[CliffHanger]

Update-

I am about to leave my home to pay the entire amount and as I move I read this post from fellow bhpian, Crimson.

"Just booked the GP Emotion Pack MJD from Pandit....

They offered me a 12K corporate discount. However on the Booking form where they wrote the price they dint include the corporate discount. I need to get that cleared out tomorrow. is this normal practice? Apart from that they are not offering anything. I persuaded them a lot but they were not willing to budge even for mud flaps and mats."

I immediately call the Sales Executive and tell him about this.

The executive replies "Sir, you booked your car last month, so if at all the offer is available it will be only for those who book now, and btw, there is still no such offer for anyone"

I pass on Crimson's message to him, he refuses again and tells that he will check and call back again.

After few minutes..

He calls back. " Sir, I just checked and there is no such offer, so you have to pay the full amount"

I have no interest to listen to him, cut the call.

I browse again and fortunately I look at Fiat Toll Free Number in Fiat website. I call the number and Mr.Rakesh warmly welcomes me. Immediately I inform him about my previous discussion with the dealer.

Mr.Rakesh - Sir, You are eligible for 12k corporate discount since your company is a top listed company.

I ask him again, "Is the discount amount common across all states?"

Mr.Rakesh - Yes Sir!

I hang up the phone, I call my executive again and inform him my discussion with Mr. Rakesh.

Executive - Sir,12k Sir! Not at all possible, I will check and call back again Sir.....

Now,I'm waiting for his call.

Guys, I just want to know what's stopping these insane creatures to pass on the benefits which the Car maker has to offer to the Customer. While my interaction on the toll free number with the Fiat representative was satisfactory, it's just the opposite with the dealer.

Why are these guys trying to fudge and fleece?

Your advice on how to handle these insane creatures will be of great help, I'm really not able to deal with such creatures..

I just want to ask " Why Fiat? Why?", why such hopeless dealerships for your cars??

I'm going mad..

[pjbiju]

Regarding insurance please go through this thread - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-bag-salt.html

I have had good experiences so far with Bajaj Allianze and Reliance General Insurance. But now I have Maruti Insurance which they give through ICICI Lombard. So far I have not had any claims though them.

[Thomas8700]

picture this. they Fiat have only 50% say to the tata dealerships!!

sad world aint it

do one thing get a written proof or whatever for the discount. and then take them on gently( i presume you would have to go their again for your services!!) . see the Fiat related official at higher levels and then ask him for the discount.

Dont make much issues it might turn out your car gets not well treated at service!!.

sorry in case of Fiat / Tata you are at recieving end. still the beutifull car should make you happy

[phamilyman]

i have just emailed the whole fiat gang - let's hope you get a resolution. do call mangesh kodalkar for more help.

else i'll give you an email ID - he's heading sales for north. find the contacts attached - esp mail the south wala guy


see the bottom right portion

[CliffHanger]

@phamilyman & others, words fail to express how grateful I’m, to you all. Team-Bhp has really made a lot of difference,hadn’t I been in T-Bhp, I would have missed many important things while doing my purchase. T-bhp has almost saved me 20k, which by no means a small amount. I’m really overwhelmed and feel proud to be in this place.

Thanks to each one of you again!!

[CliffHanger]

From: CliffHanger
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 12:54 PM
To: 'rahul.jadhav@tatamotors.com'
Cc: 'rahul.jain@tatamotors.com'; 'manish.agarwal@tatamotors.com'; 'n.balaji@tatamotors.com'; 'anand.totla@tatamotors.com'; 'sagar.dhar@tatamotors.com'
Subject: Unacceptable and intolerable levels of service for Punto!!

Hi,

I purchased a new Punto on Aug 6th. Since this is a new car purchase, I was expecting a clean delivery of the car, but while I took the delivery the dealer said that the bonnet release has some problems and that he would correct it when I take the car to the workshop the next day. I said Ok to him and took the car. While I drove the car out of the showroom, I felt the gear lever moving up and down whenever I accelerate and decelerate and was shocked to see this happening in a new car. I immediately informed the dealer about this and I said I would bring it to the service center.

Yesterday evening I took the car to the Tafe Reach Service center at Chennai and the experience I had was horrible to say the least.

As soon as I entered the service center, I was taken into the reception, after around 10mins a representative was appointed to me. I told him about the problems, and after sometime he called the mechanic. I told the mechanic about the bonnet problem first , he said it can be sorted out in an hour. Next I told him about the gear problem, he said “Sir, it is a common thing, come with me I’ll show you the amount of movement the Indicas have”. I immediately told him that I’m a part of an online community, Team-bhp, and Punto owner’s there have said that no one is facing this issue. He again insisted that it is a common issue. Then he took the car to the bay and started the repair job. The way my new car was attended was totally unprofessional. The guys did not even have a proper torch light and were using their cell phone lights instead, to look at inside the foot well. I just couldn’t see the unprofessional approach to my new car. I immediately went to the service manager and told him about the incident. He said that he would look into this.

I came back to see my car again, the work went on for two hours. At the end of 3 hours, the executive came and said that the job is done.I asked him “Are you sure?”, he said “Yes Sir!”. I took him for a test drive and I was saddened to see none of the problems being sorted out. At the beginning of the repair work I told the mechanic, “Only if you know what you are going to do, lay your hands on the car, else don’t”, as with the way he interacted with me I was pretty sure he was totally ill-equipped with Punto nuances.

At the end of this entire incident I observed the following things -

1.The mechanics have absolutely zero knowledge on the car. Did Fiat train them at all? Have they been trained how to handle a car?

2.The handling of a new car was totally unprofessional and unacceptable; I just couldn’t see the car being tattered.

3.The replies from the mechanics were rude, they did not know what they were doing and if I question, they reply with a strong “It’s common”.

4.Neither my bonnet problem nor my gear problem got resolved and at the end I just wasted 3hrs with some insane people.

I just want to know, Is Fiat & Tata listening?

I don’t want to regret my decision of buying a Punto which I took against many of my well-wishers, I hope due action is taken on this and the problems gets sorted out.

Thanks
CliffHanger

I have nothing else to say !! :(

[esteem_lover]

Seems like the same ugly head is up again. FIAT will never change.

@ Cliff, do not take your car to the same dealer again.

[finneyp]

Cliff, please forward the same mail to: service@fiapl.com

Let Fiat know how their dealers are treating their customers & cars.

Dear Cliff,

The bonnet release may have had an issue, but a minor one.These things do happen in our dealerships.

But the moving of the gear lever is quite common...this is called the GEAR SHIFTER PLAY.The PLAY is given to arrest the vibration you may get due to the transmission.

There is no way one can arrest this PLAY. This is done at the factory itself.so be cool, your car is beautiful and nice. Come out of the feeling that your car has an issue and drive happily.

Do post us your driving experiences.

Bye

[harry10]

I did not noticed any such 'PLAY' while Td'ing the Punto.
And had not seen any other bhpian who has bought Punto mentioning the same.
So it seems this is an issue in Cliff's car which needs to be sorted out.

[gemithomas]

Oh! GOd!. Not sure why This is all happening again and again. By the way why have you sent all the mails to tata people. Why not shoot a mil to rajeev kapoor, magesh kodalkar and all others at FIAT too. This is not way to treat a new car / a customer.

[JVH]

You are not moving forward when you contact TATA folks. As Gemi and Finney pointed out, communicate with FIAT guys.

[JayD]

There was no gear lever play in the 2 cars i tested. Take it to another dealer next time. Does Tvs still service fiat cars?

Its really sad to know, even in this age, a new car owner is treated like this. So much for improved standards of fiat service. I guess they'll never learn.

harry,

i have seen the GEAR LEVER PLAY in the following of my friend cars,

1) VERNA DIESEL
2) PUNTO & LINEA DIESEL
3) LOGAN PETROL, DIESEL
4) SCORPIO
5) TATA INDIGO CS
6) MARUTI ZEN.
7) TOYOTA INNOVA.
8) Xylo

Cliff,

pls do keep me informed if you get the lever play arrested.it will be a learning to me if you give the details of how you got it rectified.i can pass on the information to my friends.

bye

[kkr2k2]

I too noticed, such play in a fellow bhpian's diesel punto. In fact I mentioned to him that the gear box mounting might be of week design.

I did not notice such a thing in a diesel swift, but what I noticed in the Swift, is that the engine had such a play over the mountings. I am yet to see under the hood of the punto.

Swift owners, please confirm.