Watching the Service Guys on My Dashcam

[JKL]

I just had my S4 taken in for it's 25K km service and used Audi's pickup/dropoff service. I have a dashcam installed for my own purposes. I thought it would be enough of a deterrent also for any service guys driving my car not to do anything out of the ordinary. I reviewed the footage and while there was nothing too bad, it wasn't great either. These are the things I saw them doing:

1. Running stop signs with no intention of stopping.
2. Running multiple red lights.
3. Driving over 100 km/hr in 60 zones. (All the way up to 120 at some part). I understand they may drive it a little harder in a service test drive but this was going from my house to Audi.
4. Going to McDonald's to pick up a coffee.

I feel they are not respecting a customer's car. I have left a message for the GM at the dealership to call me back. I don't want to say the name of the dealership until I at least speak with the GM.

Anyone else have experiences like this?

[Toecutter]

Wow, that does show disrespect for your car. Can you make a copy of the video? It might be worth sending it to the general manager.

[infinkc]

wow thats uncalled for, who take a customers car through a drive thru. wouldnt be suprised if someone loses their job over it.

reminds me of a time another member took his car to a body shop, someone posted a "sighting" of the car in the local forum. All went downhill from there, when the owner realized it was his car sighted, but the car was being worked on.

[1MORLAP]

What was the camera looking at? Just curious of your setup.

[skiracerblah]

This thread is worthless without video!!!!

[Wilbur]

I just had my S4 taken in for it's 25K km service and used Audi's pickup/dropoff service. I have a dashcam installed for my own purposes. I thought it would be enough of a deterrent also for any service guys driving my car not to do anything out of the ordinary. I reviewed the footage and while there was nothing too bad, it wasn't great either. These are the things I saw them doing:

1. Running stop signs with no intention of stopping.
2. Running multiple red lights.
3. Driving over 100 km/hr in 60 zones. (All the way up to 120 at some part). I understand they may drive it a little harder in a service test drive but this was going from my house to Audi.
4. Going to McDonald's to pick up a coffee.

I feel they are not respecting a customer's car. I have left a message for the GM at the dealership to call me back. I don't want to say the name of the dealership until I at least speak with the GM.

Anyone else have experiences like this?

Wow. I'm pretty tolerant but thats whacked. I'd say the Dealer principle would frown on taking customer cars through drive through....thats brutal.

[alias747]

This is crazy. Call me paranoid but I am half thinking of doing something like this as well. You can't trust ANY ONE anymore. Between people working on your car and abusing it, crooked cops and people trying to commit insurance fraud, it seems like there is no one that respects your stuff anymore... A dash cam is insurance...

[JKL]

I just have a Blackvue pointing towards the front of the car.

There's not much to see on video as you don't see the driver, just the driving view. The guys basically speed and go through the drive thru.

[LakeShow]

Is it possible to post this, making it viral can really help your cause. Try to get it up on YouTube and if you spread it around the forums and the web, eventually it may catch the news attention or manufacturers attention.

[B8XS4]

Also remember he knows where you live now in case he does lose his job...

[s4buckeye]

http://youtu.be/_S7AyiVfNdA


http://youtu.be/lQXocTgfQPE

[JKL]

I prefer to wait till I talk to the dealership GM before posting anything.

It'll take me a little time anyways to put all the little 1 min segments (that's how the dashcam records video) and I can't get to that till a little later.

[MrFunk]

I want to see this vid.

Not to bash you OP but I'd NEVER use a pick-up service... it's like using a valet - you are asking for these young guys to joy ride... Especially since you have an S car you should expect this... imagine these guys are used to shuttling around boring Q5's all day, of course they are going to rip around and take their sweet time if you get to drive an S4... Drive through the drive-thru acting like it's their car... etc... you're lucky he didn't stop and pick up a buddy for a lil spin!

But regardless....

I have a similar experience... I had the snapshot device from Progressive installed on my car... took it to the dealership to get the STaSIS tune installed. When they test drove the car they had it up over 100mph 4 times in a 3 minute period. All posted speed limits around the dealerhsip are 55mph and lower... They did this at 8:30am during rush hour!

I was furious.

[AwdPwns]

i look over the footage from my dash cam every time my car goes in for service. everything is usually normal, so no complaints.

[dparm]

If the GM doesn't respond, take it to the local TV news, newspapers, and the big auto websites (Autoblog, Jalopnik, etc). They will eat that shit up.

[SwankPeRFection]

Regardless of what the GM tells you, they'll probably want to keep this quiet and it's your duty to let everyone here know who this dealer is. This sort of behavior happens more often than not and one person losing their job today over it won't make a bit of difference. What will make a difference is lost business for this dealership. F* them up and post that shit!!!

This is the #1 reason why I don't let them pick up my car and sometimes I even go for rides with them on the test drive after service. People think I'm paranoid about it, until I tell them what happened before where I had a car completely totaled by an idiot test driving my car after service. After that shit, f* them all! That's why I don't use a dealer for anything but the more complicated maintenance or fixing of issues... I just don't trust them.

[Stubek]

not the first time this has happened. One member took a car in for service with a dash cam and they never even opened the hood. The service was for a minor oil change and fluid check. the paper work showed that they did an oil/filter change, topped off some fluids and rotated tires, but the car was never lifted and the hood never opened!

[Akrion]

My 35K services is coming soon ... will have my dash camera ready for this. I truly dislike the Audi dealerships and their overall customer service ... This is my 3rd Audi and things does not seem to change at all regardless the dealership I go.

But I do love Audi cars :|

Thanks for sharing ... looking forward to the videos if you decide to post them.

[1999blacka4]

You should be looking out for your Audi brothers and tell us the dealer so nobody makes the mistake of going there. I would love to prevent this from happening to others if it happened to me.

[dropshadow]

I just had my S4 in for it 5k service. I watched the dashcam footage later in the day, but there were no surprises. They took my car on a short loop test drive, then brought it back to the dealership for service. The only parts that made me chuckle were when they were commenting about how low it is. All in all, I was pleased to see them respect the car and not hoon the hell out of it. In the OP's case, I would talk to the GM, and if that doesn't get you anywhere, escalate it to AoA. I wouldn't go running off to a TV station unless you want to get yourself blackballed at every Audi dealer. Just tell the GM that you're not happy with what you saw and would like to discuss it further with him.

[Unleaded20T]

just curious about what dash cam you are using. I've been wanting one for long time and cannot find a good one without reading horrible stories on the reviews.

[gendry]

Me thinks AoA wouldn't be very interested in this...


I just had my S4 in for it 5k service. I watched the dashcam footage later in the day, but there were no surprises. They took my car on a short loop test drive, then brought it back to the dealership for service. The only parts that made me chuckle were when they were commenting about how low it is. All in all, I was pleased to see them respect the car and not hoon the hell out of it. In the OP's case, I would talk to the GM, and if that doesn't get you anywhere, escalate it to AoA. I wouldn't go running off to a TV station unless you want to get yourself blackballed at every Audi dealer. Just tell the GM that you're not happy with what you saw and would like to discuss it further with him.

[JKL]

I just had my S4 in for it 5k service. I watched the dashcam footage later in the day, but there were no surprises. They took my car on a short loop test drive, then brought it back to the dealership for service. The only parts that made me chuckle were when they were commenting about how low it is. All in all, I was pleased to see them respect the car and not hoon the hell out of it. In the OP's case, I would talk to the GM, and if that doesn't get you anywhere, escalate it to AoA. I wouldn't go running off to a TV station unless you want to get yourself blackballed at every Audi dealer. Just tell the GM that you're not happy with what you saw and would like to discuss it further with him.

Yeah, I'm not trying to start a war with my Audi dealership. I still need them (only dealership in town) and would like this resolved in a calm and collected manner.

[JKL]

just curious about what dash cam you are using. I've been wanting one for long time and cannot find a good one without reading horrible stories on the reviews.

It's the BlackVue DRG400G-HDII. I got it before the price hike but there's still bad reviews on it out there.

[AKPS4]

I am VERY interested in getting a dash cam for these same reasons. During my 10k service i explicitly directed the dealer to use the oil i provided and after the service was done i checked the trunk and they didnt use my oil. I was pissed for the wasted time and lack of respect.

What is a good/reliable dash cam? Are these left on the dash permanently of taken out everytime you leave the vehicle? Does heat/UV mess them up? Dont mean to jack the thread but this is very useful and would love to have one. I even wonder if there are any dash cams taht let you connect to your smartphone and watch live feeds!

[SwankPeRFection]

Yeah, I'm not trying to start a war with my Audi dealership. I still need them (only dealership in town) and would like this resolved in a calm and collected manner.

Maybe you should treat the GM to one of these kinds of test drives so that he gets a feel for what it's like to have your car raped. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8

Make sure you pick something expensive to test like an R8. lol

[SwankPeRFection]

I am VERY interested in getting a dash cam for these same reasons. During my 10k service i explicitly directed the dealer to use the oil i provided and after the service was done i checked the trunk and they didnt use my oil. I was pissed for the wasted time and lack of respect.

What is a good/reliable dash cam? Are these left on the dash permanently of taken out everytime you leave the vehicle? Does heat/UV mess them up? Dont mean to jack the thread but this is very useful and would love to have one. I even wonder if there are any dash cams taht let you connect to your smartphone and watch live feeds!

Had that happen on the first service with a previous Audi I had. Made the service guys take it back and drain it again, install another new filter and use my oil instead. Sucks for them to have to do the service twice, but maybe they should read the written notes on the ticket prior to just thinking they're doing an oil change. Reading is fundamental.

[lapisia]

Wow, I would actually take more offense to running multiple red lights than the drive thru to be honest. They are putting your car at risk of oncoming traffic and if your state has red light cameras (they exist here in Ontario, Canada) and your car is caught, expect a nice fine in the mail.

[dropshadow]

For what it's worth, I have a DVR-207 dashcam. I bought it based on a review here: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/ (They reviewed the DVR-027. The 207 has a couple more features than the 027.) I got it on ebay for $70 shipped. I'm very happy with it so far, especially for the price.

[thebc]

I would tread lightly here unless you informed them ahead of time they would be recorded, especially if it recorded audio (video isn't a big deal). There are laws regarding this (both state and federal).

[SwankPeRFection]

I would tread lightly here unless you informed them ahead of time they would be recorded, especially if it recorded audio (video isn't a big deal). There are laws regarding this (both state and federal).

