them (employ them) to provide a vehicle to do a certain thing. Would you employ a worker without fully expaining the duties required of them and signing a contract to the effect. if you do, then dont complain when they dont turn up for work 2 days out of every five, have eight week holidays without notice or relief manning,, or if they only do half the work they sincerely promised they would give you. :wink:

Boy am I synical,,, Actually NO just LR savvie. 8O

good advice there :wink:

My last post(above) should be balnced to the company,, Each time I have had a problem, It has been dealt with by the company upper management swiftly and generously.

The only problem is you have to get thru to the upper management 8O . To their credit I have had loan cars provided for total of approx 6 months in its 4.5 yr life of my disco, and while it was under new car warranty I was never refused a warranty claim, (and I'm an "anal techo",so I have been jittery about US's) ops: . BE even more insistant on a plain english agreement about any extended warranty they offer. Mine has been really quite a battle to use. They are quite embarrising in there unproffesional tactics when it comes to this. real mid seveties"Arther and terry"stuff

The company itself has been more than deserving of loyalty in its "final outcomes" !!! BUT and a HUGE BUT, they frankly could give me pots of gold,, and it cant make up for the lies and professional aggression the dealers and regional managers seem to thrive on. And the hoops you have to jump thru to get results.

At times it has been akin to high school antics of deceipt and stubberness. I think the scum dealers and low level LR managers forget they are simply working for the car owners, nothing more nothing less, like all of us they serve a purpose and need to be good at it,,,, we directly pay their wages. and like all things in life,,, if it is not doing its job it gets the sack.

At times I have felt sorry for the mechanics, At times they obviously dont have a clue about what they are doing, they are child like in their insecurity. I have driven these things for twenty years, and I am in a related trade. This means nothing more than I have some experience to offer a junior mech or less type specific trained senior tech. But they dont listen(they have under gone a two and quarter week intensive TECH course,, they have the pocket badge, look.. they willl show you!)TIC TIC TIC ops: . and they dont seem to learn from their mistakes. I have watched in utter dismay as LR have spent thousands (many thousands) only to eventually fix exactly what I told them to fix when the car was about 14mths old. The disco is just over 4 and a bit years old now. ops:

And more balance/contradiction to my rant ops: I still like and will probably buy another one of these buckets. CAUSE I have seen guys suffer the same if not more problems with Holdens, Nissota's, and others,,,, but none of them have had the parent company offer hire cars and apologies to make up for the dealers pain like LandRover have :? :roll: :wink: