Date:         Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:23:04 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject:      Re: bus depot window gaskets
In-Reply-To:  <BAY101-W7791D5E2BB52D23AE91C0AC9C0@phx.gbl>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Aaron,

They sent me a wrong part once and quoted freight to get the replacement to me, but once I spoke with Ron and pointed out that it was their mistake they took care of the charges.  It may be that it is "policy" to quote freight and you need to get the bosses approval to ship with out charging the customer freight, this often happens in smaller businesses.  Should you have inspected the shipment on arrival, yes.  Could you have figured out that they sent you a wrong part, probably if you had compared the invoice to the part numbers on the packaging, we all make this mistake at times even after 24 years in this business.:>(  Should you have to pay a portion of the freight on the correct part, that is between you and The Bus Depot, I would not charge you but I am not the vendor here.  Last but not least you did not mention what will happen regarding the wrong gasket that sounds like it was modified in an attempt to make it work.  If The Bus Depot will take it back you should pro

bably consider yourself square with them regarding the freight as it is no longer usable.  They would be justified to decline giving credit for it as when it did not fit the shop should have stopped and confirmed that it was the correct part before modifying it.  In the mean time the rear hatch glass opening should be easy to cover with plastic in case of rain, it won't be as secure but will keep the rain out.  Is the glass shop charging you for doing the job twice, or are you making an assumption?  When they tried to install the glass and found that the gasket was incorrect they should have stopped, but probably thought that they could make the gasket work so continued with the job.  You, the glass shop, and The Bus Depot could all be considered to share in the responsibilty here as each made a mistake that contributed to the situation.  Speak with the glass shop, maybe they won't double charge for the job since they should have stopped once a wrong part was identified.  If
 

they do insist on charging you maybe they will reduce the amount since they continued to try after determining that they had a wrong part.  You can also talk with Ron at The Bus Depot but it would be a "goodwill" jesture on his part since the shop did not stop when they found the part to be incorrect.  Situations like this are never fun but can usually be worked out between the parties involved to a fair and equitable resolution.

Good luck.

Mark in AK
Assistant Parts Manager
Continental Auto LLC

The above opinions are mine and mine alone and are not are not intended to offend anyone.  They are based on my almost thirty years work in retail and wholesale sales including 24yrs in the automobile industry.

No Vanagons were injured in the creation of this email

 

----- Original Message -----


----- Original Message -----
From: Aaron Pearson <aarondpearson@HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 1:48 pm
Subject: bus depot window gaskets
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> i ordered bus depot's "window seal restoration kit: includes all 

> window seals except front door window seals. Windshield, rear 

> hatch window, side windows."
> 

> i should have checked the contents.  my package (received 2 weeks 

> ago) only contains four gaskets, when it should include six.  if i 

> had done that, i could have called bus depot straight away and had 

> six gaskets before i took the van to the shop.  what i couldn't 

> have easily determined is that i had two front windshield gaskets 

> and zero rear hatch gaskets.  they are pretty close in size, and 

> when you hold the front gasket up to the back window, it looks 

> like it will fit.
> 

> my van is now at the shop, and the rear window is on the floor of 

> the garage.  the front gasket doesn't fit the rear, even when they 

> removed a section.  the rubber is a different thickness so it 

> doesn't work.  i called bus depot, and they'll ship a rear gasket 

> overnight, but they expect me to pay half of the shipping.  add 

> that to the price the glass shop will charge me for doing the 

> window twice.
> 

> i accept that a simple inspection would have revealed the two 

> missing gaskets, but how am i responsible for the front vs. rear 

> error?  am i wrong to expect free overnight shipping?  how am i 

> supposed to drive my van around without a rear window?  what do i 

> do if it rains, as it's too tall for my garage?
> 

> aaron
> '87 syncro westy ej22
> _________________________________________________________________
> Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live 

> OneCare!http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews