Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 23:19:36 -0500
Reply-To: rrecardo@WEBTV.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Cardo <rrecardo@WEBTV.NET>
Subject: Re: Who Supports The List / The Money Has Already Been Spent
In-Reply-To: Vonpinky@aol.com's message of Thu, 12 Aug 2004 23:46:46 EDT
Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
Pinky,
I am a multiple owner of many VW's and several Vanagon's over the years.
I have enjoyed every one of them to the fullest.
Here is what is getting depressing.
Not only does any prominent VW dealer, anywhere I've been cringe when
they see me rolling in their door, they have sometimes blatantly refused
to perform service on my VW vehicles.
I made a few calls to VWOA and they casually mentioned it the dealer's
option.
They seem to have no jurisdiction on who works on what.
It is a pretty sad day when a dealer will not perform any kind of
repairs on their own vehicle.
Also I have found in my travels that one cannot locate hardly any
independent shop to work on these beautiful vehicles.
They do all but laugh in your face.
I am semi mechanically adept, and am able to some of the service
operations on my own.
But there are limits to my aptitude and I find myself stifled sometimes.
I will say this.
Any GM vehicle was totally within my grasp as far as maintaining it,
never had a shop anywhere refuse me service on any of their products,
regardless of how old it was.
It seems that parts availability on the older GM running gear is alway
current, and available regardless what vintage it is.
Now my question is, if VW was such a superior Vehicle, why the
dispersions with a request for service on an overpriced ( at inception)
vehicle?
And I think this is the basic problem.
The Vanagon was not a popular item,didn't sell well, and was difficult
to maintain.
Folks looking for a Van looked the other way because of price, and
servicability.
How many UPS. REA, as well as any other service oriented businesses
actually bought the Vanagon to service their customer's?
I have never seen a plumber, carpenter, roofer, chimney sweep, tile
setter, or any other business of this sort running a Vanagon.
Price, defensibility, and parts availability was the main cause of their
sales failure here in the US.
Again I'm sorry for making all aware here of the truth , and the facts.
I still enjoy driving my toy VW's, even though they do sit a bunch while
waiting for service to be completed, or just trying to find someone to
do the extreme maintenance that I can't do, or waiting for the parts
that never arrive in a timely fashion, at a resonable cost.
My GM vehicles at that point are the back up, defensibility factors.
Nice Talking to You.
RC
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