V70: General Rouen Dealer lost fob!

[flinflon]

V70 08 plate broke down whilst on holiday in Normandy. Car towed to nearest main dealer, ie Rouen. Ah mon dieu it is August and nearly every b*gger is on hols. Work gets done please pay 698 euros. I pay in cash and a cheque drawn on a French bank. Merci now I will get your car. Oh dear the fob has gone AWOL and it is Friday afternoon all staff except sales have gone; while we look for the fob would I like to test drive latest 4x4 only 80,000 euros, leather seats would be extra. No thanks I'd rather have my fob.

Manager asks perhaps I have a spare fob. Yes at the house I'm staying at. After a search of all pockets and wife's handbag (which could accommodate most of Bournemouth) we find the spare.

They promise to get another fob from Volvo asap can we have your address in UK, your telephone number plus mobile, email address.

We are now back home in Kent. Telephone Rouen dealer phone goes dead no email response. Perhaps everyone is at Dieppe for a dip in the sea.

Has any forum member had similar experience and how was it resolved?

[green van man]

No, but I would be getting a new fob from UK dealer and having the car reprogrammed so that the missing fob would not work on it.

Have lost keys and fob and it's not a cheap exercise to replace them.
New fob and key.
Reprogram car and both the old and new fobs set me back £240 9 years ago.

You don't want to wake up and find the car gone one morning, and a missing key could be anywhere and with anyone. You have left all your details with someone who you think has your fob, no telling what they could do with it.

Paul.

[john.wigley]

You make an excellent point, Paul, but - with no disrespect to 'flinflon' - I would be more concerned myself if the car was an '18' rather than an '08' plate.

While I feel that this is more likely to be a genuine mistake than a convoluted attempt to steal the car, it in no way excuses the dealer's carelessness.

Were I in 'flinflon's shoes, I would do as you suggest, but send the invoice to the Rouen dealer, requesting reimbursement within, say, 30 days. Should the dealer not respond positively to this request, I would escalate the matter to Volvo's PR department for them to resolve.

Although I doubt any dishonest intent, the dealer was guilty in my view of sharp practice, by attempting to capitalise on what was probably a genuine mistake in an attempt to sell a new car, and that stinks.

Regards, John.

[milesh]

Had issues with the same dealer.
AC pump smoking. Dealer 'fixed it'. Left dealer. 1/2 hr later aux belt burnt out. Took out steering pump and main pulley. Back to dealer. All in all almost 2 weeks and a bill from the stealer of over £2000.
1 week later returned to UK. AC not working. Volvo France, UK and Sweden all just says it's an issue to take up directly with the dealer directly and are not interested.
Case opened with European Consumer Centres Network.
If a breakdown service suggests Rouen then refuse.