Follup: Metro Acura dealership, Philadelphia PA

Hi all,

I just wanted to give you an update on what has happened with
my complaint to Acura about Metro Acura in Philadelphia PA using
aftermarket belts and charging OEM prices for them. I spoke with
someone at the complaint center about my issue and he wanted to know
what action I wanted to be taken, as I had asked on my lette rto them.
He first told me the basic franchise stuff about how
dealerships are not obligated to use OEM parts for anything. He is
going to have a regional rep look into the issue about Metro stating
on my invoice that they used OEM part numbers when in the car they
actually didn't. I told him my main concern was that customers are in
a false sense that when they come into a Acura/Honda dealership they
expect that OEM parts will be used. When this is not done the customer
should be notified in writing and verbally that aftermarket parts were
used. I can imagine that the majority of people are willing to wait
for the OEM part to be ordered rather than chancing an aftermarket
part. He said to me that nowhere in their contract are they required
to tell the customer this which strikes me hard to believe.
I raised the question that the customer would then need to
toughly investigate the car and ensure that all parts were OEM (but
how would someone know that they are or not) before paying and he had
agreed to this. I had left it at this is a little deceiving and that
going to a Acura/Honda dealership is no better than going to anyone
else as at least you know that most other places are using aftermarket
parts. I also asked to be called from their regional manager to
discuss what action will be taken to ensure that this does not happen.
What damage is done is done...I just wanted something to be done so no
one else goes through what I had gone through. Very disappointing to
say the least.

Nick

 

Thanks for the info. I will really keep an eye next time I bring my car for
service. Or even better, buy the parts my self at the counter and hand them
to the mechanic; it should cost you the same.

 

I can totally relate to your story. I recently caught a Honda mechanic
(from Roadsport Honda) trying to steal my Mobel-1 oil, that I provided for
the oil change. I asked to speak to their service manager but he was
unavailable and was told that he would contact me the next day, which
never happened.

I feel that the dealership is corrupt to the core and the one bad mechanic
is only a indicator of that fact (along with several other shady
situations from said dealership). So, I'm not going to help them clean-up
their employee problem. The best resolution to my problem would be for
that particular dealership to disappear off the face of the planet. I'm
hopeful, since there's some newer and much more modern Honda dealership
opening-up in the same vicinity.

Pars

 

The number of ways a large number of automobile dealerships use to goose
their profits by sticking it to customers is stomach turning.

Charging full OEM parts prices but installing aftermarket stuff is only one
of the many ways, and it one of the smaller ones!

John

 

Send a letter/email to Honda, too.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I sent a letter to Honda Canada. 4 days after I sent
the letter, the General Manager at Roadsport Honda called me and apologized and
offered a free detailing service for my car. They also fired the employee that I
caught stealing from me (apparently the employee was fired for an unrelated
reason...). So, I took my car back to them and they gave me the white glove
treatment. I'm quite happy with the detailed clean-up and the oil change my car
received. Perhaps some good has come from this bad episode.

Regards,
Pars