Can a Honda dealership get phone recordings?

I recently got a starter repaired at Honda. But over the phone my advisor said they are replacing the switch not the starter. Clearly he lied to me over the phone and now I'm stuck spending 500 on the starter and who knows what in the switch. I'm calling corporate Monday. But can they retrieve calls with my advisor?

In a word, no. In order for the phone call to be recorded they would have to ask your permission and then it would be asked again while it is being recorded. From what you have put in this question it is not clear to me that he lied. If the mechanic had determined that the switch was the reason for your problem and the service writer who by the way would only be guessing what was wrong because he did not do any testing decided to do the less expensive item. Where is your grounds for calling anybody? I assume the mechanic was the one that was wrong so go to the service writer and ask what he can do about the added expense. Your threats and phone calls won't help much, asking often does though.

Not likely they have phone calls recorded. Did the advisor quote you a price? If not, in many states it's illegal to do any repairs without the written or verbal approval of the customer and that must also be documented on the repair order as to when he called you, date/time, what phone number he called, the quoted price, signature or initials of the advisor, etc.

Ask the dealership or advisor to show you the repair order where he documented what he quoted you… If they can't show you that, you don't owe a dime. Even if they show you a documented quote, you can still dispute if with management if he lied about it… Talk to the dealer/owner or service manager or corporate offices.

Contact your local BBB if they are a member and they can arbitrate any dispute. Contact your state or local government business license offices and find out what laws apply in your state as to what needs to be documented as far as repair quotes. File a complaint if needed… Most businesses do not like having complaints on their records since if they get too many, they may lose their license… Let them know you will file a complaint if it 's not resolved.

I recall one customer who was a savvy lawyer… He approved a brake repair of 600.00 and when he came to pick up his car, he asked to see the documented quote on the repair order… The advisor forgot to document it and he got his repairs for free… Even though he had approved it since we did not document it. Smart guy and a hard lesson for us.