A litany of consumer complaints

A car is not a toaster. This is what I'm repeatedly told by industry players when asking why consumers are so disgruntled with the motor trade.

Cars, they say, are complex pieces of machinery which can be expected to have problems from time to time.

I think I speak for all consumers when I say we're under no illusion that our cars are toasters. Or kettles. Or any other household appliance for that matter.

How do we know this? Well, for starters new toasters don't cost hundreds of thousands of rands. And when they blow a fuse, they don't leave us stranded on a freeway at midnight or without transport for weeks.

It's a lot easier to survive a day without buttered toast than a day without wheels.

A recent column on a reader's battle with VW for a replacement car opened the floodgates for complaints against car dealerships and manufacturers.

Stories of expensive new cars packing up weeks after purchase, used cars with dodgy service histories, costly repair jobs that don't fix the problem, dismissive salesmen and managers with no clue of customer care, are endless.

And targets are not small back- yard car traders. Nor are they mainly used cars with high mileage. The gripes are overwhelmingly directed at SA's top car brands and leading dealerships and involve new, and mostly very expensive, cars.

Among the litany of complaints are dealerships and manufacturers accused of:

•  Reneging on promises to replace a car, worth R275000, after it was stolen while in for servicing;
•  Failing to attend to unacceptable engine noise in a R490000 car bought in March;
•  Failing to refund a customer's deposit on a defective car bought in May. The list of ongoing defects include incorrect wheel alignment, faulty door handles, hatch door, lights, hooter, fan belt, wiper blades and air con;
•  Refusing to pay for the repair of a new 4x4's rear window which shattered spontaneously while driving and caused paintwork damage, saying it wasn't covered by the warranty. The car had already had to be replaced after the first one had rust and other defects;
•  Failing to replace a R320000 car bought in February after repeated repairs for problems on a door, window and clutch;
•  Selling a new R220570 car in February with a host of problems, including wind noise, airbag problems, no rear speakers, and a boot with evidence of previous damage and repair;
•  Refusing to pay R18000 for a gearbox repair on a 2008 car because it was out of warranty, despite the owner claiming to have proof that the damage was caused by a defective bearing;
•  Selling a 2008 car with a dodgy history. Repairs have cost the owner, since the purchase, over R150000;
•  Damaging a car, worth R250000, while in for repair, and leaving it parked outside with an open window while it was raining;
•  Not disclosing a history of serious problems related to a pre-owned 2008 car. Despite 18 months of complaining, the dealer principal has yet to agree to a meeting;
•  Driving a customer's car into another one while being serviced; when the car was returned two weeks later, the spray-paint job was shoddy, there was water in the light, the car's symmetry was out and the mud flap was missing;
•  Selling a 2007 car, with just 41000km on the clock, with faulty brakes, power steering and alternator.

Of course, there is always another side to every story. But these consumers have heard it and they're not buying it. I'll be forwarding these complaints to the various dealers and manufacturers, and I'm hoping for a positive outcome.

If not, the next step for these consumers is to take advantage of the various avenues for redress available to them (see below). Unless a claim is frivolous or unreasonable, the law is on their side.

The best that dealerships and manufacturers - serious about customer service and brand reputation - can do is engage again with these unhappy customers to find resolutions. It would save everyone involved, especially those tasked with mediating such disputes, much time and effort.

It doesn't have to be a case of win or lose; most consumers, if treated fairly and with respect, respond well to compromise.

Dismissing genuine customer concerns, fobbing them off, or treating them with contempt doesn't make them go away. It just makes them more resentful and resolute. And it makes reaching final resolution that much harder.

For the record, I wish cars were more like toasters. I've never had a day's trouble with mine. And it has certainly outlasted all my cars.

•  Consumers who deadlock with suppliers have three options: The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (www.rmi.org.za) if the supplier is a member; the Motor Industry Ombud (www.miosa.co.za/012-841-2945); or the National Consumer Commission (0860 266786). All these processes take time, so patience is required.

Sunday Smile

AT home affairs in Johannesburg (yes, you read that right) for processing Thulani Sibiya's passport in five days (yes, you read that right). "To home affairs, I say high five for your great service and speedy delivery." Maybe a leopard can, indeed, change its spots.

Sunday Snarl

AT Quality Vacation Club for its tardy response to David Theron's request to cancel his time-share contract. Despite a 40% increase in levies in the last two years, and his agreeing to forfeit points and his R44000 investment, the recent retiree was told his request would only be considered if he supplied proof he could no longer afford it.