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Complaining to Ford


JoBoy99
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Anybody recently complained to Ford about anything? 

I would like to complain but don't know who or how, the best I have come up with is a guy called Andy Barrat who is apparently CEO or customer services.

When I bought my car, the guy at the dealership top me the name of the guy who I complain to if I want to and had his email and everything but he never gave it to me when I looked for it after.

Half minded to ask him for the contact details of the guy he was on about but think it might be worth going further as it is a little more than just a small complaint.

Cheers guys.

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Google “complaining to ford”
There is bound to be other stories on there.

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Why bother?  Your contract is with the selling dealer, not the manufacturer.

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Contact their Ford Customer service, I have found in the past that they are very helpful.

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Ford UK will undoubtedly ask if you have approached the selling dealership and as per the Consumer Rights Act you have to give the seller a fair chance at putting things right. 

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Ford customer services were very helpful when we initially had the delay issues with our mk8. We were given a number as the complaint was logged. We never pursued the complaint after delivery though.

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An update for my complaint; 

I emailed a guy who's email I found on the internet, apparently the CEO of Ford, so thought why not, lets try at the top, it was then passed down to a very nice lady called Amy and she asked some more questions and my complaint was then sent to the Dealer Principle of the dealership I used and told me she would call me on Thursday just gone to see if they have made contact with me as she had asked them to contact me about it with a reply to my complaint. As always, they hadn't replied by the time she called and she told me she would speak to them about talking to me and remind them to do so, she told me she would call again on Wednesday and see how things are going. 

Not expecting to get anything out of my complaint apart from a better experience when I go back in the future and hopefully get another car.

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It's a good result from the top but standard lack of communication from their 'front line'. It's all well and good complaining but the best complaint is the one you make with your feet/wallet, if you have received service bad enough for you to complain the CEO of Ford why are you already thinking of going back to line their pockets further?

It may help us to understand if we knew your complaint.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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in brief, the reason I complained is so many things went wrong whilst I was buying the car.

I organised an appointment with a sales rep and he was at a different dealership when I came for the appointment, which was prearranged with time and location.

I was told the car had 12k miles but had 15.5k when I got in it.

they told me as soon as I have the logbook for my car I was trading in I could have the car with my private plates on it, because I had to get them taken off which took a while, but then told me it would be at least 2 weeks, then was told it would be 24 hours

tried to email the sales rep who sold me the car (3rd sales rep at the dealer I dealt with about the car) but he never got back and it was about the private plate

went to speak to him about the car to make sure everything had been done, service and stone chips but was told he did not know anything about it and acted as if he had never got the email but I emailed him recently about something else and he got it because he rang me so not a address mistake.

was told to call the dealer when the paperwork turns up but before 3 as they need 2 hours before the admin team leave work at 5 to sort the car out, called at 12 and was told I would have a call back, called again at 2 and still nothing so went in and was told nobody told the sales rep I had called then I was told I couldn't have my car but then I could

was not cleaned or stone chips repaired and the floor mats missing. when I test drove it they were in there

arranged for the stone chips to be repaired and then turned up and it hadn't been organised

rearranged for the car to have stone chips repaired and valeted, picked it up and hadn't been cleaned and so they missed some stone chips

was asked if I'm happy with the repairs and I said no and was told he isn't the person to talk to about it so asked who it is and he said I don't know

had to ask for the manual, which they didnt have so have told me they would order one for me but it comes from Germany, and had o ask for the service booklet which they had to go and get stamped because it hadn't been after the service they did

when checking the oil level numerous times the oil keeps coming out very dirty so doesn't seem as if its been changed, so unsure of what they have done in the service

So generally just a bit of a pain in the bum buying the car, felt like I lived in the dealership for a while as it was problem after problem

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Not sure what good complaining to Ford about a used vehicle purchased via a dealership would do.

I am guessing the car you bought was a Ford and is out of warranty. I am not sure what they are expected to do to remedy the issues you have had with a specific dealership and how Ford would remedy the dealership shortcomings.

The dealership management should look into the issues for you I would have thought.

Seems like you have been messed around a bit but I and I am sure others have had this in the past. Would just use another dealership in the future.

E.g. few years back I had a PPI claim with a local dealership. They agreed to pay me out voluntarily, when I went to collect the cheque they said they had changed their minds and would fight my claim. This wasn't a Ford issue, it was the dealership issue. I won the case eventually via the Ombudsman, costing the dealer more in interest.  Enjoyed going in to collect the cheque from the manager/principal. Needless to say I have never used that dealership again.

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I'm not defending the dealer but moving private plates from one car to another can take over 4 weeks if the two cars are not in the same name there again, all does depend on if the DVLA are busy and if Royal Mail are efficient, from my experience your better off, and normally its quicker to put you number on retention then reassign onto your new car when you have the V5 log book

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The last 3 cars we have had, the private plates have been on the cars when we have collected them.

The last twice the plates were transferred over online and this took literally seconds to do in the dealership. The first time, we had to do it all manually using paperwork.

This has involved transferring registered keeper names between mine and the Mrs on 2 seperate occasions. One time we even received a V5 as myself as the registered keepr when we wanted the Mrs as the registered keeper. We informed the dealership and they sorted the issue out with the DVLA, we received the new V5 approx a week later. Yes we had 2 x V5 documents for the same car with different keepers.

This was included in the deals for the cars, where the delaership paid the £80 transfer fee.

I dont agree about putting the plate on retention being quicker and you have to pay the transfer fee yourself instead of getting the dealer to pay for it.

 

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8 hours ago, JoBoy99 said:

in brief, the reason I complained is so many things went wrong whilst I was buying the car.

I organised an appointment with a sales rep and he was at a different dealership when I came for the appointment, which was prearranged with time and location.

I was told the car had 12k miles but had 15.5k when I got in it.

they told me as soon as I have the logbook for my car I was trading in I could have the car with my private plates on it, because I had to get them taken off which took a while, but then told me it would be at least 2 weeks, then was told it would be 24 hours

tried to email the sales rep who sold me the car (3rd sales rep at the dealer I dealt with about the car) but he never got back and it was about the private plate

went to speak to him about the car to make sure everything had been done, service and stone chips but was told he did not know anything about it and acted as if he had never got the email but I emailed him recently about something else and he got it because he rang me so not a address mistake.

was told to call the dealer when the paperwork turns up but before 3 as they need 2 hours before the admin team leave work at 5 to sort the car out, called at 12 and was told I would have a call back, called again at 2 and still nothing so went in and was told nobody told the sales rep I had called then I was told I couldn't have my car but then I could

was not cleaned or stone chips repaired and the floor mats missing. when I test drove it they were in there

arranged for the stone chips to be repaired and then turned up and it hadn't been organised

rearranged for the car to have stone chips repaired and valeted, picked it up and hadn't been cleaned and so they missed some stone chips

was asked if I'm happy with the repairs and I said no and was told he isn't the person to talk to about it so asked who it is and he said I don't know

had to ask for the manual, which they didnt have so have told me they would order one for me but it comes from Germany, and had o ask for the service booklet which they had to go and get stamped because it hadn't been after the service they did

when checking the oil level numerous times the oil keeps coming out very dirty so doesn't seem as if its been changed, so unsure of what they have done in the service

So generally just a bit of a pain in the bum buying the car, felt like I lived in the dealership for a while as it was problem after problem

You have certainly been messed around on several occasions and I would be miffed too. I think I have come across most of your issues before and I have always taken it up with the Dealer Principle, who then normally passes it down to his sales or service manager. Once the DP is aware it normally gets a the ball rolling a lot quicker, I always copy the DP in to any future correspondence so the manager I am dealing with cant keep the complaint 'beneath the radar'. 

Unfortunately, and this is wrong but I have found that if you buy used then you simply don't get the same service you would if you were buying new. I've never understood it but I always find it to be true. 

There is no excuse for removing items from the car once you have seen it and agreed to buy it, that is dishonest. And lets face it, a set of mats is not going to sting a dealer but to a customer its a finishing touch on the car and means a great deal. Manuals get lost, and as far as I know there is no requirement to provide it if the dealer is not in possession of it. They are available on line now anyway so its easily accessible if you need it in a hurry. I didn't know anyone still read the manual these days, well judging by some of the questions I've seen on forums lol. I like to leaf through the manual, often find things I don't know. If I buy a second hand car from a dealer I will normally ask for the manual when I put the deposit down so I can get a jump on the car before it arrives. If it is a factory order I will go in and get the manual when the car is delivered.

Previously if I have called a garage when the person I need to speak to is busy I have always been asked to call back later, but why should I? these receptionists/secretaries are there to take messages aren't they? surely they can put a post-it on the guys desk or fire off an internal email. That is something that does get my goat.

I had the misfortune of finding the car I wanted at the price I was willing to pay at my local Arnold Clark dealership, after a previous experience in a different AC franchise I vowed to never go back but I couldn't miss the opportunity of the car so I went and bought it from them. Once I got the deal I wanted and signed the agreement I told them that after I had collected the car I would not be back to their garage and any warranty issues and servicing would be done over the road at the Ford dealership rather than their 'motorworld'. I can still remember the look on their faces when I told them that AC had a worse rep than Jimmy Saville, they actually seemed surprised!

