Pre-booking checks:
Went to the yard, I was okay with any color since this was my third booking with a different dealer. There was only one color in stock, Minimal Grey. Preferred Bossa Nova White, but I was impatient to get the car delivered soon.
WARNING: Never get a Medium Grey Punto Emotion 2012 from VST. These thugs were painting the rear LH door when I visited the yard. Irony is, I was offered the same car as an option, before going to the yard, gave my car a thorough check after this for any patch work, found one on the rear bumper later
Checked the ODO, it was 7km with the 'H'. Checked for visible damages, could not make out much as the car was so bloody dirty. It was something like this. [Now some area of the front & rear windshield are clear, thanks to the moron who brought the car from the yard to the dealer]
My prime pre-requisite to the Sales executive, Shakthi was that the car should NOT be moved out of the yard without my knowledge, and that I should be present at the time this happens. I stressed this point again and also mentioned that only on that condition, I am making the booking. He obliged. But as most other sales morons, he brought the car without my knowledge to the dealer's place with a driver, before the specified date.
I was at the yard the same day the car was brought to the dealer (14th April,2012), but this moron SE told me the car cannot come today, gate pass is not ready,and that we will bring the car on D-Day morning ourselves and do the formalities.
I was bloody furious when I saw the car parked almost on the road over the weekend, more so, because the SE moron gave me the same reason [It is dangerous for the car to be parked in the open as there is no proper parking place] for not bringing the car to the dealer on Saturday itself, but in reality, this guy had done exactly the opposite.
I was ready to skin him alive as and when I saw him.
I also noticed a new scratch on the RH front fender, and the rear bumper was a bit mis-aligned.
This guy came and I was blasting him. He cut a sorry figure and was just standing along. I said I am not taking this car, go to hell. Get me another one, Good luck! He then started apologizing, and then I gave it a thought. Demanded a freebie from him for this goof-up. He immediately offered OE Art Leather seat covers. I said okay, whatever.
Meanwhile, while at the yard, I was almost in tears seeing how these idiots handle brand new cars.
They arrive in rally style to the PDI section, sudden braking, kicking up dust, engaging reverse gear while the car is still moving forward, and all that. I just could not stand all this.
After parking is done, they roll up the windows, turn on the AC and Stereo in full blast, they play around with the steering, lock to lock, all these I could stand but this one blew my top off! Full throttle, I mean, full throttle on a brand new car, that too a diesel. This treatment was given to all cars, viz., Nano, Indica, Indigo CS, Sumo, Safari, etc. Poor cars were crying for mercy in their hands.
I can rant whole day about TATA-FIAT dealerships like these, but lets move on.
So, on 16th of April, 2012, the paperwork was ready and I was waiting to go to the RTO to get the car temporarily registered.
Do you guys know how VST delivers clean cars to customers? The car in the dirty state is parked. Half a bucket of brown liquid, I suppose it is dirty water, and a rag in hand, they just wipe the car off. Then a layer of some el cheapo wax is applied all over including the windscreen and engine bay. God! I could not stand all this. They are used to delivering Indicabs this way it seems.
Anyway, the car is taken as is, as I refuse to budge away from the car, until I drive it away, as said earlier. We drive to the RTO and the agent was not happy with how clean the car was. He said that the Inspector might reject the car for today as it is so dirty and he asked the SE who was with me, 'Can't you guys even wash the car and bring to the RTO?'. Hurriedly, we get some water nearby and just wash the windscreen and lower the glasses and pushed our luck. Temp Registration is done and we drive out.
I lost all belief on VST morons, hence I myself took the car to a service centre, got the body washed for 200 bucks and came to the dealer.
We go for lunch and return and I was furious with the sight I was greeted. Some random guy is sitting in the car, with the LH front door open, while two wheelers are being squeezed through, and he is listening to the stereo in full blast.
I could see pucca un-professionalism everywhere. Car keys were thrown around and a few misses landed somewhere on my car. Chaos. I want to get out of this place ASAP.
Accessories are installed. I supervise everything. LH front door panel was fiddled with repeatedly while trying to put it back in place. BTW, they did not remove the whole door panel to install the films. The very next day, I complain of rattle from the same door. Door panel is opened, and I see a broken lock. Demand a new door panel to be installed at their cost. It is still not done, but is in progress.
Finally, the puja is done and the car is ready to be driven off. I drive awayfor dinner.