Dealer service scam....

[rodslinger]

Well it's hard to call it a true scam but they are promoting services that aren't yet needed.

Let me give you some info beforehand. There is a company called BG Products that sells chemicals and equipment for vehicle maintenance. Some of it is good, some of it is crap. I personally think their 44k cleaner is good stuff but would stay away from everything else. They also make equipment that does coolant exchange, transmission fluid exchange, fuel injection service, etc... I'd use the equipment for the actual fluid exchange but sure as hell wouldn't use their additives.

How does this relate to the dealer? The dealer promotes it. BG also provides to their retailers this little plastic tray that has two rows to place fluid samples. One row for clean samples of coolant, oil, trans fluid, etc... The other row is for actual samples taken from your car. They do this so you can see a side by side color difference between new and used fluid thus providing "evidence" that you need a coolant service, engine flush, transmission service or whatever they can sell you.

Why is this usually bogus? Their clean fluid samples are just that, clean. Anything that's been in your motor or transmission for more than a week is typically going to be discolored. Also the type or brand of fluid you put in the car last time or OEM fluid may have a different tint than the dealer sample. You'll also note that the vehicle sample side of the tray is conveniently stained from putting so many dirty samples in it. This would make even clean fluid appear somewhat discolored compared to the clean sample side.

Why does this piss me off. For one I took my 3s sedan today for some warranty work. (TSB on A/C, brake clunk). Prior to even looking at the vehicle history the service advisor takes the sample kit to the car for "testing". He then proceeds to tell me I need an engine flush and transmission flush baded on the color difference. No s*** there is a color difference. That's normal.

The only good feeling I got from this is reminding the dealer that they just changed the oil themselves less than 500 miles ago and that they now need to check for premature engine wear on the service ticket due to the "discolored oil".

As long as they keep trying to upsell me on stuff I don't need, I'll continue to ONLY take my car in for low paying warranty work and use their $15 oil change coupons.

 

[CitizenPro]

The techs are just trying to get a little commission.......help them out mang (yupnope)

 

[rodslinger]

The techs are just trying to get a little commission.......help them out mang (yupnope)

I know but I also used to work on cars. There is a difference between trying to offer beneficial services and fleecing the customers wallet. I'm more likely to throw bones when true integrity is shown. An engine flush at 19,000 miles? Give me a break. If the guy asked if I had my alignment checked yet I probably would have bit. Why? That's more likely a service I actually would have needed at this point and it would still bring in money to the dealer. Honest money too.

 

[goldwing2000]

Nice. I wonder how many uneducated schmoes they sucker with that line.

It's jackasses like that who make us honest wrenches look bad. (protest)

 

[rodslinger]

Hey I guess you gotta give praise when praise is due also....

A/C is fixed per TSB
Dealer said they have updated brake pads to addres rear clunk. On order.
They are also sending a picture of the leather seats to Mazda to inqure about the little "strings" that come out of each of the perforations. Anyone that has the leeather probably knows what I'm talking about.

Honestly other than the suggested services that aren't necessary, my dealer has been pretty decent....

 

[MightyMouse]

Honestly other than the suggested services that aren't necessary, my dealer has been pretty decent....

If Mazda is anything like Honda, send a letter personally to Mazda Corp (or even a call) customer service and let them know what the dealer is doing. They will prob put a stop to it pretty quick.

Our regional service reps (for Honda again) are REALLY strict about what we upsell. they go over our invoices every month to look for any discrepancies between us and the factory recommended service.

 

[CarbonMz3]

its alittle off topic but which dealer did u go to?? I think i might have the clunking noise but since the dealer you went to know about the issue, they don;t have to waste my life trying to figure out where the noise is coming from...

I went to jim ellise by Gwinnett place mall 3times and nothing...

Thanks

 

[Aricjm15]

guess what **** bags, these people have kids to feed too, how do you think they make their money? If you dont want them to do the work tell them to **** off, dont cry about it here. Ever try a sales job or any type of job where you pay is commision based? you should, you would understand why people push these things.

 

[rodslinger]

guess what **** bags, these people have kids to feed too, how do you think they make their money? If you dont want them to do the work tell them to **** off, dont cry about it here. Ever try a sales job or any type of job where you pay is commision based? you should, you would understand why people push these things.

Guess what "**** bag", I'm in sales too. There is a right way and a wrong way to sell. They started off the wrong way. As mentioned above, if they want a better chance of selling, sell services that may actually be needed. If you're the type that push items that aren't needed then good luck keeping your family fed. It'll come back to bite you one day.

 

[goldwing2000]

Enough with the name calling, Aricjm15.

If you can't post with some semblance of maturity, don't post at all.

 

[Aricjm15]

Enough with the name calling, Aricjm15.

If you can't post with some semblance of maturity, don't post at all.

I'm sorry, I guess all the little babies should be able to cry about every little thing they want. People try and sell me crap I dont need every day, do I piss and moan about it, no. Its what they do, try and make a buck. These people dont know what they are selling, they just know what they are told, and that is to sell sell sell.
Welcome to the real world people are jackasses all the time, and there are plenty of them here. Are you going to be my E-dad? Do you want to E-spank me? Its the internet, get over it.

 

[FemGearHead]

Chill out everyone.

So the dealer tried to sell you something you don't need. While I don't like it either, it's a part of sales. Just say no thank you and move on.

People try and pull things over on me all the time since I'm a woman and think I can't know anything about cars. I smile nicely and decline with a "Thank you, but no thank you" and walk away.