As for private number plates, the dealers have no idea about all the updated regs and processes. On this occasion though you have been advised correctly. I'm not sure but I'm willing to bet that the cars @Mavroz has previously done transfers on have been new ones, where he or his wife have been the first keeper. In those circumstances the plate can be transferred straight from the car they own (V5C in their name) to the brand new car they have bought (V5C also to have their name on it and no previous keeper). Putting your private plate on a car that does not have your name on the V5C yet actually transfers the ownership of the plate to the person named on the V5C at that time. It can be done as all you need is the current V5C reference number and the keepers address details, however if you do that and the previous keeper calls the DVLA to say he has lost the log book he can get a new one sent out to him with your number now assigned to that vehicle then quickly put it on retention and keep it. It's unlikely but that is why by law you have to own the vehicle and be in possession of the V5C in your name before you can take your plate off retention and put it on the new vehicle. So, if you buy a second hand vehicle the VRM must go on retention for a short period, the only exception to this is if you are not selling the vehicle it is currently on. you still have to wait for the new V5C before you can transfer it though. I'm sure there is a quicker way of saying that but I couldn't do it lol

The best thing you can do is to push for a complimentary service in a years time at the expense of the garage and then never buy another car from them again, that is what I have just done after some appalling service when I bought a brand new limited edition Skoda.

I hope you get a satisfactory resolution pal.

 

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5 hours ago, Mavroz said:

The last 3 cars we have had, the private plates have been on the cars when we have collected them.

The last twice the plates were transferred over online and this took literally seconds to do in the dealership. The first time, we had to do it all manually using paperwork.

This has involved transferring registered keeper names between mine and the Mrs on 2 seperate occasions. One time we even received a V5 as myself as the registered keepr when we wanted the Mrs as the registered keeper. We informed the dealership and they sorted the issue out with the DVLA, we received the new V5 approx a week later. Yes we had 2 x V5 documents for the same car with different keepers.

This was included in the deals for the cars, where the delaership paid the £80 transfer fee.

I dont agree about putting the plate on retention being quicker and you have to pay the transfer fee yourself instead of getting the dealer to pay for it.

 

The second V5C would make the incorrect one obsolete, every time a new V5C is issued the reference number on the document changes.

I agree about not paying the transfer fee too, I never do that regardless of whether I get the plate on before collection or 2-4 weeks later when I get the right V5C.

 

@JoBoy99 new V5C documents are coming through pretty quick now, I changed 2 cars at the end of Feb and got the new docs through in about 10days. it took a little longer for the confirmation that I had sold my previous cars to come through, I hope you didn't trust the garage to do that for you. They say they will but it does get missed and legally it is your responsibility.

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13 minutes ago, Jonro2009 said:

The second V5C would make the incorrect one obsolete, every time a new V5C is issued the reference number on the document changes.

I agree about not paying the transfer fee too, I never do that regardless of whether I get the plate on before collection or 2-4 weeks later when I get the right V5C.

 

@JoBoy99 new V5C documents are coming through pretty quick now, I changed 2 cars at the end of Feb and got the new docs through in about 10days. it took a little longer for the confirmation that I had sold my previous cars to come through, I hope you didn't trust the garage to do that for you. They say they will but it does get missed and legally it is your responsibility.

I sent off for it on the Monday after paying for the car and it arrived on the Friday the next week so wasn't too bad,  just a pain being told loads of different lengths of time. 

I did it all myself and we eventually agreed that id pick the car up with the original plates and id wait for the V5C to come through the post before changing the plates. 

I arrived on Thursday but been away so haven't yet done it, but probably will on Monday.

Unfortunately I don't see myself returning to that garage again

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Hi Jonro, yes the last 2 cars were new ones. Mine we did it online at the dealership the day I picked the car up if I remember. I drove away with my plates already on the car.

I remember the Focus, that was the paperwork one that the Mrs had to take the paperwork into a DVLA office to sort it out but that was involving a tax disc. Again I am pretty sure I had the plates made for the car and put on it on the same date I bought the reg.

I Didn't realise that it was a more drawn out process now for used cars.

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My friend bought a used Astra Vxr a couple of years back now. When he collected it, that car had had the mats taken out by the dealership.

When he questioned it they said the mats were removed do to hygiene, health and safety. They were not allowed to hand over a used vehicle with used mats in them?? He had to buy a new VXR set from the dealership, approx 50 quid then I think.

Never heard anything so crazy.

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2 hours ago, Mavroz said:

 

I Didn't realise that it was a more drawn out process now for used cars.

It's not as long as you have the reference number from the V5 it's nearly instantaneous on line

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As above though, the V5C should have the current registered keepers details on it. The current keeper is you, and when you collect the car you won't be in possession of the V5C with your name on it yet.

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On 31/03/2018 at 5:05 PM, Mavroz said:

I dont agree about putting the plate on retention being quicker and you have to pay the transfer fee yourself instead of getting the dealer to pay for it.

 

As said, from my experience its quicker putting a plate on retention if the V5 of the old vehicle is in a different name to that the new vehicle is been registered in, if in the same name then things are different..

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