Originally posted by Gunthr
Sorry to hear it Loser. The theft problem at car dealerships is endemic in our area. Very frustrating, and hard to solve unless you get lucky.
This happens at all the major dealers. Thier mechanics and other employees rip off anything that the customer leaves in the car. (Then the dealers rip you off again as you leave, with thier price gouging) I swear I hate these dealerships, the way they treat people. They are fully aware of the problem, but don't go far enough to warn the customers... might be bad for buisness. 
File a police report anyway. Your insurance might cover the loss.
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File a police report? All cops are on the take and are in fact probably covering if not running the local theft rings. Each police precinct is a mini-mafia with officers that plant evidence, steal, extort, and even murder every chance they get.
\sarcasm mode off
Painting with a broad brush isn't too nice Guntr... I happen to work at a major dealership (Porsche, Audi, Nissan) and must chime in that there is not a theft problem. I am not so naive to say that there is not a theft problem is SOME dealerships, but to make a blanket statement like that is an insult. I have seen service managers take immediate action, an entire washrack crew was fired over a rap CD and a technician (young and stupid) was led away in handcuffs for taking a quite expensive flashlight(those were when I was working at a Chrysler dealership). I have also seen a customer foaming at the mouth in the service drive over her "stolen cellphone" only to have it ring inside her purse and had a customer call in 2 MONTHS after a major service accusing us of stealing $10 in change out of his ashtray. In each complaint that seems to have some validity the service manager has at least questioned everyone who came in contact with the vehicle... but he's an ex-cop and really gets into that stuff. The majority of dealership workers care about their jobs and the work they do. How would you feel if EVERY person you dealt with while on the job received a survey in the mail asking to RATE YOU on how you performed your job and met their satisfaction? We are walking on pins and needles constantly especially because our job security is directly linked to those surveys.
As for the price gouging, well, I agree. The industry likes this neat little gimmick called "grid-pricing" for labor. Basically, it charges more per labor hour than what the posted labor rate is. When asking about labor rates you may hear something like "We have a labor grid based on a $79.00 per hour rate." In our dealership, 1 labor hour is truly $79, then 2 labor hours goes to $173.01, and all the way up to $97 per labor hour after 4 hours. I freaking hate that system and wish it could be removed.
All said, it is not easy being a service advisor or technician and at time I feel like walking out the door and going back to hotel work (used to run a Shoney's Inn). Remember that we are people too and have good days and bad days.
Lonz
