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My oldest son moved to Fairfax, VA back in August to start his first post-graduation job. He took my 1998 Volvo S70 with him for transportation.
The local Volvo dealer is Fairfax Volvo so I told him to take the car there for an oil change and tire rotation. He provided his own motor oil (Mobil-1 synthetic) for the oil change as the dealership uses conventional motor oil only.
The tires only needed rotation but the service dept. talked him into a rotation and balance (he didn't know any better). After he dropped of the car the service dept. called him suggesting that the engine coolant looked a 'little dark' and they would gladly do a flush and fill and replace the thermostat too for a cool $400. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to call me and I told him it wasn't necessary.
The final bill for an oil change and a tire rotation and balance was over $110! Sounded a little high so I had my son scan the bill and send it to me. I immediately noticed several things... They charged him the full price for the oil change even though he supplied the oil. They charged him $6 for a 'gasket' which is not needed for an oil change on these cars and they charged a $7.50 fee for unspecified 'shop supplies'.
I called to complain and the service adviser agreed that the 'gasket' charge was incorrect and he would ensure a credit was processed to my son's credit card. Three weeks later... no credit. I called the service manager to complain and he said they'll get right on it.
Bottom line, I suggest staying away from this dealership... unless of course you don't mind getting ripped off!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Most dealerships have an 'icentive' program for the service team manager/supervisor. Their job is to convince the customer they need more work. So in this example, the customer only needed tire rotation and oil change. But since the customer is already there, then the service personal goes after more business. Its a VERY COMMON predatory sales tactic used by most car dealership service teams.
It's important to get the word out every time a dealership swindles you. Here's my advice. Check out the 'News Headlines' page @ www.ByOwnerAutoSales.com. It's full of similar dealer scam stories from across the nation. Knowledge is power!