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That’s what I like about my AMG, I can control it with my phone, not only start and stop, also if someone is driving the car. I get a detailed map of the location and relevant info.
Yes. My SL550 has something called Driving Diary. Tells you where the car has been.
I don't eat or drink in my cars.
I don't carry liquids or any prepared foods.
But suddenly I'm supposed to be ok with a big gulp jammed into the cup holder sweating droplets into the suede and eu de Whataburger? Bullcrap.
And if I'm being charged for labor time, there is no 2 birds with one stone.
If the tech is driving a $128k car, then he's overcharging big time.
Exactly. I would be more outraged at the food and drink in my car because I do not have any crumbs or litter in my car on a normal basis, nor do I have the stale smell of fast food, which I do not eat, myself, that needs to escape the car. The shops I use do sometimes need to test drive the car, but that's what they do, never have I seen my car or someone else's going to the 7-11 or a drive thru with a mechanic who's on a break, and I have been passed by my own car when in town waiting for it to be finished.
For those who say she should have bought his lunch, I do buy lunch for the mechanics, or dinner, if I'm around when I pick up the car, and the morning guys get a box of donuts and bagels, since they have pretty good coffee on-site. One shop I use which is an independent shop is owned by an immigrant from Thailand and he's always joking with me that I make his workers "too happy!" He's joking because they are closed on Sundays, take off regular holidays, and he's had the same mechanics for many years, and none of them is impoverished, but they have regular business because they are professional and fair, and deal with many premium to higher-end cars, though not exotics. I always get a "Hey Boss!" from the guys at that shop when I drop off or pick up a car, and if I'm unable to get there, as sometimes I have to go out of town on short notice, they will drop it off at my house for no extra charge. They even swap out my snow tires, and rotate my tires without charging me, as I have asked the owner about that and he always smiles and says "No charge for you, boss!" I've also sent him business from friends and neighbors, which he appreciates.
People in this thread are so fixated on the car, etc. I would not care if it was a Corolla. The owner dropped her car off for an oil change and A/C repair, which may or may not necessitate driving, but certainly does not necessitate testing it at a local drive thru restaurant. Misuse of the customer's car is not an excuse as there are cars/trucks owned by the dealership, or one's personal car, that can be used for a lunch run. If the car is $13k or $300k, it should be handled professionally, not used to augment transportation for the dealership under the auspices of a "test drive," because I guarantee they are not paying attention to the car when they are gulping down their drink or stuffing food in their mouths while driving.
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If they had test drove my car they would have realized the AC still didn't work once it was actually driving instead of me figuring it out. They have had it for two months now Sometimes things DO need a test drive. I guess they can start letting people opt out of the test drive, but I think that should void any warranty on their work. EX: You need something fixed, but don't want them to drive it to test it, then it's on you. So if you pick it up and a day later it's not working right, too bad.
BUT I get that some people don't allow any food, drinks, ect in their cars and that should 100% be respected. When test driving needs done it should be done properly and with respect that it's someone's property (no matter how junky/nice the car is).
I still think she's overacting. Unless it was damaged, I wouldn't have made a huge deal. Be pissed off, complain to the manager, get a refund even, but it's not news worthy imo. But I guess maybe this will make shops become more strict and enforce a test driving policy.
If they had test drove my car they would have realized the AC still didn't work once it was actually driving instead of me figuring it out. They have had it for two months now Sometimes things DO need a test drive. I guess they can start letting people opt out of the test drive, but I think that should void any warranty on their work. EX: You need something fixed, but don't want them to drive it to test it, then it's on you. So if you pick it up and a day later it's not working right, too bad.
BUT I get that some people don't allow any food, drinks, ect in their cars and that should 100% be respected. When test driving needs done it should be done properly and with respect that it's someone's property (no matter how junky/nice the car is).
I still think she's overacting. Unless it was damaged, I wouldn't have made a huge deal. Be pissed off, complain to the manager, get a refund even, but it's not news worthy imo. But I guess maybe this will make shops become more strict and enforce a test driving policy.
I don't think she was overreacting. He was going through a fast food drive-thru and that's all caught on tape.
I don't think anyone here is against a diagnostic test drive. But it can be done without a burger in your face and french fries in the dash.
When I have taken my car to be repaired or serviced, get it back, if the work was done, the car looks clean and smells OK, I don't give a rat's a@@ if someone drove it a few miles. I was once really ticked off because my car was making a noise at low speed--about 35 MPH. Still made the noise when I picked it up. I had asked the service manager to have one of the mechanics drive it to figure out what it was. They had been too busy to do that. I became too busy to go back.
When I have taken my car to be repaired or serviced, get it back, if the work was done, the car looks clean and smells OK, I don't give a rat's a@@ if someone drove it a few miles. I was once really ticked off because my car was making a noise at low speed--about 35 MPH. Still made the noise when I picked it up. I had asked the service manager to have one of the mechanics drive it to figure out what it was. They had been too busy to do that. I became too busy to go back.
If you don't mind them driving your car that's fine, for you. But you should also understand why someone else may not feel this way. Calling a drive through a test drive, as others have, is just stupid. End of story.
I don't think she was overreacting. He was going through a fast food drive-thru and that's all caught on tape.
I don't think anyone here is against a diagnostic test drive. But it can be done without a burger in your face and french fries in the dash.
And there was no "burger in his face and fries on the dash" in the video.
Shops bill a technician's time at over $100 per hour, and whenever you clear a "code" from an "OBD2" vehicle, the *only* way to verify that repair & reset the "readiness indicator" is to put the car through a *complete* driving cycle - that might take 80 miles of driving to do.
Probably not necessary in this case, but it is necessary in a lot of cases. If you insist on having the technicians undivided and absolute attention (and a minor errand isn't "allowed"), you are going to have to pay for that time.
Do you really want to add $150+ to every repair order that involves a code to cover that time?
I take joyrides on payloaders and other heavy equipment all the time, if they've been sitting for 6 months you have to put them through the paces to make sure everything works and to see if they are fully functional. If they end up at a job site non functional somebody is going to pitch the mother of all fits. I wouldn't take a terrascraper through a drive through though.
As long as he didn't scratch the car or abuse it lay off him.
Personally, I'd rather let the tech verify that the repair was successful before I got the car back..
I don't take cars to service to be analyzed. Only to have parts changed out that I cannot do myself for reasons of tools or effort. So, no, no test drive is needed.
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Sometimes things DO need a test drive. I guess they can start letting people opt out of the test drive, but I think that should void any warranty on their work. EX: You need something fixed, but don't want them to drive it to test it, then it's on you. So if you pick it up and a day later it's not working right, too bad. 
