Would you expect to pay for this?

[Makingsenseofitall]

Car went in for a service to a main dealer 4 weeks ago. On the day of the service we had a call to say they had crashed it. They offered us a hire car to use til they fixed it. The car is 5 years old roughly and we have had it from new, bought from this main dealer. Anyway later that week they realised the damage was worse than they thought and it had to go somewhere else to be fixed.

all fine. We hung on to the hire car.

now they are insisting we pay for the service. To be clear I have paid. But I am gobsmacked they haven’t not only paid for this one but also offered a free service at least next year.

still haven’t got the car back btw…..

just curious to know how other people would be calibrating it.

I think the cost of the service would fall in the goodwill category for in essence damaging your property and causing you inconvenience. I say goodwill because at the end of the day you are whole and have had the requested service. But they have cocked up and caused the inconvenience so should recognise that in waiving this years fee. I wouldn’t expect more though

Yes goodwill is exactly right. Thank you for articulating it like that. That’s exactly what I was hoping for/ expecting. But didn’t get !

Sorry, ‘calibrate’? Have you been on the AI?

Is it a big company? I'd probably put in a complaint about the hassle and stress and hope they offer something from that. If it's a small independent I'd say I'm disappointed they didn't offer the service for free as a goodwill gesture re it all. Did you ask them to when they called about paying for the service?

What on earth do you mean? No? It’s a normal word ? Do you not understand what it means?

I’m wondering this as well.

Yes it’s a big company…..

Calibrate means to measure one thing against another with some kind of standardising mark or measure. You're using it to mean "to work something out", like calculate, I think? I don't think many of us are familiar with that usage, but maybe it's an industry thing where you work, perhaps.

Why? I mean I am trying to work out / to balance in my mind between two factors. It’s very clear to me! But maybe because where I work we use it all the time …

I guess I just mean to balance two things against each other (but I don’t mean using a standardising mark). It’s definitely used where I work. But not in a technical context but enough people have questioned it on this thread that it’s clearly not a term in common use in this way. I have learned something !

this is v helpful/ provides me with the context I was missing or how others are viewing it. Where I work we use the term without meaning with reference to a standardising mark. Just the balancing one thing against another. Perhaps we use it incorrectly!

People are seeing the word ‘calibrating’ and thinking of it in terms of engineering or a tool, you’re using it metaphorically.

Yes. Exactly.

I’d pay for the service if they’ve done it. But not a penny for anything else.

Email head office OP. I had terrible trouble with my Land Rover dealership. I paid up just to get my car back but after raising hell with Head Office I had a full refund.

They didn’t even clean the vehicle !

Nothing wrong with the word! I understand exactly what OP means!

Thank you. I will.

Thank you!

paying for the service and being compensated are 2 different things

I’d pay then ask what you are going to get in way of compensation

thank you. Such a clear perspective. And correct. I had conflated the two things in my mind.

It is you that doesn't understand what it means.

They owed that money, chargeback isn't for getting money you don't want to pay back.

What dodgy garage is going to give an appraisal of lost value with zero knowledge or proof of the previous condition?

If there are actual issues, obviously caused by the crash, then sure. But they would be owed that repair.

It isn't impossible there could be major problems that you might be able to argue causes lost value. But unless this crash was pretty crazy I think it is unlikely.

And if the garage gives them the fact there's nothing, the OP can't claim the cost of finding out from the dealer they just lost money.

And trading standards for what? Nothing bad has happened. Damage was caused, they were made whole in all ways with repairs and car provided, and the service originally wanted has been completed.

Ok

I think I would pay tbh. Providing they've done the service. They should pay for all repairs and give you a free hire car, but ultimately your car will come back serviced and good as new (hopefully) and you've had use of a car in the meantime. I'd be mildly annoyed but I'd have expected to pay for the service. Nothing else obviously as that's all them!