Attempt to be silenced by a Main Dealer

[s60ben]

Following a post I made the other day on this forum, I received an email from the VOC Forum Support Team.

They had forwarded me a message at the request of a member, who had taken umbrage with the post that I had made.

The "reported post" message is laid below:

Date: 27 November 2011 14:35

The following message was sent to you via the Volvo Owners Club Forum Contact Us form by Captain Volvo

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Please could you pass on my comments to member - s60ben


Ben,

Please could I ask you to consider removing the defamatory comments posted last night about me personally and my business.

Whilst you were kind enough to highlight an issue with a used car we had sold you were also aware there was certainly no intention to mislead and the customer was very happy with the solution.

Perhaps if you had gone about highlighting the concerns in a more acceptable and mature manner apart of which resulted in a member of the public complaining about your excessive and potentially dangerous driving leaving my site and travelling along Bolton Lane.

I have personally and professionally an excellent reputation which my customers see trust , integrity and honesty which are very much apart of my values.

I have been a Volvo Technician ,Volvo Sales consultant , Volvo Sales and General Manager , A true Volvo enthusiast and owner for 30 years.

I have now owned my own Volvo dealership for 4 years and will continue working with Volvo for further futue opportunities to represent this excellent brand

I understand having talked to a number of other Volvo enthusiasts that you too have a reputation

However currently I find your comments libellous

Please consider my request before I take the matter further

Regards

Clive

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Referring Page: ****removed****
IP Address: ****removed****
User Name: Captain Volvo
User ID: 31141
Email: ****removed****

Thats atrocious, and not only that, but this guy is the Dealer Principal of Clive Brook Volvo in Bradford.

He tells half a story, pretends he's asking nicely, but then shoves in the libel bit and the threat of him taking it further..

If you have a quick look at the posts he's made on this forum, it's very clear that the "honesty and integrity" he promotes so much, aren't so much of an issue when he's trying to mislead people into thinking he's just an ordinary member, and attempting to direct them to his business.

For example:

Originally Posted by Captain Volvo

Try Clive Brook Volvo in Bradford . They are offering upto 20% discount to Volvo Owners Club Members on Parts and Labour and I know of 2 friends who were entitled too and took advantage of 20% discount off a New car under thier Loyalty programme.

Contact 01274 802999

www.clivebrook.co.uk

Oh really, 2 friends of the Dealer Principal, happened to be entitled to a Loyalty Scheme discount.....

And:

Originally Posted by Captain Volvo

Wish they hadn't sold it !
Wish there was another one !
Glad I didn't say they were wrong with the price

I am told they have just got the last R ever made for the UK
Sadly I am not going to have chance to say it's too expensive as Clive Brook Volvo have already sold it !

You can find the rest of his posts...
I wonder how many PM's were sent...


I've duly replied to his message, effectively informing him that he can go poke himself where the sun don't shine, and that he can take the matter further should he wish.. Of course, I may also take matter further.

I should add, that I dealt with this Dealer Principal in a fully mature, acceptable and approachable manner, and also drove away perfectly safely from his dealership. (The road he accuses me <via his alleged customer> of speeding on, and dangerous driving on due to that speed, is the grand sum of 200 yards long, and you have no choice but to stop at the end.....) It just so happens my car makes a little more noise than your average v70.. And it also just so happened that he wanted something to have a go at me for when he called me 20 minutes later to have a further argument.

He states quite clearly that his customer is "very happy with the solution" - Well here's a big newsflash for you mate - He's FAR from happy.... And I think you may just find out why.

[SonyVaio]

Well words speak for themself when dealers feel they need to resort to this type scaremongering.

Think Clive should just get a life and put more effort into his customer service?

[david philips]

just goes to show the foolishness of the bradford twits if they had said nothing and just let it go the way all bad publicity does it probably would have been forgotten about. reason being the general public has a very short memory and even those on tvs rouge traders always find more customers to con but when they take up the fight wile knowing themselves in the wrong all they do is prove that they have been in this position before and show that they have no intention of changing.

[waylander]

try parking opposite his main entrance with a huge placard stating your issues with the car... nothing libelous and on a oublic highway - might see a swift return to the 'negotiating table'

[scottishvolvo]

The first thing that struck me about the letter was the atrocious spelling and grammar. Is it normal for a member of the public to enter a garage and report someones "excessive and potentially dangerous driving" ? I know I wouldn't!

[caveman_returns]

He sounds a bit of a knob, doing this sort of thing just gives him and the business bad publicity.

[volvorocks]

Youve got the same picture as me.

[Ninja59]

i dont want to be seen as the bad man here but is it not better a) to keep this a private matter b) to remove the comments rather than enraging the situation.

from a legal point though if they are fair comment expressing an opinion and not a fact, with public interest and are "fair" then go right ahead. As you might get a defence that way of fair comment.

Also i would like to point out it in the majority it is slander not libel online.

Although a thread like this i can seriously see enflaming the situation honestly...

[weble]

One thing anyone in customer relations should know,

If someone has a bad experience, they'll tell 10 people

If someone has a good experience, they'll tell one.

I dont know what went on between you two, or any other issues with anyone else. But a dealer/trader really does need to try and keep a good rep!

[irishcarfan]

I agree with Ninja59.