Doug's Music Service, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/14) */
After careful review of the customer's service file, we found no relationship between the minor recall work we performed and his current or past repair issues
The customer requested that we put in a new "wiring samatic"I'm not sure what he
means by thatA wiring schematic is basically a map of the wiring harness that identifies electrical components in a circuit
Regardless of what he meant by that, we do not feel the customer is entitled to any restitution from the dealership

After Mr*** declined to have the repairs completed on his vehicle, we charged his battery for him and advised that we were not sure how long the charge would last since there was an intermittent issue with the alternator output (we also specifically advise him that since his braking system is
electronically assisted, if his battery power went low, his brakes would have very little power assist. He told us he was going to replace the alternator himself and it would be fineWe cannot confirm if any wires were loose at the alternator but we did verify that the alternator output was testing at volts compared to the specified - volts. We tested the component on the vehicle, with the engine running. Mr*** stated that he took the alternator off and had "bench tested" at ***.Mr***' level of hostility, vulgar language and abrasiveness (not to mention his stated doubt of our integrity and competence) led us to make the decision not to work on his year old, 187,mile vehicle in the future

I am rejecting this response because: The dealer is correct that I declined serviceMy reasons for doing so were twofoldFirst, the costs associated with the service were extremely highSecond, due to the fact that the alternator was relatively new and due to the fact that this dealer misdiagnosed a previous problem, I had little faith in their ability to correctly diagnose this problemThe dealers response however, glosses over the critical issues.Point 1: They stated the alternator was bad but when removed from the vehicle, the alternator passed all testsRemoving the alternator eliminates all other considerations, such as vehicle wiring problems or problems with the battery control moduleTesting the alternator in the vehicle introduces additional variables that could easily result in the lower voltage readingThe dealer stated they do not even have the capability of testing an alternator out of the vehicleWhen I eliminated all other variables buy removing the alternator, I confirmed the alternator was not the problemThe service manger I spoke with refused to acknowledge there was even a possibility that their diagnosis could be wrongThis is the less serious of my concerns.Point 2: The intermittent electrical problems I was experiencing occurred over a period of two monthsDuring that time, the battery never died, the brakes never failed and the vehicle never stopped functioningAfter leaving the vehicle with the dealer in question for less than two days, the battery was dead and the vehicle was unsafe to driveThe reason for this was the wires on the alternator were disconnectedThe dealers response stated something about lose wiresThe wires were completely disconnected meaning the alternator was doing absolutely nothing to charge the batteriesWhen I corrected the problem, the braking and core functionality problems stopped and the vehicle returned to the state it was in before dropping it off to the dealerThe dealers inability to confirm whether the wires were disconnected or not is irrelevantThe significant difference in problem symptoms proves the problemI can recreate the exact problems I experienced with the vehicle by simply removing the alternator wiresI can correct the problems by simply attaching those wiresI have two witnesses who were present when I attempted to remove the alternator who can confirm that the wires were disconnected when I got the car backI have four witnesses who can confirm the alternator passed bench testingThe dealers unwillingness to accept any responsibility for turning over a vehicle to me insignificantly worse shape that when I delivered it to them is extremely troublingAt best, it indicates an attempt to cover up a mistakeAt worst, the wires were intentionally removed in an attempt to force me to perform an expensive and unnecessary repair. One last pointThe dealer's response stated that I was hostile, abrasive and vulgarI did use a bad word out of frustrationWhile that was regrettable, I would expect that anyone under similar circumstances would be upsetAny good customer facing individual would have the ability to empathize with the angry customer and help to resolve a serious customer satisfaction issueIn this case, the service manger responded highly defensively, escalating rather than defusing the situationFinally, the dealers statement about my car being years old with 187,miles is concerningIs an official representative from Mercedes stating that a year old car with 187,miles is too much trouble to try to fix? In summary, the dealers response to my complaint was exactly what caused my complaint in the first placeI have evidence of two separate cases of misdiagnosed problems on two separate occasionsI have a complaint about the dealer returning the car in an unsafe condition that was significantly different from when it was dropped of and was the direct result of either incompetence or intentional fraudThe dealers response was to gloss over those issues, restate the points of my complaint that I don't debate and to gloss over the real problemThis response reinforces my complaint rather than settling it

we issued a refund of the diagnostic charge and an additional $on the same day Mr*** called back to tell us he had broken down. Since then, our General Manager has offered to allow Mr*** to bring his vehicle in for the recommended repairs (replace alternator). Mr*** side he would let him know in the next few days if he wanted us to repair his vehicle