Warranty Experience

That’s really all I’m expecting from businesses that have sold me products or service. At one time, I could easily find a phone number to a business, call, have a human answer, express my problem or dissatisfaction with not getting what was promised, and I would be treated fairly and made happy.

I worked at a Volkswagen dealer and besides being told the customer was always right, we were informed that if the phone rang more than 3 rings without being answered, we would/could be terminated. That was pretty easy to understand… customer service.

Often, the phone would ring when we were taking care of a live customer or customers (at busy times). We’d answer in 3 rings or fewer, anyhow, explain the situation, apologize, quickly write down a call back number, and then call the customer back at the earliest chance… customer service.

Now it seems that if I need some help getting what has been promised, I have trouble finding contact information. Then the games begin. People who can actually help hide behind e-mails, texts, or phone calls are routed to a call center in the Philippines, India, or Mexico. The good folks there can only read from scripts they have been provided.

Getting to somebody who can help is nearly impossible and very, very, frustrating and time consuming. But, hey, who cares? (…customer hosed).
CSA
:palm_tree: :sunglasses: :palm_tree:

I was a day away from buying a Hyundai Santa Fe. One of the major attractions was the long warranty and 3 year service plans. But I remembered someone on this forum mentioning something about the Theta ll engine. I did some research and found that the long warranty is part of the settlement for having badly built engines. It would be too expensive to fix every engine, so the warranty would only require them to have to repair (replace) the ones that blew. The ones from 2015 to present do not seem to have as many problems, but I am not going to chance it and passed.

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Now be honest. Have you never read ahead on a mystery novel to see what happens? Just to reduce the suspense? I just finished “This Tender Land” which is a great book, but I just had to page ahead a little just to see if the poor kids would be OK or not. I guess I just don’t like surprises. Where to get Easter dinner take-out though might be a surprise.

I can honestly say I have never done it or felt inclined to do it. I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. I can take presents and store them away for long periods or leave things unopened without it bothering me. My wife is the polar opposite. She cannot tolerate such things and must open it immediately or it will drive her nuts. If you say you have a secret and tease a bit about it, she will pester you until you divulge it.

Any take out seems like Russian roulette these days. I have done the contactless delivery and it is good but nothing is perfect. Someone touched that bag, box or whathaveyou. It’s only about minimizing risk and we’re big on that. Went shopping and wore a mask. No reaction from others, most are doing it. I did that two weeks earlier and people acted like I had the plague. Hard not to think about things differently now. This 6 ft space is interesting (and not nearly enough IMO). Drive behind a smoker in another car- ever smelled their cigarette smoke? Now imagine they are exhaling corona-virus…pleasant dreams :grin:

I’ve come to like foreign films, and our public library system has tons of them on DVD and blu-ray. I’ll bring home a handful, take them to my “home theater,” pile them up near the TV. (They’re chosen based on a skilled director’s or actor’s other work.) When it’s movie night, I open the case of the top DVD in the pile … in the dark … and put the disc in the player. When the movie starts, I have no idea of its plot. No idea if it will be a comedy, tragedy, adventure, whatever. After the movie, I’ll go to Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic to read the opinions of film critics. It’s better to decide on my own if the film was good or not, before getting influenced by others.
Surprise is the sizzle on the steak. The cherry on the cake. I can’t imagine life without the pleasure of happy surprises.
Apologies for rambling and getting off topic. Just wanted to share something that works well for me, and that I’m guessing isn’t a common practice. I do the same, by the way, with library CDs and books, to know as little as possible about them until after my own experience is over.

The red flag here was the total refund since that’s not how insurance works. The way it works is, you’re paying money because you’re betting you’ll need it, the insurance company is taking your money and betting you won’t. So if you never make a claim the insurance company wins. If they say they’ll give you your money back it makes no sense, that’s their profit against people who made a claim.

If I were Toyota Corporate, the reputation of Toyota dealers would be important to me. I’d tell every dealer that they cannot sell third party extended warrantees because so many of those companies sell policies and then close up.

I think he meant to type “skepticism.” :grinning:

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Nicely done!

Yes I did misspell skepticism and did not notice what spell check had done with it.

The dealership did purchase an 8 year Toyota warranty. I had the paperwork for it and it was refundable at any time… for the unused portion. What the dealership did not tell me was That they had purchased a "guarantee"of the Toyota warranty cost being refunded from a third party warranty company, Signet Financial Group who had gone out of business before the warranty was up. They refunded my money because they could not provide paperwork with my signature on it for the third party.

Better than airline tickets, bought flight cancellation insurance. Flight cancelled due to Coronovirus, does not matter why the wedding you were planning on going to was cancelled flight cancelled due to coronovirus, not covered. United is waiving the 200 redemption fee to use credit towards another flight before 2/16/2022. booked 2/16 for 4/16 flight. $43 flight insurance down the tubes. Tried to get cash back, no way jose!

Same here except we got money back from Delta for the canceled wedding in Mexico. Took some discussion but they relented. I’m hanging on to my pesos though for maybe later. (Between you and me, I didn’t want to go).

