Birvini
Enthusiast
I would like to inform you of my experience at Koller Dodge.
On October 8th of 2002 I brought my 1994 Viper RT/10 to Koller Dodge to inspect the engine. I had recently returned from the Viper Owners Invitational in Nashville, TN and smelled coolant. I suspected I needed an engine rebuild, and Tony the Viper tech at Koller agreed. Kevin Kuhrt, the Viper Service Adviser, also agreed. Kevin then told me that Chrysler does not pay enough on this type of job, so they would work on it when they had the chance. Kevin promised the engine would be out of the car in three to four days. Five days later Kevin called to tell me that the engine was out and I could pick up my Viper. When I picked my car up it was full of hand prints and grease marks.
12-09-02
I received a call from Kevin Kuhrt from Koller around 12-09-02 to tell me that the engine had come back from Arrow. When I spoke to Kevin I made it clear that there had been extensive body work done to my Viper and that at no time could it sit outside. Kevin said “That is not a problem.” With that answer to my concern we set up an appointment for my Viper to be towed to Koller for the engine to be installed on 12-16-02.
12-16-02
I arrived at Koller before my Viper which was on a flatbed tow truck somewhere behind me. When the tow truck arrived with the car Koller the tow truck driver was instructed by Guy Grebeck, Service manager for Koller, to unload the Viper and leave it outside. I told Guy that Kevin had assured me that for the duration of the service to the Viper, it would stay inside. Guy said “I don’t know why Kevin told you that, but we never assure our customers that their car won’t sit outside.” Guy then speaks to both Kevin and I and states that the car will only be inside only at night. At this point I told the tow guy not to take the car off the truck.
I called Don Sleik, sales Viper specialist for Koller, and told him the situation. Don told me that the car could be kept across the street at a Koller affiliated storage facility when it was not being worked on. Further, Don said he would personally arrange for the Viper to be moved from the dealership to the storage facility when needed. I informed Guy what I had worked out with Don. Guy’s response, “Don does not have the authority to do that and the car will be kept outside.” I called Don back and he told me that “You should not have told Guy what we had worked out.” I went back to Guy and asked to speak to one of the owners of Koller. He responded, “They are in meetings all day.” I went to the cashier and asked the cashier if I could speak with an owner. She said she would be right back. She left the window, came back and said, “You need to call and make an appointment to speak with an owner, they are in meetings all day.“
I then went back to the service area and asked Guy, “If I leave my car here will you be responsible for any damage that may occur to it? Guy’s response was, ”No, the dealership is not responsible for any damages to your car while in service by us.” He then pointed to a sign above the service desk and said “read the sign.” The sign basically said that the dealership would not be responsible for any damage to any car while in for service.
My response was, “You’ve got to be kidding!!” Guy’s response,“I have a million dollars worth of cars sitting out back, what are you worried about? It’s only a car!” I respond by saying, “There might be a million dollars worth of cars, but they are not you’re cars.” His response to me, “Take your car and get the f**k out of here!” The tow truck driver had been present the entire time. I turned to him and said “let’s go.”
So, I had the Viper towed back to my house. The tow truck driver basically laughed and said he was not surprised at what had gone on. He said that he used to work at Koller Dodge and the conversation I had with Guy was within earshot of Dave Koller, owner, and Mark Payne, Sales Manager. I was stunned. He said they had been within ten feet of my conversation with Guy the entire time. Simply put, Guy and the cashier had lied about the owner being “******* in meetings all day.” Dave Koller was in earshot the entire time.
I then called D.C. Customer Care to file a complaint concerning this incident. While I was on hold, a representative contacted Koller Dodge and discussed the incident with them. The representative came back on the line and informed me that Koller Dodge was more then willing to reinstall the engine in my car. I informed the representative that I did not want Koller involved in the repair any longer. I explained that they had lied to me therefore I did not trust them. Also, Guy had clearly explained to me that if I left my car there and there was any damage to it the dealership would not be responsible. The representative told me that it would be extremely difficult to move the remainder of the warranty work to another dealer if the original dealer wanted to finish the job. She then connected me with D.C. Service Contracts to further assist me in this matter.
