uhaul screwed up my beetle!!

[ChugBug]

Ok, so i took my NB to uhaul today to get a hitch installed and wiring done. Well, after 5 HOURS (this is a 1.5 hour job people) it is done. But guess what? That is right, as I drive down the street, my fuel gauge is screwed up. When teh car is off, the gauge reads 1/2. When I start the car up, the gauge sails past full and settle straigtht down over the little pump symbol.. ARGH! Is that an easy fix that I can do? Oh yeah, the freaking trailer lights don't even work cuz the wiring is WRONG!!! Incompetent ingrates. Now I have to get that corrected AND my fuel gauge. Please give me some suggestions here. thanks

Jolene aka ChugBug

 

[Doug Huffman]

Call an attorney - especially in California - if U-Haul doesn't make it RIGHT. I haul a very small & light trailer (for my very long bicycle) with my NB. Luckily my state doesn't require lights on a trailer if the towing vehicle's tail-lights aren't obscured. I wouldn't let anyone but VWoA get into the electrical system and then only after being convinced that they know what they're doing. Good luck

 

[DRbillZ]

Did you think of taking it back and explaining what is happening? Maybe they might even fix it ? You ever make a mistake?
Lawyer-happy Kalifornians. Heaven help us all!!

 

[DallasTDi]

No offense, but keep in mind that the UHaul employee working on your car makes little more than minimum wage. I would never allow them to work on my cars, especially the electrical system. Call the UHaul and speak to the manager and you tell HIM what you want done and how HE is going to make sure it is corrected and paid for. Put HIM on the defensive.

 

[DRbillZ]

I run a business and yes, believe it or not I SCREW UP OCCASIONALLY. IMAGINE THAT !!

You will get MUCH further being NICE and allowing them to "save grace" than putting them on the defensive. Just explain, nicely, what happened and I bet the manager goes out of his way to make it right. Give them the chance to do right......that is what you'd expect if you were in their shoes.

Suppose you drove off their lot and plowed into one of their trailers (BY ACCIDENT). Would you be more willing to make ammends of they were nice about it or buttheads about it........... I would to

 

[cattlerepairman]

This morning, when I read this post, I had just dropped off my Beetle at the local "Ziebart's" to get a HiddenHitch installed.
No big deal, I know...but I feel that a hitch has safety issues that are better carried by a professional outfit (this might be my European origin showing).
In any case, it made me check the job REALLY well when I picked up the car.

I have to say, they did a good job for a competitive price. The 2500lbs (1250kg) rated hitch, install and electrics incl. taxes was $250 CDN.

 

[speedrcr]

I almost had the same experience. I bought a hitch from U-Haul and was going to have it installed. I pulled the car around and went next door to kill some time, I came back about an hour later and saw the guy looking at the instructions and scratching his head. When I got over there he said " Man, these Jetta's are tough"

The good part was he hadn't done anything yet. I asked him what kind of deal he would give me to toss everything in the trunk so I could install it myself which would get him off the hook.
I left there with the hitch and the harness for $90. It took me 30min. to install the hitch, and 45min. to wire it up, and most of that time was getting the plastic panel off inside the trunk without damaging it.

Here's the scary part.....he was the Manager

 

[ChugBug]

here is an update. We spoke (politely) to the manager at the uhaul place today and we found a hitch installer who has done beetles before at a different uhaul location in the area. The car is now there waiting to be "made right" The manager promised we wouldn't pay another dime. Also, if the fuel gauge problem doesn't go away once it is fixed this time, then uhaul will pay the VW dealership to rapair it. Also, some clips got busted while they tried to get to the tail lights, those will also be replaced for free via VW. The manager was really nice, and all of this will get settled without any lawyers or yelling. I just needed to vent last night. Anyway, the hitch install was fine, just the electrical install was not so fine. I have much more confidence in the uhaul guy Chugger is with now. He instantly found 2 problems with the wiring, and having done beetles before; is already so much more experienced than the other folks. Apparently, this guy that messed up my wiring has messed up before and he's kinda on his last strike.

 

[dqa]

A few years back I towed my Honda behind a U-Haul. Knowing nothing about cars, I dutifully did as told and engaged the parking brake once the front wheels were secure on the 2-wheel trailer. A couple hours later I stopped, and noticed brake fluid dribbling down the rear wheels. Sure enough, when I checked, the pedal went straight to the floor.

Once I arrived at my new home, I had to have the rear brakes completely replaced. It tooks a few calls and letters to the proper corporate office that handles these things (it was actually Budget that I rented the trailer from), but after a few months they sent me a check.

The delay was a good thing. The same week that I got the check, my bearings went bad. Rather than cash the check, and thereby accept it as full restitution, I whined to the corporate folks again that this was also probably a result of the initial incident. Once again, they were happy, or at least willing, to reimburse me for my troubles.

The moral is go through the proper channels (and by the way, document everything) and be polite. And if they're still uncooperative, then you can play hardball.

 

[banzai]

Politeness is Key- even if they are being difficult.

NTB stripped one of my anti-thread lug-bolt heads- how they did this without destroying key I dunno.

They tried to tell me lots of BS- I just kept saying "I KNOW you guys are insured for this sort of thing, and I KNOW you guys can HELP me out"
They did finally remove lug- took 2 hours but im a mellow guy!

Make the Assistant Manager feel like a big-shot by "helping" you out-"Can you help me with this?"
not giving them a fight or arguement goes a lot further!