Both of you feel the way I feel. I hate it when I am told by a robot that my call is important.

I would send an email to Audi saying that the next time it happens you will contact the consumer fraud department in your state.

And I would email the doc saying that you are unable to contact his staff.

He may be totally unaware of the issues, and I think that it may be easier for him to set things right than for you to keep struggling. Medical care is difficult enough what with travelling, discomfort and of course cost, without having to put up with badly planned office mechanics.

I think too many times people think they have to deal with crap like this. Find a way to put it back on those people who need to improve their performance.

You ARE important.

That just insults my intelligence...if you keep me on hold that long I am clearly not respected.

I wouldn't take it personally.

For recurring payments like a car payment, why not arrange for an auto pay from your the bank account? I have a car payment and the lender (the finance sub of the car co) pulls out directly from my account on the 30th of each month. No effort no surprises.

If it were me, I would take a phone call to my Doctor's office as something very personal. Neither thing described by the OP could be resolved other than by a phone call and I share her aggravation with canned insincerity in recorded messages. This is just poor customer service.

Very frustrating when a business doesn't adequately staff their call lines for regular, day to day activity. A couple times I've been given the option of having them call me back rather than continuing to hold. That's better, at least I didn't have to listen to their music/recording.

I was finally able to obtain my doctor's private cell phone number. He had given the info to the front office staff and, as usual, they dropped the ball. This is an ongoing problem at the medical center - front office people are not properly supervised and have people waiting to check in and they're busy fighting about who is going to lunch first. One of my doctors said he came very close to quitting over this - he's in the back waiting for patients and they're not checking them in and sending them back. If I didn't love my 4 doctors I see there, I would go elsewhere, but they area all connected to the med school and they know one another and they actually TALK to one another about me and my various health issues (no carefully worded letters that say nothing). I just have to be creative about how to out-fox them when they appear to consider it their duty to keep me away from my doctor.

As to Audi - this was a billing mistake. No auto payment would have fixed it. I pay all my bills online and I love it that way. If I didn't love my Audi so much (I've just ordered my 5th), I would take a hike but that would be cutting off my nose to spite my own face. I have spoken to the dealership about this - they say they have the same problem with Audi Financial Services. Imagine being a deanship and being on hold for 20-30 minutes to solve a problem! Shame on Audi!

If I didn't love my Audi so much (I've just ordered my 5th), I would take a hike but that would be cutting off my nose to spite my own face.

How so? If the financial services are bad then why not just get your financing for your next Audi elsewhere?

this was a billing mistake.

Possibly. I think that some types of billers, for instance those who bill for lab work, have made an unsavory reputation for themselves by billing for services covered by insurance in the hopes that those who receive the bill will just pay it and so they get paid twice.

I do not consider those types of billings mistakes, and the fact that you say Audi Financial Services continues to add these fees on leads me to consider that these may not be errors but deliberate attempts to add costs.

Or, you could get a loan from someplace else and pay Audi off. Could get the payments lower. Ask your bank, credit union, etc.

Sometimes they have promotions with 0% interest, or a similar very low interest that makes financing with the manufacturer very attractive. But if you have auto-pay, I don't see how there could be a "billing" error. The same payment goes to them on the same day each month. No new bill is generated.

I smiled at The Born Loser in this morning's paper

http://www.gocomics.com/the-born-loser

Hope this doesn't show 3 or 4 times - I had some trouble posting.

Janie, LOL!

I can never get anyone to answer at my primary doctor's office. I have to contact her online through the medical "My Chart" and in a few days, she contacts me back the same way. She did call me via phone once and she is aware that the phones are not being answered, but she has no control over that.

The best lease rates are through Audi Financial so I'm stuck with them. Leasing is best for me.

Often "free" ... is not actually as free as it sounds.

Maybe if you asked them what the deal would be were you to pay cash, there might be a different price quoted.

"0% financing" sounds great ... but sometimes /(often?) there's a higher price offer in order to cover their receiving no income to finance their cost related to their financing charges. I doubt that they've been able to find a lender who charges 0 interest rate on a few thousand dollars of loan.

