A simple request, turned into a quest.

Today, I did a search on Yahoo for a Subaru service place locally, non-dealer type. My request was simple, how much would you charge to replace my L/rear wheel bearing on my 95 LSi? I already have the parts to do the job, all I needed was a quote for the labor. You know what I was told, over again? 'We don't install customer supplied parts, even if they are factory' !! I could not believe it !!!! So I kept calling around and finally I gave in, I called the local Subaru dealer here in Sarasota, Sunset. They would do it, no problem, for get this. $262.42, tax tag and title, OTD !!! This seems very reasonable to me given what I would have to buy and go through to do it myself, and it's guaranteed by Subaru. And knowing Florida, half of the price is taxes. You have to live here to know what I am talking about. Needless to say, I wrote reviews on Yahoo about my experiences.

[Earthworm]

They won't install customer supplied parts because if something happens to that part they don't want to be held liable for it. Bearings are especially bad for incorrect installations. You're better off getting them to provide their own bearing and providing you a warranty for when (if) it fails.

I considered that as a possibility, however it seemed more likely that they are just using that excuse because they want to make a few extra bucks and I won't know that the proper bearings, i.e. Subaru were being used. They are sealed in the factory bags/box. The only warranty I would expect is workmanship, bolts torqued properly, bearing re-greased properly, that sort of thing. Since labor is the only issue, they would have no responsibility with regards to actual part itself. If a Subaru dealer would have no problem with doing it, why not a non-dealer? They even wanted to argue over it was really a wheel bearing that is shot, wanted to charge me just to check it before they would consider giving me a price, with their supplied parts. If it was not the wheel bearing, where is their liability then? None at all. All I was asking was for them to r&r a wheel bearing, I was not expecting so much aggravation. Methinks it was the almighty dollar, loonie or euro they were looking for. If it were a liability issue, I'd never find anyone to do a 5 speed install.

[SVXRide]

There's the warrenty issue and then there's the "mark up" that the shop does on parts it buys. If you're lucky, this "mark up" is only in the 20-30% range...
-Bill

Well as I said previously, the only warranty issue would be labor only. I had no problem with that limitation. The mark up, yes I am sure it would have been considerable, mark up from list. I did not pay list for Subaru parts and I know they are the right ones. From the threads I have read, buying non-sube parts can be a problem with regards to the seals. I am sure it's about the money. Hey, I am happy to pay what Subaru is charging to do the job, it seems reasonable to me. Besides, I'll have the complete warranty this way and it may just work out to be best anyway.

[Beav]

This is an old, trite tale. The warranty issue is just. No matter what a customer says going in, they can (and many will/do) change their story later. Even if there isn't anything wrong with the job they'll find something to complain about. Unfortunately I've seen it happen so many times I ask the customer to never come back, parts or no parts. As a whole they are nothing but a waste of time and a potential problem.

After all, you don't take your ham and eggs to a restaurant and ask to have them cooked, do you? If you think about it, it's actually an insult to the proprietor. You come across as thinking they don't deserve to make a fair profit and/or you think you're smart enough to pull something over on them. Now you'll probably think I'm berating you unjustly but if you were to wear the proprietor's shoes you'd feel exactly the same as him/her.

Beav...I understand completely what you are saying, but I am trying to look at from a consumers point of view. I have no way of knowing what their rationale is, it was not offered. Had he said it was a warranty issue, okay..fine, but he just hung up on me, no explanation. Subaru will do it, even if the parts did not come from Subaru, I only told them I had the parts. So the argument defies logic to me, but as it is said, all logic is logical, it's the premise that is faulty. I understand both sides of the coin, I am not some kid. Maybe that is the problem. I grew up in an age when liability was not connected to a sue happy society. A persons word meant something once. Not to be condescending, but if we are to carry this logic, then I cannot call AAA to come and put my spare on because they did not sell me the spare tire, or use my old lug nuts for 'liability' or 'warranty' issues. I would be naive if I were to accept the argument that it's about liability and warranty as the only defining issue. It's about the almighty dollar. I mean, if I buy a set of springs and shocks from our friends at SVX Motorsports, I would have to put them on myself. Something is not right with that. I was trying to spend some money at a local shop, where they have guys who have families, the owner is local, etc. I am ending up going corporate, to feed the coffers of the elite who own many car line franchises. Maybe I do have it all wrong.

[Ron Mummert]

I recently took a new SVX bearing purchased for $80.00 from a Suby dealer, and the knuckle assembly from my friend's '92 pearlie, to an independent mechanic I've been dealing with for many moons. He removed the bad bearing, regreased the new one, & successfully pressed it into the knuckle. No fights over warranties, liabilities or "lost" wages by my supplying the part. The price for his labor of love was $50.00. Should I get into a joint business venture with my mechanic friend?

Ron (ship me yer knuckles).

Ron...you know..I was thinking about something along those lines. I'd get a knuckle, have the bearing installed (if I could find someone who is not sue happy) and replace the old with the new, then I would send off the knuckle to another SVX'r here and they do the same thing and send it along. The idea is we keep the thing moving. But, hey...what do I know? Hey, I am happy to let Sunset Subaru do the work for that price.

