FOMOCO crooks

[Dusty]

Kinda sucks but shouldn't this be in Off-Topic? Not much "Bronco Chat" about this.

 

[mjschneidy]

This is exactly why I do everything myself. Can't stand to be talked to like I'm the next fool in line to get bent over. Its unfortunate that with the improvements in auto reliability that dealership business models are now based on up selling to keep the service bay lights on. The thing that pisses me off to no end is it sets a bad image for the product when your service advisor tries to convince you that you need $300 worth of checks and inspections or your 30k mile car might leave you stranded. Most of these belts, hoses, cables, etc are tested to 100k mile life.

My 70yr old retired widowed mother took her 2013 Edge in for service and the jerk tried to convince her she needed $300 worth of fluid changes on her 30k mile car. Trans and diff fluids are good to 80k on this vehicle unless extreme usage. She called BS on him but he scared her into needing a new battery. When the general manager for service followed up with a courtesy call to see how her visit went she let him have it. Needless to say they didn't e-mail her a link for the on-line survey this time.

Sorry....now I'm ranting.....

 

[sanndmann3]

Yeah, I avoid dealerships like the plague. Try to do all my own servicing to avoid those expensive bull crap repairs...

 

[1strodeo]

Kinda sucks but shouldn't this be in Off-Topic? Not much "Bronco Chat" about this.

I was recently told something similar, guess it depends...on what? I have no idea

End of the day we’re all gear heads and/or enthusiasts that like to talk about stuff that goes vroom. There’s a reason Chat is at the top ;D

 

[Wyflyer]

Kinda sucks but shouldn't this be in Off-Topic? Not much "Bronco Chat" about this.

I took my 69 Bronco in to get the fluids checked before an event. I was busy between trips and didn't have time to do it myself.
I paid up, loaded it on the trailer, and noticed the gearbox plugs had not been removed. meaning they didn't even check the fluids although they had taken the time to mark them with the little white spray paint.
I got a refund on that one....

There, it's a Bronco thread;D

 

[Broncobowsher]

I work in the industry. Make a real good product. Only to get it hacked by a dealer doing stupid add ons and pissing off customers. Much like the original post, they blame the corporation that made the vehicle, when the whole problem lies in the dealer that is selling it.

In the united states manufacturers are not the retailers. Tesla is the exception. And in some states are not allowed to sell the cars because they don't go through a dealer network.

To some extent you can even make the case with cell phone providers. There are corporate stores that are generally the better place to get the hook up, and the retailers reselling the corporate services. The crappy little kiosk in the mall place. The best cell phone setup I have ever had was buying a cell phone directly from the manufacturer and waling into a corporate cell phone provider store. Skipped all the reatailer BS. And that is the issue with the bad dealerships, they are just a retailer reselling the product. The dealer has no real say on a warranty claim. They do the work on good faith that they will get the money back when it is submitted back to corporate. Once the service department gets burned with a couple of good faith losses, they won't warranty anything that is borderline.

Now the service advisers make a cut of the services sold. The more paying income, the better boat payment they can make.

complaining to the dealership you will get blown off. They have too many other cash cows they are milking. But complaining to corporate, that does good. You won't see it. But it gets a tick mark against that dealership. And if they start getting a bunch of those tick marks against them, the corporate overlords will start to notice. Now they start sticking it to the dealership. Lost discounts, lost bonuses, dropping from the preferred status, severe enough they could even loose the franchise. Complain to corporate, be nice when doing so. IF you go off the handle you will be blown off as the problem instead of the dealership. Give details. Accurate information. The name of the service adviser and the tech (those will be listed on the work order). The work order number as well. That helps establish that you have your act together and gives easy information when the district rep stops by the dealer. They are not looking for John Doe that had a complaint and not be able to figure out which repair order they complained about. They will know exactly what is going on.

Three possible concenqunces. Nothing happens. At least that you will see. The dealer will be pissed at you, which will be mutual and you can avoid each other. Or the dealer eats crow and gets better. At this point you have lost nothing, and have the potential to make things better.

 

[Dusty]

There, it's a Bronco thread;D

That's more like it ;D

 

[bmc69]

I have a buddy that was a service manager for a local GMC dealership. He finally had to quit his job because of all the pressure by management to up-sell unnecessary repairs.

What irritates me the most is that half the time they can't correctly diagnose and fix legitimate complaints, yet they have gotten good at convincing people to have their power steering fluid changed.

I change my power steering fluid every 3000 miles. Can't be too careful.

 

[gnpenning]

Well the dealer is not in any way owned by FOMOCO so they kinda are an independent shop and I have seen more shady up sales from dealers then many smaller shops. Im sure the quick lane service center has monthly sales goals and can probably get away with more up sales to the average person because they have a giant blue oval over there building so they must be legit right???

In the old days manufacturers had a small ownership in most dealers. In the 80s and 90s this was changing to the manufacturers maintaining a majority ownership. More than one dealer has lost their dealership do to unethical behavior.

DSM is your friend especially with warranty issues. As mentioned stay calm and stick to facts, have a copy of your invoice.

Depending on your dealer, when the DSM quietly raises hell with them they will either kiss your butt, or make it so you go else were. If they do kiss your butt the special treatment you get will make you forget what started it all.

Remember the DSM will most likely be the same at the next dealership.

 

[73azbronco]

Always go corporate and BBB complaint route. Then state AG office.

Bought a showroom quality like new MIni Paceman loaner car with 25k miles. Cost about half of new. Knew the dealer as I had bought 3 others from him over previous 8 12 years. Wife likes em, I said I couldn't take the go cart feel anymore so we got "the big one". Anyway, it had a cracked windshield. Salesman agreed to replace and me and wife verified it would be a BMW window, not aftermarket. Pickup car, aftermarket window installed. Go to sales manager, explain right here it says "Mini windshield" on contract. Show him, and I kid you not, the poster in their service department saying if you break a window you will have to buy them a mini window on their loaners. He says he has complied, have a good day. I say see you soon. File a complaint with BBB, call Mini/BMW customer satisfaction phone line. 24 hours later I'm called by "assistant" of general manager to have window replaced with a mini window.

Gave dealer 1 star on google rating. 1 on corporate survey.

Probably won't be going back there for service, which is a shame cause that service writer always did us good, the GM, another story, fraudster....

Don't let them @#$% you.

 

[56f100bbw]

This is common a friend had a a/c company come to her house for a heating check up they went to check out the condenser said it was low on freon added 3 lbs of R-22 at $450.00 and stop leak $250.00 surge protectors 300.00 lady paid $1250.00 then they said you need a new system 20 seer 4 ton system $14750.00 they said they would install a new water heater and they would deduct the $1250 if she bought the new system . Local A/C company been around for years I am sure the technicians are on commission what a rip off for the customer. The thing I hate I have to go talk to the manager about this tomorrow

 

[sriha]

My parents have had some issues with dealers but luckily I haven't. The Nissan dealer was straight up with repairs and was even cheaper than everyone else even using Nissan parts. Same with my Mazda dealer, both owned by the same group. Mazda is a little more spendy on maintenance but still saves me the time of doing it myself specially in winter.

I do have to comment on the low mileage grandma cars. I have come across a few and have to say that they should have the maintenance done sooner than the mileage given for certain items. Both had issues that should have never come up if it was actually driven more than 5 miles. Cars need to get run on the hwy every once in awhile, the city driving and not even letting the car warm up is hard on them. Those people would be better suited for electric cars but would probably wreck the battery since it would never be cycled enough.

 

[andyp]

I know the owner of the local Dodge dealership. I bought a car from him but I still do the oil changes myself...

 

[Seventee]

I change my power steering fluid every 3000 miles. Can't be too careful.

With your time and money, why not?

 

[ransil]

i mainly only use them for oil changes, $34 is well worth it.
i have a garage/lift and oil drain thing on wheels , with walmart oil/filter is cost me about $25 DIY.

 

[sprdv1]

good ones are hard to find. Ive managed to find a good Ford, GMC and Dodge. The dodge dealer is why I"ve had 8 of them....

That they are man....

 

[Galt72]

my son a mechanic who has worked for Ford, Toyota, Nissan in the past 10 years. He tells me upsales are a big part of their performance objectives and are regularly talked to if their upsales arn't up to snuf.

 

[lonesouth]

Did my own oil on my DD 05 Tundra, all in I think I spent about $20 on filter/oil, and it took less time than the "10 minute" shop down the road that charges $45. My time is better spent doing it myself than sitting in the waiting room at the quick-e-lube or dealership with a coupon.

 

[andyp]

Love dealership stories. They would be funny if they were not so true. Everybody has an example. I wonder if anyone on this board has never been ripped off by a dealer. It doesn't count if you work for one...

 

[No Hay]

Love dealership stories. They would be funny if they were not so true. Everybody has an example. I wonder if anyone on this board has never been ripped off by a dealer. It doesn't count if you work for one...

Of course I have been ripped off, that's what big business does! ;D

Had to sue them. A VERY lengthy process (seems to me about 3 1/2 months). At the end, after mediation proved the dealer should be considered criminal, he kept coming back to my room with offers to settle. I refused and the judge ordered the dealer to reimburse me in full. Although he didn't award me what I wanted for all the time off work and gas for the whole circus. In the end, it felt great to show who is right, and who is doing wrong.