He lives in Canada, so the laws there will be different than the state you're in in the US.

[skiracerblah]

I'm guessing you're waiting to hear back from the GM since he might offer to give you a sweet deal on service and/or a new car in the future. Rather than spilling the beans and bashing his dealership. If it were me, i'd get the sweet deal from him and make sure you get it in writing!

[AKPS4]

Is it illegal to record video while your car is in service? Thats pretty damn stupid of a law... typical of how law makers will eventually control how our lives are lived in the future...

but in that case, i would anonymously send to all sorts of media. that way you cant get in trouble for it and people know about it. regardless of the recording law, its criminal enough what they did for everyone to know about it. I cant stand people who cannot respect others. You dont have to like anyone or anyone's personal property but at least have respect.

[thebc]

He lives in Canada, so the laws there will be different than the state you're in in the US.

Yeah, no clue on the laws up north. I would definitely figure that out before I exposed myself.

[KMPRSSD]

Maybe you should treat the GM to one of these kinds of test drives so that he gets a feel for what it's like to have your car raped. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8

Make sure you pick something expensive to test like an R8. lol

That was some of the best suff I've seen in a long time!!!! ROTFL

[AWDLover]

I would tread lightly here unless you informed them ahead of time they would be recorded, especially if it recorded audio (video isn't a big deal). There are laws regarding this (both state and federal).

I've seen several news stories where they go undercover with hidden cameras (audio + video) to catch untruthful mechanics. One specifically where they just inserted a busted AC relay and fuse to see what repairs the mechanics would come back saying the car needed. They had hidden cameras in the car and when talking to the people. How do they get away with that if it is illegal?

[skiracerblah]

Is it illegal to record video while your car is in service? Thats pretty damn stupid of a law... typical of how law makers will eventually control how our lives are lived in the future...

but in that case, i would anonymously send to all sorts of media. that way you cant get in trouble for it and people know about it. regardless of the recording law, its criminal enough what they did for everyone to know about it. I cant stand people who cannot respect others. You dont have to like anyone or anyone's personal property but at least have respect.

Yes audio recording is awkward like that. For example, in many states its illegal to record a telephone call without the other party's consent...

[JKL]

I would tread lightly here unless you informed them ahead of time they would be recorded, especially if it recorded audio (video isn't a big deal). There are laws regarding this (both state and federal).

Good reason not to upload the video for now. It also has audio recording and I know there are certain laws when it comes to that.

[Toecutter]

Yes audio recording is awkward like that. For example, in many states its illegal to record a telephone call without the other party's consent...

That's the federal wiretap law, correct? Does it also apply to video in a car?

I wonder if Canada has a similar law?

[focusaudi]

pssht, just make a sign/sticker that says "this car is under surveillance" and put it somewhere somewhat visible in your car and say it was there all along. </dirty cop> they won't pull that card though. plus, i thought you could film all you want if it's your personal property

[Monsoon]

This is exactly why I would never let the dealer pickup my car. I take it in for service and usually wait while they do the maintenance. Of course if the car is there for any significant repairs and they keep it over night all bets are off. Nothing surprises me anymore and sadly I don't trust anybody, least of all car dealerships and their mechanics. Had an M3 a few years back and when I picked it up after a couple days in the shop (Momentum BMW in Houston) it still had the wrappers and the receipts from their 2am Friday night visit to the Chevron station stuck in the drink holders. Their Service Manager couldn't possiboly have cared less.

[dparm]

If the camera was in plain sight, he might be okay. Time to lawyer up.

[AKPS4]

So there are no laws against service technicians taking vehicles out for joy rides? there must be, and if not, there should be immediately and this is a perfect way to get a law created. once a video like this gets out, it doesnt matter what current laws are. Its sad but it always takes proof of some criminal act/event before a new law goes into effect that should have already been in effect long ago. I would just love to beat these type of people repeatedly with a blunt object so they can never drive a vehicle again...

[Tyrnnus]

Well Guys, I live in Calgary - only about 2.5 hous drive south of the OP and there is only one dealership in town so its not hard to figure out the name....
As for the dash cam and legality of recording, as long as the image of the driver (or passenger) is not visable it is safe to post the video.

Damn, now I want to phone the dealership and ask them myself if they will offer valet service for me from Calgary. I will tell them it will only take 1.5 hours to drive the way their car valets drive.

[thebc]

I don't think it's that big of a deal. Delete the audio out of the video and you're golden.

Regarding undercover journalism, completely different deal. The media has some free passes private citizens don't.

Regardless, it's a moot point. No clue how Canadian laws address this.

[dizzlesizzle]

pssht, just make a sign/sticker that says "this car is under surveillance" and put it somewhere somewhat visible in your car and say it was there all along. </dirty cop> they won't pull that card though. plus, i thought you could film all you want if it's your personal property

It isn't illegal to record audio/video of someone without being informed, it just can't be used for evidence in court. I'm pretty sure that doesn't even matter with personal property as long its for legitimate use and in this case security purposes.

[JKL]

Well Guys, I live in Calgary - only about 2.5 hous drive south of the OP and there is only one dealership in town so its not hard to figure out the name....
As for the dash cam and legality of recording, as long as the image of the driver (or passenger) is not visable it is safe to post the video.

