Should I take it to the Dealer?

There are many stores that sell compatible parts for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. I'm sure the idea behind these stores was to save the owner some money and make a little at the same time. I purchased a floor mat at AutoZone the other day because my OEM floor mat had gotten soiled and was making my car smell bad (it was pretty embarrassing). I appreciated being able to go right in and purchase the floor mat on a Friday evening. While I was there I purchased an air freshener (to seal the deal). When it comes to regular maintenance, the only place I trust is the dealer. My car is less than 2 years old; taking it to the dealer is something I do to make sure my car has the longest life possible.

Think about it like this:

If you take your car to the dealer for service, you can feel confident you are getting your car fixed the right way the first time AND if it doesn't get fixed right you can always talk to the manager, the general manager and a lot of other experts to assure you get the best service.

If you take your car to a third party and you have an issue with their work, you can take it as high up the chain as you want, but you won't get any more help...when that happens, where do you think you will go next? THE DEALER...

So if you start at the dealer you know you are going to get the best service (it might cost a little more, but it might not) and you are going to do it right the first time and save a lot of frustration and time.

The following invoice was given to me today. The owner of the vehicle, Marc went to a local auto parts store and purchased replacement windshield wipers for $11. The attendant volunteered to put the wipers on the car and consequently broke the arm of the windshield wiper. The auto parts store didn't carry the arm they broke so Marc had to stop by Golling's to purchase the part for $36.45. He decided to purchase the OEM blades for $16.75 so he could take the "third party" blades back and get his money back. One of our parts advisers installed the arm and the blades at no charge (because they are nice guys :) We were also able to order another part for him that he had to replace as a result of the attendant breaking the arm of the blade. It will be in next Tuesday.

If Marc would have come here first his total cost for his wiper blades would have been

$17.92

(including installation)

Because he tried to save a buck and go to the local parts store he paid:

$56.93 + $11.77 = $68.70

(for wiper blades)

*This total doesn't include the time and gas money spent on driving to two locations. Marc plans on going back to the parts store the get his money back and to request reimbursement for the part he had to buy after the arm was damaged. We will give you the update next week. Do you think he can get the total bill paid? Have you had a similar experience?

Here's the UPDATE: Marc went back to the local parts store to return the blade and ask for a reimbursement for the part. He had to argue with the manager for 45 minutes before they agreed to compensate him.

I'll bet he comes straight to us next time...

If you need Mopar parts or accessories, definitely check out the Parts Department  on the web or call (937) 276-8050.