Fueling pain.....

[HTHM]

Last friday my wife went to Simcoe with my Jetta diesel, stopped for fuel and the fellow mistakenly pumped gas into it... Feces happens, but I am P.O'ed with the response or rather lack of response I am getting from the gas station manager. The only times I spoke to him, I was very pleasent, realizing this is not the end of the world, and mistakes are made, but his lack of response to the situation is using up my paitence. One of the main rules on successful complaining is that the first one to lose their cool loses the argument. One of the chellenges in this situation is that the station is located in a part of Canada that has been in the news a lot...So I do noty know if that can be used as a legal shield in this dispute.

This is an edited copy of my letter of concern to the fuel chain involved.

 

Sept 13, 2010

To whom it may concern:

 

On Friday Sept 10 at 10:15 am my vehicle was given $20.00 of regular gas when it was clearly requested to have $20.00 of diesel pumped.

The vehicle was then driven from the station to an address in Simcoe, and returned to Hamilton. Upon arrival at Hamilton the vehicle would not start which resulted in the following expenses:

A $295.24 repair bill at Hamilton Volkswagen (905-574-8989) for work that was performed on Sept 11, 2010 and a tow bill for $174.00 by CAA.

Mr ***** was contacted regarding this issue, and when I spoke to him he assured me on two occasions on Sept 10, that the matter would be taken care of. I have left him three voice mails and messages regarding this matter in the meantime and I have not heard from him as of yet. The only contact I received from the station was a phone call during the evening of September 10, from the attendant that pumped the gas, indicating that he was being terminated and that he would have to pay for the repairs. That is a matter between the employee and Mr. *********, it does not concern me.

In order to resolve this matter I expect that my expenses are reimbursed including the above mentioned expenses as well as the time wasted and inconvenience that this has caused.

Regards

[BillM]

What year Jetta was it? I know my way around these cars quite a bit and can give you a heads up on what you should look out for in the future because of it.. It's to bad you didn't pump the entire tank full of gas, at least the car would have died 1-2 miles down the road with minimal if any damage.. When it's got enough diesel to run, it can make a mess of some very expensive parts...

[solopaddler]

Albert, Albert, Albert...

 

I'm feeling your pain. Hope it gets sorted out quickly.

[HTHM]

It is a 2003, they checked the fuel pump and it is drawing the correct amperage with good fuel flow. He (service manager) assured me that the injectors and injector pump should be OK....I am eager to hear what you have to say. Via PM or post. Thanks

[HTHM]

Albert, Albert, Albert...

 

I'm feeling your pain. Hope it gets sorted out quickly.

Don't ask me about the rigging of my Opti......

[solopaddler]

Don't ask me about the rigging of my Opti......

 

 

You didn't run diesel through it did you?

[BillM]

It is a 2003, they checked the fuel pump and it is drawing the correct amperage with good fuel flow. He (service manager) assured me that the injectors and injector pump should be OK....I am eager to hear what you have to say. Via PM or post. Thanks

 

:eek: Gas isn't a very good lubricant, how many miles did the wife drive before the car ended up dead? The problem with the IP and the injectors is that if they have been scored because of a lack of lube, you won't realize it until 10-20k down the road. And for the amount they charged you, I doubt they did a very thorough inspection of the pump or the injectors.. They probably just hooked it up to the computer and checked the flowrate of the #3 injector (The one with the wiring harness on it)..

 

The good thing about the engine in your car is that it's a workhorse and *should* be ok... From time to time when you get home, pop the hood and put your hand on the injection pump.. You should be able to rest your hand on it even after a long highway run.. It will be hot, but not searing hot... That's a good indication if the pump is on it's way out...

 

Some added protection would be to run some PowerService in each tank, or even better 2stroke premix oil...

 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[HTHM]

, how many miles did the wife drive before the car ended up dead? The problem with the IP and the injectors is that if they have been scored because of a lack of lube, you won't realize it until 10-20k down the road.

 

 

Some added protection would be to run some PowerService in each tank, or even better 2stroke premix oil...

 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

10 - 20 K that should be about 1 - 2 months of use, I will drop some 2 stroke into it tonight, as I am running up to Barrie and back tomorrow. How much should i put into a full tank?

[BillM]

2-3 ounces per full tank is good.

[Tarzan's Jane]

I too own a Jetta 2003 TDI and although I am not able to give you any advice concerning who and how will reimburse you....I have some good news.

 

Presently my Jetta is at the dealership having both front fenders replaced for free! There is a re-call on the fenders something to do with something that has caused something to rust. haha Sorry...I am not a mechanic but I was approved to have them replaced. Also....there is a re-call for the sun-roofs....I noticed that the floor on the drivers side was wet. Spoke to my mechanic about it who informed me that he believed there was a re-call on that as well. I just had mine fixed - for free.

 

I placed a call to the dealership and provided my VIN # and was given the ok.

 

Hope you get some good news soon.

[Fisherman]

 

Presently my Jetta is at the dealership having both front fenders replaced for free! There is a re-call on the fenders something to do with something that has caused something to rust.

 

Hope you get some good news soon.

Something to do with lack of drainage between the inner and outer fender, my neighbour had it done to hers.

[BillM]

Something to do with lack of drainage between the inner and outer fender, my neighbour had it done to hers.

 

 

Sunroof drains get clogged and you end up with a nice puddle on the rear floors or the passenger floor

 

The rust on his fender are caused by foam inserts that are under the wheel well liner that are used to deaden sound. Unfortunately stuff gets behind them, they rub against the metal and the paint ends up bubbling. It's not rust per say, as the fenders are still extremely solid, they just look like crap

[Gerritt]

do I dare a guess and say the Shell in Caledonia?? I had my bank cancel my card due to the fraudulently swiping my card twice.. this happened to HUNDREDS of customers..

[HTHM]

do I dare a guess and say the Shell in Caledonia?? I had my bank cancel my card due to the fraudulently swiping my card twice.. this happened to HUNDREDS of customers..

Nope, but they have one more day before they are named publicly.....

[ontariofisherman]

having worked with caa before I would say you got screwed on the towing, $174 is alot of money to get towed inside of Hamilton. you must not have been covered.

[HTHM]

Well I have not yet heard from Mr. Dave Hill of the Little Beaver Esso on Indian Line road.

[spincast]

go to small claims court and start a claim against him. You can add the cost of filing to the claim - be sure to include all the costs you anticipate to incurr - time off work if need be to go to court, filing fees, any interest, towing, repairs - an inspection of the vehicle to determine the degree of damage. See how fast he wants to settle once the documents from the courts arrive on his desk. If he doesnt want to play ball, go to court. He won't have much a defence.

 

 

[bare foot wader]

better business bureau would be my first action...I've only resorted to filing a complaint twice in my life and after BBB contacted the business all issues were resolved in less than two weeks

[spincast]

While there are defintiley places for the BBB - as someone who had a business, was a subscribing member and had interactions with them - let me just point out that - BBB has no powers to enforce anything. they simply act as a third party to attempt to resolve differences. they cannot do anything beyond asking the company to address the issue. If the company says no or ignores the request they mark them poorly in their rating system. End of story

Someone who fails to even acknowledge a complaint is not going to swayed by a black mark on his record. And beyond that, how many people check the BBB before they buy gas? Without a poor rating potentially affecting the companies income, what leverage does the bbb have?

 

In many cases simpy being served papers from small court will result in the opening of dialogue and a resolution- but hey, BBB is an option and may work - its just not the one I would take given the dollars involved.

[bare foot wader]

considering dollars involved BBB is free to file a complaint....I haven't been through small claims court yet but I'm assuming that a lawyer will be involved to file or deliver papers? minimum one billable hr i would think

 

my last complaint involved shipping my fishing tackle across the country, 3k, one month of calling did nothing with the company, less than a week after filing my BBB complaint i had it delivered...worth a shot, if anything it displays his diligence in attempting to resolve the issue before resorting to court action, displays blatant disregard on the business owner and would strengthen his argument before a judge