Damn, now I want to phone the dealership and ask them myself if they will offer valet service for me from Calgary. I will tell them it will only take 1.5 hours to drive the way their car valets drive.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to figure out. I wasn't hiding their name but I wasn't going to say it either.

[Skidrowe]

If you're in the US, just claim that you thought they were terrorists and quote the patriot act.

-Skid

[JKL]

Here some screenshots. I figure they don't actually show anyone and these don't link back to Audi. These are just some "random" photos.

First redlight

http://i42.tinypic.com/20zpgcm.png

120 km in a 60 (speed shown in timestamp)

http://i40.tinypic.com/fjnjeq.png

130 km in a 80(?)

http://i43.tinypic.com/2jbgaq.png

Some McDonalds

http://i41.tinypic.com/rsr4a9.png

[moose_head]

Reminds me of this (also in Canada)
http://ca.autoblog.com/2012/04/13/mercedes-benz-c63-amg-black-series-on-a-joyride-caught-on-video/ (edit: there were follow articles to this; this was a pre-delivery car and the dealership and buyer ultimately came to "financial arrangements")

[Akrion]

Great info! 10x for sharing ... my 35K service is coming up soon ... cant wait to see my videos (Setting up my dash camera now).

I dislike Audi Dealerships with passion - till this day I have not received adequate customer service (this is my 3rd Audi).

[mcoomer]

I'd be less upset about the drive-thru coffee than I would be the red lights and speed violations. A little over, no big deal. 50k over...come on man! Hopefully the GM will make things right with you. And, with all due respect to the others on the forum, what you do with the video and dealer information is up to you. Since you've only got one dealership you can turn to you have to protect that relationship. As long as you own that car you need to be on good terms. On the other hand, if they don't take your concerns seriously enough I would suggest a phone call to AofC.

Mike

[IceFour]

Has the GM responded yet?

[S4morris]

That was some of the best suff I've seen in a long time!!!! ROTFL

Haha, I agree I don't laugh too easy but that had me and the Mrs cracking up

[audisarecool]

I'd be less upset about the drive-thru coffee than I would be the red lights and speed violations. A little over, no big deal. 50k over...come on man! Hopefully the GM will make things right with you. And, with all due respect to the others on the forum, what you do with the video and dealer information is up to you. Since you've only got one dealership you can turn to you have to protect that relationship. As long as you own that car you need to be on good terms. On the other hand, if they don't take your concerns seriously enough I would suggest a phone call to AofC.

Mike

I'd be equally upset about the coffee as that can easily spill.

As far as bashing the dealership.. I'm not sure about that. This is probably a case of a few bad apples, since I very much doubt this is an endorsed policy.. I expect the GM to be equally as pissed about this.

[S4 00 2.7]

In for response from GM.

[S4J&V]

Thanks for the heads-up. As already noted, not hard to figure the dealer out.

Not cool at all, but 130 over those tracks in the 2nd last photo???? You've got to be f'ing kidding! Those have to among the roughest tracks in the city.

[ebi718]

In for response from GM.

x2. Totally inexcusable. ..what the Tech did. Absolute disrespect for a customer's vehicle.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

[Heresy]

Last year I had my Q5 in for replacement of the sunroof glass. As I was leaving the dealership I wanted to plug my cell phone in to charge it and lo and behold a phone was already attached...not my phone, of course. I assumed it belonged to the tech working on the car and the phone was stuffed into my armrest storage area, which means the tech was into my armrest storage area. I turned around and returned to the dealership and brought the phone to the service manager. But wait, there's more...I headed to my next destination and when I went to activate the parking brake, I found a half-dozen screws underneath the switch (I bet the tech is still trying to figure out where those screws went). I found a few more under my feet. I turned around and went back to the dealer and handed him the screws. I was a little less diplomatic this time. When my post-service survey came, I was particularly hard on them for shoddy service and made sure they were clear about what happened. I think dealers (at least my dealer) take the survey results seriously, because AoA sees them, as well. So to the OP, make sure your post-service survey is clear about what happened.

In hindsight, I should have kept the phone and held it ransom for free Audicare or something!

[DownhillA4]

Wow, in for what the GM says. Don't hold back on these scum.

[ThewhippetsS5]

Oh great, I was just about to service my S5 this weekend but now I'm feeling paranoid. Sorry to hear about your car, that's completely inexcusable. Hope things get sorted out for you in a nice and calm manner.

[JKL]

I'd be less upset about the drive-thru coffee than I would be the red lights and speed violations. A little over, no big deal. 50k over...come on man! Hopefully the GM will make things right with you. And, with all due respect to the others on the forum, what you do with the video and dealer information is up to you. Since you've only got one dealership you can turn to you have to protect that relationship. As long as you own that car you need to be on good terms. On the other hand, if they don't take your concerns seriously enough I would suggest a phone call to AofC.

Mike

I fully agree with your post. As you can see in my posts, I haven't bashed the dealership at all as this is the work of a few "bad apples" (though I do believe the dealership is fully responsible for the actions of their employees). I am going to wait to talk to the GM first and give them a chance to respond instead of going off on them and posting everything. I want to still have a good working relationship with the dealership. I'm certain this can be worked out in a civilized manner.

I made this post to see if anyone else had similar experiences and how they handled it. I've also only stated the facts so that other members can be careful too (though I hope this is a singular issue).

