[Servicing] Not so happy with Honda Hapiness

[echo seven]

Hi all,

I’ve been searching around the forums to see if anyone has had the same problem as me, but can’t find anything, so here goes.
My 56 plate EX has just been written off see – Civic v Articulated lorry I phoned Honda to see what happens with the package, assuming it could be transferred or cancelled with a refund. It took them three weeks (after phone calls back and forth) to come up with an answer! It seems this hasn’t happened before and they weren’t sure what to do.
Amazingly they say the packaged was for that car, and in theory that’s the end of it, and just too bad that I only got one service for my £500. I couldn’t believe they would do that. However they did say that under the circumstances they would make an exception and let me transfer it to the new car if I bought the exact same model. To make it more complicated they say that since I had the first service already, I would have to pay for the first service on the new car and then get the rest of the services from the happiness package.
There’s more – Apparently when I phone to book a service I need to give them the reg. of the written off car so they can pretend they are servicing that, since the package can’t be transferred to the new car!
I wonder if anyone else has had problem like this, or indeed if you all knew this was the deal?

Cheers
Les

[allan40alt]

So if you purchase a new car and have it serviced it won't have any service record after the first service.

What happens when you come to sell it?

[angie4m]

Never thought of that, but did know that Honda Happiness is registed against the car. I have a private plate on mines and if I were to sell the car the plate would come off, the Honda Happiness would go with the car and the person who bought it would have to quote the chassie number as its also registed against this.

I can see where they are coming from but its bad form that they don't give a refund prorata to what you've had done.

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by allan40alt

So if you purchase a new car and have it serviced it won't have any service record after the first service.

What happens when you come to sell it?

I would have thought that if he got a brand new car or had got one under GAP (I know you don't have that, i've read your other post) then as he's had one service, the first service on the new car would be the second on the old one so instead of getting 5 services on the new one he would only get 4 because one had already been used up on the old one. However I doubt Honda would work like that either.

This is probably the reason they say its void because some folk may get a bit confussed and think they were entitled to another 5 services.

[dave525]

Have a look on the Honda UK website Honda (UK) - Cars - Owner - Parts And Servicing - Fixed Priced Servicing
fixed price servicing/terms & conditions. Section 9 cancellation - Says "This agreement may be cancelled by or on behalf of the customer on the vehicle being declared by an insurance company to be a total loss as a result of accidental damage then read 9.16 if you paid for the 5 year package you should be reinbursed from what it says

[echo seven]

Allan, I know what you are saying, but the service book would still get stamped. They said the new cars details will be put in a note on the old cars record. I'm assuming the file for the Honda Happiness package is different from the actual servicing file for the car, and that would be updated separately.

Dave - I had a look at the T & C and what you quote is slightly different from what it says in my printed agreement. There is a disclaimer to say (basically) you don't get a refund if Honda has made a contribution to the dealer for the package (which they say they have Clause 9.1.6). I was going to push this with them, but it seemed to confuse them even more, (I did tell them to read clause 9) and since my intention was to buy another Civic anyway I thought I would let it go. I doubt I would buy the package again or recommend it.

Cheers
Les

[dave525]

I glad that I decided against getting it then, you pay to have servicing for 5 years, your car gets written off and Honda keep the rest of your money (unless they decide to make an exception) no wonder they are called stealers.

[echo seven]

Yeah, I'd say it was one of these deals that's really good if everything goes smoothly over the agremeant period, but if you get a hicupp, it goes from being a really good deal, to a really bad one.

I guess this is part of how they still make a profit. Not all the agreements will go to full term. How many people will keep the car for 5 years anyway?

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by echo seven

I guess this is part of how they still make a profit. Not all the agreements will go to full term. How many people will keep the car for 5 years anyway?

I kept my last car for 6 years and it had a 8 year servicing package on it and like the Honda package whoever buys the car gets the rest of the servicing package so if I do decide to change after 3 years whoever gets my car will have the 4th and 5th years servicing for free

[illegalhunter]

Did you expect anything else, its big biz at its best f@@k the customer when you have his money