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'99 Saab 9-3 SE Cnvt. 126,000 miles
QUANDARY: If putting a car up on the lift to check the tie rods is standard procedure, but it's determined that the service cannot be performed is it right to charge a diagnostic fee which costs more than the original service request? If the tech was able to loosen the tie rods and continue with the alignment I would have only been charged $89. Conversely, if it is correct to now charge a diagnostic fee for determining that they could not perform the alignment without new tie rods and policy is that diagnostic fee's are applied to future services, why can't my fee be applied in whole to my alignment?
BACKGROUND: I dropped off my '99 Saab 9-3SE Conv. at the dealership for a wheel alignment last night. This morning at 9AM Jeff the Service Advisor called and said that the tech took my car out for a test drive and determined it indeed needed an alignment. When the tech put it on the lift he found that the Tie Rod Ends were seized (rusted frozen). Jeff said that the tech tried WD-40 and using heat (welder) to loosen them, but it did not help. It was determined that I would need new tie rods which cost about $500. I told him I didn't have the money right now and would have to pick up the car. He told me there would be a charge for the amount of time the tech spent working to loosen the rods. When I arrived at the dealership the service advisor retold me what took place, that before performing an alignment it was "standard procedure" to put the car on the lift to check the tie rods. This is when he discovered the rods were seized and attempted to loosen them. Because of the time spent doing this I was charged $99 which he made a note on my paperwork could be applied to the new tie rods when I returned for service.
I told him that if it took an excessive amount of time to determine the problem I could understand the charge, but I would like the amount applied to my future alignment (the original reason for bringing in the car) rather than new tie rods. The advisor said that because an alignment only costs $89 he could only apply a "portion" of the charge to a future alignment. I said OK and politely asked that he make a note of it on my bill and in his computer system. He wrote on my bill "We will apply a portion of $99.00 to an alignment if customer returns for just that". I asked him what the portion would be and suggested 50%. He said he could not make that determination and would have to speak with the Service Manager. I said that would be fine, that I just wanted to make sure a portion didn't mean $1.00 and that I was sorry to be a pain, but I just like things in writing. He then tersely said "We ARE reasonable people STEPHANIE" and I again smiled and apologized. Realizing that nothing else would be done without a fight, I thanked him for helping and finished paying the cashier.
So once again, I am just completely baffled by dealership procedure and possibly ethics.
Always appreciate the boards help!
- Steph
posted by 128.222.3...
, Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:31:27
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