If I am not satisfied with the resolution from my dealership then I'll look into taking this further but for now, we're not even close to being there yet.

I'll keep you guys (and girls) posted.

[SE-Chris]

Has anyone (or could them if they have free time) dig up laws on recording audio and video?

For example, I'm pretty sure you can video/audio record your home and use that in court. I'm pretty sure they use video/audio from shopping malls, gas stations, and other places all the time.

Maybe they have to have a sign posted? Just put a sticker in your truck that reads "Audio and Video recording in this vehicle"

[SwankPeRFection]

That's the federal wiretap law, correct? Does it also apply to video in a car?

I wonder if Canada has a similar law?

Anyone ever see videos on YouTube with dashcam footage from EU, USA, Canada, etc.? Ya... Anyway, do what you want, but I would expose the dealership's name. It's bad business.

[SwankPeRFection]

I'd be equally upset about the coffee as that can easily spill.

As far as bashing the dealership.. I'm not sure about that. This is probably a case of a few bad apples, since I very much doubt this is an endorsed policy.. I expect the GM to be equally as pissed about this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akg5RcYl7DU

[Tracker_168]

Great! [:(] I need to book my 35K service soon with the same dealership. I don't have a dashcam. Best I can do is photograph the odometer right before I hand them the keys to check if they put a large number of miles on the car while they have it.

[SwankPeRFection]

Great! [:(] I need to book my 35K service soon with the same dealership. I don't have a dashcam. Best I can do is photograph the odometer right before I hand them the keys to check if they put a large number of miles on the car while they have it.

Just slip the service guy a finsky and you'll be good to go. ;) :ferrisbueller:

But seriously though... take printout of the pics above and tell the service manager you want to go for a ride-along when they take it out. If they refuse, ask for the GM.

[The_Transporter]

I apologize for derailing a bit, but this is why I never take my car to Audi. All work, service etc is done at an independent euro shop. (Or my speed shop) I get treated better, no TD1, no hassles. I can get in the forum, find a similar problem, relay to their techs and they follow up. I can get closer to those I really need to speak with. There's no invisible barrier to the mechanics. I love that.

They have much more to lose as an independent, plus they are around MUCH cooler cars than my A6 or my wife's E550 all day.

They get to know you. They remember you etc.

[adrianm8]

Nice, my first service is also coming up, hopefully your case is further along at that point because I'd like to bring up this thread. It's funny, because when I was telling a couple people I was buying an S4, they were all telling me to avoid this dealer because of various horror stories, this type of crap doesn't help out their cause.

In for how they respond as well, if I was in your shoes I would cause some havoc at the dealer and with already several guys chiming in this thread that service at this dealer, hopefully they understand the seriousness of the matter.

[Limey]

Nice, my first service is also coming up, hopefully your case is further along at that point because I'd like to bring up this thread. It's funny, because when I was telling a couple people I was buying an S4, they were all telling me to avoid this dealer because of various horror stories, this type of crap doesn't help out their cause.

In for how they respond as well, if I was in your shoes I would cause some havoc at the dealer and with already several guys chiming in this thread that service at this dealer, hopefully they understand the seriousness of the matter.

I could tell you a few stories about this dealership in question. And there not so good ones either. I can't wait till the new one opens on the northside, as far as I know it'll be different owners so hopefully better everything.

[SwankPeRFection]

I could tell you a few stories about this dealership in question. And there not so good ones either. I can't wait till the new one opens on the northside, as far as I know it'll be different owners so hopefully better everything.

Unless the guys getting fired from this existing dealership end up there. lol

[focusaudi]

If you're in the US, just claim that you thought they were terrorists and quote the patriot act.

-Skid

nicely done +1

[focusaudi]

I love my dealership in Boulder, CO. I was 1000 miles from my 25k service and low on oil, so I called and tried to schedule an appt to drop it off. They said they were booked, but I could come by and they'd change the oil. I was there for 10 minutes max and my oil had been changed and my car was ready to go. I hadn't even finished my sandwich!

[Wilbur]

Yeah, I'm not trying to start a war with my Audi dealership. I still need them (only dealership in town) and would like this resolved in a calm and collected manner.

GOOD CALL! Why make a big deal about this. Nobody died and your car is fine. Just have a chat with GM. I like your attitude.

[Wilbur]

I fully agree with your post. As you can see in my posts, I haven't bashed the dealership at all as this is the work of a few "bad apples" (though I do believe the dealership is fully responsible for the actions of their employees). I am going to wait to talk to the GM first and give them a chance to respond instead of going off on them and posting everything. I want to still have a good working relationship with the dealership. I'm certain this can be worked out in a civilized manner.

I made this post to see if anyone else had similar experiences and how they handled it. I've also only stated the facts so that other members can be careful too (though I hope this is a singular issue).

If I am not satisfied with the resolution from my dealership then I'll look into taking this further but for now, we're not even close to being there yet.

I'll keep you guys (and girls) posted.

What do you want for this? Are you ok? Is your car ok? What they did is wrong but its being blown WAAAY out of proportion. You sounded so level headed at the beginning .

[IceFour]

What do you want for this? Are you ok? Is your car ok? What they did is wrong but its being blown WAAAY out of proportion. You sounded so level headed at the beginning .

