RE: Really bad TT - idea ...

["Brad Willis" <bwillis@san.rr.com>]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Back around August, I sent Len Hunt a letter
detailing my problems, which of course have taken a major turn for the worse
since then.  I explained my situation, and provided document of a large
number of other TT FWD owners who have experienced mostly identical
problems.  I asked for three things:

1. Fix the problems.

2. Extend my warranty to 100,000 miles as a courtesy and to give me a little
bit of confidence that they would stand behind this problem car.  My
rationale was that if the parent Volkswagen can offer a standard 100,000
mile warranty to the buyer of a Beetle, then Audi should extend the same
coverage to the purchaser of a car that has been most problematic, and which
cost twice as much.

3. Investigate whether there might be an endemic problem with the FWD Audi
TT's transmission.

After some time, I received a form-type letter from a fourth level peon
telling me in that form letter way, to pound sand.  After some months I
spoke with 2 different Audi employees on an unrelated matter (the first
meeting of the SoCal Audi TT Club, and possible corporate
sponsorship-request denied).  Both employees sounded genuinely horrified at
the number of problems that I had experienced, and the response to those
problems.  Both asked me to send them a copy of my letter from August, and I
complied.  One of them said that she knew Len Hunt, and that he was a very
nice and responsive guy.  She was sure that he hadn't seen the letter, and
said that she would deliver it to him in person.  So I dug out the letter,
made 3 copies, and sent them to 2 different addresses at Audi in Auburn
Hills.

Some weeks elapsed, and I still had not received any response.  So I called
Audi and asked for one of the employees who had requested the letter.  They
asked my name, and the call was intercepted and forwarded to a fellow named
Mike DeCrane.  Mr. DeCrane was hostile, rude, and unresponsive.  He acted as
if was an idiot for sending the letter, even though I told him that I had
sent it in response to Audi's request.  He told me that I should keep
bringing in my TT as many times as necessary, and in essence, that Audi was
not going to lift a finger to assist me, or comply with my requests.  It
made me sick to my stomach.










> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charlie Smith [mailto:charlie@elektro.cmhnet.org]
> Sent: Saturday, December 11, 1999 12:18 PM
> To: Brad Willis
> Cc: Quattro List; Charlie Smith
> Subject: Re: Really bad TT - idea ...
>
>
> Earlier, Brad Willis wrote:
> >
> > It has come to my aTTention that my troubled TT has been a
> recent topic of
> > conversation here recently.  A number of you have sent me private e-mail
> > messages, and I thank you for your 100% supportive comments.  I
> did check
> > the archives and review prior posts pertaining to this subject,
> and I wanted
> > to add a few comments.
>
> Good grief.
>
> Something all of us on the quattro list might do to help, is to print out
> a copy of Brad's email and take it in to our dealership.  Then find a
> likely sales manager, and ask him if he'd like to ask Audi why someone
> is being treated like this?
>
> There ought to be some slant that we could use that would help get Audi's
> attention.  Especially if they heard it from all over the country.
>
> Another idea, would be for someone to get the mailing addresses of
> Audi of America, and of the factory marketing office in Germany.
> Then a couple hundred of us could write to both places and ask
> how come we should remain Audi customers when they treat a new car
> buyer this way.
>
> Any other ideas?
>
>     - Charlie
>
>
> Charlie Smith   charlie@elektro.cmhnet.org  614-471-1418
>  http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~charlie/  Columbus Ohio   USA
>
> 95 S6 Quattro    93 V8 Quattro    69 Porsche 911S
>
>
>  Advertisement - stuff for sale - very negotiable:
>     1969 Porsche, very nice, very fast - asking $14.5
>       http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~charlie/photos/cars/porsche.html
>     1948 Harley - asking $12.5
>       http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~charlie/photos/motorcycles/panhead.html
>
>
>

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