Date:         Fri, 27 Jun 1997 14:44:33 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Randy Newell" <rnewell@epower.net>
Subject:      Re: Gas tank leaks

Tried reasoning with them, it really wasn't the parts that I was arguing
about it was their lack of foresight to tell me that there were so many
rubber parts that would need to be replaced seeing that my van is 11 years
old. They said (after I had returned twice, to have them fix the problem)
that age of the vehicle caused the problem, even though there was no
leakage before. AND they wanted $150+ for labor to drop the tank again. MY
point is that I should not have to pay the labor when they could of and
should have told me this while they were doing the work. Quite honestly, in
my opinion a dealer that fails to warn his customer of this is only trying
to make money after the "free" work is done. Really I prefer to do it
myself anyway. I care about my van a hell of a lot more then some 8-5
monkey. It's not his problem, and he's going home soon anyway. So why
should he care??? This is why I haven't really pushed the issue, it would
just mean that I would have one more idiot with a wrench making more
problems then there was before. And besides, I got what I wanted anyway,
$2000+ worth of dealer parts for free :) That means VW has almost as much
in her as I do, and I'm that much closer to being "cherry"  makes me feel
better :) 
Randy Newell
rnewell@epower.net

----------
> From: Blue Eyes <lvlearn@ibm.net>
> To: rnewell@epower.net
> Subject: Re: Gas tank leaks
> Date: Friday, June 27, 1997 1:06 PM
> 
> Randy,
> 
> If it absolutely didn't leak before their recall "repair" and it did 
> immediately afterward, they have to eat the correction expense.
> 
> Explain to the dealership person in charge of the shop's economic cost 
> center that if direct negotiation won't work persuade him/her to just 
> order the right thing done and take care of it, that you will let a Small

> Claims Court judge decide the issue, and mean it.  Typical filing 
> fees are about $20.  The shop's internal costs for defending such a 
> case, even if it just means sending an employee to put in an appearance 
> to avoid a default judgement against you, will be significant and they 
> will know that.  Even then, the judge may rule in your favor.  It's not 
> an attractive scenerio for that person trying to maximize the net 
> income for the shop operation.  Be very careful to both be 
> reasonable/fair AND to always appear that way.  Don't be impolite even if

> a shop employee escalates the discussion that way.  It can only harden 
> negotiation bargaining positions as inappropriate ego involvement may 
> come into play.
> 
> All the best to you,
> Blue
>