I dont see how he is.... as of now hes awaiting a response from the GM and dealing directly with him. As far as im concerned thats the correct course of action. Now, blowing it out of proportion would be posting the video everywhere putting the dealerships name on blast.

[mecheng]

What do you want for this? Are you ok? Is your car ok? What they did is wrong but its being blown WAAAY out of proportion. You sounded so level headed at the beginning .


I dont see how he is.... as of now hes awaiting a response from the GM and dealing directly with him. As far as im concerned thats the correct course of action. Now, blowing it out of proportion would be posting the video everywhere putting the dealerships name on blast.

I agree that it's getting blown out of proportion, but it's no fault of the OP. He made the call, right or wrong, to come to the forums to post the skeleton of the story without the specifics. That's bait for us, and now we're toting our torches and pitchforks.

If it were me, I'd be a little razzed with the liberties they took with my car. As with any business looking to retain me as a customer after damaging the trust and goodwill they've developed, I'd be looking for them to make an effort in repairing that relationship. Whether it's in free services or otherwise, doesn't matter, as long as I deem it commensurate with the indiscretion.

That said, I'd love to know what the outcome of this is.

[marr]

Unacceptable.

[dropshadow]

Me thinks AoA wouldn't be very interested in this...

Excellent point. Derp.

[achilleas101]

i have a dashcam in my car too (Blackvue DR500hd), set to record on switched power. It records not only when driving, but when the techs turn the car to "on" so while it's sitting in the bay with the battery charger attached, it's running.

When i had my car in for the sport diff, nothing really interesting came out of the video, although i did catch 2 techs making some comment that went something like: "yeah, i don't know what that is... a radar detector or something." I guess they were talking about the camera, which is kinda funny to me.

the only weird thing was that i took my car in on a Tuesday. End of the day, my SA said they didn't have a chance to look at it then. However, my camera clearly had them checking it out on Tuesday. As did my Progressive snapshot. They took it around the block to reproduce the problem (no joyride thankfully), and had it in a bay for like 45 minutes, all on Tuesday morning - midday. SA told me on Wed that they finally took a look at it, although neither the progressive or dashcam had any activity on Wed. It was just weird. makes you wonder what the tech and SAs say to each other, you know?

[Wilbur]

I dont see how he is.... as of now hes awaiting a response from the GM and dealing directly with him. As far as im concerned thats the correct course of action. Now, blowing it out of proportion would be posting the video everywhere putting the dealerships name on blast.

Regarding resolution He said "......Not even close to there yet" which I assumed meant he had talked to someone.

[jedirocker]

If the dealership doesn't handle correctly, then take it to one of your news TV networks. That'll get a response from the dealership quickly. And thanks for starting this thread. I have the BlackVue, but not the Power Magic system. Now that I read this thread, I'm getting BlackVue Power Magic so that service techs cannot unplug the camera.

[JKL]

Regarding resolution He said "......Not even close to there yet" which I assumed meant he had talked to someone.

I think you misunderstood. I meant I haven't even talk to my dealership yet so no reason to get all crazy.

[SwankPeRFection]

You'd think he would have gotten a call back by now from the GM. Doesn't seem to care though...

[Wilbur]

I think you misunderstood. I meant I haven't even talk to my dealership yet so no reason to get all crazy.

Ooops. Sorry about that. Can't believe you havent reached anyone yet.

[IceFour]

I think you misunderstood. I meant I haven't even talk to my dealership yet so no reason to get all crazy.

Exactly

[IceFour]

You'd think he would have gotten a call back by now from the GM. Doesn't seem to care though...


Ooops. Sorry about that. Can't believe you havent reached anyone yet.

Yes that is a concern when I had an issue and I left a message for the GM of Stevens Creek he responded quickly and resolved the issue I had to my satisfaction.

[QuattroRocket]

Interesting, I run the 500 Blackvue too and on my last service when I picked up the car the svc manager informed me that they disconnected my cam. They will not allow cams to run while in for service based on a bad situation at another local dealer a little while back. So as they figure out more and more cars run cams they will simply unplug them when you arrive. My money says the OP's car is the last dash cam car that they will allow now that they are aware and being called on it.

[SwankPeRFection]

Interesting, I run the 500 Blackvue too and on my last service when I picked up the car the svc manager informed me that they disconnected my cam. They will not allow cams to run while in for service based on a bad situation at another local dealer a little while back. So as they figure out more and more cars run cams they will simply unplug them when you arrive. My money says the OP's car is the last dash cam car that they will allow now that they are aware and being called on it.

That's when you request to go on the test drives with the techs or have a friend come along and you follow those fu**s wherever they go. Personally, if the GM shrugs it off and the tech that worked on my car doesn't get fired over this, I'd take it up with the police and let them explain why their techs are driving recklessly on public roads with people's cars that would fall under the insurance coverage of the owner as opposed to the dealership. It's bullshit and you guys know it! Stop defending it!!!

[Tyrnnus]

Interesting, I run the 500 Blackvue too and on my last service when I picked up the car the svc manager informed me that they disconnected my cam. They will not allow cams to run while in for service based on a bad situation at another local dealer a little while back. So as they figure out more and more cars run cams they will simply unplug them when you arrive. My money says the OP's car is the last dash cam car that they will allow now that they are aware and being called on it.

