Sometimes I just don't understand dealerships

At the last holiday party, I won a free oil/filter change from my local Mazda dealership. Since I change my own oil, I went in to see if they would just 'trade' me the certificate for a couple of filters. The day I went in, the 'service manager' was on vacation, and he was the only one that could make such a decision. I went back today, and he was at lunch. I waited for a few minutes and the guy I had been talking to (service writer) said he had talked to 'Ron', and they couldn't do it. They'd give me the free oil change, or $20 off 'some service', but they couldn't/wouldn't just give me a couple of filters. Interestingly, not even the ONE they would have used for the oil change. Maybe there's a reason, but no one offered one. I guess I'll order some off the internet. I'm pretty sure I won't be buying them from that dealership. __________________

Reply to
BK
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Probably the books are kept separately for the parts and service departments.

Reply to
Natman

More likely, it's a ploy to get your car into the shop where they can farm it for additional work.

Reply to
Chas Hurst

hey, looks like your air filter needs to be replaced, and those fan belts look worn, when was the last time your changed the fluid in the rear end... i say give the coupon away on craigslist. that way they will end up with the sort of customer that they deserve ;)

Reply to
Christopher Muto

On Dealerships-- I have to tell what happened several years ago at the local Caddy dealership. Mt wife's parents drove a then new caddy from a Chicago suburb down to Georgia to visit us. It was about the same time of year as now, and Chicago was still in the throes of winter. On the way down, the headliner started to come unglued and hang down. As they came into town the engine started running rough. No problem, we thought, since the car is new and obviously still under warranty. My wife went to the local dealership with her father to get the caddy fixed. Imagine the surprise when the dealer's servie rep refused to do any warrenty service, saying that since they didn't sell the car, they were not going to service it. Our family lawyer just happend to be a part owner of the dealership. A call to him was quite interesting. Also, his girls happened to be in my wife's girl scout troup, and his wife was the assistant troup leader.

My wife talked to him briefly, explaining the situation; then he asked my wife to give the phone back to the service rep. About two seconds later, the service rep turned several shades lighter in color, and started saying nothing but yes sir, yes sir. When all was said and done the caddy wias repaired in about two hours, with an oil and filter change as well as a complete wash job, all for nothing. One of the injectors had clogged, (replaced) and the headliner was re-glued without any trace of the operation. Had I done it, I would have likely wrinkled the headliner in the process. I would have tried cleaning the injector, simply because at the time, I had no local source of replacement parts at a reasonable price.

Reply to
Chuck

That rocks. Any victory over a stealership is a good thing.

Really, I use them to buy the car if they have the one I want, and to buy parts that are OEM if I can't wait to order them.

Since I don't buy new cars under warranty, the places are worthless to me other than for those two reasons.

Pat

Reply to
pws

I feel the same way, but my Miata had two years warranty on it when I got it. However that expired last month and I don't expect to see the dealership again.

I'm sure we've all dealt with bad dealerships. I sure have, the local Mazda dealership included. Personally, I have had very good luck with private mechanics. In my experience, they're less expensive and do better work.

Reply to
Carbon

I did have that too, but it was only about 4 months left on Mazda's most ungracious 3 year warranty period. (is it still only that long?) Make that three possible reasons. Once that warranty is over, I'm history at that dealership.

We had one dealership that was OK because they had a great mechanic, at least by word of mouth. You could get excellent alignments to your specs on a new machine, (Hunter?), for $50.00. Then the mechanic that made it worth going there started his own shop.

good luck with

I don't call myself a mechanic because I have no training other than hands-on and there are a number of jobs that are too much for me, though that is usually due to not having the expensive and/or specialized tools required.

Still, I have re-fixed a number of cars that have been badly repaired by certified mechanics. I think that the giving a crap factor is at least as important as the knowledge, and finding a mechanic that is both honest and does care can be difficult.

When I will take on a job, the rates are typically about half of what your typical mechanic costs, and I fix the car as if I will be driving it myself, no short-cuts and no short-term solutions unless that is what the owner wants.

Pat

Reply to
pws

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