Can a garage legally refuse to supply you with service history?

Wildkarrde

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Hope someone can guide me here.

I want to check the service history of a car i've just bought. It has a full dealer service log and stamps and i'd like to know what work was done during these services.
The garage informed me that they legally can't supply me the invoices to show what work was carried out, all she would give me is the dates and mileage of the services (which tie up with the service book).
I asked for the details of the previous owner blanked out (even though i have them in front of me!) and they have yet to come back to me.

Is she correct? Can't i find out what work was done?

Appreciate any input and advice.

Regards.
 
I imagine it will be down to data protection but if all personal details are erased then maybe it's not a problem ....
 
I'd be amazed if someone working in a garage had full knowledge of the data protection act. It sounds like an excuse not to bother or a bum covering exercise. I can see there's nothing much in it for the dealership to supply the info but potential for someone to moan their name and address have been given out.

Alternatively depending on the age and manufacturer the work done might be logged in their systems independently of invoices. If you strike out you could try ringing a different service dept. from the same manufacturer/chain to "check the belts were replaced at this service" ;)
 
I would guess, and it is a guess, that they can't hand out invoice that aren't for you. Having said that, I would have thought they'd have a list of work carried out regardless of it being on an invoice or not.
 
Thanks for the posts guys, appreciate it.

Thankfully they have sent me over the invoices with the personal data blanked out this morning :)

Looks like my politely worded email worked!
 
In the same position as the OP, i was able to extract the details of what work was done to the car every time they stamped the book.

They initially quoted the Data Protection Act to me as well, so i asked them to explain why they refused under the DPA. A few mins later i had a full list of work done :smashin:
 
It's amazing how many jobsworths you get in the trade these days. I appreciate they shouldn't give out previous owners details but surely if you bought the car, the name & address is on the v5 as previous keeper anyway? If from an owner before then fair enough as know I wouldn't want mine handed out but glad they sorted it in the end

I recently went to a dealer with a service bulletin print out to explain what needed to be done & they refused to accept it as although the information was readily available on the manufacturers website, I shouldn't have printed it due to copyright laws. You would have thought the adviser would have appreciated me making their life easier but apparently not. Oh well
 
I'm having the same issue with a VW dealership, the VW CC I've just put a deposit on had an "out of warranty" repair done at Crewe VW on 11/11/16, I want to know what was done and they refuse to tell me anything even before I can give them a reg number.

Even VW UK don't understand why!
 
Can you blame them? Given how harsh the penalties for even minor contraventions of the DPA can be, better for them to get an OK from whoever they need to first.
 
Spoke to the service manager today and instead of just telling me what was done he gave me the information for the people that payed for the job and said "ask them". :eek:

Incidentally it had the fuse box replaced.
 
If its a BMW or Audi then customer services will help, however with Audi you sometimes need to call the dealer that carried out the work, customer services will tell you Oil Service but the actual dealer will tell you oil filter, air filter etc. On the new BMWs it tells you exactly what was done on the idrive including brakes.
 
On the new BMWs it tells you exactly what was done on the idrive including brakes.

No, it's the key, not the idrive which contains the service history. :)
 
No, it's the key, not the idrive which contains the service history. :)
The key contains a small amount of data like when the next service or brake fluid change is required, identity, average miles per week, temp, fuel etc. Its the idrive and bmw database that contains the full service history record. Would be no use if the key contained the history and you lost the key.
 
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No, it's the key, not the idrive which contains the service history. :)

I can assure you the service history is on the idrive, go into menu, vehicle settings, service history, then it list the service date and mileage, if you click into that it will tell you if its had a micro filter, plugs, fuel filter etc. If the OK is in green it was done ontime. It can also show in yellow or red.

This is for cars that don't have a service book,
 

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