NateJG

Here’s the letter that I just sent to Metro Toyota of Kalamazoo:

Subject: $27.97 is just too much for Coffee, peanut butter cookies, and cheese crackers!




I was a customer until yesterday - when Mr. Pugsley told me “...I’ll refund the shop charge; but I won’t service your car in the future...”.




It’s a long story, but here are the key points:




I began having you service my hybrid Lexus RX 450h in July of 2015. Since then, I’ve spent $1,042.18 with you in routine service over 35,434 miles and 8 visits.




I was referred to you by my friend; and I found your dealership to be clean and interested and much closer than my Lexus Dealership - so I decided to use you for non-warranty issues.




I take great care of my vehicles, and look for a dealership that will satisfy my very discerning needs. Ziegler takes wonderful care of my Z4 Roadster summer car; and Maple Hill has taken great care of our current and last two VWs. I was hoping to get that same care from the leader in the car industry - Toyota - and that’s why I bought the Lexus.




In 2015 (invoice 692970) you changed my hybrid’s front and rear gearboxes for $231.76 — and that included an oil disposal fee of $2.53.




Two months ago (invoice 768020) you changed my engine oil and rotated the tires for $78.98 — and that included another oil disposal fee of $1.09; plus a $3.05 charge for “ENVIRONMENTAL/SHOP SUPPLIES”.




I change my transmission/rear axle fluids at 35,000 miles, so I scheduled a visit for yesterday (Invoice 768020) to repeat the fluid change that you did for me two years ago.




Since I’m leaving for Florida in less than two weeks, I also had you do another synthetic oil/filter change - even though it was 7,274 miles early until the 10K scheduled fills (I do them at 5K intervals).




I figured that even with two years of inflation, the prices for the combined two would be close to A+B — given that there were only ONE visit and trip up/down the lift - and not two.




What I was not expecting was a $27.97 charge for “ENVIRONMENTAL/SHOP SUPPLIES”!!!




When I questioned that charge and cited the rationale above with my Service Advisor, he gave me some mumbo-jumbo about it being a “normal” thing. My argument that A+B now became A+B+C — and that I challenged the charge — especially since your mechanics merely removed screws/plugs, waited for oil to drain, and plugged back the screws/plugs — for which, surely, there was not anywhere close to $27.97 in rags to wipe up the floor.




So, the only thing I can conclude is that those peanut butter cookies and cheesy fish and the cup of cocoa must have cost me $27.97.




And since it is now clear that you, through your agent, no longer want my business, I am writing this to you to affirm that you will not see me darken your doors (I am shopping for a car to leave at the winter condo - and I am looking at another Toyota product - but it will not be sourced/serviced at your dealership).




Sincerely,







P.S.: I’m the same customer who’s car your technicians damaged, requiring the replacement of $907.66 in rocker panels two months ago (Invoice 771001).

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Toys4RJill

I am kind of confused as to how you know the charge is for Peanut Butter cookies and Cocoa?

mmarshall

No offense (and I realize money doesn't grow on trees)...but I hardly think that an extra $28 is going to have either you or your family (if applicable) out on the street or sleeping on the grates. And shop-disposal fees, no matter where you take your car, are becoming more and more common...good luck trying to evade them.

Coleroad

This is the state of Michigan's stance on the subject. Zigliers of kazoo is great to deal with. They are really reasonable for a BMW dealership too.

Johnhav430

I don't do dealers in general (our cars are no newer than 2011), but I did take my Lexus LS430 to Toyota. Yes it was a mistake. Here in PA we have to pay for state inspections, and with a free state inspection coupon, they charged $73 out the door. Because they charged $60 for the emissions. the BMW dealership charges $68 and provides a BMW loaner (no they don't inspect Lexus). The Toyota dealer was so crowded there was no place to even sit. No designer waters, pastries, or fancy a** cookies to speak of. But to illustrate their incompetence, I asked them how much they would charge to replace my LCA bushings after the fact on the phone, and they said $700. I said but I'm providing the bushings, you say you install customer parts (very odd I never knew dealers did that). Guy says I know. So I say I don't think you understand what I need. He goes look on an Avalon, I say wait it's a RWD LS430. He goes, I know on a Highlander...so I say can I email you a pic so you know what's needed, he goes nah, I know what's needed and it's $700. hahahahahahahahahahahahaaha (you have indies on the 3rd gen forum doing it for as little as $150) So I told him how about for $150, he laughed and said just let us know if you need anything in the future, click. I posted my experience on YELP and suddenly the GM sends me a message how do we get to 5 stars lol No what a feeling!

Fizzboy7

Many on here have professed taking a Lexus to Toyota for service. This may be okay in some cases, but I still would not recommend it. There is a definite higher standard at Lexus, period. I think it's worth a few bucks more to avoid any potential BS that may be more common at lower tier places. Similar to what Mike said, I'm pretty certain those who can afford a Lexus can also afford Lexus oil changes. Just my two cents.

LexBob2

I bought a BMW (my first) from a Zeigler dealership in IL and it was a good experience both in sales and service.

mjeds

wow, don't come to CA then, $8 per tire disposal fee when replacing your tires, the $32 would leave you homeless.

bagwell

have fun paying double the price for everything at the Lexus dealer

Johnhav430

I get that many car dealers overcharge, they need to keep the lights on. But when one pays an inflated charge, they want something to show. Better work. Better parts. Mineral water and croissants. Something. But as you can see from my example in PA, Toyota charges more for a PA state inspection, than a BMW dealer, who provides a loaner car. That's not cool.

UDel

"Superfuzz", you must have had HBO in the 80's too. I loved that movie. They showed a clip of "Superfuzz" in the 3rd season of "East Bound and Down".

NateJG

I’m trying to decide if you were ‘tongue-in-cheeking’ me with that question or if you were asking a serious question.

Assuming the latter, since they had line-item$ for oil disposal in both bills - and the service was simply fluid changes - and since it is beyond my comprehension as to how anyone could really use more than just rags to do the job (unless they drain the oil on the shop floor, and throw down several bags of costly Oil-Dri) - then the only thing left, logically, was the cocoa and cookies.

And thank you LexBob2 for that useful bit of information.

NateJG

Ken Francisco at Ziegler BMW is WONDERFUL to work with; and at that dealership, I never find any scratches, nicks, smudges, or other “mechanic trails” when I pick up my car. I hope he never retires. I always provide written atta-boy’s when I get great service - and that’s always at Ziegler BMW (Oh, and as a BMWCCA member, I get 10~15% discounts on all of my service there - despite not buying the car from them!).

mjeds

um the "oil disposal" charge isn't for using rags to clean up spilled oil, it is the environmental charge the government attaches to automotive repair shops for disposing of used oil and related materials, (oil cans, filters, etc.). Oil is considered toxic and hazardous waste and incurs extra fees for proper disposal, and repair shops are allowed to pass that fee to the consumer.. Any fluid change on a vehicle, brake pads, tires, damn near any and all parts that are considered to be hazardous and require proper ecological disposal of used parts, fluids and other environmental contaminants and consumable items used in car repair such as solvents, adhesives, cleaners and other items necessary to the trade.

do you honestly believe that it is a charge for using a rag to wipe up spilled oil? do you believe shops just store the old chemicals or flush them down the drain? there are real world fees associated with the disposal or toxic and hazardous waste, just because your local pep-boys or auto-zone collects it for free doesn't mean they don't incur charges for it's disposal, but unless they are a license repair facility they are not allowed to pass the cost to the customer, a dealership is..