I am posting this tale of woe here in the hope that someone from Renault UK will read it, and intervene to fix it. If that person is you then the reference number is 4-02611003.

OK then let's get started with the chronology.

I bought the car (CL10 TRY) new back in September 2015. Just before the first service I was cleaning the car and noticed a significant paint defect on the passenger door. This was a lump about 3mm in diameter and 1mm high under the paint near the door handle. So either a foreign body stuck to the door during paint, or worse a defect on the door skin.

I reported this at the time of the first service 28/07/16. The guy at the dealership agreed it was a defect. After a short discussion on whether I wanted to keep the paint "original" or get the entire door resprayed (polishing it out was not an option) he took pictures and started the warranty process.

Several phone calls were exchanged over the next few weeks where it transpired Renault warranty would not approve the repair without an inspection. This was duly arranged for Friday 26/08/16. I arranged to take a day of work and take the car into the dealership first thing. I got a call an hour beforehand to be told that the inspector had cancelled but had approved the repair sight unseen.

Then we went onto an extended period of calls roughly once a fortnight when I was informed of various stuff which I have no method of verifying and therefore it's not worth repeating here. But suffice to say it did nothing to contribute to a resolution of the problem and just served to frustrate me and waste my time.

Fast forward to 28/10/16 when I decided that enough was enough and I contacted Renault Customer Services via the chat service. This seemed to go well and I got an apology and a reference number. I was eventually assigned a representative who would look after me. They confirmed that the claim was on the system but was not showing a resolution.

Surely this sort of thing could be automatically tracked and alarmed by SW? - so any claim active for over say 3 months gets investigated.

Anyhow my representative undertook to speak to the dealer and email me with the result ASAP.

Nothing until Thursday 03/11/16 when I get a text (from RCS) saying that they have been unable to contact the dealer.

The dealer then calls me the next day to say that he got a message from them, but had been unable to contact them by phone.

Next up Saturday 12/11/16 another text (from RCS) saying that they were still trying to contact the dealer, but promising to update me by 16/11/16 which was yesterday.

Why is the not being done by email?

Nothing from RCS yesterday, hence this rant on here.

Just to put things in perspective.

I am the customer. I have done nothing wrong other than buy a Renault product that is faulty.
The fault (a paintwork defect) is clearly covered by the warranty and the sale of goods act.
There can be no suggestion that the paintwork defects results from anything other than a manufacturing fault.
The fact that the car passed inspection at Dieppe and a PDI is a Renault quality issue and irrelevant to my problem.
Whilst willing to make reasonable efforts to get the problem resolved (i.e. taking it to the dealership for an inspection) I should not suffer inconvenience or financial loss, nor should I have my time wasted.

If I was paying for the repair I could get it done and back within a week. This saga will have been going on for 4 months at the end of next week!

Pete
CL10 TRY

Edited by user 29 November 2016 12:47:07(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Another all to familiar sad story of poor service.
Dealers as we know quite often appear to do what they what they want when they want without recourse to RUK.
CS say all the right things to the complainant but are toothless when it comes to getting a dealer to act responsibly.

It would seem that everything operates in its own little bubble with it being pretty much down to luck when it comes to getting a satisfactory outcome.

It cannot be right when the only method of escalating an issue is to 'go off on one' on here.

Thankfully I have not suffered from these issues but I do feel for those that have/are.

Glad to hear it now seems to be working out for you but sad you had to post on a Renault forum to get some kind of resolution.

No date yet for the door repaint.

However, washed the car at the weekend and discovered that the body shop had also damaged the roof, probably by dropping a power tool on it.

The scratches are down to the metal and at the bottom of big dents which are a few mm deep.

Waiting for the dealer to get back to me. No doubt the body shop will deny responsibility, but it's directly above the repainted door and only showed up when washed so was probably disguised with wax/polish.

My concern is that the car will be written off as the only proper repair is a new roof skin.





Pete
CL10 TRY

Edited by user 16 January 2017 11:22:10(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Update.

Since my last posting I have been in regular contact with Renault Customer Services (RCS) who seem a lot more interactive and interested in my problem.

They are dealing direct with the Renault Approved body shop, i.e. FASEKO based in Colchester and this is what I am told they are saying;

The car door was inspected before it left the workshop and was perfect, so the damage must have been caused in transit. They are willing to repair the scratches FOC as a "goodwill" gesture.

Despite having the car for 7 days the door was not repainted and the blemish was simply polished out. I do not know how this is possible with 2 coat water based paint. I am advised by a friend in the trade and also the Renault dealer principle who first inspected the car before starting the warranty claim that a full repaint is the only solution.

They are saying also that because the car never went to the paint shop there was no chance for the roof to get damaged.

They are also saying that I took too long to report the roof damage so it can't be their fault.

So to summarise they are saying none of it is their fault. Those of you with children will be familiar with the argument!

RCS are saying that although they sympathise that my car has been trashed, they can only accept the word of the body shop and don't know why they would not tell the truth........lol.

The fact that I have no contract with the bodyshop and what they say is irrelevant to my claim and that my claim is solely with Renault who undertook to repair my car under warranty does not seem to register with RCS.

So completely fawked off by Renault and left to sort it out with my insurance.

Customer service anyone?

Pete
CL10 TRY

Edited by user 04 February 2017 21:23:31(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified