- First Name
- Sherman
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2021
- Threads
- 30
- Messages
- 1,853
- Reaction score
- 1,936
- Location
- MIDDLETOWN, MD
- Vehicle(s)
- '22 Badlands ordered 12/17/2021 - Arrived 3/25/22
- Thread starter
- #91
People have different experiences, I'm glad to hear yours have been positive.I am very surprised to hear people believe that a car dealer would not give them warranty service if they purchased the vehicle from another dealer. The dealerships get paid by Ford (or any other brand) for any warranty work that they do. Yes, you do get some emotional credit for buying from the dealer that is going to service it, but overall I have never had a dealer turn up their nose because I didn't buy from them for either warranty claims or other work.
All I can say is that based on several negative personal experiences, and what I have read and heard over the years (decades), it is common for dealers to -- at a minimum -- be 'reluctant' (putting it very mildly) to do warranty work on a vehicle they did not sell. Particularly if the selling dealer is relatively close by, within (say) a couple hours.
I've had to threaten arbitration to get work done -- and I was being very reasonable. I said they could do it at their leisure. I was not demanding it be done that day, or even that month. They clearly had an attitude because I bought it from a competitor. I had actually given them a chance to make the sale first, and they turned me down. Otherwise, I would have bought from them -- not that it should matter.
I've read posts by numerous people in the business (multiple mfrs) who say that warranty work pays significantly less -- both parts and labor. If their shop is full with paying customers waiting, from their perspective they are *losing* money on a warranty repair. Oddly, even if their techs are sitting around doing nothing, some dealers are *still* grumpy about doing warranty work!
Their beef is really with the mfr, but they take it out on the customer. Like divorced parents using the children to get back at each other.
One factor that might explain why your experience differs from others is location. My wife and I have family in Iowa. They say the reluctance to perform warranty repairs is not as prevalent there. Perhaps because, generally speaking, people treat each other better there.
Here on the East Coast, it's 'dog eat dog'. Ethics are a relic. Businesses are much less concerned about customer service because urban areas are more transitory -- esp. D.C. They know there's a good chance that a particular customer will not return, and there are plenty more to take their place.
The RV industry is even *worse*. Dealers will flat-out refuse to work on a rig that was not purchased from them. They often keep RVs that need warranty repairs for *months*!
If mfrs would pay more for warranty service much of the trouble could be avoided.
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