My Toyota GB saga cont....!!!

Peter Laborne · June 13, 2003, 19:27

My saga goes on...............

I've sent Toyota GB snail mail.....but heard nothing. I've sent email.....but heard nothing.

I am trying and trying to get this saga with my Roadster sorted.

This evening I finish work early as I was supposed to be going out for a swish meal with my g/f, her parents and some of their friends I haven't seen for over a year. But before going out I wanted to phone Toyota GB.

I get through and talk to someone on customer service. Unfortunately s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted: Jenny Shipley s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted: was not around. I say to the bloke at the other end of the dog'n'bone that I have heard nothing, since my last letter. He looks through the paperwork and says that the last correspondance was on the 23rd May. Nope the last correspondance was on the 4th June. He now goes off for looking for it, putting me on hold. He comes back a few minutes later and says that he has got it, but needs some time to read through it.

"I will phone you back in a few minutes" he says.

That was well over 2 hours ago.

Everyone bar me has now gone out for a meal. I'm now left with pizza, a pint, Eastenders and a knackered car.

Thank you very much Toyota GB s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

Can anyone remind me...who is the top dog at Toyota GB?

Peter

Slacey · June 13, 2003, 22:14

I'm really sorry to hear it Peter, it's just not going at all well is it? s:(

s:(
I really hope I don't have any problems that have to progress beyond the dealer.

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 22:35

Peter

This is not going anywhere fast. I cant remember if you said before that you had gone to trading standards?...if so and they have done anything, then there is only one more step.

I would stongly advise you to seek legal advice, and instruct a good solicitor to initially send them a letter...this must contain a list of demands and a deadline. You may well find that this is enough to do the trick, if not, then pursue this through the courts. A daunting task I know, but if the evidence (the big things) are as clear as you make them, then you will win!.

My parents successfully sued Suzuki for screwing up a service, which subsequently f*cked their car up.

Sorry to say this, but you are not going to get anywhere on your own, or they would have already resolved this. Have a word with a brief, they should be able to help....and remember you will get costs and compo!

Anonymous · June 14, 2003, 15:46

Pete,
You got no option but to "SEND ROUND THE BOYS", me criage and kris will do it for ya at a small fee of coruse LOL. s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Peter Laborne · June 14, 2003, 15:58

Ok, I'll "send in da boyz". You've all got pints waiting on your return.

I'm just about to walk up to the post box with a letter for Mr Kimiaki Kuroki, the Chairman of Toyota GB.

BTW in case you are wondering the top hierachy of Toyota GB is thus:

Kimiaki Kuroki - Chairman
Graham Smith - Managing Director
Mike Moran - Commercial Director
Paul Philpott - Marketing Director
Tony Whitehorn - Sales Director
Andrew Singer - Finance & Systems Director

Their emails are simple <firstname>.<surname>@tgb.toyota.co.uk

The HQ address is:
Toyota (GB) Ltd,
Great Burgh,
Burgh Heath,
Epsom,
Surrey,
KT18 5UX

Peter

Liz · June 14, 2003, 16:53

Peter,

What about the Article in Auto Express in which it said that you would be getting a '03 model with a few miles on it, did Toyota promise you that themselves?

Peter Laborne · June 14, 2003, 17:21

The Auto Express article used a bit of journalistic license.

The replacement car
Toyota knew that I didn't have the finances to afford to replace my car, either with a brand new one, or a decent second hand one. However, this didn't stop them trying to look good and offering me a replacement. The one thing Auto Express missed out is that Toyota GB is expecting me to pay the difference between what they value my current 2 at and thier valuation of the new 2.

"Peter is delighted"
I have never used the word delighted in my life. I may have said "I'm happy we are finally getting somewhere". I believe Auto Express took the first bit ("I'm happy"), looked in a thesarus for the word "happy" and came up with "delighted".

So yeah, Toyota GB did offer me something. But they knew before they offered it, I would not be able to afford it.

Peter

Anonymous · June 14, 2003, 17:40

How did you finance your car?

Did you do it yourself or though Toyota's own finance?...can you not contact them about unfit goods or whatever?.

Just looking at avenues

Peter Laborne · June 14, 2003, 18:03

I've wanted a convirtable ever since I was 5, when I saw an MG BGT. That was over 20 years ago. So basically I saved and saved and was able to buy my 2 when it first came out, as a cash purchase.

I did try saying that they were unfit goods, but they just avoided that. Rules set by Trading Standards have just changed and I would be protected, but this is only for purchases since the start of April (IIRC) this year.

Liz · June 14, 2003, 18:48

When does UK's worst air - they did film you recently?

Peter Laborne · June 14, 2003, 19:44

There was a problem with UK's Worst. They didn't have enough cars and they really wanted to show mine. However my warranty runs out at the start of July and that wasn't enough time to get other cars and do the final filming (effectively they couldn't find any cars as bad as mine), so the show was dropped. There was also an extra problem, they wanted to do a road test with their own vehicle inspector. Toyota had said that they would be willing to get an independant inspector if I wished, but when I phoned and said I had my own independant inspector (without saying who he worked for) Toyota GB said that I would loose my warranty if he were to road test it.

So that put an extra dampener on things.

On the plus side (if there is one), UK's Worst have said that if my car is fixed under warranty then this would give them more time to do the filming.

So it's good to know that I can keep some pressure on Toyota GB.

Peter

Anonymous · June 14, 2003, 19:57

Peter...not meaning to sound so sinister...but if your warrenty ends in July...it does rather sound like Toyota are stalling.

I wonder how warrenty stands if you report things before you are out of warrenty?

Peter Laborne · June 14, 2003, 20:06

Quote from: "cstevens"it does rather sound like Toyota are stalling.

That has been my fear since around mid-April.

Toyota know that I cannot afford a replacement. They know my warranty ends soon. They also know that if they hold me off then I will have no option but to book it in and get it fixed under warranty.

However, they are not holding all the cards. I still have the one which says that if they do fix my car under warranty, UK's Worst will be knocking.

I have sent and email and snail-mail to the chairman and MD of Toyota GB. I will give them a couple of days to discuss it between themselves and respond. Then I will be phoning them everyday.

Anonymous · June 17, 2003, 11:23

Peter said: "when I phoned and said I had my own independant inspector (without saying who he worked for) Toyota GB said that I would loose my warranty if he were to road test it"

This is clearly not the case, and if you can document this I sincerely hope trading standards would investigate (but I guess they are too busy being inactive).

Clearly, anyone has the right to have a car independently inspected at any time, and any manufacturer claiming this invalidates a warranty is blatantly lying to avoid fulfilling their obligations under that warranty.

Good luck with this, and hope you get some joy before July.

As for warranty faults, surely as long as you document these faults and they are confirmed by a franchised dealer before the warranty expires, then Toyota GB should cover the cost of repairs, even if these are not done until after the warranty has expired - also, any parts supplied, or work carried out by the Toyota dealer is warrantied for a further 12 months.