How Richmond Chrysler Dodge Jeep ripped off my mother
 

TLDR: Richmond Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Richmond Automall is a stealership that will rip off customers who don't know about cars with unnecessary charges. Avoid at all cost!

So today my mother called me to catch up. She casually mentioned she got her dodge grand caravan serviced at the dealer at 30,000km and the bill came out to be $600. I was curious why it would cost so much so I told her to take a photo of the invoice and send it to me. To my surprise the dealer seem to have ripped her off with some unnecessary charges.

Other than charging $103 for conventional oil change which is over priced but acceptable. there was a $500 charge for "emission flush" and "clean throttle body housing" and "shop supplies". I referenced the factory manual and no where it says anything about needing emission flush and clean throttle body housing in the factory maintenance schedule. I've attached the invoice. I told my mom to not to go back to that dealership anymore. Tell your friends and family to avoid this dealership too.

https://imgur.com/WKo5N8N.jpg
https://imgur.com/GAkpmXc.jpg

Wtf is an "emissions flush"

It looks like the oil change is $103 with tire rotation included. Some dealers charge tire rotation and oil change separately which would make sense for $103.

Emissions flush sounds like it's a fuel injection flush which is way too early for 30k lol

Relevant:

I've sent the dealer an email complaining about this situation. Let's see if it gets to their manager make this right. Hopefully they can learn that even though they may be able to rip off people who knows nothing about cars like my mother, but their family and relatives may know about cars and expose them on their scams.

i would complain to bbb. i dont think your mom is first victim of the scam.

https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/...clecar-repairs

Did they call and ask her if she wanted these extra services or did they just do them?

My mom looks like one of those moms that can be taken advantage of at a car dealership (and people try). My way around it if I don't go with her is to have her decline every above and beyond charge they ask and write it down on a piece of paper so we can review it. I've saved her a lot over the years especially since she only puts like 5,000km on her car a year.

LMAO right? True i guess it could be a different name for a fuel injection service...
Sounds straight made up though lolol. Like what, clean the EVAP charcoal canister? Clean the EGR passageways? Hahaha
Maybe they ran the engine and then turned it off. Done! See, no more emissions coming out lololol


Also wtf is that $52 of shop supplies? All the necessary parts are already charged out, ie: filter, oil, "emission kit", t/b cleaner. It's not like they spent fifty bucks worth of gloves and shop rags to do the job (i forgot brake cleaner loool)

Shop supplies is a bullshit charge.
Who even started this in the industry?

It's like a restaurant that charges extra fees after your meal for napkins...

For the most part, those dealer XXk km/mile service is bullshit.

Owner's Manual should have a legitimate schedule(usually towards the back) that should be followed, so just tell your mom to follow that.

My suggestion is that just tell your mom to know exactly what she wants to do with her car when it goes in, and turns down any upsell bullshit. If it goes to get its oil changed, that's the only thing that's going to be done.

Tire rotation at this time of the year may make sense if you just have one set of tires, but for people with dedicated summer and winter tires, it makes no sense.

I thought emission flush might be a typo for a transmission flush, but it's probably just me.

You know, I wish dealerships would at least have the decency to upsell drivers on maintenance items that are actually useful -- like replacing brake fluid, tranny / diff fluid, tire rotation, suspension (usually shocks?) inspection, etc. I dunno how many times I've seen cars that are supposedly dealership serviced, and yet they have dark brown brake fluids in the reservoir, transmissions that shift like shxt, front tires that are bald while the rear tires are still at 50% tread, and leaky shocks / saggy corner, etc. FailFish

i dont think your email will make any difference

You mean dealer serviced cars of owners who decline every recommendation and only do oil changes (usually free) and have their own "mechanic" they bring their cars to who don't actually end up doing any of the work that was recommended 2 services ago.

Of course, sometimes / a lot of times that happens. My mechanic friends have repeatedly shown me some of the absurdity that have come through their shops, including cut / worn-down-to-stell-belts tires, (former) brake pads that have grounded down to the backing plate, bushings that are still held together only by the tiniest bit, etc. So I understand what you're saying.

At the same time in my personal experience, however, I've also had dealerships that never recommended doing a brake fluid change on my car; that they don't typically suggest transmission fluid changes because the manufacturer has indicated the transmission fluid is a "life time fill"
:badpokerface:

cleaning the throttle body of a 16...

FUCK THAT.

Justin Chiang, eh?

Name is mud..............

Wooo you know buddy made a killing on this one

I often wonder why people get taken for a ride without asking any questions.

call them up, email them, and tell them you're gonna go to news networks. Companies HATE their issues getting to news and will prevent you from going there. I had an incident at superstore where the security guards were discriminating and rude towards my girl where they ended up calling me a liar to my face.

I told them to check security cameras, spoke to manager to have the issue resolved otherwise i'll contact CTV news. Head office called me a week later, fired the piece of shit guard and retracted the entire security contract.

Shop supplies is a valid charge, it covers the cost of consumable items needed for running the place, for example batteries for the techs flashlights, gloves, shop towels, specialty tooling that the dealer may need, etc.

It's usually a nominal percentage like 3% of your total labour charge.

So on a $100 oil change it's like a few bucks. Which is totally reasonable.

I don't know why in this instance it's like 10% of the total bill, that seems unreasonable.

I really hate taking my car to the dealer even if it's covered under warranty. It's like going to the dentist, got full insurance but always find something wrong that isn't covered just to make a few bucks.

BS up sell for the emissions flush and throttle body cleaning on a 2016 vehicle with 35,xxxkms. The throttle body cleaning is basically spraying cleaner into the throttle body and a wipe. They don't physically remove the TB and service every part on it, IIRC the cleaner would come in the emission package and is done at the same time. I guess now its separated to bone the customer some more.

I use to clash with management about up selling "add on services" with vehicles under 100,000 kms. If you look in the owners manual of most car manufactures, they don't recommend these services until the 100,000kms mark or unless it's being used for heavy towing or dusty areas.

Shop supplies are a complete rip off at 10% of the bill. Like mem405 said, it is around the 3% mark. I use to lower the shop supplies to 2% of the bill because of the high shop rate.

I had my car since 2011, Open Road Hyundai service department was pretty good. Always asked me if I wanted the extra service done. They dont push it. Everything is written on the service paperwork, saying they told me to get these done.

they do the same to my wife...lol
what they don't know is she'll scrutinize it harder than I will and they'll feel the wrath if she notices something off

when i take my cars to the dealer, I'm pretty specific with what i want done. I'm open to conversations on suggested services sure but don't you do throw some bullshit my way.

OP i would contact the media if that stealership doesn't reply to your complaint...that's highway robbery that seems to have been going on a while, somebody gonna get a fired around there...