The 'POE List' for Service Comments, Good or Bad!

The RAC - it could stand for Rubbish Around Cars and Dealerships Hartwell Citroen in both Abingdon and Kidlington, Oxfordshire are equally unable to offer a service. Do read on, and if you take any notice of my circumstances you will not engage the services of any one of the three in future!

I had occasion to call the RAC out today because my Citroen Grand C4 (not so Grand now) was overheating. This was my opinion due to the fan coming on over a very short distance to cool the engine, despite the heater controls inside being on cold, and the fact that the heat coming into the vehicle was such that all windows were open and still we were cooking! I was unable to reduce the heat. I turned the Air Conditioning on, but that wasn't having any effect either, it wasn't working and we were baking!

The RAC 'mechanic' arrived and asked "where are the heater controls, I've never seen one like this before"? (Know that this vehicle has been on the roads for 10 years or more!) He didn't even bother to attach diagnostics, but stated it was a Dealership problem. He was at the roadside for less than 10 minutes and didn't even come to the door with an update, he merely drove off and I would bet he was finishing for the day and didn't want to get further involved.

The RAC 'mechanic' did say "it was a heater problem, not an engine problem" and "because the vehicle isn't broken down I can't do anything". He offered to take me/the car to the Dealership - Hartwell Citroen in Abingdon, who had previously told me they couldn't even look at it to determine the problem until 24th August 2015 (two weeks away!) and that they didn't have a Courtesy Car available until 26th September (six weeks away!) I ask you, what sort of service is that? B....y disgraceful and they will get no more of my business. I telephoned Hartwell Citroen in Kidlington and they told me virtually the same thing, weeks before anything can be done.

Naturally I am disgusted with the response from the RAC and will see that Citroen HQ get a copy of what I have written here also. As for Hartwell Citroen in Abingdon and Kidlington, Oxfordshire the question is how do you get the message to these people apart from the CEO. More importantly, how do you get the message to the public?

Answer: POE gets some 80 million visitors annually so have some of that RAC and Hartwell Citroen!

Incidentally, the car still isn't fixed.

Unfortunately, the smaller independent garages who were happy to fix older cars are rapidly disappearing, due mainly to the requirements for specialist diagnostic equpiment etc., which is needed for servicing modern cars. This leaves the motorist with little option but to go to the Main Dealer, and I am afraid the waiting times you have been quoted, Ron, are probably typical.

I managed to keep my previous car on the road for 16 years with the help of a small local garage, which specialised in looking after older cars. Sadly, it has gone out of business, for the reasons stated above, and I will be obliged to use the Main Dealer for the newer car.

You have to laugh about it don't you...

No, in fact I am not laughing, the Service Department at Hartwell Citroen Abingdon telephoned me and asked if I could go over there to show/tell the mechanic (sorry, the technician) what was wrong with it. I refused and he asked if I would speak to the mechanic to tell him what was wrong, I agreed.

I went through the problem again with the mechanic who thanked me and said "well at least now I have got a better idea of what is going on with it". Here we are 3 days later, still not fixed and heard nothing more from Hartwell Citroen Abingdon.

I think another thumbs down is coming, but at least Citroen UK HQ have contacted me and want to know what's going on.

Further to the above nonsense I got my car back today, but I am not a happy bunny! I was allowed a 'Courtesy Car' and told to top up with fuel, which seems to be the norm with Car Rental Companies.

However, the Kia Carens courtesey car that I had is a clever car and showed that I would be able to do 368 miles before I needed to fill up with fuel again. This was staring me in the face as soon as I sat in it and the mileage was reading 001298 (almost a new car) but today when I returned the car I noticed the mileage on the invoice was 001265 delivered to me (33 miles different, so where did the car go before it was delivered to me? Further, I duly 'topped up' with fuel and sat inside where the mileage read out was now 528 before I needed to fuel up again, so how come? If the vehicle was full of fuel when I took the car (as Rental Car Company Europcar told me it was) why was the mileage read out at 368 then and 568 now after I filled up? I'm beginning to smell a rat!

The point is all that they would have to do is have somebody stand at the car door watching the fuel guage as the other person was filling it up and as soon as the fuel guage touches full.....STOP!! In fact the fuel tank would not be full and this is what I believe has been pulled on me today and so needless to say Europcar get a big thumbs down and can expect it to be followed up by Trading Standards. I reckon I was effectively charged in excess of £15.00 for fuel that I didn't use so watch this space and more to the point watch the fuel guage if you hire a vehicle from Rental Companies.

It is of course entirely possible that the guy who delivered it and who was poorly spoken in terms of his English language incidentally, was the same person who filled it up at the depot, perhaps not understanding what a full tank of fuel actually means?

That aside there is the mileage discrepancy, like where did the car go for 33 miles before it was delivered to me?

Great Customer Service from Sony.

Our grand-daugthers Sony Experia Z3 cell phone developed a cracked screen for some reason. Called Sony who collected the phone by courier free of charge, dealt with the screen issue and had it back to her within a week and best of all....no charge!

Now that is what you call Customer Service so a big thumbs up for Sony - Great Service, well done!

Insurance Price Comparison sites are really not worth bothering with if you take my following example as an idea of what can be achieved. Further, I reckon Insurance Companies should be investigated as the banks have been, because there can be no excuse for the rip off quoted below.

My example today? I want to insure a 2005 Mazda B2500 Pick-Up for Commercial Use and went to a well known Insurance Price Comparison site. Details entered, best price available £1503.00 at which I closed the site down in disgust knowing that the previous owner didn't pay anywhere near that.

I did some research, looking for an Insurance Company who dealt with brokers that were prepared to pass on some of the benefits. I provided the same details and the price came back as £296.00 for Commercial Use and fully Comprehensive. Paid for it there and then, covered!

So what is the name of the Insurance Company that offered a sensible price without trying to rip me off?

Big thumbs up for Adrian Flux Insurance https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/ and I suggest you give them a chance to quote next time you want Insurance cover.