I explained the entire situation to service contracts and they contacted Koller in an attempt to resolve the situation. Once again Koller stated that they wanted to finish the remainder of the work. Service contracts informed me that I had no other recourse except to allow Koller to work on the car. I told service contracts that I wanted to have my engine and parts shipped to another Dodge dealer to have the work finished. Service Contracts informed me that if I did this I would be responsible to pay Koller out of my pocket for all costs because they couldn’t pay for partial work. I was also told that I would be responsible for all costs at the new dealership that was going to install the engine.
12-23-2002
I contacted Service Contracts and I spoke with Joe, a supervisor. I explained the entire situation to him, and he reviewed my file. He contacted Koller Dodge and spoke with Guy Grabeck. Joe then called me back and stated that Koller “really” wanted to finish the install. However, if I wanted to have another dealership do it, that would be fine. Joe stated he could not split the allowable 6 hours of billing time between dealerships. He also stated that Koller might want additional compensation from me above and beyond the 3 hours of labor and the 200.00 deductible. He said he would authorize payment to Koller for the entire 6 hours of labor even though they had only done half the work. He told me to call Koller and work it out with them. I immediately called Koller Dodge and spoke with Guy Grabeck. During the conversation he insisted that Koller still wanted to perform the work. I explained to him that there was a trust issue, and that I would prefer to have the work done elsewhere. Guy responded with, “I think your being a baby about the whole thing. When I receive full payment of six hours of labor from Service Contracts I’ll release your engine and parts.”
At this point I thought it would be better to pay Koller for the entire job, even though they had done half of it in an unsatisfactory manner.
This decision cost me $600 in towing, and $1,239.57 to Roanoke to put the engine in. Total to avoid Koller Dodge, $1,839.57.
3-4-2003
I was pleasantly surprised to receive a check from Service Contracts for $1,239.57, the amount I had to pay Roanoke to complete what Koller had been paid for in full. I’m not sure who at Service Contracts was responsible for this, but I am appreciative.
Chuck Tator, thanks for your help and listening to me rant.
John Gastman and Dennis of Roanoke, thanks for doing the job right!
On October 8th of 2002 I brought my 1994 Viper RT/10 to Koller Dodge to inspect the engine. I had recently returned from the Viper Owners Invitational in Nashville, TN and smelled coolant. I suspected I needed an engine rebuild, and Tony the Viper tech at Koller agreed. Kevin Kuhrt, the Viper Service Adviser, also agreed. Kevin then told me that Chrysler does not pay enough on this type of job, so they would work on it when they had the chance. Kevin promised the engine would be out of the car in three to four days. Five days later Kevin called to tell me that the engine was out and I could pick up my Viper. When I picked my car up it was full of hand prints and grease marks.
12-09-02
I received a call from Kevin Kuhrt from Koller around 12-09-02 to tell me that the engine had come back from Arrow. When I spoke to Kevin I made it clear that there had been extensive body work done to my Viper and that at no time could it sit outside. Kevin said “That is not a problem.” With that answer to my concern we set up an appointment for my Viper to be towed to Koller for the engine to be installed on 12-16-02.
12-16-02
I arrived at Koller before my Viper which was on a flatbed tow truck somewhere behind me. When the tow truck arrived with the car Koller the tow truck driver was instructed by Guy Grebeck, Service manager for Koller, to unload the Viper and leave it outside. I told Guy that Kevin had assured me that for the duration of the service to the Viper, it would stay inside. Guy said “I don’t know why Kevin told you that, but we never assure our customers that their car won’t sit outside.” Guy then speaks to both Kevin and I and states that the car will only be inside only at night. At this point I told the tow guy not to take the car off the truck.