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by fl_svx

Ron...you know..I was thinking about something along those lines. I'd get a knuckle, have the bearing installed (if I could find someone who is not sue happy) and replace the old with the new, then I would send off the knuckle to another SVX'r here and they do the same thing and send it along. The idea is we keep the thing moving. But, hey...what do I know? Hey, I am happy to let Sunset Subaru do the work for that price.

This knuckle thing... That's a good idea. To keep things honest, the person having the knuckle could have a new bearing pressed on it, and then charge the next guy down the line prior to sending it off. he throws it in, has a new bearing pressed on the one that comes out, and does the same.

[Ron Mummert]

Originally Posted by Electrophil

This knuckle thing... That's a good idea. To keep things honest, the person having the knuckle could have a new bearing pressed on it, and then charge the next guy down the line prior to sending it off. he throws it in, has a new bearing pressed on the one that comes out, and does the same.

Yup - One more opportunity for Ripimoff Industries - The Knuckle Shuffle.

"Don't break the chain, or your doggie will die".

Ron (simply overbearing).

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by Ron Mummert

Yup - One more opportunity for Ripimoff Industries - The Knuckle Shuffle.

"Don't break the chain, or your doggie will die".

Ron (simply overbearing).

"knuckle shuffle".. Snicker snicker snort!!

[Beav]

Yeah, that would work, right up to the person that 30 days later cried that it was making noise again and that the last guy in the chain owed him the parts and labor to replace it again.

Ron, as you said, you were dealing with somone you have a long relationship with. Yes, I also have customers like that. But without such a relationship the time to ask is beforehand, not after the parts are purchased.

I know I probably won't change anybody's mind here and that's o.k. And nobody here is going to change mine, I've had this attitude for thirty + years now and it works just fine for me. And certainly you are looking at it from the consumer's point of view, after all, you are the consumer in this scenario. But hey! There must be a common denominator at work here: <quote> You know what I was told, over again? 'We don't install customer supplied parts, even if they are factory' !! I could not believe it !!!! So I kept calling around... <end quote> So, do you want to know why the dealer said "O.K."? Because the service writers, the mechanics, the service manager, etc. are a spearate entity from the parts department and don't get a piece of the part money to begin with. They make up for that in many other ways that independant shops don't. Tip: many dealerships structure their labor rates competetively vs. independant shops... for the FIRST hour of labor. The second hour of labor will be around $15-$20 more and the third and subsequent hours even higher. That way when someone asks what their labor rate is they simply quote their 'first hour' rate. So a four job @ $75/hr isn't going to come out to $300 but more like $365. That's how they stay 'competitive'.

Here's my two cents:


It's MUCH easier to warranty labor and parts when they are both on the same bill


And no, our shop does not install parts that are brought in by customers. I don't bring a thermos full of coffee with me to Dunkin Donuts and ask them to heat it up for me, and I don't buy my own plumbing supplies when my plumber is doing repairs. But maybe you are onto something....maybe next time I go to the bar I'll bring my own beer! That should go over well.



Dave

Golly, I guess I had it all wrong. All I wanted someone to do was replace a wheel bearing, it should not have been a big deal. What has this world come to? The Subaru DEALER will do it for a fair price, but a local shop would not even entertain the idea. No one here has suggested it is NOT about the money to be made, all we end up talking about is warranty's, which to me is irrelevant since the people I called never mentioned the REASON why they would not do it, they just hung up. We are speculating that it is a warranty issue. I digress back to my analogy about installing a 5-speed, I won't be able to find anyone to do the job if the logic suggested here prevails. No one wishes to address that issue. Besides, my experience is warranty's are a joke anyway. I could go on about my New Beetle Sport and what the deal has done to me. The paint was ruined when they replaced the battery, and they denied culpability. The did not reset the security system, even though they charged the MANDATORY $45.00 for it. The electronics where so screwed up and they refused to admit it was their fault. The car was fine before it went in. The extended warranty on the car did not cover the mysterious 'vacuum leak' from a 'hole in a vacuum line' that appeared, you guessed it, right after a headlight bulb was replaced. We are talking about a double reinforced 1/4 id hose, 5" long. The car had 30K on it and there was no place for it to have an interference fit, no chafing. $185.00 later, a new 5" piece of hose..and they had the gall to charge me $5.00 to throw it away !!!! Neither the extended warranty or the emissions warranty covered it. I have even changed VW dealers, but it made no difference, every time the car went in, something new would 'pop up'. OBTW, the battery was interesting...the label on the battery said it was a 60 month battery, it died at 30. The dealer said that it was only covered for 12 months, even though it clearly stated 60 months. They replaced it with another battery, again saying 60 months. But guess what??? You got it. So as far as a warranty is concerned, my experience is that they are a joke. Much has been said about this, but someone explain to me why the Subaru dealer will perform the service I asked and a local service place won't. Is not the alleged warraty issue the same?