[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by deehunk

Why a dealer has to take the blame for transit damages?

Isn't inventory shrinkage considered while negotiating dealer pricing and incentives? At least in other sectors it is.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Isn't inventory shrinkage considered while negotiating dealer pricing and incentives? At least in other sectors it is.

The only way I see is stamping chassis numbers on all body parts. This may not be the best solution, but will stop people from transplanting parts at the dealer place. The dealers have submitted themselves to manufacturers.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by deehunk

The only way I see is stamping chassis numbers on all body parts. This may not be the best solution, but will stop people from transplanting parts at the dealer place. The dealers have submitted themselves to manufacturers.

This can probably be done on all metal and plastic parts. But it will be difficult to do so on rubber parts. A sticker on rubber parts will be easier to place but then the stickers are easy to be tampered with, especially when the parts are movable like wipers and tyres. Maybe some tamper-proof solution for those rubber parts can be put in place.

[rdst_1]

What a thread. This is not the first time I have felt disgusted when coming to term with the bitter realities of the society we live. The first time was when I saw milk collectors not caring about the hygiene of the milk they were collecting. They just removed the dead flies and took away the milk as if it was nothing. Came to know that even the big companies were themselves involved in adultering milk to make the end numbers match the collection numbers. The second time was when some of my friend's from India's IT industry told me how they left certain bugs in the code so that there would always be some maintenance to be done which they can charge the customer for later.

To come back to the topic, I guess most mass produced products can't come close to a quality hand made one which has been made with passion and care. Even the most precise automated systems must cause some errors and with these machines built to cost, I guess just scrapping the whole vehicle or even whole parts is just not financially feasible. However, having said that, it is certainly not acceptable, the way these repairs are carried out.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by Researcher

This can probably be done on all metal and plastic parts. But it will be difficult to do so on rubber parts.

The cost of implementation will be high on rubber parts, plus it is a bought out item. The body panels are formed within the plant, so replication task should be made impossible for the dealer.

[gopa99]

Seeing the practical side of it, how to deal with cars or equipment which are damaged in transit? Scrapping a vehicle for a damaged body side is not practical. At the same time, no body would like to buy a “repaired” car. So whats the way out of this?

[gururajrv]

This is a very good informative thread I’ve found on the forum. It’s a good eye opener for many.

But, there’s nothing much we as customers can do to prevent / be apprehensive of ending up with a vehicle that’s tinkered with. Yes, sadly we live in a world where honesty / transparency means little significance to anyone.

Therefore, all you have to do is be attentive to detail but do not overly indulge yourselves and start becoming too intrusive with the facts that present before you during the purchase as it will eat up the livelihood and the time that should ideally keep your spirits high

This should just be a learning and not to create a scare amongst any buyers.

Thanks bhpian Deehunk & Ram for sharing meaningful insights.

Regards

RV

[Theyota]

Originally Posted by deehunk

I have been buying new cars every 2 years, would like to share the things I learnt about the cars sold to customers. The vehicles delivered to stockyard undergo a PDI by PDI Managers of dealerships. They are differentiated by the nature of damage and things that can be fixed at the dealerships. A few cars among the lot are rejected and sent back to the manufacturer.

..............

Why is this even a problem? The thread seems to be unnecessarily creating concern in a lot of people on this board. Reworking products on the field where it makes technical and financial sense is standard practice in many industries, not just cars. Why should anyone have problem with it as long as it looks and performs like it is supposed to. Even in factories, hundreds of parts are repainted due to handling scratches, etc. Engines have to be disassembled completely and rebuilt because they failed a functional test at the end of the assembly line. How is it any different from part being replaced or a minor dent or a scratch being fixed at a dealer if the same quality can be guaranteed?



Imagine a new Ferrari getting a a decent sized dent in a Mumbai Showroom for whatever reason. Do we really expect it to be sent back to Italy for rework in the factory?

[sangam_mm93]

Originally Posted by gkveda

I am really curious to know, How do they protect the cables, wires and other rat edible things within the cars?

Ah the rats! they would have definitely seen worse of it.

• They either have a location where there are no rats. (Very fewer chances )

• Or as preventive measures, they would have used rat repellants or some home remedies.

• Unfortunately if there are rat bites before they take any precautions or despite taking precautions before reaching the dealer, their PDI will catch this issue and damaged parts will be replaced. They too would have learnt it just like you did.

PS: If you have observed in some showrooms you might have seen a white protective film. That is to protect the paint from dust and sunlight up to some extent.

[confused.geek]

A few things I learnt through personal observation and this was coincidence that I lived closed to 3 dealerships of 3 different car manufacturers that I learnt these lessons

1) The stockyard where dealers store their rolling stock of cars is exactly that. It is a yard. An open plot of land where cars are parked without any covers, exposed to the elements. So, the vehicle is taking a beating in the sun and in rain and gathering dust. Out of the 3 dealerships that were close to my old house, only 1 had a covered stockyard. The other two were just open plots they leased. My suggestion, when you see a dealer, drive around the surrounding streets a bit. Chances are the stockyard is not too far away. In all 3 dealerships, the stockyards were within half a kilometre of the showroom. There are 2 dealerships near my office and both have stockyards within half a kilometre of the showrooms. If you can identify their stockyard, you can identify how the cars are parked / stored and that will give you a better idea. If your car has developed issues with paint quality, brittle grommets or hoses and minor rattles, within a year of ownership and you've been very careful, chances are that the vehicle is parked in an open plot, exposed to the elements. Please note that this is not the same for every dealer. I have seen 2 dealers from the same manufacturers who have covered parking spaces in the showroom where their stock sits, protected from the harsh elements outside. And don't bother asking the dealer where their stock sits. You have to do the leg work yourself.