I called Don Sleik, sales Viper specialist for Koller, and told him the situation. Don told me that the car could be kept across the street at a Koller affiliated storage facility when it was not being worked on. Further, Don said he would personally arrange for the Viper to be moved from the dealership to the storage facility when needed. I informed Guy what I had worked out with Don. Guy’s response, “Don does not have the authority to do that and the car will be kept outside.” I called Don back and he told me that “You should not have told Guy what we had worked out.” I went back to Guy and asked to speak to one of the owners of Koller. He responded, “They are in meetings all day.” I went to the cashier and asked the cashier if I could speak with an owner. She said she would be right back. She left the window, came back and said, “You need to call and make an appointment to speak with an owner, they are in meetings all day.“
I then went back to the service area and asked Guy, “If I leave my car here will you be responsible for any damage that may occur to it? Guy’s response was, ”No, the dealership is not responsible for any damages to your car while in service by us.” He then pointed to a sign above the service desk and said “read the sign.” The sign basically said that the dealership would not be responsible for any damage to any car while in for service.
My response was, “You’ve got to be kidding!!” Guy’s response,“I have a million dollars worth of cars sitting out back, what are you worried about? It’s only a car!” I respond by saying, “There might be a million dollars worth of cars, but they are not you’re cars.” His response to me, “Take your car and get the f**k out of here!” The tow truck driver had been present the entire time. I turned to him and said “let’s go.”
So, I had the Viper towed back to my house. The tow truck driver basically laughed and said he was not surprised at what had gone on. He said that he used to work at Koller Dodge and the conversation I had with Guy was within earshot of Dave Koller, owner, and Mark Payne, Sales Manager. I was stunned. He said they had been within ten feet of my conversation with Guy the entire time. Simply put, Guy and the cashier had lied about the owner being “******* in meetings all day.” Dave Koller was in earshot the entire time.
I then called D.C. Customer Care to file a complaint concerning this incident. While I was on hold, a representative contacted Koller Dodge and discussed the incident with them. The representative came back on the line and informed me that Koller Dodge was more then willing to reinstall the engine in my car. I informed the representative that I did not want Koller involved in the repair any longer. I explained that they had lied to me therefore I did not trust them. Also, Guy had clearly explained to me that if I left my car there and there was any damage to it the dealership would not be responsible. The representative told me that it would be extremely difficult to move the remainder of the warranty work to another dealer if the original dealer wanted to finish the job. She then connected me with D.C. Service Contracts to further assist me in this matter.
I explained the entire situation to service contracts and they contacted Koller in an attempt to resolve the situation. Once again Koller stated that they wanted to finish the remainder of the work. Service contracts informed me that I had no other recourse except to allow Koller to work on the car. I told service contracts that I wanted to have my engine and parts shipped to another Dodge dealer to have the work finished. Service Contracts informed me that if I did this I would be responsible to pay Koller out of my pocket for all costs because they couldn’t pay for partial work. I was also told that I would be responsible for all costs at the new dealership that was going to install the engine.
12-23-2002
I contacted Service Contracts and I spoke with Joe, a supervisor. I explained the entire situation to him, and he reviewed my file. He contacted Koller Dodge and spoke with Guy Grabeck. Joe then called me back and stated that Koller “really” wanted to finish the install. However, if I wanted to have another dealership do it, that would be fine. Joe stated he could not split the allowable 6 hours of billing time between dealerships. He also stated that Koller might want additional compensation from me above and beyond the 3 hours of labor and the 200.00 deductible. He said he would authorize payment to Koller for the entire 6 hours of labor even though they had only done half the work. He told me to call Koller and work it out with them. I immediately called Koller Dodge and spoke with Guy Grabeck. During the conversation he insisted that Koller still wanted to perform the work. I explained to him that there was a trust issue, and that I would prefer to have the work done elsewhere. Guy responded with, “I think your being a baby about the whole thing. When I receive full payment of six hours of labor from Service Contracts I’ll release your engine and parts.”
At this point I thought it would be better to pay Koller for the entire job, even though they had done half of it in an unsatisfactory manner.
This decision cost me $600 in towing, and $1,239.57 to Roanoke to put the engine in. Total to avoid Koller Dodge, $1,839.57.
3-4-2003
I was pleasantly surprised to receive a check from Service Contracts for $1,239.57, the amount I had to pay Roanoke to complete what Koller had been paid for in full. I’m not sure who at Service Contracts was responsible for this, but I am appreciative.
Chuck Tator, thanks for your help and listening to me rant.
John Gastman and Dennis of Roanoke, thanks for doing the job right!