Rescheduled wedding Oct 1 now, I do not have a choice whether I want to go or not, unless wife decides to bow out, another supposedly Aug 15 NYC, we got a new car wife can ride in comfortably but airlines the future if both weddings happen. Hey has MN got a ban on driving to summer homes? WI golf courses closed, open in MN? CSA said FL open, but no bunker rakes, no picking up flags and cups upside down so you lessen risk of virus pulling golf ball out. Did not read the email from Whitefish about golf.

I’m not sure. I think you can. Recreational driving is “allowed”. We sold the cabin so my plan B for a nuclear attack has been dashed. At any rate lots of people were heading out to their cabins but the local towns folks were really upset with out of towners using up their resources and maybe spreading the disease. So it is kind of I think an informal thing. My neighbor hasn’t returned from his “cabin” (bigger than his house) for weeks now but I don’t know if he is restricted or just sheltering where it is comfortable. I’ll tell you one thing though, I have a hair cut appointment next week which ain’t gonna happen. I was lucky enough to get one the afternoon before the shut down but this is gonna get serious in a week or two. I was thinking about joining the Army again if they’d take me just to get a hair cut.

Yeah, wifes sister and husband, too rich to stay at cabins, refused to come visit. Should have said a pair of summer homes, 1500 sf and 1000 sf, screw them, only been to their summer house on Nantucket once. Sorry your plan B is gone, thinking corona might get me sooner or later, did not get a flu shot since 20 years ago and it near killed me, thinking f it if it is going to get me fine, but before the big hullaballoo wifes other sister and husband back from a cruise in Feb. both weeks of coughing, we hugged and kissed, shiptd budette 4 weeks of crap started in Feb, her hubby out of work also for 2 weeks, no tests back then. Who knows, maybe I already had it but I smoke so a cough is normal, and I may have had the mild symptoms and not even known it. Throw in a hot flash who the heck knows. Sure they are quaint, but a beautiful lake, canoe, sailboat, paddleboat, wind surfer, little moterboat, big motorboat, floaties, dock, lake was high washing out the seawall beach redone, 8 grand looks nice, people are people. Other Sister and BIL came up, they are used to big city fun, bored out of their mind! We can go to the lumberjack show or bluegrass fest, no that’s ok. Hanging out watching the loons herons and eagles and an occasional pileated woodpecker and hummingbirds and feeding the sunfish and daily boat cruise just fine for wife and I. Old crap but well loved.

Haw haw. I dunno though I just may have to get a hunting and fishing license, though since it’s allowed. Haven’t had one for 30 years but a chance to get out in the woods alone.

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You won’t be alone, plenty of ticks and mosquitoes looking for dinner also!

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Also, for people who ride there is a strict 1 person per cart rule, even for husbands and wives! Although they possibly drove together to the course and sleep in the same bed at home they have to ride in separate carts. Some of the guys were saying how stupid that is. I pointed out that it’s for the “optics” of the golf courses remaining open to keep people from complaining about golf courses breaking the “social distancing” guidelines. I get it. I admonish people to abide by the guidelines or run the risk of having activities closed down, such as when we had pickleball courts chained shut.

I was playing golf with a group yesterday afternoon, walking, and saw a “pack” of 5 golf carts, heading my way, racing up the fairway behind me (yes, a five-some somehow), to their tee-shots. It looked kind of intimidating, actually (Mad Max?)!

Before the virus, after playing, we’d sit around at tables and chairs b.s.ing and having a cold one, but no more. We have to find a spot to do that now and we stay at least 6’ apart! Somebody’s condo car port works, okay.

Anyhow, sensible distancing at the golf course is working (and we are still able to play every day).
The governor has declared golf an essential activity.
CSA
:palm_tree: :sunglasses: :palm_tree:

I signed a petition to our Governor to reopen golf courses. NOPE. He doesn’t want people from MA and CT coming up and infecting people in NH. There’s more social distancing on a golf course then at any WalMart.

Driving ranges aren’t even open. I’m not complaining too much because the weather isn’t the greatest for golf. But in 3-4 weeks it will be. Maybe things will change for the better by then.

The weather here has been great for golf, if you play early. It has rained 1/10 inch in over 2 months! We played with two other couples yesterday and they made tee-times just after 10:00. It was sunny and in the upper 80s! I kept heading for the shade and chugging H20.

This morning I played with “the guys,” and we usually play every morning at 7:30, the earliest they’ll let us out. It was sunny and already upper 70s, but we had a nice breeze. It’s back up to 86 now.

We don’t even go in the pro shop. We book online. The golf pro/manager had a plexiglass shield put up at the counter for paying public players and made one door “enter only” and another door “exit only” and one person at a time inside, to protect his staff. The clerk has everybody take a sheet and read the “corona virus special rules” that are in place. The restrooms there must be accessed from a third door and the pro shop is not accessible from there now. Golf bags block the hallway. The staff, including the pro, are constantly disinfecting pull-cart handles, golf carts, etcetera. Everybody seems to be adjusting and it looks good to me.

I heard, but didn’t verify it, that the golf courses are following “marching orders” from the PGA. Days ago, I remember somebody saying that instructions were sent to our PGA golf pro.

We’re all in this together. We can engage in activities if everybody gives an effort and some jerks don’t spoil it. My wife and I are kayaking tomorrow and we will, at no time, be anywhere near anybody else except maybe a gator or two.
CSA
:palm_tree: :sunglasses: :palm_tree: