We stayed at the "Empress" a few years ago. Very nice. While looking around the island we came upon a busload of Japanese girls, probably 12 to 15 years old. They were really cute. I am 6-1 and they all seemed to be about 4 feet tall.
They kept coming up in groups of 3 or 4 and wanting to have their picture taken with me. They thought I was a giant, and I got to know how a celebrity feels. It went on for quite a while, to the point of my wife starting to get a little miffed because I was having so much fun.
So, if any of you are ever in Japan you might see a pic of 'ol houdini !!
Yes, Houdini, lots of Asian people visit Victoria every year. I remember seeing bus loads of Asians all over the eastern end of the Island.
I was just talking about a flight to Seattle in my post taking 5+ hours from Miami. I just read in the Sun Sentinnel (Ft. Lauderdale paper) that Alaska Air just started a flight today from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport non-stop to Seattle-Tacoma. One flight a day, round trip, on a Boeing 757 which takes 5 hours even. That would be a great flight because I would not have to drive all the way to Miami International (50 miles).
Alaska Air is a great airline - but I didn't know they made the 2700 mile flight to Seattle. I might look into it for a vacation out of this heat and humidity.
In fact, it sounds kind of shady, first they tell you they will sell you a warranty, and then after you buy the car they tell you what's involved
Yeah, when bowlegged salesman explained it all, all he said needed was to get your oil changed every 3,750 miles instead of 7,500 miles... period. I knew it was more complicated than that. I've been around the block a few times. :surprise:
I'll stick to my every 4-4.5k mile oil changes and do maintenance as needed.
Are you kidding me? I'd be 200% against getting a scam warranty like that! It seem written specifically to give them an excuse to deny your claim while milking you to death.
Just thought I'd ask the greatest collection of minds what they thought on the matter. When the dealership handed me the 20 page extended warranty "booklet", my first thought, "hmmm... this doesn't look very good." I do wonder how many customers will try to follow all the extended warranty recommendations. How the dealership will handle any claims, and if corporate Hyundai would step in if too many complaints.
I do wonder how many customers will try to follow all the extended warranty recommendations.
My guess is there are a certain percentage of people who will go for that warranty, just as there are people who will buy a warranty at Future Shop that will never breakdown, such as a wire.
And, of course they give you a fear story. The BMW lady told me how many people were thrilled they paid $1500 for warranty protection for run flat tires because they had about 6 flat tires! They try to scare you, then you have to sign papers to say you declined their fabulous warranty.
There is a place for a decent warranty in certain situations, but that sure ain't one of them.
I'd like to hear Mike's take on that particular warranty, and warranties in general.
1. Are you going to keep the car for 1 more year than the limits of the warranty? 2. Are you financially able to pay for major mechanical breakdown? ($2000+) 3. Is peace of mind essential to you after standard warranty is over?
Once you have answered these questions, you can then approach, "...should I purchase an extended warranty or not?"
I do not recommend 2nd or 3rd party warranties. If an extended warranty is important or necessary to you, purchase the car's manufacturer's warranty because they have a vested interest in your vehicle's performance and safety while 3rd and 2nd party warranties are managed by an insurance philosophy. Also, you'll have a loaner car from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Infiniti, Nissan, etc., but not from the non-manufacturer's warranty.
There is more peace of mind with manufacturer warranties as you are dealing with your preferred dealership. Genuine replacement parts are used on these warranties.
In summary, if an extended warranty is to be purchases, go for the one your car's manufacturer offers.
Usually, manufacturer warranties will take the car to 100,000 miles and up to 7 years.
When you buy a new car, note that Lexus's warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, and 5 years/70,000 miles for engine/drivetrain - and some other manufacturer's offer similar standard warranties.
I don't purchase extended warranties for obvious reasons, but if I did keep a car, I would wait to buy the extended warranty until a few months before the new car warranty expires.
Yes, and very well! Some people are really opposed to EWs, and some people wouldn't feel comfortable buying something as expensive as a car without a warranty.
I like what you said about 2nd or 3rd party warranties and about buying the EW near the end of your regular warranty.
Any idea what percentage of people buy EWs?
I am skeptical of them a bit, because I know I will lose on it, but, I will consider it on my wife's Audi because it only has a 3 year warranty, and we will see how reliable it will be....and you can buy the EW anytime before the regular warranty is over.
I have waved off almost every Extended Warranty I was ever offered, but yesterday I bought one. On a refrigerator and a freezer.
Both went out Tuesday when high winds knocked down a tree and electric pole causing my power to go out-on-out-on in about 10 seconds.
The warranty cost $176 for both appliances and specifically covers power problems. Since my house insurance is covering the items "this time" I figured I better have another entity cover them if there is a next time.
Not to steal any of roadburner's forthcoming story, but I may have something brewing myself. It's not a "fun" story and it involves the SO's Audi. Will need some advice from the peanut gallery on this one.
jipster....big "PASS" on that warranty. Besides being way stacked against you, it's not good for the environment to have to change, and dispose of that used oil that often. I'd tell the dealership they aren't being good, responsible environmental citizens by pushing it, either (not that they'd care).
My BIL works for Home Depot & qualifies for X Plan. Can you give me some more details about that? $100 over invoice plus he gets all factory to dealer incentives?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The warranty cost $176 for both appliances and specifically covers power problems.
The thing is, there is no set rule for or against warranties. I don't usually get them, but I took out an EW on our Bosch dishwasher ($150) because I had a bad experience with Bosch before. It is worth $30 a year to know I won't have to spend $500 to have it repaired.
I think you got good value for $176 considering it is 2 appliances, and you are prone to power surges in your area. You will probably never have to use the warranty, but, it is a small cost to pay compared to having to buy a new refrigerator and freezer.
The thing is, there is no set rule for or against warranties. I don't usually get them, but I took out an EW on our Bosch dishwasher ($150) because I had a bad experience with Bosch before. It is worth $30 a year to know I won't have to spend $500 to have it repaired.
My question to here is this: If you had a problem with Bosch before, why would you purchase another one?
I had a horrible General Motors experience and it took me 14 years to go back to them.
Son #1 is into this kind of stuff and just like in 2010 he was asked to volunteer to be a finger- pointer (show people where to park) for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix car cruise that was held on Tuesday night at the Waterfront shopping center in Homestead PA (a section of Pittsburgh).
Let me explain a little before I get in to the cruise. This event was started in 1983 by Myron Cope (long time local sportscaster and color voice for the Steelers and is probably best known for his invention of the Terrible Towel). Unfortunately Myron died a few years ago but his event has lived on and has gotten bigger and bigger. Myron had a son that had Autism and he wanted to do something for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and for the school where his son was, in addition to the proceeds made from the Terrible Towel. It’s a pretty big 10 day event now not just the Grand Prix race through Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park on a Sunday like it was when it started in 1983.
After my son was finished with his finger-pointing we walked the cruise. I can’t begin to tell you all of what was there, but of course there were the ’55 and ’57 Chevy types of cars. One thing that I can’t understand about some of these cruises is that some cars are so tricked-out it’s hard to determine what piece of sheet metal they started with but those cars do draw a crowd.
Personal interest car:
A guy had a ’77 Grand Prix that my son gravitated to because he learned to drive on my ’75 Grand Prix and since he didn’t see a ’75 he took me over to see the ’77. The guy bought it last year for $10K even from a local guy that stored it and it had only 28K miles on it. This guy kept it as he got it (he did NOTHING to it at all) even the very minor rust in only 3 or 4 spots on the radiator support. He said he didn’t want to touch them because he wants this car to be as he got it and kept referring to it as a “survivor”. This is the type of car that would be repainted because the paint was a little faded but again this guy wasn’t going to touch it. He just waxed it as it sat. My son just couldn’t stop pointing out the pieces of the engine like the A/C, the spark plug wires, the water pump, the radiator and all that stuff that were still original. The only part that I could see that wasn’t original was the alternator. It was a lot cleaner looking than anything else and the guy admitted that he put that on about 7 months ago. Although I had a ’75 the engine in this ’77 was the same 400 CID, V8 that GM must have made a gazillion of before they went to the 350 as their standard in later years.
Most Novel:
I saw a 1951 Hudson Hornet convertible that an old timer picked up about 25 years ago and he started to recondition it but only to the engine that had about 60K original miles on it at the time. He did have it repainted to its original color (some shade of Brown that I seen to remember). It still had the original radio and the original heavy leather seats that they used back then not the thin paper like stuff they use today. This car even had power windows which were very upscale back then.
The guy said the popularity of the Hudson Hornet started with the move Driving Miss Daisy then when it slowed down, along came the Toy Story Cars movie and it took off again. He said that an auction house came to him when they found out he had this car about 8 years ago and they offered him $65K but he was not interested in any way of selling it. Son #1 asked if he was willing to say what it was worth today and he said for insurance purposes he had it appraised last year and it was valued at just under $100K. This car was PERFECT in every way.
He has antique plates on it of course and I said something like I guess you had it flat bedded in here and he said, “NO, this car is no fun unless you drive it. I don’t put many miles on it but it’s on the road about 2K miles a year”. When I asked him about being concerned with someone hitting it he said, “I used to be like that but not anymore. It’s just too much fun to drive and I like the all the stares I get”. He then said, “I’m more likely to be hit when I’m in a parking lot like when I come to these cruises than on the highway and since the speeds are low the other guy will suffer more harm than this thing will. It has real bumpers. Knock on that fender; you’ll see what I mean”. I’ve rapped on a few of those fenders and he’s right. They don’t refer to the cars of that era as “tanks” for no reason.
Most expensive”
This was a Lexus LFA. I didn’t even know what that car was until Son #1 said, “that car goes for around $400K, it has a V10 engine”. It looked like it had an adjustable rear spoiler. This car was closed up tight; no doors or hood opened. It just sat here. The cars in this row were spaced much further apart than the cars in the other rows and what was funny was that nobody even went up to this car and looked in the windows. They just stood back and pointed even though the owner wasn’t there at the time. I guess some cars get more respect than others. I said to my son, “what do you think would happen if I went up to that car and rapped on the fender”? He just gave me a look like Yeah, you wanna die right here.
My son said he saw one of these cars at his track last year and it’s fast alright but it’s more show than go because a new Vette ZRI that cost just under $125K beat it 5 times out of 5 but the Vette driver was almost pro-like so that could have explained that. When I went home I looked this car up here at Edmunds and it has a $70K OPTION. You otta go look at it because I doubt the guy next door has one.
Most Disappointing:
I couldn’t find the ’64 Morris Minor that I saw in 2010.
All in all it was a very nice car cruise.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I think you got good value for $176 considering it is 2 appliances, and you are prone to power surges in your area. You will probably never have to use the warranty, but, it is a small cost to pay compared to having to buy a new refrigerator and freezer
This is where I disagree. I used to buy warranties, did it twice for a car, several times for new appliances and once for a plasma TV. About 8 years worth of various purchases. Then one day I made a calculation of money spent on those premiums vs. claims and I had some, couple were even more than puny. IT WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE. Moreover, I also noticed my checking/savings/assets accounts are large enough so I could buy every single new appliance in my house, including new AC and there will still be some leftover.
To me insurance (which extended warranty essentially is) is something to cover me in case of an event that is either trully catastrophic or highly damaging to my finances (I'm talking digging deep into retirement accounts). I do not consider an unplanned expense of $500 to $5000 catastrophic and it would cover basically all but most unlikely events. It is part of life. Hurts for sure, but it is NOT something I want insure myself against. I say if you can't afford a $5000 engine, you should not buy/lease $40000+ car.
This debate could also be extended into any other insurance, including health, car, house, etc. I see proliferation of insurance services partially responsible (not solely, but at least it is contributing factor) for several adverse economic trends, such as inflation of costs of those items that tend to be insured (because it is covered, people do not care how much it costs, thus providers jack up their rates, which in turn makes people want to buy insurance) and even more important, lack of proper personal financial planning. Because people expect NOT to pay for even smallest things, like $30 immunization shot, replacement of $200 music player, or $1000 refrigerator, they tend to spend much more than they actually should, which leaves them without proper savings and vulnerable sudden economic changes. They end up living in fear that next expense on "uninsured" items (services) will ruin them, so they buy even more insurance for more and more trivial expenses. Political points aside ("religious liberty" vs. "women's rights"), the whole debate about coverage of $20 contraception pill is a great tell about state of our society. If covering or not covering something like that becomes "access", what is next? 1 cent premium in case you want to buy your kid a loley pop and you forgot your wallet? "Don't worry, we are insured - remember the card I gave you five years ago? Yes, daddy, here it is Then the gas station attendand swipes it through the terminal and "Approved" shows up on the screen and your kid gets the candy. Thanks God we were insured - what would we do without it? Meanwhile media have exposes and Congress holds hearings about rampant prices of candy and their insurance, President is soon to introduce an Affordable Loley Pop Act, because it can't be in America that children go with their candy...
My question to here is this: If you had a problem with Bosch before, why would you purchase another one?
That's a good question, and a difficult one to explain...but I will try.
We bought a Bosch about 10 years ago, when we were in another house. It worked great, but broke down about a month after the warranty expired. The dishwasher cost about $600, and the repair was about $320. I got nowhere with Bosch customer service.
Since then I have warned everyone looking for a dishwasher about my experience.
10 years later, our dishwasher goes. It is a Maytag and came with the house. We look at dishwashers and from what we can read and from what knowledgeable salespeople tell us, Bosch makes the best dishwasher for a reasonable price, when they are on sale. We paid $500 for a diswasher that sells normally for $700. It is stainless inside, it has the extra sound deadening material that most others don't, and it does an amazing job of cleaning....somehow they get the steam and hot water etc right.
For $500 the only competition would not have stainless or the superior sound insulation. And the Bosch is smartly designed.
I understand being burned and not going back. I figure with the warranty I am going to get 5 years of good use out of this dishwasher, and it still costs less than anything even close.
What happened to your GM? And, what made you decide to try again?
Then one day I made a calculation of money spent on those premiums vs. claims and I had some, couple were even more than puny. IT WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE. Moreover, I also noticed my checking/savings/assets accounts are large enough so I could buy every single new appliance in my house, including new AC and there will still be some leftover.
I have an account for that kind of expense. You might have seen it (post 48336). When the XG350 blew up and Hyundai refused warranty work, I’m not going to say I wasn’t pissed but I knew I had it covered. When I said to Mrs. j that we should tap that account for the loss she said something like, “boy, we could but I’m glad we don’t have to touch it. I can cover it”. She must have piles of that stuff that I don’t know about. :surprise:
Point being, you can plan for this type of expense and in my case the account has been growing for years.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
President is soon to introduce an Affordable Loley Pop Act, because it can't be in America that children go with their candy...
Hopefully, things won't get to that stage.
I would agree that 95% of the time I wouldn't take the insurance. But, I think with smart thoughtful planning there are times when insurance is worthwhile.
The chances Mako will need to claim on his EW are probably not great...it would be interesting to know what percentage of people do make a claim.....but, there are times, and especially for some people who may get upset more easily than others, where it is better to have the peace of mind of paying $179 and sleeping at night, than have a power surge which is pretty frequent in some areas, and lose $1500 worth of appliances.
I just don't think a blanket rule about EWs suits all cases. The Driver rule is, "In most cases decline EWs, but in selective situations it could be worthwhile considering one". "
Exactly - the insurance is not against being pissed or against being "pinched". It is against being ruined. I don't have a special repair account (it may actually be a good idea, especially when one wants to compare benefits and costs of those extra warranties), but I simply do not allow my savings to go below an uncomfortable threshold.
I agree. It is all matter of price. However, so far I have not seen yet warranty priced that I say, "wow you can't beat that", except for one - it was plasma TV warranty on OneCall web store, where they'd give you half of the money back (in form of store credit) after it expires without any claims made - the original price was a bit less than those Best Buy, but if you get half of it back after the period, it means the "peace of mind" cost actually half of it.
it was plasma TV warranty on OneCall web store, where they'd give you half of the money back
That's not too bad a deal, but I doubt I would get a warranty on a plazma tv or led tv for that matter.
Usually problems will show up in the first year with electronics. After that, they should go for 20 years. The other thing, after a few years the TV will come down a lot in price, and the technology will be so outdated, you may as well just buy a new one and get the latest features.
I am sure with those warranties most people forget to keep their receipt, or forget the program, and never make the claim. It is actually more benefit to the store anyway, say you pay $100 for a warranty on a $1000 TV, then in 5 years you go back and will get $50 off a TV from that same store....they guaranty themselves they will get you to come back to them.
I once did that with a portable phone. Marked the date on the calendar when I could go back and get back ALL the money I paid for the warranty if I didn't use it...as a credit. The salesman looked at me like I was weird that I would actually have remembered to bring in the proof and make my claim. I did get a new battery for the phone. The store went out of business shortly after....which is a whole other problem.
What happened to your GM? And, what made you decide to try again
I may have told this before, so I'll try and keep it brief.
I bought a brand new (off the showroom floor) 1998 Oldsmobile 88. I originally went shopping for a Bonneville or LeSabre but the Olds had better incentives and was a good compromise between the others and the same basic car underneath.
I bought it in January, and naturally the next day its a snowy/rainy mix. I drive the car to work and when I get there the passenger floor is flooded (two inches + of water).
I naturally drive it right back to the dealer and they assure me they will fix it. Well the ordeal over the next 11 months was nothing short of a disaster. GM refused to buy it back, and they never fixed the water leak (slowed it down at best). The entire interior had been taken apart so many times it rattled, had ill fitting pieces and they even had to replace the driver's seat since they damaged it taking it out. It also smelled of mildew and the carpet was replaced once. The car spent over 100 days in the shop over 11 months.
GM reps didn't care and the dealer I bought it from had closed down. I tried getting another dealer to fix it and when I gave them my information they must have seen how many times it was in for the same problem since they offered me an appointment to bring it in a month later.
That was the end for me. I went to the Toyota dealer for a Camry and walked out with a beautiful (and trouble free) 2000 Solara. I got what I owed on the Olds but lost my entire $5000 down payment and whatever they had given me on my trade in.
I was only 20 at the time and didn't know to get a lawyer, which today is obviously what I would have done. I did look into Lemon law and I didn't know all the ins and outs of using that, so my window of oppurtunity for using it was gone.
Now Part II,
I came back to GM only because I realized I bought a lemon and basically the car I bought has absolutely nothing in common with the model I bought years prior.
I wouldn't do it again. Then I was still buying those and I did not know that much about plasma holding up (it was 2006). They just worked out burn-in issues from early models, but they still had overall durability rating less than half of the LCDs. The TV cost over two grand and 4-year warranty was a couple of hundred, don't remember exactly how much, just that it was a little less than those warranties from CC or BB.
The representative knew exactly what I was asking for when I called, he had all the records and it all took ten minutes to get the credit. About month or two later I bought a nice Boston Acoustics center speaker to replace one that burnt out (well, had to add some, but not much).
"...dealership handed me the 20 page extended warranty booklet..."
Ha, at least they gave you a chance to see the conditions. When I bought the Chrysler I asked to get a copy of the warranty to review before I decided.
The F & I guy just tore off the top page of 3 and handed it to me. When I got home I read what I had been given and realized that all the exclusions were on the pages he hadn't given me.
When we returned to pick up the car he had the nerve to ask if I was going to take the warranty. I told him that I thought he wasn't even trying to be honest with me and he got this angry-hurt look on his face. It was as if asking to know what I was paying for was some kind of unreasonable demand. :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I have a Bosch also and just this week it stopped working. I opened and closed the door a few times and then pounded on it with my fist. Suddenly it turned on and has worked fine since.
Save your money next time and just have me come over and put the fear of god into it. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
All of you know how I (and a little less so, the GF) loved the S4. I plotted, schemed and generally cajoled her into getting it. Don't get me wrong. She loves driving it.....WHEN IT'S WORKING.
Brief background....couldn't make a deal in SW OH on the S4. Was able to make a deal in Chicago. Reason? $4K difference between the deal we could strike locally vs what we could make in Chitown.
Upon driving home, the GF said the steering felt "jittery" and the handling was darty. I told her it was probably because she wasn't used to sport suspensions (although she has driven my BMW enough to know what that type of suspension/steering feels like).
Over the course of the first week or two of ownership (she's had it about 6 weeks), the complaints got worse, and she said she was having electrical issues...namely, CDs wouldn't play in the CD player (all store bought....all in perfect shape). She loves Pandora. She loves streaming Pandora from her phone. It works perfectly in my BMW. The S4 is supposed to allow bluetooth streaming, but doesn't. In addition, the Blue Tooth phone (iPhone4) sometimes isn't recognized by the MMI (Audi's fancy UI for most car controls), sometimes isn't. There are some other electrical gremilins, but you get the idea.
Cut to the chase, I drove her car for a week straight. Her complaints were all valid.
In addition, a few weeks ago, I decided to give the car a good detail. Upon doing that, I found cracks and chips on two of the wheels. Understand, this car had been driven as the break-in procedure recommends, and even more cautiously than the procedure outlines. It was never curbed, and stayed in a heated garage. She never hit anything, and neither did I. Whomever makes these wheels for Audi, had a bad batch.
The GF took her car to the nearest Audi dealer. They pronounced it trouble free after keeping it all day. I was with her when she went to pick it up. I showed them the defects in the wheels. They said it was caused by (there words) "outside forces". What does that mean? As I told them, if their wheels are so flimsy that they crack after 500 gentle miles, I don't want anything to do with them.
My GF took all of 10 seconds to show them the gremlins in the MMI system (what they couldn't find in 8 hours). By this time, we were in front if the service foreman. His response? "MMI systems are really expensive. I can't just go and replace them willy-nilly because you say it's broke." Huh?
I was steamed at that point and left. Calmed down and called the service foreman the next day. He had left of vacation, but the service writer said he'd make sure to have him call me when he returned on Monday. That was 2 weeks ago. Haven't heard a peep.
Went to the 2nd Audi dealer to see where my luck would fall. Unfortunately, I was greeted with another "we can't find anything wrong". I personally showed (after about 15 seconds) the dealer the broken MMI and the cracked wheels. I was then told (I kid you not)...."well, if you bought it from us, we may be a little more liberal in what we will fix". :mad: :mad: :mad:
Called Audi Customer Service. They played their best game of "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil". After speaking to 3 of them (including an alleged customer service supervisor), I was informed that they support their dealers. My reply..."but you don't support your customers...the people who own your cars?" No reply.
I wrote to the President of Audi USA (Scott Keogh), including a USB memory stick with videos of the broken MMI and pictures of the cracked wheels. Of course, that letter went to....you guessed it....some low level customer service rep, who proceeded to repeat whatever those previous reps told me.
I'm blazing mad at this point. I call Wayne Huizenga, owner of Autonation, who owns the Audi dealership in Chicago where we bought the S4. Of course, I didn't get him. I did get his VP of "luxury brands", which includes their Audi, BMW and Mercedes stores.
I told him this entire story. I told him that I'm beyond mad at Audi. And, that I want nothing to do with Audi. He's meeting me in Chicago this Saturday with the promise he'll make us happy.
That's where we stand.
I'm angry at the local Audi dealerships. I'm more angry with Audi corporate. If I have to go through this every time I need service, I will blow a gasket.
I don't know which area stores you were at, but that matches our friend's experience with his first VW that he bought in Fairfield and tried to get serviced near Dana IIRC because it was closer to Highland Hts.. He was dissed out the door because he didn't buy the car there.
imid....I remember DANA, but I thought they had a Mercedes store. Could be wrong on that count. Not sure who owns the Audi dealership on Beechmont, but the Joseph Auto Group owns the one on Montgomery Rd (The Audi Connection). Doesn't matter. They were both woeful.
