So, a few posts ago I lamented over how much money I spend, and that I was going to cut back on said spending. The Gods must've read that and had a ball, and thus sent me a new whopper to deal with...
A week ago this past Sunday, I got my van back from being home for e-check. The very first thing I notice is that the parking break seems to be sticking and it takes a moment for it to come unstuck after I release it. Great. Hoping that it's just the cold weather, I stop using the parking break. Everything seemed alright for a few days, but then the regular breaks were sticking to something when I came to a complete stop. I bit the bullet and took it to Tuffy yestereday...and got the LOVELY news that my right rear brake cylinder had ruptured and was leaking fluid everywhere (thus the sticking) and ruining ALL THE PARTS. Shoes, pads, etc. So I sign for the work to be done at a whopping $618.03.
Upon talking to my mom a few minutes later, I learned that the brakes had just been replaced last February, and were thus still under warranty. I hurriedly called Tuffy to put a stop on the work to see if I was going to get the car back home to get it fixed at the place who held the warranty. The Tuffy guy was leery of this plan, but stopped the work, and went about seeing what they could do to get the car drivable back home. Meanwhile, the other place hemmed and hawed, and finally agreed that they would grant a reimbursement if it met all the "conditions" of the warranty (12 months, 12,000 miles, and it does) with a receipt and the "old" parts. So I got the work restarted at Tuffy, and the manager said he would see what he could do to save me money.
When he called me back, it turned out that he was willing to take off some of the labor charges and some other charges to do the work, just so that I wouldn't die trying to get it back home. It would be a liability for them, and a clear safety hazard for me (and he feels like the other company is trying to protect their pocketbook, big time). The final cost of the repair came down to $382.07. I am so grateful to them, and for the time being, they certainly have me as a customer! We're still going to get the parts warranteed out, so hopefully I'll still be getting some money back.
In short, cars are big drama. Ack. Thankfully the brakes didn't go out and kill anyone.
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4 comments:
Sigh. Cars ARE big drama. I hate how they turn into money pits.
Yes, definitely big money pits! And my van is only going to get worse, because it's not exactly a new vehicle.
Yes, cars can be big drama. But they can be much more convenient than being stuck on public transportation like me! You have to take the good with the bad.
I agree that cars are more convenient that public transportation--I did the public transport thing for most of my undergrad. Where we live now isn't conveniently close to much of Columbus' bus line, or I'd use it much more!
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