Non Volvo service

[stevieR]

I renewed my service plan last February at Preston Motor Park,this February a driver came to my house,picked up and later returned my S60 and handed me a Volvo invoice for work that I had approved them to do along with the service.
Two weeks ago I got an e mail from Volvo saying that my car was overdue a service.
Turns out they had lost the Volvo dealership around the 4th of Feb,my service was on the 20th of Feb.
Volvo will not reinstate their Volvo assistance because the garage was not approved or indeed confirm any engine software updates could have been carried out
Preston Motor Parks position on this is that the service plan contract is with them and not the manufacturer i.e. Volvo so watch out there.
I paid the repair work by credit card so my position there should be good and regarding the plan instalments over 12 months,the Consumer Credit Act and the Sale of Goods Act should recover the money paid out for a Volvo service I never received....Your thoughts please.

[green van man]

If when you bought the plan they were volvo agents then you have bought a volvo backed plan or should of in my view.
If they then lost the franchise they should of appraised you of that situation.

I would take the view you have been miss sold the plan and would want a refund.

This plan costs £x per month, I pay myself that £x and put it in a separate account. This means whenever the car needs work I have money to hand to finance it and I am not tied to one outlet to do the work. Bit that's me and I don't like being beholding to anyone.

Paul.

[stevieR]

Hi Paul,
Thanks,you view it same as myself.
I committed to another 3 years of Volvo services and the benefits that came with having main dealer backing,to then be told your contract is with us not Volvo!
If I had wanted a non Volvo service I would have paid no more than £150.
They think they have got away with it and their GM says he can find no wrong,we shall see.

Steve

[Dastardly Diesel]

Very interesting.

Limscomb in Ashford declined to renew their Volvo franchise. The investment in equipment and training to work on the new hybrids and T8 was, in their view, not worth it financially.

However, although they are no longer a franchisee they still pay for Volvo diagnostic and software update access, and still do servicing to Volvo schedules using Volvo parts and Volvo trained techies, and this is still accepted by Volvo as meeting the requirements for Volvo assist. Obviously, they don't sell new Volvos any more or do warranty work, although their servicing is seemed appropriate for maintaining the factory warranty.

If your garage are still doing exactly the same as Lipscomb I can't see why they would be treated any differently re Volvo Assist.

If not, then I would suggest your claim may lie with the garage for not informing you they are not a franchise holder any more. Conversely, if someone rings up an independent to book a service none of them would automatically inform the customer that they do not hold a franchise for that manufacturer, so there may be an element of due diligence required by the customer.

Ultimately, if you and the garage cannot agree then only a court can decide the matter.

As a point of order, when you buy a vehicle or any service from a dealer or garage your contract is always with them and not the manufacturer.

[stevieR]

Thanks for your reply,
I sent the paperwork to Volvo and they declined Volvo assistance as they were not approved retailers.
I take your point about due diligence but this was the 5th consecutive service with them and all booked online and all Volvo headlined as well.

[Rustyfrog]

stevieR - I have been reading all the previous regarding Motorparks (ex Doves Volvo) and am glad I did not take a service pan with them or have had any dealings with them other than servicing.
Interestingly, if you google Volvo, Preston guess whose name comes up first?

[stevieR]

Thanks for your reply.
When you go onto their website the word Volvo is there 7 times grouped with the other brands they sell and then is missing at the bottom of the page.So this has been edited but clearly misleading when you open the site.
I notice too that it professes to be an AA approved dealer and one of their `promises`is that they will enable you to escalate issues to the AA who will mediate....what a load of cobblers.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by stevieR

Thanks for your reply.
When you go onto their website the word Volvo is there 7 times grouped with the other brands they sell and then is missing at the bottom of the page.So this has been edited but clearly misleading when you open the site.
I notice too that it professes to be an AA approved dealer and one of their `promises`is that they will enable you to escalate issues to the AA who will mediate....what a load of cobblers.

Usually volvo are pretty tough on unauthorised use of their copyright on their logos and fonts ..

[stevieR]

Thanks for the reply.
What this episode has taught me is what we think the Volvo brand is,it actually isn`t.
Customer care-crass,unapologetic,uninterested,and poorly schooled in grammar.
Volvo UK - lack of forward thinking in not looking after their customers interests when changing dealers.

[Dastardly Diesel]

The fact that no other manufacturer offers a free assist scheme in the first place would rather undermine your point .

And another point of order, Volvo UK is the importer, not the manufacturer.

I can understand why you feel aggrieved, but I fail to see what Volvo the,selves have done wrong here.