The one on Beechmont actually said the repairs might be done if I agreed to pay for part of them. Wha? :surprise: This car is new and under warranty.
I think he was suggesting I needed to BUY new wheels. Why would I spend even more money to buy more crappy wheels?
The alleged Customer Support Supervisor (who supposedly was acting under the direction of Audi's President), said she had reviewed my letter and video, saw the pictures I sent. When I quizzed her about the MMI issues, and the cracks in the wheels, she clearly had no idea what I was talking about. On top of that, I sent the letter, pics, videos to VA. She was calling from MI. So, long and short of this, someone told her to call me because I was complaining. She didn't know why, even though she said she had thoroughly reviewed my input. Don't think I'd be going on a limb in saying this, but I think she was lying.
At one point, one of the many customer support people I spoke to told me how they test the stereo in their cars if they have complaints.
She said, "we play CDs that we know work in them"
"How many do you play?"
"Just one...if it works, it's operator error."
"So, out of all the tens of millions of CDs out there, if one works, the one you own, the one you know will work, actually plays, then the customer's complaint is dismissed?"
Then I got the ....."dealers are our eyes and ears....blah...blah...blah....too bad you feel that way.....blah...blah...blah..."
houdini....I feel a little guilty. I was the one who steered the GF to this car.
Stuff goes wrong with cars. I understand that.
The attitudes of both the local dealers and Audi corporate enrage me.
The GF said I have to be calm while talking to the VP while in Chicago. I don't even know what they could offer us to calm me down at this point, short of a full refund.
Hell, I'll drop the car there, grab the check, turnaround and take a bus back home. I'd have no problem with that.
I'm letting her drive my car as much as she wants given that I wrongfully steered her in this direction.
Wow, so it looks it doesn't matter the brand. Hyundai, Audi, Chevy, Benz, Honda, Toyota, all have examples of "great service" provided by local dealers, backed by even more "awesome" support from their corporate offices. It also looks like it is basically waste of time to bother with corporate offices - they "stand by" their dealers' decisions.
Basically doesn't matter what you buy, when it is good, you are happy, but if something doesn't work, you pray for good will. Makes me appreciate more my local Subaru dealer fixing my transmission at 59 thousand miles (60K warranty), even when the paperwork said it was my fault - it wasn't, but after all they fixed it, so what do I care - they improved their statistics of transmission defects and I had newly redesigned gearset with surprise - reinforced sprockets, which of course had nothing to do with the premature wear on my original tranny - of course not... It was all my driving and gear shifting habits. :sick:
the car I bought has absolutely nothing in common with the model I bought years prior.
You are more forgiving than I would be. If i had those kind of problems I would never buy that same brand again. But then, when I hold a grudge I really hold a grudge.
Not sure if you remember my plumbing bill of $1000 for 3 hours work. Well, I have written to the consumer columnist in the local paper, and will put my remarks on various consumer websites as well as any other place I can complain. I called customer service and told them politely that if I tell anyone what I was charged they are shocked. After a lot of defensive answers the company called and they want to send a supervisor out to see the work that was done. Since I am away this week we will try for next week. I am not sure they will do anything about it, almost doubt it, but, I won't give up easily.
I only bought another Bosch because I could get a warranty so I know I will get 5 years of use from it. I would not have bought it if I couldn't get the warranty. Maybe you are more forgiving than me. I don't forgive too easily, and I will make them pay if they don't give me a reasonable refund.
it doesn't matter the brand. Hyundai, Audi, Chevy, Benz, Honda, Toyota, all have examples of "great service" provided by local dealer
Customer service is a sham these days. It is just the road block to addressing a problem. Corporations don't care about your problem, they only care to take your money....solving a problem is going to hurt the bottom line.
There are some exceptions, Apple being one. A friend took his broken i Pad in, it wouldn't work. He didn't need any paperwork, they went to the backroom and got him a new one, no questions asked. Now, if only Apple made cars....................
and if they drove like bmws of course.....................
I understand how you feel. When you buy an upscale car you expect upscale quality and upscale service. When you get neither it's like a slap in the face.
Maybe that's why I attracted to old used cars, if something goes wrong you kind of expect it and you get it fixed at your local garage. It's easier fighting with Joe the owner across his desk than a voice on the phone from MI if you're not satisfied. If everything goes wrong you haven't invested $50k in a car you hate. :lemon:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I brought my Explorer in for service today. Just about 15k with items on my list. Bought in the coupon for 'The Works', which is oil change/tire rotation and a bunch on top offs/inspections. Got a letter from Ford that the cooling fans needed inspection and reprogramming/replacement as required. I also asked them to look at a buzzing around the windshield in big cross winds. This is a known issue, but I didn't know if it was one of those 'have to be able to reproduce' type things. I decided to leave it for the day and rent a car on my own from Enterprise and young guy drove me over their office. The Enterprise manager was kind of a pain about trying to up sell me on damage waiver and AAA for a day. I declined all. There was a young lady working there that I think was her first day. She pointed out a couple flaws that the manager said don't worry about. He also said that if I dropped it at the dealership, I was responsible for any damage until it was returned to them. I ended up driving a new Focus sedan. It was pretty nice with a power moon roof. When i got in it, the average mpg reading was 27.3. I drove for a bit and reset it. When I got off the highway not using any A/C, it was 46.3. Got a call that the Explorer was all set including the fix for the buzzing noise. The SA also said 'We'll pay for your rental car'. Nice! I knew the fix was to install some revised trim pieces around the windshield and that what was done. Brought back in the afternoon to Enterprise and even after using the A/C, the average was 42 mpg. I was not going to return it anywhere else after the manager comment. When I returned the Focus, the new girl inspected it and commented to the young guy who picked me up originally, 42 mpg just like you said. They had a nice new black Mustang convertible sitting out front and he ended up driving me back to pick up my Explorer in it. That was a great service experience!
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Enterprise seems to get a lot of that dealer business. I think they try really hard so that they can really work on expanding that car dealership service.
That is good gas mileage you got on the Focus...I would imagine more city driving would bring that figure down quite a bit...it sounds too good to be true. Are you sure it wasn't doing kms. 1 km = .64 miles, 42 kms would be about 28 miles per gallon!
wow. Good thing I crossed Audi off the list for my wife!
and if the VP is smart, in this digital age (after I am sure he will understand the influence you wield!) they will tell you to take it over and pick up a replacement.
probably easier and cheaper than gutting the MMI and putting new wheels on it!
Wow, best of luck with your trip and I hope the problem is resolved. I know I'd be ticked off beyond belief.
What is the problem with Alloy wheels recently? Another poster here just had to replace wheels on his 1 series BMW. I've never had to replace a wheel before for cracking, etc.
Then I got the ....."dealers are our eyes and ears....blah...blah...blah....too bad you feel that way.....blah...blah...blah..."
In short, she couldn't have cared less.
‘dino’ beat me to the punch, it appears no matter what you buy today regardless of brand there is no such thing as service for customers. I can’t understand why a car that is brand new and well within warranty takes such a battle to resolve problems.
This bit about the “dealers are our eyes and ears” is a pretty lame comment. It almost appears that the dealer is afraid if they make warranty repairs that costs the manufacture bigger than normal bucks they will lose any preferential treatment that they may have earned. Then the manufacture is fearful that the dealer won’t sell enough of their cars to be a leader in sales like they may have been. Partners in bed are tough to beat.
It’s great that a higher up at the dealership where you bought the car has made an appointment to see you. Just be sure you call him to be sure that when you get to Chicago he’ll be there.
Good luck.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Driver, I am pretty good at figuring out what kind of mileage I'm getting. Also, my driving philosophy is 'never on the gas never on the brake'. Sometimes that's the left lane, sometime it works out to be the middle or right lane. Over 36444 miles, my 1991 Mustang has used 1823.4 gallons of gas for an average of 19.99 mpg. :P
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
The first vehicle we landed on was a 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman at the local Audi dealer. One owner, @14,000 miles. We ended up $500 apart. We were getting ready to leave for vacation so my wife and I decided to wait until we got back from vacation to take any further action(I called our salesperson and told her that as well).
While on vacation my wife saw an article about the Nissan Rogue, so we took a brief foray into Extreme Practicality Mode. As I mentioned @one week ago I tried the "Edmunds Free Dealer Quote" feature; the result was no quotes whatsoever. But I did get a batch of phone calls -even though I selected e-mail as my "Preferred method of contact"- inviting me to come down and take a test drive... :sick:
Last Friday(before we returned home) the Audi dealer sold the Mini. Oh well...
So... last Monday we went to shop at the local MINI dealer. This did not help the case for the Countryman; not many were equipped the way we wanted and the Sales Manager was and arrogant jerk. Just one example: our salesman had found a car that was equipped the way we wanted, but it was at the body shop due to hail damage- and wouldn't be ready for another week. He said he'd check with the manager to see how much the car would be discounted due to the damage. The answer? "The car was not damaged enough to justify a discount from MSRP." Seriously??? The final downer was the salesperson's forthright admission that the service department was extremely busy and that 7-10 days was the common waiting period to have your Mini serviced :surprise:
Tuesday we went to the BMW dealer to check out a Audi A3 TDI and a 2008 328i wagon. Both cars had just sold. :mad: But sitting on the showroom floor was a one owner CPO 2009 328i; Crimson Red/Beige leather, 24,300 miles. We both liked it, but our salesperson wasn't there; we left a message and drove home. On a whim we decided to cruise by the Audi dealer- and sitting out in front was the "Sold" Countryman...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Comments
They kept coming up in groups of 3 or 4 and wanting to have their picture taken with me. They thought I was a giant, and I got to know how a celebrity feels. It went on for quite a while, to the point of my wife starting to get a little miffed because I was having so much fun.
So, if any of you are ever in Japan you might see a pic of 'ol houdini !!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Yes, Houdini, lots of Asian people visit Victoria every year. I remember seeing bus loads of Asians all over the eastern end of the Island.
I was just talking about a flight to Seattle in my post taking 5+ hours from Miami. I just read in the Sun Sentinnel (Ft. Lauderdale paper) that Alaska Air just started a flight today from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport non-stop to Seattle-Tacoma. One flight a day, round trip, on a Boeing 757 which takes 5 hours even. That would be a great flight because I would not have to drive all the way to Miami International (50 miles).
Alaska Air is a great airline - but I didn't know they made the 2700 mile flight to Seattle. I might look into it for a vacation out of this heat and humidity.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Yeah, when bowlegged salesman explained it all, all he said needed was to get your oil changed every 3,750 miles instead of 7,500 miles... period. I knew it was more complicated than that. I've been around the block a few times. :surprise:
I'll stick to my every 4-4.5k mile oil changes and do maintenance as needed.
I'll have to check into that. Thanks.
Just thought I'd ask the greatest collection of minds what they thought on the matter. When the dealership handed me the 20 page extended warranty "booklet", my first thought, "hmmm... this doesn't look very good."
I do wonder how many customers will try to follow all the extended warranty recommendations. How the dealership will handle any claims, and if corporate Hyundai would step in if too many complaints.
My guess is there are a certain percentage of people who will go for that warranty, just as there are people who will buy a warranty at Future Shop that will never breakdown, such as a wire.
And, of course they give you a fear story. The BMW lady told me how many people were thrilled they paid $1500 for warranty protection for run flat tires because they had about 6 flat tires! They try to scare you, then you have to sign papers to say you declined their fabulous warranty.
There is a place for a decent warranty in certain situations, but that sure ain't one of them.
I'd like to hear Mike's take on that particular warranty, and warranties in general.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Here's Mike's take on warranties:
1. Are you going to keep the car for 1 more year than the limits of the warranty?
2. Are you financially able to pay for major mechanical breakdown? ($2000+)
3. Is peace of mind essential to you after standard warranty is over?
Once you have answered these questions, you can then approach, "...should I purchase an extended warranty or not?"
I do not recommend 2nd or 3rd party warranties. If an extended warranty is important or necessary to you, purchase the car's manufacturer's warranty because they have a vested interest in your vehicle's performance and safety while 3rd and 2nd party warranties are managed by an insurance philosophy. Also, you'll have a loaner car from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Infiniti, Nissan, etc., but not from the non-manufacturer's warranty.
There is more peace of mind with manufacturer warranties as you are dealing with your preferred dealership. Genuine replacement parts are used on these warranties.
In summary, if an extended warranty is to be purchases, go for the one your car's manufacturer offers.
Usually, manufacturer warranties will take the car to 100,000 miles and up to 7 years.
When you buy a new car, note that Lexus's warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, and 5 years/70,000 miles for engine/drivetrain - and some other manufacturer's offer similar standard warranties.
I don't purchase extended warranties for obvious reasons, but if I did keep a car, I would wait to buy the extended warranty until a few months before the new car warranty expires.
Hope this answers your question.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
My money is on "they don't like the salesman's bow tie so they get up and walk out"
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yes, and very well!
Some people are really opposed to EWs, and some people wouldn't feel comfortable buying something as expensive as a car without a warranty.
I like what you said about 2nd or 3rd party warranties and about buying the EW near the end of your regular warranty.
Any idea what percentage of people buy EWs?
I am skeptical of them a bit, because I know I will lose on it, but, I will consider it on my wife's Audi because it only has a 3 year warranty, and we will see how reliable it will be....and you can buy the EW anytime before the regular warranty is over.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My money is on "they don't like the salesman's bow tie so they get up and walk out"
The first thing I did when I got in to work was to check to see if the
‘judge’'rb' put up the details on his/her car purchase.I don’t see it yet. He must be hung up on the extended warranty. Even he couldn’t be doing a test drive that takes this long. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Both went out Tuesday when high winds knocked down a tree and electric pole causing my power to go out-on-out-on in about 10 seconds.
The warranty cost $176 for both appliances and specifically covers power problems. Since my house insurance is covering the items "this time" I figured I better have another entity cover them if there is a next time.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
jipster....big "PASS" on that warranty. Besides being way stacked against you, it's not good for the environment to have to change, and dispose of that used oil that often. I'd tell the dealership they aren't being good, responsible environmental citizens by pushing it, either (not that they'd care).
That doesn't sound good at all.
Let us know, we love to give opinions!
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The thing is, there is no set rule for or against warranties. I don't usually get them, but I took out an EW on our Bosch dishwasher ($150) because I had a bad experience with Bosch before. It is worth $30 a year to know I won't have to spend $500 to have it repaired.
I think you got good value for $176 considering it is 2 appliances, and you are prone to power surges in your area. You will probably never have to use the warranty, but, it is a small cost to pay compared to having to buy a new refrigerator and freezer.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Oh oh!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My question to here is this: If you had a problem with Bosch before, why would you purchase another one?
I had a horrible General Motors experience and it took me 14 years to go back to them.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I was thinking the same thing.
I ain’t gonna be the one that asks about it.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Let me explain a little before I get in to the cruise. This event was started in 1983 by Myron Cope (long time local sportscaster and color voice for the Steelers and is probably best known for his invention of the Terrible Towel). Unfortunately Myron died a few years ago but his event has lived on and has gotten bigger and bigger. Myron had a son that had Autism and he wanted to do something for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and for the school where his son was, in addition to the proceeds made from the Terrible Towel. It’s a pretty big 10 day event now not just the Grand Prix race through Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park on a Sunday like it was when it started in 1983.
After my son was finished with his finger-pointing we walked the cruise. I can’t begin to tell you all of what was there, but of course there were the ’55 and ’57 Chevy types of cars. One thing that I can’t understand about some of these cruises is that some cars are so tricked-out it’s hard to determine what piece of sheet metal they started with but those cars do draw a crowd.
