Correct Protocol?

[scruffboy]

I recently had a water pump go on me that was installed new (I think?) about 7 months ago. They told me at that time that it was warrantied for 1 year. When I went to the shop that installed it, they hemmed and hawwed, saying it could be a timing belt and other B.S. Thanks to you folks and the TSRM diagrams, I showed them that it was coming from the seal. They agreed to honor the warranty. When I called to pick it up they said I owed $80 for coolant and labor. I told them that if their pump hadn't failed I would never have lost the coolant and that I thought a warranty meant it would be fixed free of charge. They sounded angry but said "Fine, come pick it up." So I got there in 5 minutes and drove off. Was I wrong or was this a scam as I suspect. If I had to, Autozone would have sold me a pump for 48 dollars (I called) and I could have done it myself. Any thoughts?

Scruffboy

[Murd]

Sounds to me like they were trying to rip you off. If they were serious about you paying for the labor to reinstall it, they wouldn't have given you the keys.

[j3pz]

ya if you owed them, they wouldnt have let you taken it. i would recommend finding a new mechanic or start doing the stuff yourself

[scruffboy]

I've been doing a lot of work myself lately, and for stuff I can't do I found a very honest guy who ain't out to rip me off. I like doing the work though, I changed my valve cover gaskets (it wasn't as easy as it sounds, what with takin of the throttle body and half the intake and all) and man it felt good when I got it back together, put the key in and VROOMMM! Great feelin man. I changed my alternator on the side of the road recently, replaced a headlight, which Toyota didn't make real easy to do, and did a tune-up (during gasket change). The more I do, the more confident I get, but sometimes I get cocky and have to call for help. But reading this board and following the TSRM has made life a heck of a lot easier. Thanks guys (and gals).

Scruff

[mrnickleye]

Well, the shop was trying to recover their outlay for the job. They got the pump free under the warranty, but had to eat the labor and coolant.

Here in Calif, now, if you don't have the warranty in writing, it ain't covered.

We verbally offer a 90 day labor, and 1 year parts warranty. We try to ONLY buy parts that hold up and are considered top of the line. We don't want to do the job twice.

The owner is also the top mechanic here, and so if its a parts warranty job (very rare), then he does it.

When someone wants us to install parts they bring, we don't warraty anything. I tell them up front, that the profit we make on parts "IS" the warranty cost. Its insurance.