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          7 Nov 90 15:13:42 EST
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 90 14:42:56 EST
From: anonymous
To: bovik@K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: Avoid Samson Buick

Hi Harry:

This is a rather long story about how poorly I was treated by
the people at samson buick and how they tried to cheat me out of
$600 and later $53.  I'll try to keep it as short as I
can.

GM ran an extended warranty on steering racks for 5 yr or 50,000
miles.  I have an 85 buick shyhawk.  I called the buick service
center and they told me to take my car to samson buick for 
a look to see if my rack needed to be replaced.  I called them, and
talked to Dana Craig, the service manager, who said they were quite
busy but they could look at my car in a few weeks.  I made the appt
for sometime in july.  When I took the car there, they told me yes
it needed to be replaced and that they had the parts and could do
it that day.  I asked them to specifically check the stockroom to make
sure they had the parts before I left, since it was inconvenient for me
to get to their shop. When I returned that afternoon, they said they couldn't
fix it because they didn't have the parts. I was afraid that my warranty would
expire by the time the new parts came in especially since I was
leaving town for all of august.  I had the person on duty sign on my
receipt that when I took the car back in sept. it would still be under
warranty.  When I got back from vacation and called they said the
parts were in and I set up an appt time.  I left my car there and
talked Mr. Craig to insure that this wouldnot cost me anything.
When I returned the next morning they told me that the car was fixed and
I owed them $600+ because the car was no longer under warranty.  Luckily,
when I signed the work order the second time, I had written on the line
that I was authorizing warrantied work only.  So I claimed that if they
did the work they were doing so under warranty, since this was all I
authorized.  I also showd them my first receipt as well as said the
service manager Mr. Craig had told me initially the car was under
warranty (I got the car used and didn't know the in service date).
Well apparantly the warranty had expired earlier in the summer and
even though I had two signed receipts and a verbal agreement, this other 
manager said I still owed them the money and he would not release my
car unless I paid them the money.  His words included, "yes, I'm holding
your car hostage until you pay", "this bill needs paid and you're going
to have to pay it" and of course "Yes, you're right, it was our mistake,
but you're still going to have to pay for this work".  After and hour
and a half of dispute, Mr. Craig showed up.  Within ten minutes of
examining the paperwork etc, he said "she's done everything to cover 
herself.  We're going to have to bite the bullet on this one".  And 
gave me my car and a receipt marked paid.   The other manager apologize
for keeping me so long withe the excuse that he had two kids in
college and if he release my car without the money he would have
to pay the money, and I should understand this.

A month and half later I get a bill in the mail from samson buick for
$53.00.  They claim that this is the deductable for any warrantied 
service, I should know that, I should use common sense when having
work done, and I will have to pay it (this words all from the new
service manager.  apparantly Mr. Craig no longer works there).  He
too admitted that the initial billing was a mistake on the part of
Mr. Craig, who "made lots of mistakes", but concluded "someone has
to pay for those mistakes and that someone is you".  I might also
add that his tone was condescending, and obnoxious.  I also had
an unsuccessful, equal irritating conversation with the accounts
receivable person prior to my being permitted to talk to the service
manager.  

So I called the buick customer service line again and told them
my story.  Within a week they got the charge dropped.  They told
me the dealer agreed to write off the $53.  WHen I asked for it
in writing, they told me that they couldn't do that, but the 
dealership should.  So I unfortunately called back the dealership
and spoke to the service manager again, who was more polite but
still insisted that I knew I should have paid the $53 deductible, but
he had taken care of it after our initial conversation before
the buick district service manager came in and talked to him about
it.  When I asked for it in writing he told me he didn't have time
for such things and that in the future I should know that warrantied
work has a deductible.  

By the way, according to the buick people in Michigan, the $53 is
not a deductible, but a pro-rated fee for an expired warranty extended
to buick owners of 1985 cars.  


anonymous