Personal interest car:
A guy had a ’77 Grand Prix that my son gravitated to because he learned to drive on my ’75 Grand Prix and since he didn’t see a ’75 he took me over to see the ’77. The guy bought it last year for $10K even from a local guy that stored it and it had only 28K miles on it. This guy kept it as he got it (he did NOTHING to it at all) even the very minor rust in only 3 or 4 spots on the radiator support. He said he didn’t want to touch them because he wants this car to be as he got it and kept referring to it as a “survivor”. This is the type of car that would be repainted because the paint was a little faded but again this guy wasn’t going to touch it. He just waxed it as it sat. My son just couldn’t stop pointing out the pieces of the engine like the A/C, the spark plug wires, the water pump, the radiator and all that stuff that were still original. The only part that I could see that wasn’t original was the alternator. It was a lot cleaner looking than anything else and the guy admitted that he put that on about 7 months ago. Although I had a ’75 the engine in this ’77 was the same 400 CID, V8 that GM must have made a gazillion of before they went to the 350 as their standard in later years.
Most Novel:
I saw a 1951 Hudson Hornet convertible that an old timer picked up about 25 years ago and he started to recondition it but only to the engine that had about 60K original miles on it at the time. He did have it repainted to its original color (some shade of Brown that I seen to remember). It still had the original radio and the original heavy leather seats that they used back then not the thin paper like stuff they use today. This car even had power windows which were very upscale back then.
The guy said the popularity of the Hudson Hornet started with the move Driving Miss Daisy then when it slowed down, along came the Toy Story Cars movie and it took off again. He said that an auction house came to him when they found out he had this car about 8 years ago and they offered him $65K but he was not interested in any way of selling it. Son #1 asked if he was willing to say what it was worth today and he said for insurance purposes he had it appraised last year and it was valued at just under $100K. This car was PERFECT in every way.
He has antique plates on it of course and I said something like I guess you had it flat bedded in here and he said, “NO, this car is no fun unless you drive it. I don’t put many miles on it but it’s on the road about 2K miles a year”. When I asked him about being concerned with someone hitting it he said, “I used to be like that but not anymore. It’s just too much fun to drive and I like the all the stares I get”. He then said, “I’m more likely to be hit when I’m in a parking lot like when I come to these cruises than on the highway and since the speeds are low the other guy will suffer more harm than this thing will. It has real bumpers. Knock on that fender; you’ll see what I mean”. I’ve rapped on a few of those fenders and he’s right. They don’t refer to the cars of that era as “tanks” for no reason.
Most expensive”
This was a Lexus LFA. I didn’t even know what that car was until Son #1 said, “that car goes for around $400K, it has a V10 engine”. It looked like it had an adjustable rear spoiler. This car was closed up tight; no doors or hood opened. It just sat here. The cars in this row were spaced much further apart than the cars in the other rows and what was funny was that nobody even went up to this car and looked in the windows. They just stood back and pointed even though the owner wasn’t there at the time. I guess some cars get more respect than others. I said to my son, “what do you think would happen if I went up to that car and rapped on the fender”? He just gave me a look like Yeah, you wanna die right here.
My son said he saw one of these cars at his track last year and it’s fast alright but it’s more show than go because a new Vette ZRI that cost just under $125K beat it 5 times out of 5 but the Vette driver was almost pro-like so that could have explained that. When I went home I looked this car up here at Edmunds and it has a $70K OPTION. You otta go look at it because I doubt the guy next door has one.
Most Disappointing:
I couldn’t find the ’64 Morris Minor that I saw in 2010.
All in all it was a very nice car cruise.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
This is where I disagree. I used to buy warranties, did it twice for a car, several times for new appliances and once for a plasma TV. About 8 years worth of various purchases. Then one day I made a calculation of money spent on those premiums vs. claims and I had some, couple were even more than puny. IT WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE. Moreover, I also noticed my checking/savings/assets accounts are large enough so I could buy every single new appliance in my house, including new AC and there will still be some leftover.
To me insurance (which extended warranty essentially is) is something to cover me in case of an event that is either trully catastrophic or highly damaging to my finances (I'm talking digging deep into retirement accounts). I do not consider an unplanned expense of $500 to $5000 catastrophic and it would cover basically all but most unlikely events. It is part of life. Hurts for sure, but it is NOT something I want insure myself against. I say if you can't afford a $5000 engine, you should not buy/lease $40000+ car.
This debate could also be extended into any other insurance, including health, car, house, etc. I see proliferation of insurance services partially responsible (not solely, but at least it is contributing factor) for several adverse economic trends, such as inflation of costs of those items that tend to be insured (because it is covered, people do not care how much it costs, thus providers jack up their rates, which in turn makes people want to buy insurance) and even more important, lack of proper personal financial planning. Because people expect NOT to pay for even smallest things, like $30 immunization shot, replacement of $200 music player, or $1000 refrigerator, they tend to spend much more than they actually should, which leaves them without proper savings and vulnerable sudden economic changes. They end up living in fear that next expense on "uninsured" items (services) will ruin them, so they buy even more insurance for more and more trivial expenses. Political points aside ("religious liberty" vs. "women's rights"), the whole debate about coverage of $20 contraception pill is a great tell about state of our society. If covering or not covering something like that becomes "access", what is next? 1 cent premium in case you want to buy your kid a loley pop and you forgot your wallet? "Don't worry, we are insured - remember the card I gave you five years ago? Yes, daddy, here it is Then the gas station attendand swipes it through the terminal and "Approved" shows up on the screen and your kid gets the candy. Thanks God we were insured - what would we do without it? Meanwhile media have exposes and Congress holds hearings about rampant prices of candy and their insurance, President is soon to introduce an Affordable Loley Pop Act, because it can't be in America that children go with their candy...
2018 430i Gran Coupe
That's a good question, and a difficult one to explain...but I will try.
We bought a Bosch about 10 years ago, when we were in another house. It worked great, but broke down about a month after the warranty expired. The dishwasher cost about $600, and the repair was about $320. I got nowhere with Bosch customer service.
Since then I have warned everyone looking for a dishwasher about my experience.
10 years later, our dishwasher goes. It is a Maytag and came with the house. We look at dishwashers and from what we can read and from what knowledgeable salespeople tell us, Bosch makes the best dishwasher for a reasonable price, when they are on sale. We paid $500 for a diswasher that sells normally for $700. It is stainless inside, it has the extra sound deadening material that most others don't, and it does an amazing job of cleaning....somehow they get the steam and hot water etc right.
For $500 the only competition would not have stainless or the superior sound insulation. And the Bosch is smartly designed.
I understand being burned and not going back. I figure with the warranty I am going to get 5 years of good use out of this dishwasher, and it still costs less than anything even close.
What happened to your GM? And, what made you decide to try again?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I have an account for that kind of expense. You might have seen it (post 48336). When the XG350 blew up and Hyundai refused warranty work, I’m not going to say I wasn’t pissed but I knew I had it covered. When I said to Mrs. j that we should tap that account for the loss she said something like, “boy, we could but I’m glad we don’t have to touch it. I can cover it”. She must have piles of that stuff that I don’t know about. :surprise:
Point being, you can plan for this type of expense and in my case the account has been growing for years.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Hopefully, things won't get to that stage.
I would agree that 95% of the time I wouldn't take the insurance. But, I think with smart thoughtful planning there are times when insurance is worthwhile.
The chances Mako will need to claim on his EW are probably not great...it would be interesting to know what percentage of people do make a claim.....but, there are times, and especially for some people who may get upset more easily than others, where it is better to have the peace of mind of paying $179 and sleeping at night, than have a power surge which is pretty frequent in some areas, and lose $1500 worth of appliances.
I just don't think a blanket rule about EWs suits all cases. The Driver rule is, "In most cases decline EWs, but in selective situations it could be worthwhile considering one".
"
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2018 430i Gran Coupe
That's not too bad a deal, but I doubt I would get a warranty on a plazma tv or led tv for that matter.
Usually problems will show up in the first year with electronics. After that, they should go for 20 years. The other thing, after a few years the TV will come down a lot in price, and the technology will be so outdated, you may as well just buy a new one and get the latest features.
I am sure with those warranties most people forget to keep their receipt, or forget the program, and never make the claim. It is actually more benefit to the store anyway, say you pay $100 for a warranty on a $1000 TV, then in 5 years you go back and will get $50 off a TV from that same store....they guaranty themselves they will get you to come back to them.
I once did that with a portable phone. Marked the date on the calendar when I could go back and get back ALL the money I paid for the warranty if I didn't use it...as a credit. The salesman looked at me like I was weird that I would actually have remembered to bring in the proof and make my claim. I did get a new battery for the phone. The store went out of business shortly after....which is a whole other problem.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I may have told this before, so I'll try and keep it brief.
I bought a brand new (off the showroom floor) 1998 Oldsmobile 88. I originally went shopping for a Bonneville or LeSabre but the Olds had better incentives and was a good compromise between the others and the same basic car underneath.
I bought it in January, and naturally the next day its a snowy/rainy mix. I drive the car to work and when I get there the passenger floor is flooded (two inches + of water).
I naturally drive it right back to the dealer and they assure me they will fix it. Well the ordeal over the next 11 months was nothing short of a disaster. GM refused to buy it back, and they never fixed the water leak (slowed it down at best). The entire interior had been taken apart so many times it rattled, had ill fitting pieces and they even had to replace the driver's seat since they damaged it taking it out. It also smelled of mildew and the carpet was replaced once. The car spent over 100 days in the shop over 11 months.
GM reps didn't care and the dealer I bought it from had closed down. I tried getting another dealer to fix it and when I gave them my information they must have seen how many times it was in for the same problem since they offered me an appointment to bring it in a month later.
That was the end for me. I went to the Toyota dealer for a Camry and walked out with a beautiful (and trouble free) 2000 Solara. I got what I owed on the Olds but lost my entire $5000 down payment and whatever they had given me on my trade in.
I was only 20 at the time and didn't know to get a lawyer, which today is obviously what I would have done. I did look into Lemon law and I didn't know all the ins and outs of using that, so my window of oppurtunity for using it was gone.
Now Part II,
I came back to GM only because I realized I bought a lemon and basically the car I bought has absolutely nothing in common with the model I bought years prior.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
The representative knew exactly what I was asking for when I called, he had all the records and it all took ten minutes to get the credit. About month or two later I bought a nice Boston Acoustics center speaker to replace one that burnt out (well, had to add some, but not much).
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Ha, at least they gave you a chance to see the conditions. When I bought the Chrysler I asked to get a copy of the warranty to review before I decided.
The F & I guy just tore off the top page of 3 and handed it to me. When I got home I read what I had been given and realized that all the exclusions were on the pages he hadn't given me.
When we returned to pick up the car he had the nerve to ask if I was going to take the warranty. I told him that I thought he wasn't even trying to be honest with me and he got this angry-hurt look on his face. It was as if asking to know what I was paying for was some kind of unreasonable demand. :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Right! Because we know EVERYTHING! (and if we don't know it, we make something up).
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I have a Bosch also and just this week it stopped working. I opened and closed the door a few times and then pounded on it with my fist. Suddenly it turned on and has worked fine since.
Save your money next time and just have me come over and put the fear of god into it. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
All of you know how I (and a little less so, the GF) loved the S4. I plotted, schemed and generally cajoled her into getting it. Don't get me wrong. She loves driving it.....WHEN IT'S WORKING.
Brief background....couldn't make a deal in SW OH on the S4. Was able to make a deal in Chicago. Reason? $4K difference between the deal we could strike locally vs what we could make in Chitown.
Upon driving home, the GF said the steering felt "jittery" and the handling was darty. I told her it was probably because she wasn't used to sport suspensions (although she has driven my BMW enough to know what that type of suspension/steering feels like).
Over the course of the first week or two of ownership (she's had it about 6 weeks), the complaints got worse, and she said she was having electrical issues...namely, CDs wouldn't play in the CD player (all store bought....all in perfect shape). She loves Pandora. She loves streaming Pandora from her phone. It works perfectly in my BMW. The S4 is supposed to allow bluetooth streaming, but doesn't. In addition, the Blue Tooth phone (iPhone4) sometimes isn't recognized by the MMI (Audi's fancy UI for most car controls), sometimes isn't. There are some other electrical gremilins, but you get the idea.
Cut to the chase, I drove her car for a week straight. Her complaints were all valid.
In addition, a few weeks ago, I decided to give the car a good detail. Upon doing that, I found cracks and chips on two of the wheels. Understand, this car had been driven as the break-in procedure recommends, and even more cautiously than the procedure outlines. It was never curbed, and stayed in a heated garage. She never hit anything, and neither did I. Whomever makes these wheels for Audi, had a bad batch.
The GF took her car to the nearest Audi dealer. They pronounced it trouble free after keeping it all day. I was with her when she went to pick it up. I showed them the defects in the wheels. They said it was caused by (there words) "outside forces". What does that mean? As I told them, if their wheels are so flimsy that they crack after 500 gentle miles, I don't want anything to do with them.
My GF took all of 10 seconds to show them the gremlins in the MMI system (what they couldn't find in 8 hours). By this time, we were in front if the service foreman. His response? "MMI systems are really expensive. I can't just go and replace them willy-nilly because you say it's broke." Huh?
I was steamed at that point and left. Calmed down and called the service foreman the next day. He had left of vacation, but the service writer said he'd make sure to have him call me when he returned on Monday. That was 2 weeks ago. Haven't heard a peep.
Went to the 2nd Audi dealer to see where my luck would fall. Unfortunately, I was greeted with another "we can't find anything wrong". I personally showed (after about 15 seconds) the dealer the broken MMI and the cracked wheels. I was then told (I kid you not)...."well, if you bought it from us, we may be a little more liberal in what we will fix". :mad: :mad: :mad:
Called Audi Customer Service. They played their best game of "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil". After speaking to 3 of them (including an alleged customer service supervisor), I was informed that they support their dealers. My reply..."but you don't support your customers...the people who own your cars?" No reply.
I wrote to the President of Audi USA (Scott Keogh), including a USB memory stick with videos of the broken MMI and pictures of the cracked wheels. Of course, that letter went to....you guessed it....some low level customer service rep, who proceeded to repeat whatever those previous reps told me.
I'm blazing mad at this point. I call Wayne Huizenga, owner of Autonation, who owns the Audi dealership in Chicago where we bought the S4. Of course, I didn't get him. I did get his VP of "luxury brands", which includes their Audi, BMW and Mercedes stores.
I told him this entire story. I told him that I'm beyond mad at Audi. And, that I want nothing to do with Audi. He's meeting me in Chicago this Saturday with the promise he'll make us happy.
That's where we stand.
I'm angry at the local Audi dealerships. I'm more angry with Audi corporate. If I have to go through this every time I need service, I will blow a gasket.
We'll see how this turns out.
I don't know which area stores you were at, but that matches our friend's experience with his first VW that he bought in Fairfield and tried to get serviced near Dana IIRC because it was closer to Highland Hts.. He was dissed out the door because he didn't buy the car there.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Audi's are good looking cars, but every time I go out to buy one I end up with another Lexus !!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The one on Beechmont actually said the repairs might be done if I agreed to pay for part of them. Wha? :surprise: This car is new and under warranty.
I think he was suggesting I needed to BUY new wheels. Why would I spend even more money to buy more crappy wheels?
The alleged Customer Support Supervisor (who supposedly was acting under the direction of Audi's President), said she had reviewed my letter and video, saw the pictures I sent. When I quizzed her about the MMI issues, and the cracks in the wheels, she clearly had no idea what I was talking about. On top of that, I sent the letter, pics, videos to VA. She was calling from MI. So, long and short of this, someone told her to call me because I was complaining. She didn't know why, even though she said she had thoroughly reviewed my input. Don't think I'd be going on a limb in saying this, but I think she was lying.
At one point, one of the many customer support people I spoke to told me how they test the stereo in their cars if they have complaints.
She said, "we play CDs that we know work in them"
"How many do you play?"
