You paid by credit card. Contest the bill. Then do a proper R&R with new
parts yourself. Yes, they caused you grief, but it's the shortest way to
getting things right, and if I were you I would not expect much more out
of the deal, except to be glad to have a bad situation behind you.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Jeff Oxroad wrote:

>I had Fast German Auto in Santa Ana, CA put a clutch and pressure plate in my
>83.5 Westy. The total was $325 with parts and labor which I paid in full via
>American Express.
>
>When I checked my bus the rear deck was greasy and the rear bed cushion was
>not reinstalled over the engine door. When I went into the cockpit for a rag
>to whipe down the back I found heavy grease smuges on the door. I considered
>neither of these a big issue. Evidence of sloppyness certainly, but maybe an
>oversight and forgivable at that. (I mention all this so you get an idea of
>the whole situation.)
>
>But now when I looked in the cockpit I saw the black face plate to the
>instrument pod--the one that housing the headlight and hazard switches and
>insturments-- was cracked in the area of the headlight switch. Also the black
>textured finish on the face plate of the instrument cluster had been eaten
>away by some chemical or solvent where there was evidence of a spill and a
>splash. In fact some of the solution was still wet where it had obviously
>splashed on the instrument face plate.
>
>I then noticed fluid on the rubber floor mat and on the steering column, and
>theorized it was brake fluid. I immediatly got the sales rep. who I had just
>paid and he got the mechanic to come out to my bus.
>
>The sales rep. asked if the mechanic had cracked the dash or spilled anything
>in the bus, and the mechanic replied something like, "No. We'd have no reason
>to be in here."
>
>I whiped up some of the fluid with my finger and noted it seemed to be brake
>fluid. The mechanic then "remembered" and said he had filled the resevoir but
>had not spilled any fluid. The fluid I saw, according to the mechanic, was
>Simple Green which they use for clean up. (Simple Green by the way is a mild
>soapy solution)
>
>The mechanic went on to say that brake fluid always spills when you fill up
>the resevoir because of where the resevoir is placed. This is another
>contradiction to earlier statements, first that he had not been in  the
>cockpit and second that wehn in fact he was nothing spilled.
>
>Then,with the mechanic and sale rep present, I took of the cover from the
>instrument pod exposing the brake fluid resevoir. The underside of the
>instrument pod cover had spots of brake fluid where it had obviously spilled
>when the cover was off and most likely upside down on the floor or dash. And
>then I noticed fluid sitting inside the clear plastic over the
>speedo--meaning there was a pooling in the bottom of the speedo behind the
>glass where the fluid had obviously seeped. The small "shelf" under the
>speedo also had the finish removed where some solvent or the brake fluid had
>obviously spilled. And of course there was brake fluid around the resevoir in
>the recesses and the like.
>
>The instument pod by the way was brand new from the Bus Depot a few years
>ago--not a used unit, but brand new. At that time I had bought the new unit
>after rejecting several instrument pods I pulled from junk yards because the
>face plates and the clear plastic were scratched as a junk yard find is
>likely to be.
>
>I am meticulous about my bus and am 100% certain the instrument pod faceplate
>was not cracked and 100% certain the finish was not compromised and there was
>no fluid in the speedo or on the steering column or the floor mat. And as I
>mentioned the mechanic at first denied he was near the instrument cluster
>then denied a spill and then denied the crack--all in the presence of the
>sales rep.
>
>After the mechanic returned inside I spoke further with the sales rep who
>said there was nothing he could really do as he was "in the middle." To the
>best of my knowledge there was no one else from Fast German on the property.
>I had thought the sales rep was a manager in my dealings with him until he
>came up with the "in the middle" comment. The sales rep stated he would call
>me when they got a wreck with an instrument pod face plate and would have the
>mechanic swap my instruments into it. (Having installed the later model pod
>into my 83 I know it is not a simple swap depending on year. Also the old
>speedo, my original speedo is quite brittle as are some other components--but
>not the brand new face plate.)
>
>The shop is 50 miles from my home which makes the trip difficult and about 2
>hours long each way in LA traffic. Today I parked my other car at the train
>station in LA for $10, took the train to Santa Ana for $9.50, and walked 4
>miles to the shop from the train to pick up the bus as bothering another
>friend to put 100 miles on his car to drop me in Santa Ana seemed like a
>little much.
>
>Now I have to take out the instrument cluster and find exactly where the
>brake fluid went down in the dash and clean it up as it is a corrosive agent.
>
>I called Am EX and they said I would have to wait till the charge appeared on
>my statement to contest the $325 charge with no adjustment for damage. The Am
>Ex rep. Then tried to sell me travel insurance at $19.95 per trip by plane. I
>declined.
>
>I called a VW dealer and it seems a new face plate goes for $251. (I'd have
>to double check.)
>
>Needless to say I am not comfortable returning to Fast German Auto and having
>hammer hands reinstall my brittle speedo  and components in a used, more than
>likely well-used, instrument pod face plate.
>
>I turn to you all in you wisdom and understanding of Vanagons to help me
>understand what would be a fair solution to my dilemma. And how I might
>proceed.
>
>I sure appreciate your time.
>TIA
>
>Jeff
>83.5 Westy
>LA,CA
>
>
>