2) If a car is rejected or returned by a customer on the day of purchase or within a few days (Assuming the customer was able to fight it out and return the car), chances are that it will be passed on to the another customer. A close friend of mine purchased a sedan and on the day of purchase, right at the temple where he was having the puja ceremony performed, the gear box failed. It was returned to the dealer and the RC nullified. He received a replacement car, but it was missing the owners manual etc. Owing to time constraints we didn't push for them on that day, but went back a week later to collect them and found a man in his early 50s having a very vocal argument about a bad car and lo! behold! we spot a car that is all too familiar and before we can pay more attention, the sales agent escorted us away in a state of hurry, bordering on panic. My guess and I have no proof, my friend's car that failed was "fixed" and resold, but the problem was surely bigger than the dealer imagined and a 2nd customer ran into the same issue. Tell tale signs if you are getting a rejected or returned car? Open the air filter box and take a look at the filter, it won't be very dirty, but there could be some signs of dust. Look under the floor mats, if you see particulate dirt, that can be another sign. The plastic wraps on seat covers and other components, how do they look? Keep in mind these are not sure ways of discovery, but this should be least you check. another story and I was not present for this, but is a retelling of what I got from an automobile enthusiast co-worker. He was present when his cousin purchased a brand new motorcycle and while doing their PDI, they found a RC tucked away under the seat. Turns out the bike was sold and registered. Used for a month and returned due to problems and the dealer was trying to re-sell it. The original owner must have not trusted the dealer, so he taped the RC under the seat and if not for the fact that the buyer was experienced and he did a thorough examination, he would not have found it.

My practice has been to carry a permanent marker with me and in the course of doing the PDI, I mark the inside sidewall of a tire with my initial. Chances that it'll get rubbed off or washed off or noticed is low. When I have to collect the vehicle, I go look for this to confirm if the vehicle I did a PDI on and the vehicle I see in the showroom are one and the same and obviously you don't want the sales person to notice you do this. Take someone along and make them engage the sales person in small talk and find the opportunity to do this. While I've only purchased 1 car myself, I have been part of the purchase process for almost 8 - 10 cars within the family belonging to uncles and aunts and the same for a dozen or so friends and co-workers.

@Theyota I agree that a certain amount of minor wear and tear that can't be noticed and some imperfections can come up in the manufacturing process, despite the best QC. I think this is an important discussion if you consider dealership ethics. Why would you leave vehicles exposed to the elements when it doesn't cost much to put up some shades and in the long run only serves to enhance the dealer's reputation? Some dealers try to cover up faults and not small ones and pass of the vehicle to an unsuspecting buyer, because once the vehicle leaves the showroom they gain deniability. And there is no harm in being thorough in your checks when purchasing a vehicle. I always advise a modicum of caution.

Below is an image (With salient landmarks blanked out) of a storage yard right outside the main gate of my old apartments. That is how cars are stored all year long. The actual dealership is on the mainroad about 250 metres away. You cross the dealership and turn left and at the end of the street is this yard and the maingate to my old apartments. As you can see, all cars are uncovered in a dusty plot of land.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by ram87pune

This so called "virginity" we are talking about is at the dealer's end. But does anybody know what goes on with your beloved car before it reaches the dealer's stockyard?

I have worked with a renowned OEM based near Pune in the production department for 5 years. I worked in the repair area after the car rolls out at the end of line. So let me shed some light on what goes on inside the production facility

I have visited many OEM's for business, and the situation your post shows is the same almost every where. Only one manufacturer near Bangalore is a bit more care full than the rest, and note that I don't say careful just a bit more careful. Secondly it is impossible to transport a car undamaged from manufacturing unit to dealership, so some work before delivery is normal and a practice world wide.

Rahul

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by Theyota

Why is this even a problem? How is it any different from part being replaced or a minor dent or a scratch being fixed at a dealer if the same quality can be guaranteed?
Do we really expect it to be sent back to Italy for rework in the factory?

A Ferrari cannot be sent back to Italy for rework if the dealer has the right place and skills to retrofit the parts. The thread was created as a "Behind the scenes introduction" before an unsuspecting buyer carries out his PDI on his new car.

[deehunk]

As promised 2 years ago, photos of organ transplant surgery, even today my Front doors do not shut without force. Post escalation it was realised that rear left wheel arch, left side front door from the donor car and top panel was also repainted. I was called again by the dealer to remove speakers from my car, because donor car was W5 variant. Even a Ferrari can be fixed in India, no need of taking it to Italy. I don't know who now owns that W5 variant which has W3 front bumpers and doors.