Extreme lack of customer care and consideration

My father in-law took his Haval in for a minor service on Monday 11 August 2025 at the Thorp GWM Haval Plumstead dealership situated at Shop 1, 220 Main Rd, Plumstead, Cape Town, 7800.

The service was performed on the same day and consisted of the basics (Fuel Filter, Oil filter, Brake Fluid, etc.)

Once the service was concluded and paid for, my father in-law left the workshop and drove to the nearest garage to fuel up when suddenly the vehicle would no longer start. He then walked back to the workshop to inform the service center team. The team arranged to bring the car back to the workshop where they told my father in-law that his alternator had given up.

It is important to note the following facts: 1) The vehicle was taken in and inspected in the morning prior to conducting any work as is the standard procedure at any reputable service center. No such fault or concerns were raised by the team relating to the alternator or battery upon inspection and diagnostic tests. 2) The technicians working on the vehicle had removed the bolts and lifted the alternator during the time the service was being conducted which I find to be unnecessary given the scope of work that was approved (Minor Service).

The service center team has refused to admit to any fault on their part. The vehicle remains within their workshop to-date with no resolution. They have issued a quotation for an extensive amount to conduct a repair which they are stating, if for my father in-law's own cost. We have been communicating back and forth on this subject with no adequate support being provided by their customer care team. My father in-law is an elderly man being taken advantage of in this matter. To further note, the team had promised to lend him a courtesy vehicle and are now saying that no such promise was made resulting in my father in-law now being without any means of transportation due to this fault caused by the service center.

When speaking with the manager of the service center, I was informed that he will be arranging for a meeting with the dealer principal to discuss a way forward only to later discover that he had **** and that in fact, the dealer principal was not on site as was confirmed by the customer care team.

We have been moved from pillar to post and put into a situation where damage was done by the service center with an expectation that the customer (father in-law) would be liable to pay for repairs out of pocket which is not possible or acceptable.

The lack of customer care and poor workmanship at this dealer is extremely disappointing as we have not been offered any assistance. Each day that the vehicle remains within the workshop mean a total loss of income as he is dependent on it on a daily basis, in addition to this being the only vehicle he has at his disposal which now affected the family at large with traveling to work and back.