(Let me know if you find one).

Actually, some of the "payday loan" people around here, who charge about $20. for a loan of $200. for about two weeks, offer new customers (read
"suckers") their first loan free of charge.

ole joyful

When I bought my last BMW there was a 0% financing promotion. I negotiated the final price before we even talked financing.

BMW is very aggressive with their financing promotions. Unfortunately, I don't like their small SUV and I detest the only dealership in my town - very inconvenient location and lots of "attitude". Audi makes a great car but they make it very hard for their dealers to sell cars as they do not do big financing promotions. They can sell every single car they make on a cash basis in every country but the US, and they just don't care as much about the US market. I know this from two Audi dealership owners - one local and one in the NE. I'm very lucky that my dealership really wants me to continue to drive an Audi and makes it happen for me.

I had the same experience buying a BMW two years ago. I was happy with the negotiated price and had planned to write a check for it, but when I sat down with the finance guy (after finishing with the salesman) to sign papers and go through the details, the BMW Finance loan offer was very attractive and I took it. It wasn't 0% but only just a tad more. The price was already agreed before the financing offer was made. I couldn't afford NOT to take the offer. That's the monthly payment I have on automatic pull from my bank account that I referred to in the earlier post.

joyful, maybe it's different in Canada. In the US, the finance arms of most car companies are separate subsidiaries that are managed separately from the divisions that make and sell cars.

anglo, Audi is owned by VW and many of its models have fraternal siblings as their VW counterparts, but for up-market trim and features. Even many engines are shared in common.

The best financing for a car is a totally paid for car. No payment. Save it up beforehand instead. When possible. But I'm not interested in status symbol cars. Used cars can be just fine as long as you maintain them. To each their own

:)

In a perfect world we'd have 3 or 4 people at every business to attend to each customer/patient 24 hours a day. We don't live in that perfect world. And not one of you would be willing to pay to have what many of you are suggesting to be "adequate staff". Frustrating? Yes. Been there. I fully understand and appreciate the frustration. But usually I'm given the option to have someone call me back if I'm that impatient. And it will probably take longer than waiting. I generally find that if I call first thing in the morning I have better success at getting through quickly. Three hour wait? That's excessive. But that's likely a unique and uncommon situation and those are estimates and they do get backed up at times, sadly it's often because selfish people think they're entitled to tie up the lines when other people have more need for the access. It's our world. Wish it were different but it's how it is. I've also had times where it gives an estimate of say 20 minutes and they answer shortly thereafter. I just put the phone on speaker and go about doing something else rather than getting all flustered about it. I don't take it as an affront or question my value to them. Frankly, they'll live without my business. Just like any store will when you give the "customer is ALWAYS right" attitude.

I avoid the finance company issues by paying cash. Haven't financed a vehicle since my second vehicle purchased, which was my first new vehicle and I financed it for either 6 months. I was a little too anxious to get the new truck so I financed it but if I would have waited a few more months I would have been able to pay cash for it. Also, many of them pull stunts so I don't like to deal with it. Ford is notorious for making a deal and then saying Oh no! You can't get it for THAT price paying cash! You have to FINANCE to get that price! They tried that scam on my cousin (who told them where to go) and to his doctor but she fell for it. Just two of several examples. I think people set themselves up for problems by financing everything. If more people would pay cash I believe there would be a lot of improvements in many areas. But too many people have problems handling money. But that's a topic for another thread.

I'm with Rob and Cynic. Cash for me, too.

Some people drive older or modest cars for certain reasons, some for other reasons. Similarly, some people drive newer or more expensive cars for certain reasons, some for other reasons. Don't assume which reason applies to any one person.

Car loan or no car loan? Same thing. For some it's a necessity or something chosen or not chosen for personal reasons, for others (as in my case) it's a money management tactic. Similarly, don't assume which it is.

These are personal choices for any number of individual reasons or causes.

It's our world. Wish it were different but it's how it is.

Throughout history, if enough people get together and demand change, it can happen. Vote with their vote, vote with their pocketbooks.