Dave
Napa,#2Consumer Comment
Mon, July 14, 2003
In some respects I can understand the car owners frustration, but I certainly can't fault the dealer for not installing used parts from Texas or other parts that they don't know about. California is a difficult state in which to do business and even though you agree that there is no warranty, in many cases there is when it comes to cars. I have taken my Oldsmobile to a local dealer many times knowing that I'll recieve only OEM parts and pay more for the priveledge, but I never had to have the same problem repaired twice. You did the right thing, you found someone willing to offer the service you wanted, one of the benchmarks of capitalism.
Charles
Vacaville,#3Author of original report
Mon, February 03, 2003
I did have a contract with the warranty company and after calling a few GM dealerships in the area I was told that they will use any parts that the customer wants but will not warranty the part, only the labor to install the part. I have no problem with that and I make sure that the shop that works on my truck has no problem with that policy. If the part was not available from the manufacturer, like a lot of parts are, I guess the dealership would have to either buy a used part or could not fix your vehicle. There is no policy stated in the dealership that states only parts from THIS dealership can be used to fix your vehicle. If this was true everywhere there would be no aftermarket parts available and the only parts would be oem parts. A lot of car insurance companies also state that used parts must be used whenever possible but I guess that most people don't read there car policies to see what parts will be used on there cars if they get wrecked. I have even talked to the manager of this business and was told if I don't like the way business is done to go elsewhere.I guess the moral of the story is just because you take your car to a GM dealership after the factory warranty is over expect to pay dearly for it and ask what parts they will use. I now take my truck to a dealership that is 35 miles away from me and get better service at a better price. And yes, they do use used parts if that is what the customer wants. I will be buying my next car from them even though I have been told that I should buy local I refuse to give any business to this dealer.
Sandi
Portland,#4Consumer Suggestion
Thu, January 30, 2003
I have to agree with Joe (and no, I don't work for the dealership or the warranty company). You signed a contract, so you agreed to abide by the terms laid out in the contract. If you didn't understand something, you should have clarified it before signing and paying for the contract. Extended warranties are offered by a lot of different companies, all with varying coverage and policies. I also have to agree with the dealership for not wanting to install used parts. Very rarely will a dealership install used parts, because if something goes wrong, they'll be expected to fix it.
Joe
Vacaville,#5UPDATE Employee
Wed, January 29, 2003
mr. charles' real beef is between his warranty company and/or his original selling dealer. we have no relationship with either. to castigate the messenger is inappropriate. any shop has the obligation to install parts that they can guaranty. a "used intake manifold from texas" is not going to happen at a quality repair shop. we will only guaranty a job in which we control the process. make sense?