Thursday, November 29, 2007

Giving lessons in Extended Warranties to Toyota

So sometime early last year I told Kelli to buy an extended warranty for her car. Being a "new" type car full of electronics I figured it was better safe than sorry. Turns out I was right. Ever since we had the car it has been making an odd "charging" type sound from the outside of the car. Last time she brought it in for service several technicians gathered around turning it off and on looking for the noise. Turns it wasn't normal. Now we have brought the car to the dealer for every service and the noise has always been there. They happened to notice it after the basic warranty expired. Nice. Well I brought it in yesterday and advised the service writer we have a Toyota extended bumper to bumper warranty. He then repeated to me three times that 3rd party warranties don't cover air conditioning components (thats where the noise was coming from). I stated 3 more times that I was positive we have a Toyota Bumper to Bumper Extended Warranty. He was unable to find it in the computer and said he would call me later in the day.

So I am sitting at the airport when he calls and states our car only has  a Toyota powertrain warranty. This is where Darren started getting pissy. I call back and state again we have a Toyota Platinum Extended Warranty. He says he called Toyota and all we have is a powertrain warranty. I state I can bring the paperwork up to the dealer this afternoon. He stated it would be $1600 for the repair of the A/C and the driver side power window. @#(%#%*!%#. I tell him I will call him back. I then go online and go to the site where we bought our warranty. I find the phone number. Then I go to Geico and get Kelli's Vehicle Identification Number. I called Toyota and verify we have a warranty. They state that indeed we have the best they offer....$0 deductible. I ask if the dealer should be able to find the same info. They stated there is no reason why the dealer should not be able to easily pull it up. Now Darren is really pissy. I call back the dealer and leave a firm voicemail stating our type of warranty, the policy number and the number to call. I wait 20 seconds and call back. I get the service writer. He takes down my info...calls me back and states "it seems you do have a Toyota Warranty". How about that. The part will be in today, but we won't get the car until tomorrow. Her warranty covers a $50 a day rental car. Well Toyota sees the repair as a one day repair. The dealer says it will take 2 days....and "sorry".  After all of this is done I am writing a letter to the dealer and Toyota about the lack of communication and low customer service. The reason the dealer couldn't find the warranty is because he called the Toyota distributor for this region, Gulf States Toyota, and not Toyota national. Don't get me started on Gulf States Toyota. If you buy a Toyota or Lexus anywhere in Texas or neighboring states.....you are likely getting ripped.

On another note. I went to Northwest Regional Arkansas yesterday instead of Pittsburgh. It was a different way to spend a day.

American Eagle is being sold. This will likely end up being a good thing overall.

Time to waste time. I have the day off.

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