Re: Dealer Oil Change, Mobil 1 & that "sleazy feeling"

[James Flowerdew <endovu@nlis.net>]

Just a thought - next time you get someone else to change the oil with your
own oil initial the containers discretely with a permanent marker and ask
to see the containers after the service.  I knew someone who went to my
local VW dealer (Morong VW) with a break problem.  When he went to pick up
his car they told him that they had to replace the brake pads.  He had just
replaced them 1000 miles earlier.  When he asked to see his original pads
the mechanic tried to pass off a set of Porsche pads!  None the less the
brake problem continued.

- James
'94 GLX
'88 GLI


At 10:01 AM 7/6/98 -0500, you wrote:
>So I went down to my {VW,Nissan,Olds,Cadillac} dealer to get my second
>free oil & filter change today (~10000 miles).  When I made the 
>appointment, the phone rep made a big deal out of the fact that I would
>receive the "10K Maintenance", not just an oil change.  OK, whatever.
>
>I showed up this morning at the appointed time, with a 6-pack of 
>Mobil 1 15W-50.  Talking to the service writer, I told him that I was 
>here for the 10K Maintenance, and that I brought my own oil.  He said
>great, just sign here and we'll take care of it.  I told him that my
>wheel-lock key was in the glove box, if they were going to rotate the 
>tires, and he said "Well, the 10K service is just a glorified oil
>change, and if you want the wheels rotated it'll be $12.00".  I said
>no thank you and went to the waiting room.
>
>About an hour later it was done, and I went to pick up the keys.  He
>ripped out my copy of the service order, and handed me my keys.  I 
>looked it over, and in the parts column there was this doctor-like 
>chicken scratch, which clearly indicated that they used the following:
>
>1 - &^(*&^%$&%SFDSDF "Oil Filter"
>1 - (^(^(*&S^DF(*&S^ "Washer"
>5 - )(*S&)D(F&(S*D&F "O"
>
>I asked him to translate, since I'm not a MD (or a VW service tech). He
>looked and said "Hmmmm.. Oil filter, gasket, and.... I don't know what
>that last one is."  I said "You mean you used "5" of something on my 
>car and you don't know what it is? "Oh yeah, that must be the oil".
>I said "But I brought my own oil, he did use it didn't he?"  "Oh yes, 
>I told him to use it and he did.  Here, let me fix the receipt".  He then
>took *my copy only* of the receipt and scratched out the oil.
>
>So, now I am getting that "sleazy feeling".  Did they use my Mobil 1? Or
>did they use their ACME Crude Oil brand and toss my nicely packaged
>6-pack of Mobil 1 into their pickup truck?  If they did use my oil, I 
>guess they'll charge VW for the 5 quarts anyway, since he didn't correct
>his own copy.
>
>Just another example of slimy practices at car dealers.  I think I'll be
>doing my own changes from now on.
>
>BTW, is there a good way to tell if the oil that's in the car now is
>really the Mobil 1, or not?  I would like to verify it for myself before
>VW calls and I read them the riot act about their idiot dealer.
>
>Thanks! 
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Matt Cleland					cleland@stlnet.com
>98 Jetta GLX
>Black/Biber
>
>