Agree with that but at the same time the dealer should know this and insist on the chassis number if this is the only fool proof way. My Mum for example and many other people would trust that the dealer has asked all he needs to know, it is simply his job to know and to ask the right questions but that doesnt mean we cant do our bit to help once we know what info they really need.

 

Pete,

One of the best reads in ages. Shame you didn't get stiffed. lol

Steve

 

Exactly. Not a leg to stand on.
Well done rickya and Budgie.
Dealers like this do not deserve our trade and hopefully the interested parties within IM will take note and do a little educating. This sort of thing has a disproportionate adverse effect on the Subaru reputation and loyalty in general and to do it to someone with a long history of dealing with /subaru is like shooting yourself in the foot.

 

It will be a bit of a David an Goliath.

I'm not saying its right or fair, but it seems to be common place with car parts sourced from dealerships: Fiat, Alfa, Peugeot and Citreon dealers that are part of a certain chain often have a 'NO returns' stipulation printed in large writing on their parts invoices for non-stock/special order parts (I know because I enter in their invoices almost daily).

If your invoice does say clearly its a non-returnable part, then I'm not sure how this restricts yor rights as a consumer if the part isn't faulty.

I guess the assumed onus is when presented with the invoice you have the right to refuse buying the part on those terms stated. I don't agree with that, but its seems quite a few dealers (or more accurately; their franchise groups ) use this practice with parts sales.

 

Can you ring this same person and ask them to address the hatch engine "issues"?

 

Send in Mantazini with his own cage to sort it Pete
Bet you get a full refund plus
I know its sorted but do it anyway
Can i be there to film it

 

Incredible. Subaru's aren't exactly the easiest cars to sell at the moment yet the dealers still behave like idiots and drive customers away.

 

Most of the dealers are on borrowed time anyway so it's only a question of how long they can keep going before Subaru pull out of the UK - just like the recent announcement by Daihatsu............

 

Nothing changes they are merely highlighting the sellers rights. They are under no obligation, whether informing the customer or not, to offer a refund for non faulty stock (where non long distance trading is concerned) however if the salesman supplies the wrong part through no fault of the consumer then the consumers statutory rights override that of the companies policy and they are entitled to a refund.

 

As someone who has worked in parts departments for 20 years starting as a van driver all the way through to a regional parts manager you would be surprised who often we do get given the wrong information by customers. I insist that my staff always get the chassis number and never rely on the registration number as it can change and the DVLA are not amiss either from cocking it up.

Plus of course you have the interpretation issue as well as different people will describe differently, that it is where the skill and knowledge of the parts person is vital.

Perhaps that might be the case with car dealerships but I have worked in commercial dealerships where we see vans, HGV's and PSV's and I have a very good working knowledge of all the systems on the vehicles we service as a main dealer, I work at a Volvo Truck & Bus franchise.

But I agree car dealerships on the whole are pretty $h1te when it comes to supplying parts, some of the bigger franchises ie Ford and Vauxhall seem to guess as to whether a part is correct or not, if it is wrong then no problem they just move onto the next customer.

You would be surprised by the amount of parts purchased by customers and then get returned which have been fitted and then returned as they have not cured the fault. We will not accept back any part that shows any sign of fitment and we also stipulate that we will not accept any part that is minus it's packaging and all electrical parts like relays etc.

Business to business sales (as all our sales are) do not fall under the consumer law legislation, we are under no obligation to accept any returns from customers but we will always help out where possible. The only real problem is when VOR parts are ordered and the customer does not return them within 14 days as we only have 21 days to apply for a returns number and get it despatched back to Volvo.

I'm pretty sure that if you have supplied the information requested whether it be registration or chassis number and your description of the part required is correct then you are fully covered and the dealer should issue a refund.

But beware though a lot of telephone parts sales lines are now recorded and if you do supply the wrong information and you do receive the wrong part then the dealer is under no obligation to do anything. (that is why when you ring up you will get a recorded message telling you that calls are recorded for training and quality purposes)

To the OP: I can't see why the dealer really had to go down this route, it would have been far easier to just issue you with a refund, return the parts to Subaru and you would have been happy and they would have got an order for a car.

 

That is different to the dealer asking the wrong questions and the consumer giving the right info to that specific question that leads to getting the wrong part.

 

that is exactly the point
I asked the parts man for some front wheel bearings for my impreza
no problem he said, whats the reg no
gave that and said its an 06 sti
he seemed not to interested in that
So as not to belittle the guy I assumed he had all the info he needed
As a carpenter, if someone askes me for a new Oak front door I dont then fit them a mahogany one just because the size matched
I have since found out that the manager is new ish to the dealership and the parts guy I have never dealt with before so all the previous business and good will have gone by the wayside
looks like Slip End Subaru will get my next order

 

Fair play, however my view is that proving that the wrong questions were asked are iffy.

OK, if it was ordered on the phone and you have access to the recordings, then it would all be clear (presuming management would take the time to review it).

But how often would the case be where an employee ***** up and lies to covers his tracks? Who does the manager believe - the employee or the customer? It could go either way.

 

The main dealers are tossers, I went into SGT in Maidenhead a few weeks ago to buy key blank for my classic, they started out suggesting that I can get one from any key cutters to which I pointed out that's what I have and that's why I want a genuine one

Once I got them to understand that they insisted that they had to have my logbook to buy a blank to prove ownership Fine if I was buying a bloody key that's cut but a blank is useless

From the same dealer I bought an offside cam cover gasket last year, didn't question it when I collected it and they had supplied a nearside one I can't be bothered to use them anymore

 

I wasn't referring to the specific problem encountered by the OP but just as a warning when ringing a parts order line in general.

 

If it were me dealing with the problem, if I were in a position to return the item for a credit to Subaru and issue a refund to the customer then I would credit the customer and be done with it.

It really is not worth the hassle and grief to me and as has been pointed out you lose business through it as well.

Bad publicity/customer relations/news spreads far quicker and is more easily remembered than good news.

 

Slipend Subaru are good that is who I use to get my parts and I have never had a problem hope all is well Peter with everyone

 

Perhaps this all explains why Subaru have only managed to shift half the allocation of Cosworths? Customer service is everything these days. When you're spending your hard earned you want to know that the dealer is fully behind you. If they can't be pleasant about a couple of small parts why would anyone actually buy a car from them?

 

Hear hear! It's not rocket science is it? It's all about building a relationship between dealer and customer. There is no excuse for poor customer service and ultimately it isn't going to be very good for business.

 

My Dad has just bought a TV from Richersounds. He drove an extra 30 minutes to buy it from there due to his knowledge of their aftersales care. Currys that were 7 minutes away and selling it for the same price dont get a look in anymore. No its not rocket science but you would think that for some it is.

 

I rang the stealers last week to get a price for a coilpack / leads ... they couldn't / wouldn't help me until I gave them the chassis nr!

TX.

PS

£200

 

I'd like to think that.

But in my experience it doesn't always happen liek that. In one example, an employee of one of our dealership suppliers made a severe **** up our accounts and then lied to cover their tracks. Despite the overwhelming paper trail evidence supplied by us and dealing with them on a daily basis for well over a decade without issue, their manager sided with their employee.

That particular case ended up in a "see you in court" ending.

 

Off to said dealer on Saturday for my refund
thanks for the help guys

 

Persistence is the key also. Sumtimes staff are told to say no then if you complain say yes. Not a good way to deal with customers but that's the way sone do it