Storage Fee at Service Centers?

[jimk]

Very annoyed at a call I just received from Chelsea (Boston) service center. I have service scheduled for the day after tomorrow (Friday) because my cameras all aburptly went offline a couple months ago, as well to fix a dash rattle and do a tire rotation. When I called to schedule the service back in March/April, they said it couldn't be a remote service (I'm about 100 miles from the service center) so I would have to bring it in. They said they had no idea how long they would need to keep the car for, so I asked if I could drop it off on June 14 when I am flying out of Boston Logan on vacation and pick it up when I get back on July 3rd. They said no problem and recorded this in their notes for the appointment. I'm saving them the significant cost of a rental car because I will just take an Uber for the 15 minute drive from Rivian to the airport.

Now today, two days before service, I get a call saying they see from the notes when I made the appointment that I'm not picking the car up until July 3rd and asking me if I'm aware that if I don't pick up the car within 24 hours of when the repair is completed I will have to pay $75/day storage fee. That's nuts and I told them they needed to have told me that when I scheduled. They don't seem surprised that I wasn't told this when I scheduled, and they are looking to see if they can make an exception for me. I will update here when I get an answer.

Has anybody encountered this before? I think even under normal circumstances this would b e a problem when they have no idea how long it will take them to fix a car but expect the vehicle owner to be able to drop everything and be there to pick it up within 24 hours whenever it is completed.

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[Thedude]

I haven't heard of Rivian doing this yet but have with other dealers that operate on small/tight lots and rent out additional parking as needed.

 

[sub]

I would tell them that was reasonable, but that I also charge storage fees and am expecting them to pay me $75 for each day that I have been warehousing the broken vehicle for them.

 

[connoisseurr]

This could be a Seinfeld episode ?

 

[Dark-Fx]

This has been their procedure since at least the first time I took my vehicle in for service in 2022.

https://rivian.com/legal/service

 

[jimk]

This has been their procedure since at least the first time I took my vehicle in for service in 2022.

https://rivian.com/legal/service

That's interesting ... I see this language reflected in the work order that they emailed me for the first time this morning. It's very annoying all the same. I had a long chat with the rep when I scheduled and this was what we came up with as a way for me to not have to make two 200-mile round-trips to Boston to drop off and pick up the car. If the dude had told me at the time that it was an issue for me to leave the car that long I would have come up with another way of doing things.

 

[R1Tom]

This has been their procedure since at least the first time I took my vehicle in for service in 2022.

https://rivian.com/legal/service

Based on state of at least some service centers they shouldn't even be thinking of charging this fee regardless of policy.

 

[jimk]

Based on state of at least some service centers they shouldn't even be thinking of charging this fee regardless of policy.

Is it still the case that people are dropping off their vehicles, which then sit at the service centers for days or weeks before anybody even looks at them? So when you drop your car off you don't know if it will be ready for you in a day or a week or a month, but you have to get their within 24 hours to pick it up as soon as it's ready.

This also doesn't make sense when a service center like Chelsea is servicing customers in four states (MA, ME, VT, NH) ...

I also am more sympathetic to a fee like this when the service center is in a tight urban area like Brooklyn or Boston (but it needs to be disclosed when the appointment is made!), but the language on the docs seems to apply to all service centers? My next-most-convenient service center is the new one in Shelton, CT, where presumably they have a bit more space on their lot.

 

[jjswan33]

Based on state of at least some service centers they shouldn't even be thinking of charging this fee regardless of policy.

On the other hand if the car is damaged by a vagabond a week after it's finished being serviced then Rivian is responsible? From a legal prospective as far as liability and then the availability of space for vehicles in service or being prepped for delivery. Don't get me wrong it's annoying and I can understand why this might rub some people the wrong way.

I went through this when I dropped my truck off a day before a Canada trip, they allowed me to have a friend retrieve my car, even got her an Uber ride to pick it up.

Edit: @jimk - it's also super annoying that the phone support gave you bad information.

 

[R1Tom]

Edit....another forum member more qualified than me pointed out that Rivian may actually be liable for damage to vehicles while in their possesion. But i am not a lawyer so do your own research on this. End edit....

On the other hand if the car is damaged by a vagabond a week after it's finished being serviced then Rivian is responsible? From a legal prospective as far as liability and then the availability of space for vehicles in service or being prepped for delivery. Don't get me wrong it's annoying and I can understand why this might rub some people the wrong way.

I went through this when I dropped my truck off a day before a Canada trip, they allowed me to have a friend retrieve my car, even got her an Uber ride to pick it up.

Edit: @jimk - it's also super annoying that the phone support gave you bad information.

Pretty sure liability for damage while sitting at the Rivian site for a week before or after the service center works on vehicle is always on the customer. I don't think service center assumes liability for things like break in, vehicle theft, vandalism, etc... at any point during a service visit.

 

[jimk]

On the other hand if the car is damaged by a vagabond a week after it's finished being serviced then Rivian is responsible?

I mean ... yeah, while the car is in their possession they are responsible for keeping it secure where it sits in a lot alongside a bunch of other R1s being serviced or awaiting service or awaiting delivery to customers. I would expect when Rivian opens a new service center their are any number of systems they put in place to protect from vagabonds!

 

[moosetags]

That really sux on Rivian's part. I guess that that customer relations is a non-issue. This shoes Rivian's stupidity for placing Service Centers where they don't have enough land to fllfill their mission.

Brian

 

[jimk]

Pretty sure liability for damage while sitting at the Rivian site for a week before or after the service center works on vehicle is always on the customer. I don't think service center assumes liability for things like break in, vehicle theft, vandalism, etc... at any point during a service visit.

Skimming the service terms posted above, I don't see any waiver of liability for theft, vandalism, etc. I think it would be hard for them to avoid liability for damage to the car while it is in their custody/control absent an explicit waiver from the customer. And yes I am a lawyer, but this is not legal advice.

 

[jjswan33]

I mean ... yeah, while the car is in their possession they are responsible for keeping it secure where it sits in a lot alongside a bunch of other R1s being serviced or awaiting service or awaiting delivery to customers. I would expect when Rivian opens a new service center their are any number of systems they put in place to protect from vagabonds!

Well my back window got broken at the SC Halloween night, definitely a local homeless fellow from the gear guard video. They made it right and detailed the shit out of my truck. The incident also convinced management to invest in a fence. But these things happen.

 

[R1Tom]

Skimming the service terms posted above, I don't see any waiver of liability for theft, vandalism, etc. I think it would be hard for them to avoid liability for damage to the car while it is in their custody/control absent an explicit waiver from the customer. And yes I am a lawyer, but this is not legal advice.

Good to know! So door dents/vandalism...and stuff like that should be on Rivian to fix then after a service visit. I am a little more accepting of their pick up requirement if thaf is case then.

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