"Just one...if it works, it's operator error."
"So, out of all the tens of millions of CDs out there, if one works, the one you own, the one you know will work, actually plays, then the customer's complaint is dismissed?"
Then I got the ....."dealers are our eyes and ears....blah...blah...blah....too bad you feel that way.....blah...blah...blah..."
In short, she couldn't have cared less.
Stuff goes wrong with cars. I understand that.
The attitudes of both the local dealers and Audi corporate enrage me.
The GF said I have to be calm while talking to the VP while in Chicago. I don't even know what they could offer us to calm me down at this point, short of a full refund.
Hell, I'll drop the car there, grab the check, turnaround and take a bus back home. I'd have no problem with that.
I'm letting her drive my car as much as she wants given that I wrongfully steered her in this direction.
Basically doesn't matter what you buy, when it is good, you are happy, but if something doesn't work, you pray for good will. Makes me appreciate more my local Subaru dealer fixing my transmission at 59 thousand miles (60K warranty), even when the paperwork said it was my fault - it wasn't, but after all they fixed it, so what do I care - they improved their statistics of transmission defects and I had newly redesigned gearset with surprise - reinforced sprockets, which of course had nothing to do with the premature wear on my original tranny - of course not... It was all my driving and gear shifting habits. :sick:
2018 430i Gran Coupe
You are more forgiving than I would be. If i had those kind of problems I would never buy that same brand again. But then, when I hold a grudge I really hold a grudge.
Not sure if you remember my plumbing bill of $1000 for 3 hours work. Well, I have written to the consumer columnist in the local paper, and will put my remarks on various consumer websites as well as any other place I can complain. I called customer service and told them politely that if I tell anyone what I was charged they are shocked. After a lot of defensive answers the company called and they want to send a supervisor out to see the work that was done. Since I am away this week we will try for next week. I am not sure they will do anything about it, almost doubt it, but, I won't give up easily.
I only bought another Bosch because I could get a warranty so I know I will get 5 years of use from it. I would not have bought it if I couldn't get the warranty. Maybe you are more forgiving than me. I don't forgive too easily, and I will make them pay if they don't give me a reasonable refund.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'll have to remember that for when the extended warranty is up.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am so sorry to hear about your problems....especially since we are getting an Audi too!
I think that the VP is going to meet with you is an excellent sign.
If they don't make it right I am sure you can get recourse through the lemon laws....although it is probably going to be a ton of paperwork.
I am really hoping you get it all settled to your satisfaction GG. A new car shouldn't cause you so much pain, it should have been a joyous occasion.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Customer service is a sham these days. It is just the road block to addressing a problem. Corporations don't care about your problem, they only care to take your money....solving a problem is going to hurt the bottom line.
There are some exceptions, Apple being one. A friend took his broken i Pad in, it wouldn't work. He didn't need any paperwork, they went to the backroom and got him a new one, no questions asked. Now, if only Apple made cars....................
and if they drove like bmws of course.....................
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I understand how you feel. When you buy an upscale car you expect upscale quality and upscale service. When you get neither it's like a slap in the face.
Maybe that's why I attracted to old used cars, if something goes wrong you kind of expect it and you get it fixed at your local garage. It's easier fighting with Joe the owner across his desk than a voice on the phone from MI if you're not satisfied. If everything goes wrong you haven't invested $50k in a car you hate. :lemon:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Bought in the coupon for 'The Works', which is oil change/tire rotation and a bunch on top offs/inspections.
Got a letter from Ford that the cooling fans needed inspection and reprogramming/replacement as required.
I also asked them to look at a buzzing around the windshield in big cross winds. This is a known issue, but I didn't know if it was one of those 'have to be able to reproduce' type things.
I decided to leave it for the day and rent a car on my own from Enterprise and young guy drove me over their office.
The Enterprise manager was kind of a pain about trying to up sell me on damage waiver and AAA for a day. I declined all.
There was a young lady working there that I think was her first day.
She pointed out a couple flaws that the manager said don't worry about.
He also said that if I dropped it at the dealership, I was responsible for any damage until it was returned to them.
I ended up driving a new Focus sedan. It was pretty nice with a power moon roof.
When i got in it, the average mpg reading was 27.3.
I drove for a bit and reset it. When I got off the highway not using any A/C, it was 46.3.
Got a call that the Explorer was all set including the fix for the buzzing noise. The SA also said 'We'll pay for your rental car'. Nice!
I knew the fix was to install some revised trim pieces around the windshield and that what was done.
Brought back in the afternoon to Enterprise and even after using the A/C, the average was 42 mpg. I was not going to return it anywhere else after the manager comment.
When I returned the Focus, the new girl inspected it and commented to the young guy who picked me up originally, 42 mpg just like you said.
They had a nice new black Mustang convertible sitting out front and he ended up driving me back to pick up my Explorer in it.
That was a great service experience!
Enterprise seems to get a lot of that dealer business. I think they try really hard so that they can really work on expanding that car dealership service.
That is good gas mileage you got on the Focus...I would imagine more city driving would bring that figure down quite a bit...it sounds too good to be true. Are you sure it wasn't doing kms. 1 km = .64 miles, 42 kms would be about 28 miles per gallon!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
and if the VP is smart, in this digital age (after I am sure he will understand the influence you wield!) they will tell you to take it over and pick up a replacement.
probably easier and cheaper than gutting the MMI and putting new wheels on it!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
What is the problem with Alloy wheels recently? Another poster here just had to replace wheels on his 1 series BMW. I've never had to replace a wheel before for cracking, etc.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
In short, she couldn't have cared less.
‘dino’ beat me to the punch, it appears no matter what you buy today regardless of brand there is no such thing as service for customers. I can’t understand why a car that is brand new and well within warranty takes such a battle to resolve problems.
This bit about the “dealers are our eyes and ears” is a pretty lame comment. It almost appears that the dealer is afraid if they make warranty repairs that costs the manufacture bigger than normal bucks they will lose any preferential treatment that they may have earned. Then the manufacture is fearful that the dealer won’t sell enough of their cars to be a leader in sales like they may have been. Partners in bed are tough to beat.
It’s great that a higher up at the dealership where you bought the car has made an appointment to see you. Just be sure you call him to be sure that when you get to Chicago he’ll be there.
Good luck.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I am pretty good at figuring out what kind of mileage I'm getting.
Also, my driving philosophy is 'never on the gas never on the brake'.
Sometimes that's the left lane, sometime it works out to be the middle or right lane.
Over 36444 miles, my 1991 Mustang has used 1823.4 gallons of gas for an average of 19.99 mpg. :P
While on vacation my wife saw an article about the Nissan Rogue, so we took a brief foray into Extreme Practicality Mode. As I mentioned @one week ago I tried the "Edmunds Free Dealer Quote" feature; the result was no quotes whatsoever.
But I did get a batch of phone calls -even though I selected e-mail as my "Preferred method of contact"- inviting me to come down and take a test drive... :sick:
Last Friday(before we returned home) the Audi dealer sold the Mini. Oh well...
So... last Monday we went to shop at the local MINI dealer. This did not help the case for the Countryman; not many were equipped the way we wanted and the Sales Manager was and arrogant jerk. Just one example: our salesman had found a car that was equipped the way we wanted, but it was at the body shop due to hail damage- and wouldn't be ready for another week. He said he'd check with the manager to see how much the car would be discounted due to the damage. The answer? "The car was not damaged enough to justify a discount from MSRP." Seriously??? The final downer was the salesperson's forthright admission that the service department was extremely busy and that 7-10 days was the common waiting period to have your Mini serviced :surprise:
Tuesday we went to the BMW dealer to check out a Audi A3 TDI and a 2008 328i wagon. Both cars had just sold. :mad:
But sitting on the showroom floor was a one owner CPO 2009 328i; Crimson Red/Beige leather, 24,300 miles. We both liked it, but our salesperson wasn't there; we left a message and drove home. On a whim we decided to cruise by the Audi dealer- and sitting out in front was the "Sold" Countryman...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive