Prepay for backorders parts?!?!?!

[Skrap]

So, my son, who drives one of my Ram trucks in college had to get some PM services done and two basic repairs done. PMs went fine. Then the guy asked if he wanted him to order the right side mirror adjustment mechanism that makes the mirror adjust up/down/in/out as well as order the passenger side door lock actuator. My son who is in college told the guy yes to order and let him know when the parts are in and he'll bring the truck back for the repairs. At that time he is in the dealer next to the service guy and I ask what the charges are so i can give my credit card info. Son tells me $850 ish. I ask WTF is it so high for with just the PM service, tire rotation and alignment. Son tells mewe have to prepay for the parts. Not only prepay for them but one of the parts is backordered with no delivery date known. This is where it gets good and start into him. I tell him to forget it and will figure something else out. He then tells me that earlier when the dealer texted my son the truck was ready but should he order the parts to install once they come in my kid says yes. Well, when i told the dealer nevermind on the parts the then stated there would be a 20% restocking fee. If flipped out asking how the **** to you charge a restocking fee on common parts you should be stocking and then still charge a restocking fee on parts backordered with no known delivery date. This "conversation" went on for about 10 minutes. After going back and forth with different scenarios and me cussing up and down he found out one part will be in in two days and the other on March 14th. I told him I'll call him on the 18th and if no parts are in and ready to install I'll dispute all charge paid to the dealer. Hate that I had to pay in advance but was in a bind to get these repairs done due to timing of things.

You guys ever heard of such a thing with prepaying for parts at a dealership? Never in 35 years of driving and taking my junk to dealership have i run into this.

 

[BWL]

If ordering in for yourself It's always been that way as far as I've found, but when the vehicle goes in for repair and they don't have them they've always just called when the parts were in to get it fixed.

 

[Rlaf75]

Cant say much about a restocking fee as I'm sure that's an individual business policy but most places will charge you when they have to order parts. Whether it's a common part they usually stock or not it would be specifically ordered for you so it's not sold to someone else unintentionally. Plus it guarantees you come back to get the part or have it installed so they aren't stuck with a special ordered part. The problem I have these days is there isnt a guarantee "it will be here on such and such day" like that say because of the shortages or delays on just about everything.

 

[GTyankee]

That is not as bad as when they tell you that you have to leave your truck & they don't have any real idea when the part to fix it will be in
Your truck is operating well enough to drive back & forth to work, but they want to keep it, so that when the parts do come in, they can jump right on it.
That make no sense at all

 

[cityredneck]

hope they dont try to say the cost of the part didnt include labor.

 

[BWL]

That is not as bad as when they tell you that you have to leave your truck & they don't have any real idea when the part to fix it will be in
Your truck is operating well enough to drive back & forth to work, but they want to keep it, so that when the parts do come in, they can jump right on it.
That make no sense at all

A lot of times it's because they have it all apart and don't want to spend the time putting it back together and then taking it apart again. Great for them, but bad for the vehicle owner. I've paid for the extra re and re out of pocket in the past vs renting a vehicle because the manufacturer won't pay for the extra time on a warranty item.

 

[shrubs]

Yup. Heard this drivel before.

Try other sources to get a feel for if this is local or bigger parts problem. Maybe someone has that part in stock. Or can give better assurances.

I have paid order deposits before, never full price which I suspect is way that a seller can count on an individual to not leave them hanging with a part but no revenue from it.

Reading about it being told to your college age son be irritates me.

Dad would probably not be told the same stuff. If he was, I think things could go south fast if it was not what was anticipated.

I have learned to teach my family the phrase “I’ll get back to you on that” when they get told some stuff that is beyond anticipated. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call to evaluate what was said, if they don’t understand or it sounds expensive.

 

[Rlaf75]

If it is a dealer telling you its backordered they can check other dealers inventory to see if anyone else has the part on hand.

 

[joesstripclub]

I don't see an issue with prepaying for parts you order, pretty sure thats how most of my dealer parts transactions have gone. It's not like Rock Auto will let you order a part and then pay for it when you are ready to install it. The parts store generally have the same policy of pay when you order and then you pick it up when its ready.

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

If it is a dealer telling you its backordered they can check other dealers inventory to see if anyone else has the part on hand.

Or they can check to see if they have another customer's vehicle that is going to be there for say two weeks and remove the parts from that truck to use them on another ....

Working at a dealership a while ago I found out that dealerships "will" remove parts from other vehicles especially if it's an out of warranty repair to "repair" another vehicle ...since a vehicle will be in the shop for say 2 weeks under warranty they don't care and use those parts for a vehicle that is going to make the shop some money ....

Yes I said it and yes it happens still .... dealerships are dirty and do even worse things that what I just mentioned ....

Another thing that happens is they intentionally will just switch out the broken part which will create a service call ....

 

[allen wallace]

So, my son, who drives one of my Ram trucks in college had to get some PM services done and two basic repairs done. PMs went fine. Then the guy asked if he wanted him to order the right side mirror adjustment mechanism that makes the mirror adjust up/down/in/out as well as order the passenger side door lock actuator. My son who is in college told the guy yes to order and let him know when the parts are in and he'll bring the truck back for the repairs. At that time he is in the dealer next to the service guy and I ask what the charges are so i can give my credit card info. Son tells me $850 ish. I ask WTF is it so high for with just the PM service, tire rotation and alignment. Son tells mewe have to prepay for the parts. Not only prepay for them but one of the parts is backordered with no delivery date known. This is where it gets good and start into him. I tell him to forget it and will figure something else out. He then tells me that earlier when the dealer texted my son the truck was ready but should he order the parts to install once they come in my kid says yes. Well, when i told the dealer nevermind on the parts the then stated there would be a 20% restocking fee. If flipped out asking how the **** to you charge a restocking fee on common parts you should be stocking and then still charge a restocking fee on parts backordered with no known delivery date. This "conversation" went on for about 10 minutes. After going back and forth with different scenarios and me cussing up and down he found out one part will be in in two days and the other on March 14th. I told him I'll call him on the 18th and if no parts are in and ready to install I'll dispute all charge paid to the dealer. Hate that I had to pay in advance but was in a bind to get these repairs done due to timing of things.

You guys ever heard of such a thing with prepaying for parts at a dealership? Never in 35 years of driving and taking my junk to dealership have i run into this.

See my response to “New member having ABS Issues”.

 

[Irishthreeper]

The bad news: At Merritt Island Fl I went to order MOPAR step rails for my new 2500 and paid $600 up front. Guy told me
it would take at least a week to get them and I explained I was leaving the area about then so I needed it expedited.
The good news: He called me the next day to tell me to come pick them up. He had sent a driver 70 miles to Orlando to pick a set up. And I didn’t even buy my truck there! They also have me a 10% military discount.
I don’t care for most dealerships but some are very good. I also had a great experience buying the truck near Claremont FL.

 

[Aircooledpurist]

So I wanted to order rock rails for my Rebel. They were $1270 and the dealer wanted me to pay in full before he ordered them.... even though they were back ordered with no delivery date in sight.

At first I said yes but then I said no. I'm picking up a set of brand new take offs this Saturday about an hours drive from my home for 500 bucks.

Be careful with the dealers.... but I did get a great deal on my truck.