Car purposely sabatoged at dealer, who should I talk to?
 

I had a Mercedes in for repair recently and someone purposely put ball bearings inside the door. The repair did not even include the door but I could tell it was removed. Presumably this person did this so I would bring it back in to repair the rattle. Or maybe they were just mad at me for some reason. It was a difficult repair but they also got paid very well.

Obviously I am upset about this, should I take this up with the service advisor who I worked with or a manager at the dealership? My wife says it may have been the service advisor who did it, hoping for another commission. Do they work on commission? If it is a rogue technician I don't want to make an example of the whole dealership (and that is why I am being somewhat vague on this post).

What would you recommend? I am 100% positive this was purposeful.

I've never heard of that before. I assume the car wasn't under warranty? You could go back and tell them the door didn't rattle before they got it and now it does and see what they say.

Forty years of spending everyday in dealerships and I have never heard that one. I have though seen loose items found in new vehicles left there in manufacturing, some of which would have been done on purpose. How do you know there were ball bearings in the door? Did you take it apart and remove them? If you did, it will be hard to convince the dealership they put them there. I would go directly to the GM of the store and explain the situation.

April 1st was a month ago. You can't be serious.

Unless you actually saw the ball bearings inside the door, I would not accuse the dealer of anything. The more likely scenario is that a rattle develop after your visit at the dealer, $1ht happens.

I agree with "***** happens".
Years ago I took my car to friend's shop for air bag code reset.
It was turning around on the highway, still in front of his shop when engine hesitated, CEL come and the engine went into safe mode.
I could still drive it ok with about 70% of power.
Long story short, it was MAF that gave up 100 feet after leaving repair shop.
Than if the balls are true story- talk to SA and hear what he has to say?
Still this is burning bridges behind you.

After reading this, I can see both points: from the OP, as well as the responders.
I hesitated to respond at first, but I'll give my $0.02:

To the OP, you use strong statements like "someone purposely put ball bearings inside the door" and "I could tell it was removed. Presumably this person did this so I would bring it back in" and "My wife says it may have been the service advisor who did it, hoping for another commission"...

...but you also use theoretical questions like "maybe they were just mad at me for some reason. It was a difficult repair but they also got paid very well" and reasonable techniques like "If it is a rogue technician I don't want to make an example of the whole dealership"

For the accusatory statements, are you certain they are in fact "ball bearings"? Have you x-rayed the door? How could you "in fact" tell it was removed? Do you have any tension with the SA that would lead you to believe he would behave/act maliciously?

For the other statements, it's perfectly fine to think that they were perhaps mad at you. I can tell you from experience (of being a meticulous professional), that most of these guys just consider it a "job" and if they feel you are complaining too much or bringing your car in too much or being very specific on what you want fixed (even if you are 100% polite about it), they take it personally for some reason---and they take their anger/laziness out on the customer. So I am with you on that one. The question is: why would they be so angry---do any of the above resonate? If it was in fact a rogue tech or SA, then the issue does need to be addressed. We, as customers, should not accept or have the "$h!t happens" mentality, or be afraid to voice our concerns and discontent with work just because we don't want to "burn bridges". What good are the bridges, if they are unstable or unreliable in the first place. Might as well be burned and find another path.

Go with your gut, and bring it up to the SA...if you don't feel comfortable talking to him/her, then go directly to the Service Mgr or Gen Mgr of the dealership. But be diplomatic and respectful, yet stern. If we all remained silent, nothing would ever be called out or get fixed.

No joke, I just had my Dodge Viper in to get a stereo upgrade, and they completely botched the job, I had to take it back 3 different times. So, I got it back, and noticed I had a new door rattle. Took it to the dealer and they found multiple cookies in the door!

So, idk if there is some "technicians that feel they have been wronged" forum, but if so, I assume that we would find this in their playbook.

Some people do crazy things. Although, likely going to be hard to prove they did it...

COOKIES? :eek:

Wait what? 30 Years of MB ownership this is a new one! Take it back to the dealership that did the work. Is the car under warranty?

What kind of Cookies? Great- now I want Cookies.

Must be pretty dry cookies to make rattle :eek:

Not buying this, just my opinion. Ball bearing would be rolling around so much it wouldn't be a question something was up. In my many years if investigative work, and intuition, something else is going on.

Honestly, the effort it would take to do this, how is it worth it. And what kind of sick person doesn't eat all their cookies.

It really doesn't matter what anyone else (except your wife) thinks and/or has experienced. If you feel that you have been done wrong then you are the victim here and should seek a remedy. I would start with the Manager or Customer Success manager first and escalate things from there. Try to be as calm as possible to completely and thoroughly explain what you believe has happened. Good Luck.

Both jahquan and I have given really good objective advice to the OP, but he seems to have completely disappeared, or doesn't care.

Maybe this thread was all a hoax? Not sure why someone would posting asking "What would you recommend?", then not even give a single response in an entire 24-hour period??

Well if they're sick, then they'd toss their cookies right?

Your response literally made me laugh out loud :rolf:

It's a vicious cycle. If you're mentally sick :hammer:then you don't eat all your cookies. If you're not crazy and you eat them, you get physically sick.:puke: Either way you're screwed. Maybe it is better to hide them in car doors then.

The real losers here are the Girl Scouts.

Tried to tell ya. :)

Oh, those wild and wacky Girl Scouts. Seems to they're making their boxes of cookies smaller and putting in fewer cookies.

As far as cookies in the door go, I have one critical question. What kind was in the door? If it was indeed Girl Scout cookies and I hear that it was either Samoas or Thin Mints, then I'll know the story is pure BS. Why? Nobody in their right mind doesn't eat every last Samoa or Thin Mint! There'd be none left to put in the door. If it was one of those dry crumbly shortbread cookies, then I totally understand stuffing them into a door to get rid of them. Yuk.

The truth right there. Shortbread for the loss

My guess is that the OP's developed a rattle after his dealer visit and overreacted, there is no ball bearings. I am just surprise his wife would patronize him with her comments to make the situation worst. My feeling is that the OP knew he gave the dealer a hard time and was expecting the worst, but most dealers are professionals, they do not put ball bearings inside customer's car.