 

[rodslinger]

So the dealer tried to sell you something you don't need. While I don't like it either, it's a part of sales. Just say no thank you and move on.

That is exactly what I did.

I told the story not really to vent but to educate others about what the BG product sample tray is all about. If you go in for service anywhere and they perform this "analysis" then hopefully the readers here will be more aware and can make a better decision about what maintenance they need to have done on their car.

I'm sorry, I guess all the little babies should be able to cry about every little thing they want. People try and sell me crap I dont need every day, do I piss and moan about it, no. Its what they do, try and make a buck. These people dont know what they are selling, they just know what they are told, and that is to sell sell sell.
Welcome to the real world people are jackasses all the time, and there are plenty of them here. Are you going to be my E-dad? Do you want to E-spank me? Its the internet, get over it.

I don't see anyone here crying except you. Honestly though this is the off topic section. People come in here to vent all the time. As absurd as your responses are you're welcome to post them here.

And I don't know where your real world is but people aren't jackasses to me hardly at all. Maybe it's the way you communicate with them. If it's similar to how you communicate here I'd expect I'd be a jackass too.

You really should pay attention to the part where I gave the dealer kudos also. If good service is done, I'll talk about that too.

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

Just to clear something up, Manufactuers reccomend the use of (some) products such as Bg, wynn's etc. Also I'm 99% sure it was the Service Advisor that went to your car, which as I said many times before, don't know much, if anything, about cars.

 

[goldwing2000]

Are you going to be my E-dad? Do you want to E-spank me? Its the internet, get over it.

Not everybody is knowledgable about their vehicle's vital fluids. Rodslinger's post may just save somebody from getting ripped off by some unscrupulous (or uneducated) service advisor.

His post was useful and helpful to the community. Yours are hateful, disrespectful and antagonistic and don't do anything to enhance the experience of the members of this forum.

No, I'm not your e-dad. I'm a moderator on this message board, assigned to keep the peace and keep things running smoothly. If you don't like it, go away.

 

[MightyMouse]

Just to clear something up, Manufactuers reccomend the use of (some) products such as Bg, wynn's etc. Also I'm 99% sure it was the Service Advisor that went to your car, which as I said many times before, don't know much, if anything, about cars.

I don't know of ANY auto manufacturer that recommends the use of engine flush or injector cleaners.

 

[cutiepie_1980]

guess what **** bags, these people have kids to feed too, how do you think they make their money? If you dont want them to do the work tell them to **** off, dont cry about it here. Ever try a sales job or any type of job where you pay is commision based? you should, you would understand why people push these things.

Ummm why is it exactly that people should put up with dishonest people just because they're trying to make a living out of it? The people being fleeced have kids to feed too and don't deserve to be ripped off. That sounds like a telemarketer who thinks that just because he took a telemarketing job society OWES him to buy his products and take his harassment during dinner time. Everyone works hard trying to make a living, there's no excuse for abusing the fact that people know very little about cars and therefore are tempted to "trust" mechanics. So then as an accountant can I say that the people who defrauded all the Enron investors cannot be blamed because they have kids to feed and are just trying to make a living?

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

I don't know of ANY auto manufacturer that recommends the use of engine flush or injector cleaners.

You should look around sometime then. I can think of a couple times right off the top of my head that it was suggested to use aftermarket products such as an engine flush. And every Vw dealership known to man sells injector cleaner because they know its the only thing that will fix a v6 passat quasi skip they do. It may say in the manual not to use them because they don't want people that have no clue about cars under the hoods using volitale chemicals.

 

[Shadow102]

I don't know of ANY auto manufacturer that recommends the use of engine flush or injector cleaners.

Toyota we have a three part cleaner system specifically from toyota that includes a throttle body cleaner, Fuel Injector cleaner, and a Top engine clean. I am also well aware that nissan and a couple other companies use engine cleaner. As far as the system flushes go to be recomending them at that low of a milage is rediculous. First off if he pulled up your service history and notice regular oil changes there should be absolutly no reason for a flush. Flushes are generally only recomended on higher milage cars or cars that are used in harsh environments. Put it to you this way if grandma drove her car in for some basic service at 10k and knows nothing about cars and all of a sudden she is getting recomended oil flushes and tranny flushes dont you think that she would be worried about something being wrong with the that is practiacally brand new. It could just be the service writer was new or just uneducated on what to upsell but that should have never happened.

PS BG stuff is the s*** got trained on the machines and chemicals while i was at wyotech and its amazing what this stuff can do especially the coolant flush and tranny flush.

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

Toyota we have a three part cleaner system specifically from toyota that includes a throttle body cleaner, Fuel Injector cleaner, and a Top engine clean. I am also well aware that nissan and a couple other companies use engine cleaner. As far as the system flushes go to be recomending them at that low of a milage is rediculous. First off if he pulled up your service history and notice regular oil changes there should be absolutly no reason for a flush. Flushes are generally only recomended on higher milage cars or cars that are used in harsh environments. Put it to you this way if grandma drove her car in for some basic service at 10k and knows nothing about cars and all of a sudden she is getting recomended oil flushes and tranny flushes dont you think that she would be worried about something being wrong with the that is practiacally brand new. It could just be the service writer was new or just uneducated on what to upsell but that should have never happened.

PS BG stuff is the s*** got trained on the machines and chemicals while i was at wyotech and its amazing what this stuff can do especially the coolant flush and tranny flush.

I've used both, wynns is better.