Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

venture

Here ya go baseball fans.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/javier-baezs-brilliance-and-the-pirates-idiocy-combined-for-one-of-the-funniest-plays-of-all-time/ar-AAKs5dX?li=BBnb7Kz

jmonroe1

@venture said:
Here ya go baseball fans.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/javier-baezs-brilliance-and-the-pirates-idiocy-combined-for-one-of-the-funniest-plays-of-all-time/ar-AAKs5dX?li=BBnb7Kz

Only a minor league team that’s allowed to play in the big leagues could do something like that. Perfect example of why I haven’t watched them play in years.

jmonroe

ab348

All that clip needs is some Benny Hill music.

explorerx4

First baseman was pretty brain dead on that play.

driver100

venture said:

Here ya go baseball fans.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/javier-baezs-brilliance-and-the-pirates-idiocy-combined-for-one-of-the-funniest-plays-of-all-time/ar-AAKs5dX?li=BBnb7Kz

I'm not a great baseball fan but that was worth seeing.....and these guys are the professionals!

venture

jmonroe1 said:

@venture said:

Here ya go baseball fans.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/javier-baezs-brilliance-and-the-pirates-idiocy-combined-for-one-of-the-funniest-plays-of-all-time/ar-AAKs5dX?li=BBnb7Kz

Only a minor league team that’s allowed to play in the big leagues could do something like that. Perfect example of why I haven’t watched them play in years.

jmonroe

I watched him play for the Curve. He was pretty solid. Brain cramp.

jmonroe1

@venture said:
I watched him play for the Curve. He was pretty solid. Brain cramp.

The third baseman who backed up that play that prevented Biaz from advancing to third, on the overthrow to second base, should be sent back to the minors. He doesn’t deserve having to play with the rest of those clowns.

jmonroe

abacomike

Just received a call from Genesis Consumer Affairs in California regarding the issue I had with their Genesis Connective Services in my new G90. They have extended by 3-year complimentary Genesis Connect Services by 3 months due to the trouble I had with my new car.

I think that is quite generous since I was without those services for only 1 month. This is in addition to the check they sent me to cover the one month car payment, which I received Monday. Definitely a stand-up company!🤓

ab348

imidazol97 said:

Use Scotts Step 1 for newly seeded lawns. It's expensive but it has weed killer and crabgrass preventer in it to keep the weeds from germinating along with my seed. Apply lightly and repeat in week to keep killing weeds.

Sadly, n/a here as most weed killers are banned.

Also check date on package of grass seed. Year old stuff in stores has lost some of its germinating percentage. And don't store grass seed next to bags of fertilizer with weed killer in them or next to Halts pure granule bags. The fumes seem to neuter the grass seed. Guess how I know.

I knew about the aging out of grass seed which explains why I have numerous partial bags I need to toss that were bought each spring. I didn’t know about the storage issue though. I have a couple of sealed bags of weed and feed on the floor of the shed, with the seed on a shelving unit a couple of feet up. Hmmmm.

snakeweasel

@driver100 said:
It's like you know what old age is? It is always 10 years more than you are now.
You know what kind of car a snob drives? One that costs $3000 more than the car I am driving now.
It's like reverse snobbery....I am such a good virtuous person because I don't spend any more than I have to on a car. Don't you have some very expensive watches and clocks....that doesn't count as excessive, .....hmmmmm, are they a necessity?

Nope not really, I am not saying I am a virtuous person because I don't spend any more on a car than I have to. I could have spent a lot less by not getting a convertible or by compromise but I didn't. A snob would be someone who flaunts it or needs to have the "better" car.

And while I do own some antique watches none of them are very expensive. While they may cost more than your garden variety Timex store sell more expensive modern watches all the time.

How do you rate snobbery based on a guy who makes $80k a year and drives a $70k Audi, and a CEO who makes $2 million a year and drives a $100000 BMW M5? The Audi guy is using a higher percentage of his income to but a car than the BMW guy....so who's the snob? Maybe, just maybe having a car with certain features is more important to the Audi guy. I would say unless you have proof someone shows signs of being a snob, we should default to accepting that he bought the car he prefers. Calling someone a snob because they have an expensive car just sounds like jealousy to me.

Remember I never said everyone who buys a luxury car was a snob. All I said was that luxury vehicles was a status seeker tool. You inferred that I said all luxury owners are snobs. But all the time all I said was that status seekers will buy luxury cars seeking status. You were the one that brought up snobbery and wrongfully at that.

snakeweasel

@henryn said:
The phone number that shows when you receive a call can be "spoofed". Telemarketers will sometimes "fake" or "spoof" a phone number in your local area to make you think the call is local. In reality, most of those calls originate in India or eastern Europe and are relayed via VOIP through a computer server somewhere in the US. Florida is where most of the computer servers used for relaying are located.

The FCC tries (but apparently not very hard) to track down those relays and shut them down. Even when they do shut one down, a dozen more will pop up overnight.

One time I got a call from somelady asking why I called her. Well I never did call her and gave her a quick rundown on spoofing phone numbers. Rule number one is if they call you and don't leave a voicemail ignore it.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

@driver100 said:

It's like you know what old age is? It is always 10 years more than you are now.

You know what kind of car a snob drives? One that costs $3000 more than the car I am driving now.

It's like reverse snobbery....I am such a good virtuous person because I don't spend any more than I have to on a car. Don't you have some very expensive watches and clocks....that doesn't count as excessive, .....hmmmmm, are they a necessity?

Nope not really, I am not saying I am a virtuous person because I don't spend any more on a car than I have to. I could have spent a lot less by not getting a convertible or by compromise but I didn't. A snob would be someone who flaunts it or needs to have the "better" car.

And while I do own some antique watches none of them are very expensive. While they may cost more than your garden variety Timex store sell more expensive modern watches all the time.

How do you rate snobbery based on a guy who makes $80k a year and drives a $70k Audi, and a CEO who makes $2 million a year and drives a $100000 BMW M5?
The Audi guy is using a higher percentage of his income to but a car than the BMW guy....so who's the snob? Maybe, just maybe having a car with certain features is more important to the Audi guy. I would say unless you have proof someone shows signs of being a snob, we should default to accepting that he bought the car he prefers. Calling someone a snob because they have an expensive car just sounds like jealousy to me.

Remember I never said everyone who buys a luxury car was a snob. All I said was that luxury vehicles was a status seeker tool. You inferred that I said all luxury owners are snobs. But all the time all I said was that status seekers will buy luxury cars seeking status. You were the one that brought up snobbery and wrongfully at that.

Fair enough....some status seeking people do buy Luxury cars because it suits their profile. I know people who have very expensive beautiful cars...some are acquaintances. Out of about the 15 people I am thinking of I'd say one could be a status seekers, I think most buy because they appreciate fine cars. Some make or made a good income and want to enjoy the fruit of their labors. I am sure there are status seekers who buy luxury cars........I'd try to avoid them, they aren't people I care to know.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

My brother is dating a woman who is a “spiritualist” - belief that spirits communicate with the living! But the form of spiritualism she espouses is the belief in reincarnation. She resides in central Florida but is actually from Brazil. She speaks 6 languages and is employed as a translator.

She is considered by her spiritualist peers as a medium and makes contact with the spirit world. I told my brother that if things begin to fly around in his house or that he begins to communicate with spirits, he is welcome to stay with me until a “shaman” cleans his house of all his spirits including his 400 bottles of wine and liquor. He feels that it’s important to give her “space” to practice whatever she believes in.

She was born in Europe so I asked him if she attended Hogsworth! I advised him to treat her with dignity and respect if he wants to avoid hexes and spells! 😜🤪🤓

The only spirits I communicate with come in bottles.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

@mjfloyd1 said:

@abacomike said:

@mjfloyd1 said:

@abacomike said:

@ronsteve said:

You don't get COVID by getting the vaccine. There's no virus in it, but your immune system will then know how to fight the virus if you're exposed. Thing is, being vaccinated isn't a guarantee that you won't be infected, but it's much less likely. And if you DO get infected, it's less likely to be symptomatic, and very unlikely to land you in the hospital or kill you.

The worrisome part of the latest guidance is that, unless the vaccine is better than guidance was suggesting for most of the spring, ditching the masks now seems a bit early for those who are just now getting the opportunity to get vaxxed. By the time Kentucky goes back to full capacity on 6/11, pretty much anyone who is still unvaxxed has made that choice, so I'm good with that sunset even if I am a little concerned that things are prematurely loose right now.

Historically, vaccines were created using dead virus cells or augmented virus cells. The body’s immune system would then attack the virus which created antibodies. Those antibodies remain in the immune system for an undetermined period of time. Examples would be poliomyelitis and smallpox. Some vaccines require booster shots to maintain the immunity levels.

COVID-19 vaccines are different from previous virus vaccines in that they do not contain dead or augmented virus cells, but rather contain DNA of the virus. Antibodies are then developed in the immune system based on that DNA. It is likely that a booster shot will be administered to those who have received the first 2 shots in order to extend the body’s ability to develop antibodies against the original COVID-19 virus as well as variants of the virus.

It is a messenger RNA vaccine (not DNA)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mRNA.html?s_cid=10506:vaccines mrna:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21

Close enough - I was just trying to explain the difference between this vaccine and previous vaccines

Saying DNA freaks people out and makes them worry that Covid genetic material will be inserted into the human DNA. That’s not the case.

I’ll discuss “close enough” with my college and medical school professors, but I suspect that I’ll get nowhere.

Covid DNA getting into human DNA is as likely to happen as cow DNA getting into human DNA through eating a steak.

"Close enough" is something you really don't want to hear from a medical professional.

There’s a lot of ancient viral DNA in human DNA. They call it “junk” DNA but no one fully understands it’s function or implications.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

Despite copious watering it often resisted germination. On a number of occasions I did see germination of things other than grass, things like creeping charlie and other noxious weeds, which I attributed to the box-store bagged lawn soil being treated poorly and carrying those things in it. Yet every now and then despite doing nothing different that I could tell I would get a bumper crop. It remains a mystery. I am more likely to purchase sod now and be done with it.

Light watering twice a day with light straw on top so you can see through the layer to the dirt has worked for me best. Too much moisture causes seed not to germinate right.

Use Scotts Step 1 for newly seeded lawns. It's expensive but it has weed killer and crabgrass preventer in it to keep the weeds from germinating along with my seed. Apply lightly and repeat in week to keep killing weeds.

Also check date on package of grass seed. Year old stuff in stores has lost some of its germinating percentage. And don't store grass seed next to bags of fertilizer with weed killer in them or next to Halts pure granule bags. The fumes seem to neuter the grass seed. Guess how I know.

Dad used to germinate crop seed and clover seed between layers of paper towels, just keeping them barely moist a couple times a day as a way to check on the quality of the seeds he was going to plant.

Professional grass growers who maintain sports fields will often “pregerminate” grass seed by soaking it in water overnight before sowing it. Mulching it with straw keeps it moist and will give you better germination.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

jmonroe1 said:

I have a question for you guys. How many phone numbers do these extended car warranty companies have? Just for grins I decided to write down the numbers a few weeks ago from these companies that call and leave a message. I think I have 8 numbers written down. Just got another message from a different number from what seems like the same female voice I’ve head before.

jmonroe

The phone number that shows when you receive a call can be "spoofed". Telemarketers will sometimes "fake" or "spoof" a phone number in your local area to make you think the call is local. In reality, most of those calls originate in India or eastern Europe and are relayed via VOIP through a computer server somewhere in the US. Florida is where most of the computer servers used for relaying are located.

The FCC tries (but apparently not very hard) to track down those relays and shut them down. Even when they do shut one down, a dozen more will pop up overnight.

I remember hearing a story (was it here) of a person who received a spoofed call from a telemarketer that came up on caller ID as his own number.

stickguy

I got one of those. One from my doctor's office too.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

jmonroe1 said:

I have a question for you guys. How many phone numbers do these extended car warranty companies have? Just for grins I decided to write down the numbers a few weeks ago from these companies that call and leave a message. I think I have 8 numbers written down. Just got another message from a different number from what seems like the same female voice I’ve head before.

jmonroe

The phone number that shows when you receive a call can be "spoofed". Telemarketers will sometimes "fake" or "spoof" a phone number in your local area to make you think the call is local. In reality, most of those calls originate in India or eastern Europe and are relayed via VOIP through a computer server somewhere in the US. Florida is where most of the computer servers used for relaying are located.

The FCC tries (but apparently not very hard) to track down those relays and shut them down. Even when they do shut one down, a dozen more will pop up overnight.

I remember hearing a story (was it here) of a person who received a spoofed call from a telemarketer that came up on caller ID as his own number.

That has happened to me before, more than once actually, but not recently. I assume they improved their software which randomly generates a "local number" to prevent it from using the same number that they're calling.

bwia

abacomike said:

Just received a call from Genesis Consumer Affairs in California regarding the issue I had with their Genesis Connective Services in my new G90. They have extended by 3-year complimentary Genesis Connect Services by 3 months due to the trouble I had with my new car.

I think that is quite generous since I was without those services for only 1 month. This is in addition to the check they sent me to cover the one month car payment, which I received Monday. Definitely a stand-up company!🤓

Nice complimentary benefits. While Genesis has showered you with complimentary words and gestures they went two steps further to deliver the compliments in the right way to reassure that you remain a customer for life. That is what is often missing with most auto manufacturers, delighting the customer.

bwia

A Ford Explorer Electric?

Maybe a little late to the party but "the Ford Explorer, the best-selling three-row SUV in America, is getting an electric model, Ford announced today. The Explorer will join the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, the E-Transit electric van, and the recently revealed F-150 Lightning pickup truck in Ford's growing electric lineup, which Ford says will account for 40 percent of its total offerings by 2030." https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36544614/ford-explorer-electric-coming-soon/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_cdb&utm_medium=email&date=052721&utm_campaign=nl23875506

driver100

abacomike said:

Just received a call from Genesis Consumer Affairs in California regarding the issue I had with their Genesis Connective Services in my new G90. They have extended by 3-year complimentary Genesis Connect Services by 3 months due to the trouble I had with my new car.

I think that is quite generous since I was without those services for only 1 month. This is in addition to the check they sent me to cover the one month car payment, which I received Monday. Definitely a stand-up company!🤓

Mike, Genesis is going all out to keep their customers happy, and they are wise to realize they have to do that to get their foot in the door, and to create loyal customers....few companies especially car companies will take those extra steps. It is impressive, but it is also necessary if they hope to break into that market.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

I knew about the aging out of grass seed which explains why I have numerous partial bags I need to toss that were bought each spring. I didn’t know about the storage issue though. I have a couple of sealed bags of weed and feed on the floor of the shed, with the seed on a shelving unit a couple of feet up. Hmmmm.

My main guess was the fumes from the Halts pure product (no fertilizer) after many months spread from the opened package. I had sealed the package with duct tape, but I noticed yellow color around the openings and I could smell the product. It is a fine yellow dust like Preen. The grass seed was on top of the reclosed package.

I notice that many of the bags of fertilizer with weed killer, including Scotts, give off a smell. If the smell can escape the plastic bagging, I assume the scent is from some of the active chemicals inside that kill the weeds and can affect biological products around it, like grass seed.

I had tried 3 times to grow grass from that bag of seed that was a year old--Pennington. Other times I've had good success with 2-year old seed when I was repairing the back yard. So I became suspicious of my storage method this time. New small bag of Pennington seed and voila I had new grass growing in 5 days.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

I knew about the aging out of grass seed which explains why I have numerous partial bags I need to toss that were bought each spring. I didn’t know about the storage issue though. I have a couple of sealed bags of weed and feed on the floor of the shed, with the seed on a shelving unit a couple of feet up. Hmmmm.

My main guess was the fumes from the Halts pure product (no fertilizer) after many months spread from the opened package. I had sealed the package with duct tape, but I noticed yellow color around the openings and I could smell the product. It is a fine yellow dust like Preen. The grass seed was on top of the reclosed package.

I notice that many of the bags of fertilizer with weed killer, including Scotts, give off a smell. If the smell can escape the plastic bagging, I assume the scent is from some of the active chemicals inside that kill the weeds and can affect biological products around it, like grass seed.

I had tried 3 times to grow grass from that bag of seed that was a year old--Pennington. Other times I've had good success with 2-year old seed when I was repairing the back yard. So I became suspicious of my storage method this time. New small bag of Pennington seed and voila I had new grass growing in 5 days.

Makes sense. Pre-emergent herbicides work by volatilizing and forming a barrier of vapor which kills plants as they germinate and grow through the barrier. Usually it won’t kill non germinated seed though. Stored seed has a half life of about a year so you’ll get only half the germination the second year.

I’d be more concerned about what that vapor was doing to you. I’d store that stuff in a well ventilated shed.

The smell of pure fertilizer is the nitrogen component which vaporizes and reduces the “punch” over a few years.

imidazol97

My take is most people here buy the cars they want. Whether it's what they need or just what they want, they enjoy the one they picked. A few people, not here, buy what they think will impress others.

And for most part for me it goes back to the customer service. If the local representatives of the car brand can't fix things right or say they all do that so just live with it, then people change. The previous store where I bought Buicks changed when the son of the three brothers owning came back with his BA in Business from a local state college and got into managing. Bye. Bye. Became a Chev buyer (that store also sold Chev when the Buick franchise was taken away by "the government."

I have had good service on my Chevrolets through the area store where I've bought them. For the last several years the service manager and the head work order guys have been very customer oriented. The service manager used to be with Sweeney stores in Cincinnati but apparently was recruited to come north. He makes the difference along with the service writer.

abacomike

@bwia said:
Nice complimentary benefits. While Genesis has showered you with complimentary words and gestures they went two steps further to deliver the compliments in the right way to reassure that you remain a customer for life. That is what is often missing with most auto manufacturers, delighting the customer.

@driver100 said:
Mike, Genesis is going all out to keep their customers happy, and they are wise to realize they have to do that to get their foot in the door, and to create loyal customers....few companies especially car companies will take those extra steps. It is impressive, but it is also necessary if they hope to break into that market.

Wannabes have to do everything within their power to become full-fledged members of the luxury vehicle club. I have not owned a G80, but those whom I know that drive them are happy campers, especially in the last two years. My G90 is everything my Mercedes an BMW’s we’re - and more! The car is exquisite (it should be considering their top design engineer worked for German automobile companies which is why it looks more European than Asian). Now that the connectivity issue has been resolved, I have absolutely no complaints about the vehicle. It exceeds every expectation in every way.

I have 1100 miles on the 9 week old car (78 of which were on the odometer at delivery). It’s comfortable, handles adroitly, accelerates smoothly and aggressively, has the latest safety and security technology, and is a pleasure to drive. It continues to turn a lot of heads because they can’t quite place what kind of car it is. Gratifying in so many ways! 🤪😜🤓

driver100

@abacomike ........and IMHO I really believe you bought your G90 because you love the car.......not looking to make a statement! Nice to hear someone really enjoying their new car.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

My take is most people here buy the cars they want. Whether it's what they need or just what they want, they enjoy the one they picked. A few people, not here, buy what they think will impress others.

And for most part for me it goes back to the customer service. If the local representatives of the car brand can't fix things right or say they all do that so just live with it, then people change. The previous store where I bought Buicks changed when the son of the three brothers owning came back with his BA in Business from a local state college and got into managing. Bye. Bye. Became a Chev buyer (that store also sold Chev when the Buick franchise was taken away by "the government."

I have had good service on my Chevrolets through the area store where I've bought them. For the last several years the service manager and the head work order guys have been very customer oriented. The service manager used to be with Sweeney stores in Cincinnati but apparently was recruited to come north. He makes the difference along with the service writer.

This talk about impressing people reminds me we planted our lawn seed and needed to water it. Of course our Sprinkler system never works and costs a fortune to run because it springs leaks all the time. So I go to Amazon and do I buy the cheapest $20 model? No, I spring for the deluxe $40 model! Do I do it to impress my friends and neighbors? No, I do it because I don't want to mess around with the $20 one that will probably fall apart and won't do it properly and could ruin my $1000 lawn.....so I splurged and spend the extra $20! Did I lose sleep over it....one day will I be in an ally with a $5 bottle of wine and ask myself why did I spend that extra $20 for a sprinkler.....maybe but I am not going to lose sleep over it.

Also RE: The previous store where I bought Buicks changed when the son of the three brothers owning came back with his BA in Business from a local state college and got into managing. Bye. Bye.

That seems to happen a lot in every business, the son who has a textbook knowledge of business comes back to run a business that relies on someone who knows that particular business from the ground up. In fact I once read an article that said if you have a start up kind of company never have an MBA run it....they know the technical things they learn in class, but they don't have an entrepreneurs - seat of your pants to survive mind.

jmonroe1

@oldfarmer50 said:
I remember hearing a story (was it here) of a person who received a spoofed call from a telemarketer that came up on caller ID as his own number.

Maybe that’s not as dumb on their part as you might think. I know if that happened to me, I’d answer or call back just to have some fun and hang up midway through their first sentence.

On a related note a couple years ago I decided to have some fun and pushed button number one because Social Security was going to put me in the slammer for a fraud I committed. The woman said something like, “don’t worry sir we’ll be able to settle this without to much grief on your part. All I need to get started helping you is your SS number”. I said, since you’re the SS Administration and you called me shouldn’t you already know it”? CLICK. Hanging up works both ways.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@abacomike said:

@bwia said:
Nice complimentary benefits. While Genesis has showered you with complimentary words and gestures they went two steps further to deliver the compliments in the right way to reassure that you remain a customer for life. That is what is often missing with most auto manufacturers, delighting the customer.

@driver100 said:
Mike, Genesis is going all out to keep their customers happy, and they are wise to realize they have to do that to get their foot in the door, and to create loyal customers....few companies especially car companies will take those extra steps. It is impressive, but it is also necessary if they hope to break into that market.

Wannabes have to do everything within their power to become full-fledged members of the luxury vehicle club. I have not owned a G80, but those whom I know that drive them are happy campers, especially in the last two years. My G90 is everything my Mercedes an BMW’s we’re - and more! The car is exquisite (it should be considering their top design engineer worked for German automobile companies which is why it looks more European than Asian). Now that the connectivity issue has been resolved, I have absolutely no complaints about the vehicle. It exceeds every expectation in every way.

I have 1100 miles on the 9 week old car (78 of which were on the odometer at delivery). It’s comfortable, handles adroitly, accelerates smoothly and aggressively, has the latest safety and security technology, and is a pleasure to drive. It continues to turn a lot of heads because they can’t quite place what kind of car it is. Gratifying in so many ways! 🤪😜🤓

Not many people can believe their eyes when they see a Bentley in a Cosco parking lot.

jmonroe

henryn

jmonroe1 said:

Maybe that’s not as dumb on their part as you might think. I know if that happened to me, I’d answer or call back just to have some fun and hang up midway through their first sentence.

On a related note a couple years ago I decided to have some fun and pushed button number one because Social Security was going to put me in the slammer for a fraud I committed. The woman said something like, “don’t worry sir we’ll be able to settle this without to much grief on your part. All I need to get started helping you is your SS number”. I said, since you’re the SS Administration and you called me shouldn’t you already know it”? CLICK. Hanging up works both ways.

jmonroe

So now we know what your sin is -- social security fraud. I understand that's very lucrative.

roadburner

Mike, if I thought I would get the same treatment you received at a Kia dealer I’d go with a Stinger. Unfortunately, the horror stories I have read from Stinger owners caused me to cross it off my list; I read multiple examples of cars being damaged while being serviced- one guy found that the alleged “tech” had written the oil capacity of the engine on the engine cover with a Sharpie.

Ditto for the Supra; breld and other owners have brought their cars in for service only to find “Our Supra tech isn’t in today.” Not encouraging.

While I may yet be tempted by a F-Type or Cayman S, at my age I’m more and more inclined to stick with brands I’m extremely familiar with and have dealers that provide excellent service.

roadburner

My local BMW CCA chapter has a FB page and I posted about the M2C being traded for an Escalade- including the Scarlett-Rosie analogy.
The BMW salesman who actually sold the guy the M2 posted, “He’s more of a Rosie type of guy anyway.”

henryn

On the subject of dealer service, and the experience after the sale, that is a very important area that most dealerships don’t even seem to care about. My first really good experience was in 2000, when I purchased a 2 year old Cadillac DeVille which was still under factory warranty. I had owned new Fords, Chevrolets, and Dodges, but the service experience at the Cadillac dealer was night and day different. Truly amazing, and opened my eyes to why people would pay so much more for a new Cadillac.

Fast forward to 2008, and a new Passat. The VW dealer’s service department was a real eye opener. They were every bit as pleasant, as nice, as helpful, as easy to work with as the Cadillac dealer. Which surprised me to no end, but was definitely appreciated. I was in the dealership one day for something minor (an oil change or something trivial), and while I was waiting in their very nice customer lounge, the GM of the dealership came down and introduced himself. He asked me how I was doing, and how was my experience with the service department.

I complimented him on the excellence of his service department, and asked him how he achieved that. He replied that it was a lot of hard work, attention to detail, getting all of the small things right, every time. He also mentioned something about paying more than anyone else in town, and firing anyone who lapsed, ever.

In 2017 when I purchased the new Passat R-Line, I tried going back to the same dealership. It was like they had fallen off a cliff. A really bad experience, and I wound up buying from a different dealer.

And I will add, my recent experiences with Ford and Chrysler service departments has seen a considerable improvement over what they were 20 years ago. Still not outstanding, but decent, and a definite improvement over the old days.

And on the subject of MBA’s – at work we used the term “management by spreadsheet”. Which was not a compliment.

jmonroe1

henryn said:

jmonroe1 said:

Maybe that’s not as dumb on their part as you might think. I know if that happened to me, I’d answer or call back just to have some fun and hang up midway through their first sentence.

On a related note a couple years ago I decided to have some fun and pushed button number one because Social Security was going to put me in the slammer for a fraud I committed. The woman said something like, “don’t worry sir we’ll be able to settle this without to much grief on your part. All I need to get started helping you is your SS number”. I said, since you’re the SS Administration and you called me shouldn’t you already know it”? CLICK. Hanging up works both ways.

jmonroe

So now we know what your sin is -- social security fraud. I understand that's very lucrative.

If I had gotten a call from the IRS, I'd have been shaking in my boots.

jmonroe

fintail

Similar to the Lexus playbook, the "kiss butt" customer service model, as I call it. Not just white glove service, but posh dealerships with amenities in the waiting areas that likely influenced the modern dealership infrastructure we see today. Especially back in the day, the German brands maybe weren't as touchy-feely, I think VW sometimes had more of a "revenge for 1945" customer service model.

For new/late model cars, I've only dealt with a couple MB dealers for service, no complaints. They don't seem to be equal in sales, however.

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

Just received a call from Genesis Consumer Affairs in California regarding the issue I had with their Genesis Connective Services in my new G90. They have extended by 3-year complimentary Genesis Connect Services by 3 months due to the trouble I had with my new car.

I think that is quite generous since I was without those services for only 1 month. This is in addition to the check they sent me to cover the one month car payment, which I received Monday. Definitely a stand-up company!🤓

Mike, Genesis is going all out to keep their customers happy, and they are wise to realize they have to do that to get their foot in the door, and to create loyal customers....few companies especially car companies will take those extra steps. It is impressive, but it is also necessary if they hope to break into that market.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

I remember hearing a story (was it here) of a person who received a spoofed call from a telemarketer that came up on caller ID as his own number.

Maybe that’s not as dumb on their part as you might think. I know if that happened to me, I’d answer or call back just to have some fun and hang up midway through their first sentence.

On a related note a couple years ago I decided to have some fun and pushed button number one because Social Security was going to put me in the slammer for a fraud I committed. The woman said something like, “don’t worry sir we’ll be able to settle this without to much grief on your part. All I need to get started helping you is your SS number”. I said, since you’re the SS Administration and you called me shouldn’t you already know it”? CLICK. Hanging up works both ways.

jmonroe

If I were a scammer I’d claim to be from the IRS demanding some of that tax cheating money. I bet that would work.

driver100

So here is the roof dilemma...that I know nothing about! The shingles on one side...the west side all look the same, like they are coming up, all the rest looks fine. MrsD is asking about solar panels that would go only on areas where the roof is coming up. Roof is 14 years old original. It is a one story 2400 sq ft home, but roof is high with lots of hills and valleys and attached garage.

roadburner

Today’s Arrogant Idiot Award(It isn’t as good as one of Mike’s stories but it will have to do):
To enter Seabrook Island you have to drive past the guard booth. There are two lanes going in. Residents have a barcode sticker on the side window while vacationers have a card you leave on the dashboard. There is a message on a signpost as well as on the asphalt that states:
“RIGHT LANE BARCODE ONLY .” I’m in the left lane waiting behind another car when a ditzy blonde in a Navigator runs up beside me in the right lane. The right lane gate doesn’t open because her SUV doesn’t have a barcode. She lowers her window and yells at the guard, who patiently asks if she has a card; she points at the dash, which of course is not visible to the guard. She snatches it out of the dash and waves it at the guard, who simultaneously waves me through.
I’m making the next left when the ditz comes up behind me. I decided she needed some time to calm down, so I made a point of driving exactly one mph under the speed limit and coming to a complete stop at each stop sign. As expected, this coaxed her into passing me right where a local cop often sits. Sadly, there wasn’t one sitting there today...

driver100

From Today's Wheel Section with Dennis O'Sullivan.... kind of reminds me of someone!
QUESTION

I need your help in solving a problem that I am having with a garage that replaced my engine with a rebuilt one. The car is a 2006 GMC Canyon. The vehicle was run overheated after a stone from a truck punched a hole in the radiator and ruined the engine, just over a year ago. The truck was in excellent condition and the insurance paid for a rebuilt engine block. I received a 36k miles warranty when the engine was installed. Just this past month, I have been hearing a noise coming from the lower part of the engine and therefore took it back to the garage to have it looked at. I received a call about four days later and was informed that there was a rod problem and it was not covered under the warranty. I only put about 20k miles on the vehicle and I should have about 16k miles left on the warranty. The garage is claiming that I did not change the oil and I informed them that I do my own personal oil changes. I think that they are trying to weasel out of the warranty that was on the rebuilt engine. Can you help me?

ANSWER

I did contact the garage for you and both you and the garage agreed to have the oil tested. The oil, that was to be tested, was removed from the oil pan and put into a jar. According to the garage, you delivered it to the oil analysis outlet to be tested. They came back with a report that said that the oil was heavily contaminated with metal fragments and very dirty, indicating to them that the oil had not been changed. You also have another slight problem. The factory rebuilt block oil filter is still on the engine block, which according to the garage, you cannot explain. The garage has to do that testing in order for them to go back to the manufacturer for warranty purposes. They told you that the manufacturer is asking for proof in the form of receipts that the oil was changed and you cannot at this time prove that you had changed the oil in 20k miles. All you need to do is to supply the garage with some kind of proof that you did change the oil at least four times. They will then gladly replace the engine block since they will again get paid for the exchange. You may want to get another sample of the oil, this time possibly from the oil filter and have it tested by someone else to see if the burned oil condition and/or contamination is from the internal wear of the engine and not as a result of not changing the oil, if in fact you know that you did change the oil. If you can prove that you did change the oil then I can help you.

I have a feeling this guy is going to have trouble proving he did those oil changes!

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

So here is the roof dilemma...that I know nothing about! The shingles on one side...the west side all look the same, like they are coming up, all the rest looks fine. MrsD is asking about solar panels that would go only on areas where the roof is coming up. Roof is 14 years old original. It is a one story 2400 sq ft home, but roof is high with lots of hills and valleys and attached garage.

Once shingles go bad they HAVE to be replaced. There is NO getting around that. As for covering up the bad shingles with solar panels that is the WORST thing you can do. The solar panes will not prevent leaks. More than likely if installed over bad shingles solar panels will cause leaks. No reputable solar panel outfit would ever attempt to install solar panels over bad shingles in fact if your shingles have hit their half life they will most likely recommend a new roof. Not to worry, their cousin is in the roofing biz. Yeah, some folks call it a racket. I for one would NEVER install solar panels but that's just me.

jmonroe

driver100

@jmonroe1 Thank you for your informative and always knowledgeable reply. I explained to Mrs D and she said she was talking about solar shingles. What do you think?

driver100

roadburner said:

Today’s Arrogant Idiot Award(It isn’t as good as one of

I’m making the next left when the ditz comes up behind me. I decided she needed some time to calm down, so I made a point of driving exactly one mph under the speed limit and coming to a complete stop at each stop sign. As expected, this coaxed her into passing me right where a local cop often sits. Sadly, there wasn’t one sitting there today...

.......................entrapment! But I would probably have done the same

sda

@driver100 If that is wind damage to your shingles have you notified your insurance carrier? They should send an adjuster and you may be covered for replacement. We had wind and hail damage last year and ours was not that obvious. Our roof was replaced. Looks like a very nice home.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

So here is the roof dilemma...that I know nothing about! The shingles on one side...the west side all look the same, like they are coming up, all the rest looks fine. MrsD is asking about solar panels that would go only on areas where the roof is coming up. Roof is 14 years old original. It is a one story 2400 sq ft home, but roof is high with lots of hills and valleys and attached garage.

They won’t put solar panels on a roof that old and in poor condition. They’ll make you replace it first because if it started leaking after they installed the panels the expense of fixing it would be excessive. The other question would be does your roof have the right south-facing orientation? Those roof sections seem to be facing every which way. I’ve seen some people putting panels on East and west facing roofs and unless there are some new kinds of panel I don’t know about that doesn’t produce much power.

jmonroe1

@driver100 said:
From Today's Wheel Section with Dennis O'Sullivan.... kind of reminds me of someone!
QUESTION

I need your help in solving a problem that I am having with a garage that replaced my engine with a rebuilt one. The car is a 2006 GMC Canyon. The vehicle was run overheated after a stone from a truck punched a hole in the radiator and ruined the engine, just over a year ago. The truck was in excellent condition and the insurance paid for a rebuilt engine block. I received a 36k miles warranty when the engine was installed. Just this past month, I have been hearing a noise coming from the lower part of the engine and therefore took it back to the garage to have it looked at. I received a call about four days later and was informed that there was a rod problem and it was not covered under the warranty. I only put about 20k miles on the vehicle and I should have about 16k miles left on the warranty. The garage is claiming that I did not change the oil and I informed them that I do my own personal oil changes. I think that they are trying to weasel out of the warranty that was on the rebuilt engine. Can you help me?

ANSWER

I did contact the garage for you and both you and the garage agreed to have the oil tested. The oil, that was to be tested, was removed from the oil pan and put into a jar. According to the garage, you delivered it to the oil analysis outlet to be tested. They came back with a report that said that the oil was heavily contaminated with metal fragments and very dirty, indicating to them that the oil had not been changed. You also have another slight problem. The factory rebuilt block oil filter is still on the engine block, which according to the garage, you cannot explain. The garage has to do that testing in order for them to go back to the manufacturer for warranty purposes. They told you that the manufacturer is asking for proof in the form of receipts that the oil was changed and you cannot at this time prove that you had changed the oil in 20k miles. All you need to do is to supply the garage with some kind of proof that you did change the oil at least four times. They will then gladly replace the engine block since they will again get paid for the exchange. You may want to get another sample of the oil, this time possibly from the oil filter and have it tested by someone else to see if the burned oil condition and/or contamination is from the internal wear of the engine and not as a result of not changing the oil, if in fact you know that you did change the oil. If you can prove that you did change the oil then I can help you.

I have a feeling this guy is going to have trouble proving he did those oil changes!

That’s far different from my case. I was there when my car was towed in and the first thing the service advisor said was they were going to check a few things before telling me anything about a warranty repair. The engine had around 43K miles on it (warranty was for 100K). The tech came to the desk about a half hour later and the sevicec advisor said to the tech, “hey, look at this oil log sheet the customer just showed me. He’s done lots of oil changes”. The tech said, “that doesn’t surprise me, that engine is immaculate” (those were the exact words he used).

Only when the service manager looked at my log sheet the next day did the sh-t hit the fan. His claim was there was a date/mileage oil change discrepancy. And the worst part was even the service manager agreed the engine was clean but the discrepancy prevailed as the reason to bounce the warranty claim. Even when I showed them where they could have been wrong about the mileage they recorded when they did warranty work to clear my seat belt light staying on (turned out to be a pinched wire under the seat) about a month before the engine blew up.

