[ZTWsquared]

Flofocus,Jun 21 2006, 12:47 PM Wrote:I stopped here...

Happens all the time (and I am speaking form personal experience).
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Communication problems between service writer and customer are the norm just as you are suggesting.

But doing work that wasn't signed for isn't the norm, because dealers have problems getting paid for it. I can assure you that at a Ford dealership they wont touch your car until they have your signature on a contract.

More often than not the situation is exactly what happened to Burnin - he didn't read or understand the contract he was signing.

Don't sign a contract you didn't read. If you don't understand something - don't sign. If you don't think the service writer got it right - make them change it or don't sign. If you want a report only - make sure you sign a contract that says report only. See where this is going?

It's just as much the customers responsibility to make sure they're getting the service they need - signing a contract for something you don't want is frankly lazy or stupid, and often both.

On the other hand, if the dealer did screw up and you've had work performed on your car that you didn't authorize and don't want (I didn't say it never happens), then don't pay for it - paying is the same as signing for it - and it's equally stupid.

So if this happens to you all the time, unless you fall into one of the two above categories, it would appear you get a lot of work done for free - in which case I don't see what your problem is.