Value Added Tyranny

A day off from the grind today, but it doesn't mean I've not been busy.

First thing this morning and I'm *tearing* down the duel carriage way to the BMW garage... ok, so when I say tearing I do in fact mean crawling. Whist the run flat tyres mean that I can still drive the car, this is in no way a license to go over 50 mph. So I have to suffer the embarrassment of driving like a granny and have to put up with HGV's, motorbikes, cars, electric buggies over taking me with ease.

Eventually then I finally get to the garage, only to be told that they "can fix the tyre tomorrow, we don't have one in stock today". Well bugger that for a game of laughs, it's not a cheap car, I paid for most of it in cash, and I think I deserve a little better customer service, quite rightly so too considering I was told that the tyre was in stock and they would be able to replace it whilst I waited.

So having aired my disgruntlement and the service agent, he then suggests that I could come back at 4pm when they will ensure they have a tyre to replace the broken one. Ok I think, but wait a minute, what the hell am I suppose to do at a BMW garage until 4pm? His suggestion was for me to go home and come back at 4pm, fantastic idea, except there is no way I am driving the car back home at 50mph down a really busy duel carriageway.

I then have to put up one helluva fight to get a hire car out of the bastards, but eventually they cave in and I get a BMW 1 series, a 118 d, which while is more than ample for my needs today, doesn't have the engine capacity nor the numerous options I chose to have on my car. Still, its better than the KA they gave me last time.

I figure then that whilst I am so close to town I will pop in to the shops and pick up a few bits and pieces for my friends who are emigrating to the USA in a couple of days - I wanted to get them some "Rule Britannia" kind of goodies, to remind them of the UK, and surprisingly for me I manage to get everything I need in a matter of about 2 hours. A record for my usual shopping spree timings.

Having done the shopping, I then head home, but by the time I get home I almost have to walk out of the door again to go back to the garage to pick my car up.

I'm beginning to wish I hadn't. There I am sitting at the service desk waiting for the bod to do the invoice. He's looking at the bit of paper a little odd to say the least, almost with shock and confusion. He then scampers off to the back room and has a mini conference with his boss, and comes back. By now, I've figured it has to be bad news, and it is. The £144 the quoted me... well it seems they excluded the VAT on that price, so I end up forking out over £170 for the tyre!!!!

So now I'm penniless, but have a nice shiny tyre. Fantastic, fat lot of good a tyre will do me when I'm trying to buy more useful stuff, like food.

Posted by Abi on the June 30, 2005 9:21 PM