Again, your story is not even close to mine.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

From Today's Wheel Section with Dennis O'Sullivan.... kind of reminds me of someone!
QUESTION

I need your help in solving a problem that I am having with a garage that replaced my engine with a rebuilt one. The car is a 2006 GMC Canyon. The vehicle was run overheated after a stone from a truck punched a hole in the radiator and ruined the engine, just over a year ago. The truck was in excellent condition and the insurance paid for a rebuilt engine block. I received a 36k miles warranty when the engine was installed. Just this past month, I have been hearing a noise coming from the lower part of the engine and therefore took it back to the garage to have it looked at. I received a call about four days later and was informed that there was a rod problem and it was not covered under the warranty. I only put about 20k miles on the vehicle and I should have about 16k miles left on the warranty. The garage is claiming that I did not change the oil and I informed them that I do my own personal oil changes. I think that they are trying to weasel out of the warranty that was on the rebuilt engine. Can you help me?

ANSWER

I did contact the garage for you and both you and the garage agreed to have the oil tested. The oil, that was to be tested, was removed from the oil pan and put into a jar. According to the garage, you delivered it to the oil analysis outlet to be tested. They came back with a report that said that the oil was heavily contaminated with metal fragments and very dirty, indicating to them that the oil had not been changed. You also have another slight problem. The factory rebuilt block oil filter is still on the engine block, which according to the garage, you cannot explain. The garage has to do that testing in order for them to go back to the manufacturer for warranty purposes. They told you that the manufacturer is asking for proof in the form of receipts that the oil was changed and you cannot at this time prove that you had changed the oil in 20k miles. All you need to do is to supply the garage with some kind of proof that you did change the oil at least four times. They will then gladly replace the engine block since they will again get paid for the exchange. You may want to get another sample of the oil, this time possibly from the oil filter and have it tested by someone else to see if the burned oil condition and/or contamination is from the internal wear of the engine and not as a result of not changing the oil, if in fact you know that you did change the oil. If you can prove that you did change the oil then I can help you.

I have a feeling this guy is going to have trouble proving he did those oil changes!

Didn’t some guy with a Hyundai try to pull the same scam about changing his own oil?

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

@jmonroe1 Thank you for your informative and always knowledgeable reply. I explained to Mrs D and she said she was talking about solar shingles. What do you think?

I like the idea of solar shingles if the price is less than the combined cost of replacing your roof AND installing conventional solar. Research cost and if the solar shingles produce the same amount of power. The issue of orientation probably applies to whatever panel you use.

jmonroe1

@driver100 said:
@jmonroe1 Thank you for your informative and always knowledgeable reply. I explained to Mrs D and she said she was talking about solar shingles. What do you think?

I don’t know what solar shingles are. They sound pretty gimmickry to me. But, they could be the next panacea.

Jmonroe

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

@driver100 said:
@jmonroe1 Thank you for your informative and always knowledgeable reply. I explained to Mrs D and she said she was talking about solar shingles. What do you think?

I don’t know what solar shingles are. They sound pretty gimmickry to me. But, they could be the next panacea.

Jmonroe

https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-solar-shingles

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@driver100 said:

From Today's Wheel Section with Dennis O'Sullivan.... kind of reminds me of someone!

QUESTION

I need your help in solving a problem that I am having with a garage that replaced my engine with a rebuilt one. The car is a 2006 GMC Canyon. The vehicle was run overheated after a stone from a truck punched a hole in the radiator and ruined the engine, just over a year ago. The truck was in excellent condition and the insurance paid for a rebuilt engine block. I received a 36k miles warranty when the engine was installed. Just this past month, I have been hearing a noise coming from the lower part of the engine and therefore took it back to the garage to have it looked at. I received a call about four days later and was informed that there was a rod problem and it was not covered under the warranty. I only put about 20k miles on the vehicle and I should have about 16k miles left on the warranty. The garage is claiming that I did not change the oil and I informed them that I do my own personal oil changes. I think that they are trying to weasel out of the warranty that was on the rebuilt engine. Can you help me?

ANSWER

I did contact the garage for you and both you and the garage agreed to have the oil tested. The oil, that was to be tested, was removed from the oil pan and put into a jar. According to the garage, you delivered it to the oil analysis outlet to be tested. They came back with a report that said that the oil was heavily contaminated with metal fragments and very dirty, indicating to them that the oil had not been changed. You also have another slight problem. The factory rebuilt block oil filter is still on the engine block, which according to the garage, you cannot explain. The garage has to do that testing in order for them to go back to the manufacturer for warranty purposes. They told you that the manufacturer is asking for proof in the form of receipts that the oil was changed and you cannot at this time prove that you had changed the oil in 20k miles. All you need to do is to supply the garage with some kind of proof that you did change the oil at least four times. They will then gladly replace the engine block since they will again get paid for the exchange. You may want to get another sample of the oil, this time possibly from the oil filter and have it tested by someone else to see if the burned oil condition and/or contamination is from the internal wear of the engine and not as a result of not changing the oil, if in fact you know that you did change the oil. If you can prove that you did change the oil then I can help you.

I have a feeling this guy is going to have trouble proving he did those oil changes!

Again, your story is not even close to mine.

jmonroe

The similarity is the DIY oil change angle...it just reminded me of your case, I realize they're not exactly the same.