The funny thing about this is the OPs car was picked up from his home and dropped off. That being said, I am assuming that they could disconnect the cam when it arrives at the stealership but that the car jockey might not necessarily know how to do it when picking up the car intially.
Either way, this situation is going to have a interesting outcome and consequences for someone at the dealership.

[S4 00 2.7]

Wow, no return call yet??

[IceFour]

So far this teaches me to at least eliminate one variable: Never use the pick up service. I wouldn't have anyways.

[JKL]

Something kind of funny when I checked my email this morning. Audi Canada sent me the customer survey for how my service went. [>_>]

[S4 00 2.7]

If the dealership doesn't handle correctly, then take it to one of your news TV networks. That'll get a response from the dealership quickly. And thanks for starting this thread. I have the BlackVue, but not the Power Magic system. Now that I read this thread, I'm getting BlackVue Power Magic so that service techs cannot unplug the camera.

+1 I think this matter does justify going to a TV network.

[REVAMPEDAUDI]

I can assure everyone that the tech that was caught doing this was terminated today. Obviously we don't allow or condone this behavior at our dealership but unfortunately there is always one person that does something stupid like this. We try to be respectful of every individuals property. We have contacted the owner of the vehicle to express our regret in the matter and are trying to make amends.

Service Manager
Southgate Audi

[SwankPeRFection]

^^^ The power of the Internet and the Audi community.

[s4buckeye]

Yeah, also makes you wonder if all of that "I have Stg 300 and a bazillion mods and am not TD1....." goes unnoticed.

Probably can never tell if the dealer or whatnot might be reading.....

[SwankPeRFection]

Which is why you gotta be vague as f* on the interwebs. lol

[JetBlue]

I have been contacted several times by AoA and BMWUSA based on forum posts despite the fact that I try to keep things very anonymous. Not sure how they make the correlation, but they do.

[helix139]

Interesting, I run the 500 Blackvue too and on my last service when I picked up the car the svc manager informed me that they disconnected my cam. They will not allow cams to run while in for service based on a bad situation at another local dealer a little while back. So as they figure out more and more cars run cams they will simply unplug them when you arrive. My money says the OP's car is the last dash cam car that they will allow now that they are aware and being called on it.

That would piss me off. Unless you signed off on it, they have no right to disconnect your camera. That's unauthorized work, regardless of whether they re-connected it or not. I'd raise hell on that, and I'd ask them if it is alright with them if every time you come into the dealership to wait for service you disconnect all their security cameras. You can reconnect them when you leave.

[auditd0rk]

In all fairness, the dealership is private property. I presume they can prohibit filming while onsite. But yes, I agree they shouldn't disable it themselves without permission.

/IANAL

[Crucible35]

That would piss me off. Unless you signed off on it, they have no right to disconnect your camera. That's unauthorized work, regardless of whether they re-connected it or not. I'd raise hell on that, and I'd ask them if it is alright with them if every time you come into the dealership to wait for service you disconnect all their security cameras. You can reconnect them when you leave.

Probably charge you an hour for labour when they disconnect/reconnect too! ha [:D]

[gendry]

What sort of things gets their attention to the point where they contacted you?


I have been contacted several times by AoA and BMWUSA based on forum posts despite the fact that I try to keep things very anonymous. Not sure how they make the correlation, but they do.

[seanj130]

I can assure everyone that the tech that was caught doing this was terminated today. Obviously we don't allow or condone this behavior at our dealership but unfortunately there is always one person that does something stupid like this. We try to be respectful of every individuals property. We have contacted the owner of the vehicle to express our regret in the matter and are trying to make amends.

Service Manager
Southgate Audi

Weird that they have been a member for a year and a half.. At least they are keeping up to date on the internetzzzz. Hopefully, OP got a nice watch, a few nice shirts and a couple of oil changes on the house! I would be FURIOUS if some kid took my car over railroad tracks..

Great work with the dash cam..

[helix139]

In all fairness, the dealership is private property. I presume they can prohibit filming while onsite. But yes, I agree they shouldn't disable it themselves without permission.

/IANAL

I agree, but a car is private property too, with many of the same legal protections as a home. The dealership has no right to touch any part of the car not necessary for performing service you explicitly authorize. If you dropped your car off for service and when you picked it up you found out that the dealership removed your aftermarket exhaust or intake while it was in for service and then put it back on prior to pickup because they don't allow aftermarket parts in their service bay, you'd be pissed, wouldn't you? I know I would.

[drew4392]

I agree, but a car is private property too, with many of the same legal protections as a home. The dealership has no right to touch any part of the car not necessary for performing service you explicitly authorize. If you dropped your car off for service and when you picked it up you found out that the dealership removed your aftermarket exhaust or intake while it was in for service and then put it back on prior to pickup because they don't allow aftermarket parts in their service bay, you'd be pissed, wouldn't you? I know I would.

really interesting points. I wonder how the law reads around this type of scenario. Having dinner with a lawyer buddy of mine tonight... not sure if he'll be familiar with this, but I'll ask anyway.

[jran76]

Weird that they have been a member for a year and a half.. At least they are keeping up to date on the internetzzzz. Hopefully, OP got a nice watch, a few nice shirts and a couple of oil changes on the house! I would be FURIOUS if some kid took my car over railroad tracks..

Great work with the dash cam..

I am going to guess that "REVAMPEDAUDI" is just someone that works at the dealership and happened to see this as a normal member of Audizine, and reported it to the service manager. At that point, I could see the service manager asking to use the account to post that message whether it really came from REVAMPEDAUDI or not. It is a little strange that this is their first post since they joined....

[seanj130]

I am going to guess that "REVAMPEDAUDI" is just someone that works at the dealership and happened to see this as a normal member of Audizine, and reported it to the service manager. At that point, I could see the service manager asking to use the account to post that message whether it really came from REVAMPEDAUDI or not. It is a little strange that this is their first post since they joined....

That is why I was wondering why it was their first post, and they have been on here this long..

There must be even more crazy shit going on. NSA spying on us from inside America, and from Canada! [>_<]

[S4 00 2.7]

I agree, but a car is private property too, with many of the same legal protections as a home. The dealership has no right to touch any part of the car not necessary for performing service you explicitly authorize. If you dropped your car off for service and when you picked it up you found out that the dealership removed your aftermarket exhaust or intake while it was in for service and then put it back on prior to pickup because they don't allow aftermarket parts in their service bay, you'd be pissed, wouldn't you? I know I would.

X2 I would be pretty upset.

[REVAMPEDAUDI]

I am going to guess that "REVAMPEDAUDI" is just someone that works at the dealership and happened to see this as a normal member of Audizine, and reported it to the service manager. At that point, I could see the service manager asking to use the account to post that message whether it really came from REVAMPEDAUDI or not. It is a little strange that this is their first post since they joined....

No I am the service manager for Southgate Audi and do frequent Audizine ,not only to see what people are saying about the product and dealership but see what's new in the aftermarket world. I just don't have time to post unfortunately. Some of us at the dealership level like tuning just as much as the next guy. We tune quite a few cars here and don't frown on it but we also to have to follow the policy's and procedures from the manufacture. We are currently doing up a 2001 TT race car for our staff to take to the track. Extensively modified with Integrated Engineering products. Sometimes we get information from here before the Manufacture releases it to us.

[WAF]

No I am the service manager for Southgate Audi and do frequent Audizine ,not only to see what people are saying about the product and dealership but see what's new in the aftermarket world. I just don't have time to post unfortunately. Some of us at the dealership level like tuning just as much as the next guy. We tune quite a few cars here and don't frown on it but we also to have to follow the policy's and procedures from the manufacture. We are currently doing up a 2001 TT race car for our staff to take to the track. Extensively modified with Integrated Engineering products. Sometimes we get information from here before the Manufacture releases it to us.


Are you sure you don't frown on tuned cars.....

[adrianm8]

Are you sure you don't frown on tuned cars.....

Ya, I agree......

[NyRevenge]

Are you sure you don't frown on tuned cars.....

They dont unless you want them to fix it...

[dparm]

They dont unless you want them to fix it...

When it comes to money, I'll assume they don't discriminate. They're probably leary about warranty repairs on modified cars because if Audi decides not to reimburse them, they'll eat the cost. But if you're paying out of pocket, of course they'll take the money.

[ZheHbKa]

cool idea! in Europe a lot of people drive with these, in case of an accident cops cant bs

[NyRevenge]

When it comes to money, I'll assume they don't discriminate. They're probably leary about warranty repairs on modified cars because if Audi decides not to reimburse them, they'll eat the cost. But if you're paying out of pocket, of course they'll take the money.

Of course they don't care if your willing to pay out of pocket, i was referring to repairs under warranty on modded cars.

[REVAMPEDAUDI]

Are you sure you don't frown on tuned cars.....

When the car comes in tuned we really don't make the decision at the dealer level. We have to ask Audi if they will pay or not. We give them the information and its up to them. We are a Stasis dealer so that should show we don't frown on it. I love tuning cars and always will. When it comes to warranty every manufacture makes their own policy's that we have to abide by. If you want to play you might have to pay and the consumer has to know that before anything is done. Lots of people understand this and tune their car. I wish people would understand that people at the dealer level don't make these policies. We just have to enforce them. Don't shoot the messenger.

[WAF]

10-4

[jran76]

No I am the service manager for Southgate Audi and do frequent Audizine ,not only to see what people are saying about the product and dealership but see what's new in the aftermarket world. I just don't have time to post unfortunately. Some of us at the dealership level like tuning just as much as the next guy. We tune quite a few cars here and don't frown on it but we also to have to follow the policy's and procedures from the manufacture. We are currently doing up a 2001 TT race car for our staff to take to the track. Extensively modified with Integrated Engineering products. Sometimes we get information from here before the Manufacture releases it to us.

Cool, and good to know. It's nice to see you post and handle this like it should be. Kudos to you guys.

[100Daily]

This thread cost me money! I swooped on 2 x DR400G Series 2. One in the front, and one in the rear.

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o618/100Daily/image_zpsa150f2d2.jpeg (http://s1150.photobucket.com/user/100Daily/media/image_zpsa150f2d2.jpeg.html)

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o618/100Daily/image-1_zpse926cc1a.jpeg (http://s1150.photobucket.com/user/100Daily/media/image-1_zpse926cc1a.jpeg.html)

[HedonismBot]

If this is Southgate Audi in Edmonton tell Mike Beck I'm still waiting on the floor mats that he forgot to ship with my car. Tell him not to worry though, I'm not holding my breath.