And shops wonder why I make it a point to let me watch the work being done.

 

ah yes, I remember that nonsense...wow, I'm really sorry for your troubles bud.

 

Andrew forget the police, but do check with a lawyer you may have grounds for law suit. If possible try to get the name of customer that they gave your parts to, I am assuming it was done under warranty. I'd be willing to wager that the work order for the other customer listed the parts as new, which it is obvious they were not.

 

Good point - they probably charged him/her a bundle for a new cover...

 

I say take pictures/video of everything -- I say sue those a-holes... or at least call the local PD like others have mentioned and charge them with petty theft...etc. That's outrageous that they would steal parts from your car -- I bet they figured you would never know -- they better give you more than just a new cover -- you need to be compensated in some way...

Well, hopefully you'll get your xfire in one working piece...

Good luck!

 

Andrew as you already know, I'm no lawyer. So I really don't know what the legal ramifications are concerning this obvious theft of your engine cover. But I'm going to play "devils advocate" here and bring something up.
Since you're leasing the car, doesn't the car (and all its parts) essentially still belong to the dealer that you are leasing the car from?
They are wrong in what they did, and they certainly have no right to make you wait to get your car back while they strip it of parts for other customers cars. But technically, can you nail them for theft of property that you are only borrowing from them?

 

You don't need lawyers and calling Chrysler won't do much but bad press is a killer to a dealership. Get the local TV station that does the "whatever on your side" investigations and watch the results. The owners of dealerships pay a lot of money for advertisements to make them look good, not look like rip-off artists and would dirty their drawers if put on TV for this.
Now... SPIT IT OUT... Who did it? No others should be subjected to this garbage.

 

Whether Andrew is buying or leasing the car is irrelevant. Contractually Andrew is the one that is responsible for the condition of the car not the dealership and therefore they must have his consent before they work on his car. The scope of the work also needs to be defined. Consider it like leasing a building for your business, the landlord can not come in and remove the plumbing or light fixtures for another tenant without your consent.

The following questions need to be asked:

1. Is the dealer submitting false claims against DC for warranty work that wasn't needed? Did they claim the replacement part or parts they removed from Andrew's car against his VIN?
2. Is the dealership submitting warranty claims to DC for stock replenishment on the other customer's repair against his or her VIN when actually the parts were removed from Andrew's car?
3. Is the dealership working outside the scope of work that Andrew consented to on the work order?

If answer is yes to any of those questions the dealership has acted in a fraudulent manner and Andrew should seek the advice of an attorney. Also I think he needs to file a complaint with Regional Manager and request that manager to find him another garage to finish his repairs.

 

All excellent points...

 

my other complaint was the fact i made a car payment for a car i can't drive... now sitting for over 3 weeks due to dealership technician neglect. if the car was at the dealer for just a week... i wouldn't expected anything in return... but after 3 weeks+... its out of control imo.

sooo... the dealer has offered to supply me with 3 free oil changes...

too bad i have only 11 months remaining before lease return. i told the dealer this won't work due to the fact i currently have a free oil change coupon in my possession (1 free after 4 paid oil changes). and the fact the dealership trust is gone!

i shared with them i am seeking monetary compensation to reimburse for my monthly payment/dollar out of pocket. they understood and stated, they would get back to me with an update or alternative.


as for the theft... the main dealership service rep (m/b, chrysler, kia) has yet to call me back as of today... after leaving a message for him yesterday evening.

 

Well FPMartinez has good points, he seems like a reputable person and thinks like one and this Dealer appears to be the opposite. Keep in mind on the legal issue what charges can be brought and what would be the short and long term accomplishment, if it's satisfaction for the mind that's ok. As far as calling the DC service rep well you will get a great ear that will listen and maybe advise on a better dealership. I work in the field and have worked at a dealership and can assure you bad publicity on TV or in the press is far scarier than small claims court or the district rep slapping your hand.
It is unfortunate that crooks take advantage of honest people. We have thousands of laws for stealing that are all mostly the same because crooks wouldn't obey law one then law two then... What can we honest people do? Point out the crooks, don't let them hide...

 

Andrew, I would check with a lawyer but I doubt if there is a darn thing you can do. I had a similar thing happen to me during the purchase of a car. There is something called "Point of Intent" which means the dealer had intentions to replace the parts he took and replace them with new parts. I know it's a slimy thing for them to do.

Keep in mind I may be wrong but if I'm not when you get the XF back swear up and down the car isn't right. It no longer drives good, doesn't run right, doesn't look the same and anything else you can think of. Now go take them to court. When you tell the Judge they fowled up your car after they took good parts off of it. Maybe he will listen.

You have to fight slime with slime...Now, burn this message after you read it!

 

I've had similar experiences, not with my Crossifre, but with my Mustang. That is completely illegal for them to do. When I deal with dealerships or any other service like that I always carry a small digital recorder to record all conversations and depending on the situation I take digital photos or have a witness go over my car directly prior to taking it in. I've learned my lesson all too many times.

Also whenever you get your oil changed, and I don't think this can apply to the Crossfire, but on any other car that you might take to Jiffy Lube, always mark the oil filter to make sure it's actually been replaced. I haven't done anything like that with my Crossfire, but I caught Jiffy Lube trying to scam me once. Generally the oil filter ends up being a different color or really clean so even if you don't mark it, it should be easy to spot.

Sounds extreme, but trust me anything you can do to protect yourself is worth it.

 

No the police would be the ones to go to. Here the best he has is a civil case unless there was more stolen/damaged than would be awarded in a civil case. Trust me dealerships and other shops do this ALL the time. My uncle owns a paint and body shop and I know that he does this sometimes if he happens to have similar cars in the shop. It's not right even if you come out ahead, because the other guy may be getting jipped.

I'm pissed for you and I know how you feel.

 

I would be greatly surprised if the police would even respond to this issue let alone fill out a report. Issue like this is what small claims court is for. The TV angle is definitely a good idea.

 

The district manager can authorize a refund of one car payment since your car will soon be out of commission for over a month. Your best bet would be to try to contact him/her, however from past experience it is extremely difficult to get a hold of a district manager.

 

OK, so you were the guy waiting in the lobby of the dealership. I'll bet you were happy to get a replacement engine shroud, even if it were used.

Not saying that the original poster doesn't have a right to want some satisfaction, but maybe it was the dealership attempting to provide its best possible customer service and not the intent to defraud and commit larceny.

 

Customer service + theft = BAD SERVICE!

 

The police would respond and make a report. You'll actually need that for small claims court. You would also be showing that you are serious about recourse.

 

Petty larceny. Plain and simple. I'd file a police report.