A while back my work van transmission gave up. I ordered one from Cut Rate Auto Parts. I moved to the Olympia area in 1988 and have been buying auto parts mostly from Cut Rate. I live in Shelton now, so I ordered one from their Shelton store.
They quoted me a price then later added $300 for shipping from Transmission Exchange in Portland. That included getting my core down to Portland. I just let that go.
The transmission immediately started whining. I drove it less than 100 miles. I talked to Matt, the store manager. He talked to Transmission Exchange but they kind of balked at replacing it. Matt eventually had me deal directly with Transmission Exchange.
That wasn't really a bad thing except they still made it a bit difficult to get a replacement. The fact it was whining wasn't enough for them. They asked me to crawl under and drain some transmission fluid. I confirmed that it had shavings in it.
I felt that I didn't get any support from the business where I purchased the product. It seems to me they should stand behind what they sell and help me get an adequate replacement. Transmission Exchange finally gave the okay, to return the transmission but added another $300 charge for shipping. Cut Rate had me pay that.
My thinking is that a business should stand behind a product they sell. I didn't buy it from Transmission Exchange. I bought it from Cut Rate Auto Parts, and it was defective. Not their fault.........but not my fault. They sold the defective product, gave minimal support and then charged me for shipping again.
My ultimate costs were more than the shipping. I had to pay the labor for the mechanic to remove and replace it again. The mechanic said it would be risky to try to clean the lines and transmission cooler out because of the shavings. So, I bought new lines and cooler. Turns out the radiator has a cooler built in, so I had to buy a new radiator. Add a few gallons of transmission fluid and the cost was quite high.
I do understand the last costs were on me. If a starter doesn't work, I have to either remove it or pay someone to. But when it is determined it is bad the place that sold it replaces it and doesn't charge me for shipping.
A bad experience. The counter guys are great, knowledgeable, and helpful. But that is when I was buying stuff. It seems like the management turns against you when there is a problem. Zero stars for that. read more