AirCon Leak, and warranty woes

[Skylarking]

...Just don't feel as though the hose order/request has even been placed.

Especially when they say 'Holden have no parts' and 'we will look at other dealers and call you back' and never get the call...

@vc commodore, The pandemic is not really the issue here, sort of but not really. The issue is one of a lack of communication as Sfitz38 states above. Such poor communications with customers was common pre pandemic and will be common post pandemic, as many businesses just don’t get customer service.

A customer, any customer, shouldn’t feel like their parts haven’t been ordered. The customer shouldn’t have to continually call a business when told he will be called back. That's just shitty customer focus, poor communications and the mark of a poorly run business. Nothing COVID specific in this behaviour.

So if the part is on back order with no ETA, that should be clearly communicated to the customer. But I suspect the dealer just wants the work and doesn’t want to risk loosing the job so will keep the customer in an indefinite holding pattern for as long as they can without any other options being provided, until the part arrives or the customer cracks it and goes elsewhere. Maybe it’s just shitty business ethics or incompetence in communications, don’t know, don’t care..

Whatever the case, the customer needs his aircon working for his planned trip. He doesn’t need to put up with it. He may choose to put up with it but he has options. (I’ve had very successful aircon hose repair and you couldn’t tell it from a factory part).

As for parts availability, if a business wants to run with a low stock levels within their warehousing operation, like FCA Jeep for example, that’s simply a business choice which has impacted customers before the pandemic. Such business choices will continue to impact customers post pandemic... Such warehousing strategies are not really an issue of COVID‘s making but it has been exacerbates by supply line issues for what’s already a poor customer focused operation. I won’t excuse shitty service now due to COVID when exactly the same shitty service was inexcusable before the pandemic.

As is, my first mention of ACL was a tongue in cheek reply to @Lex. My next mention of ACL was in response to your post. Nothing wrong in suggesting that if the seller can’t fix the issue in a timely manner, the buyer can have an alternate repair method and bill the selling dealer. It’s something the law allows. And just cause you don’t like ACL, doesn’t make the law wrong and it doesn’t make it wrong to highlight people’s rights as provided in law so they can decide what course to take for themselves.

Sadly your only advice to the owner seems to be suck it up and wait... so he should take his family on a driving holiday with no aircon... great advice...

PS: how do you plan for a shitstorm. Don’t know but you can ssk all the governments and businesses that did just that starting 2003 (post SARS). They relaxed somewhat in 2013 (post MERS fizzle) and then ignored their own plans until COVID hit the fan mid March (with the USA still ignoring their pandemic plans cause an idiot is in charge of the country). Luckily the drug companies could quickly restart their SARS/MERS vaccine work and repurpose to COVID. Why else do you think vaccines were so advanced in development and so quick to market... Also ask the many small business minded people how did bulk buys before the lockdowns. Some people have dunny paper through their house, which I don’t condone. But if such people could see a need, those working within warehouse inventory planing should have seen the writing on the wall. I’m sure some did and others didn’t.

 

[vc commodore]

@vc commodore, The pandemic is not really the issue here, sort of but not really. The issue is one of a lack of communication as Sfitz38 states above. Such poor communications with customers was common pre pandemic and will be common post pandemic, as many businesses just don’t get customer service.

A customer, any customer, shouldn’t feel like their parts haven’t been ordered. The customer shouldn’t have to continually call a business when told he will be called back. That's just shitty customer focus, poor communications and the mark of a poorly run business. Nothing COVID specific in this behaviour.

So if the part is on back order with no ETA, that should be clearly communicated to the customer. But I suspect the dealer just wants the work and doesn’t want to risk loosing the job so will keep the customer in an indefinite holding pattern for as long as they can without any other options being provided, until the part arrives or the customer cracks it and goes elsewhere. Maybe it’s just shitty business ethics or incompetence in communications, don’t know, don’t care..

Whatever the case, the customer needs his aircon working for his planned trip. He doesn’t need to put up with it. He may choose to put up with it but he has options. (I’ve had very successful aircon hose repair and you couldn’t tell it from a factory part).

As for parts availability, if a business wants to run with a low stock levels within their warehousing operation, like FCA Jeep for example, that’s simply a business choice which has impacted customers before the pandemic. Such business choices will continue to impact customers post pandemic... Such warehousing strategies are not really an issue of COVID‘s making but it has been exacerbates by supply line issues for what’s already a poor customer focused operation. I won’t excuse shitty service now due to COVID when exactly the same shitty service was inexcusable before the pandemic.

As is, my first mention of ACL was a tongue in cheek reply to @Lex. My next mention of ACL was in response to your post. Nothing wrong in suggesting that if the seller can’t fix the issue in a timely manner, the buyer can have an alternate repair method and bill the selling dealer. It’s something the law allows. And just cause you don’t like ACL, doesn’t make the law wrong and it doesn’t make it wrong to highlight people’s rights as provided in law so they can decide what course to take for themselves.

Sadly your only advice to the owner seems to be suck it up and wait... so he should take his family on a driving holiday with no aircon... great advice...

PS: how do you plan for a shitstorm. Don’t know but you can ssk all the governments and businesses that did just that starting 2003 (post SARS). They relaxed somewhat in 2013 (post MERS fizzle) and then ignored their own plans until COVID hit the fan mid March (with the USA still ignoring their pandemic plans cause an idiot is in charge of the country). Luckily the drug companies could quickly restart their SARS/MERS vaccine work and repurpose to COVID. Why else do you think vaccines were so advanced in development and so quick to market... Also ask the many small business minded people how did bulk buys before the lockdowns. Some people have dunny paper through their house, which I don’t condone. But if such people could see a need, those working within warehouse inventory planing should have seen the writing on the wall. I’m sure some did and others didn’t.

Phone call....So would you give 18 hours of your day free, sitting in a warehouse waiting for a phone call out of the blue, enquiring about when a part is due too arrive? I seriously doubt, but you are expecting someone from the Holden dealership and/or the supplier to....

So where is this part going to be gotten within this country? They will be fitting a genuine part, because they deal with pedantic people like yourself, that insist it must be repaired with genuine parts....I would also bet, if they fitted a non-genuine part, you would be all over it like a rash, saying they must fit a genuine part for what ever reason...So damned if they do, damned if they don't...

You also have to consider, back in 2003, Holden couldn't fit a tyre that had been repaired onto a new car....I know, because I was stripping and fitting tyres out of the factory back then, because their tyre machine had issues....It is quite possible, the same situation is in place here when it comes to fitting replacement parts

Low stick levels....How often do parts like this fail? Not very often I suspect, so keeping loads of stock of this part is unnecessary...How ever if greedy people hadn't had half a hand in making manufacturing uneconomically viable in this country, the story would have been different.

Warehousing...So they have to get bigger warehouses to hold more parts, therefore adding onto the cost of parts, which then translates to more complaining about the costs of parts, which is already through the roof....Excellent idea....Definately solves all the supply and costing issues

For someone that owns a Holden, you certainly enjoy laying it on thick with them...You also enjoy trying to get out of coughing up for anything...Shows with your postings whenever something has failed with a car.

As for the aircon not working...Unfortunate yes, but there hands are tied.....They are having difficulty obtaining the necessary part for outlined reasons and they also deal with pedantic people like yourself, so they can't fit non-genuine parts and they can't supply a loan car, for my outlined reasons....So maybe you could find out where the parts are made, and make a special trip there for the op.....

 

[Skylarking]

@vc commodore, it’s odd how you are telling me what I’d accept and what I wouldn’t accept. It’s especially odd after I did state I’d wait for the dealer part to arrive, then added unless it was a long delay and the lack of aircon was an real problem at which point I’d resolve the issue by getting the current part repaired.

I’ve also stated I’ve had an aircon hose repair that is indistinguishable from a new factory part... was quite happy with that repair. Yet according to you, someone who I’ve never met, I’m pedantic and wouldn’t accept such a repair

As to the poor state of manufacture that successive governments have allowed to occur, something that impacts national security, the betrayal of Australians in allowing such can’t be underestimated. If we can learn anything from the pandemic, and the consequential lack of PPE, it’s that we need manufacturing in this country. I’d say we agree on that...

But warehousing issues and stock levels, that’s a little different. As I’ve said Jeep is notorious for long parts delays and charging huge money for these parts. I’m sure other importers are similar though it will be interesting to see what the Japs do in this respect now that manufacturing has gone. As to Jeep, from what I’ve gathered they have very high margins on their parts, so it they choose, I’m sure they can increase parts stock levels at the expense of their high margins and not increase prices. But strong capitalist views prevail and what’s charged is what the market can bear. Prices will always be high... always... high stock levels, low stock levels, it doesn’t matter, businesses will charge what the the majority of their market can bare and nothing lower...

As for the aircon, though the dealers hands are tied, the owners hands are not Something you fail to understand or want to recognise

And whether I own a BMW, Merc, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Jeep or any other brands, it wouldn’t matter... it’s just a car and I don’t have any blind rusted on brand loyalty like others may have. If any one of these brands don’t support their product within the requirements of the law, I’d call them out just as I’m calling out Holden. If it offends you cause you’re a brand loyalist, that’s something you’ll have to live with since any fanboy obsession you may have is not my doing. Maybe doctor Phil can help you with such a problem if that’s the case

 

[vc commodore]

@vc commodore, it’s odd how you are telling me what I’d accept and what I wouldn’t accept. It’s especially odd after I did state I’d wait for the dealer part to arrive, then added unless it was a long delay and the lack of aircon was an real problem at which point I’d resolve the issue by getting the current part repaired.

I’ve also stated I’ve had an aircon hose repair that is indistinguishable from a new factory part... was quite happy with that repair. Yet according to you, someone who I’ve never met, I’m pedantic and wouldn’t accept such a repair

As to the poor state of manufacture that successive governments have allowed to occur, something that impacts national security, the betrayal of Australians in allowing such can’t be underestimated. If we can learn anything from the pandemic, and the consequential lack of PPE, it’s that we need manufacturing in this country. I’d say we agree on that...

But warehousing issues and stock levels, that’s a little different. As I’ve said Jeep is notorious for long parts delays and charging huge money for these parts. I’m sure other importers are similar though it will be interesting to see what the Japs do in this respect now that manufacturing has gone. As to Jeep, from what I’ve gathered they have very high margins on their parts, so it they choose, I’m sure they can increase parts stock levels at the expense of their high margins and not increase prices. But strong capitalist views prevail and what’s charged is what the market can bear. Prices will always be high... always... high stock levels, low stock levels, it doesn’t matter, businesses will charge what the the majority of their market can bare and nothing lower...

As for the aircon, though the dealers hands are tied, the owners hands are not Something you fail to understand or want to recognise

And whether I own a BMW, Merc, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Jeep or any other brands, it wouldn’t matter... it’s just a car and I don’t have any blind rusted on brand loyalty like others may have. If any one of these brands don’t support their product within the requirements of the law, I’d call them out just as I’m calling out Holden. If it offends you cause you’re a brand loyalist, that’s something you’ll have to live with since any fanboy obsession you may have is not my doing. Maybe doctor Phil can help you with such a problem if that’s the case

Reading your posts is enough to determine what you find acceptable and what you don't ...You expect everything to be at your beckon call regardless of what other factors are involved

You also fail to understand what Holden are bound by....I know Holden were prevented from selling a brand new car with a legally repaired puncture in a tyre....So it wouldn't surprise me that they aren't permitted to fit a non-genuine hose to fix the current issue under a warranty situation....

You can fit repaired hoses to a car, but as a warranty job? Doubt it from my experience with their rubber

Warehousing and stock issues go hand in hand.....You order what is the most frequently used parts and keep a big quantity of those parts, because they are used frequently...Air con hoses aren't what anyone would call a frequently used part, so keeping a heap of them in stock would be pointless....But reading your posts, they should, so that means a bigger warehouse to keep more infrequently used parts in stock, which then inturn means more costs having a larger warehouse....Those costs are then passed onto the consumer....

Me I don't have any loyalty bind.....I have owned all sorts of brands...I do know that when they have their hands tied behind their backs, there is nothing anyone can do...Not you, not any gov't department...Not the poor person on the receiving end.....I have stated how they would have had their hands tied, so unless you wish to find the place that manufacturers the part and physcially go and retreive it, you should just accept it's an unfortunate situation that needs patience to be resolved

So the Op's hands aren't tied.....What should he do, bearing in mind, Holden probably can't fit a non-genuine part for a warranty job.....Holden probably can't supply a loan car because they need them for customers that are booked in for other work....So yes I do understand and you don't...You just insist that the parts should be here right now or repaired parts should be fitted regardless of whether they are allowed to be or not for a warranty job...

 

[Stroppy]

Sfitz38, if you can't wait then go to a renowned auto aircon place and, like others have indicated above, you will get the job done for under three hundred bucks and the service people will make a bespoke hose for you that will probably outlast the life of the car. If I were you I'd be more worried about WHY this happened. As "Skylarking" suggested, the unit is sealed "for life" and is meant to last the average service life of a car these days (ten years). So I'd be concerned about whether or not your car had a bingle in the nose. If you take it to a top panel beater they'd be able to tell you if it has been bingled in a few minutes of checking.

 

[theburna57]

How long is life these days? 5 yrs, 8 yrs oops, maybe only 4 yrs (kidding).

Concrete Warranty, its gone once you are off the concrete.

 

[mirrabucca]

How long is life these days? 5 yrs, 8 yrs oops, maybe only 4 yrs (kidding).

19 years? VX: A/C not very cold early last year. Got a mobile guy out. He was great. Checked pressure - as per factory. "When was this last serviced?"
Reply - never. He regassed it with dye to spot any leaks. A week later - green dye round the compressor where two halves join. Called the guy, quoted about $1000 to replace compressor and regas. That was early last year 2019.
A/C still working ok (not as good as new, but cold enough). When it finally dies I will seek options.

 

[lmoengnr]

Concrete Warranty, its gone once you are off the concrete.

Standard aviation warranty...

 

[Sfitz38]

I gave them a call today, asking if the previous person I spoke with found anything, and the response, have been no notes. Service person today, said this is far too long, let me make a call and call you back shortly, No call yet.

If I don't hear back tomorrow I'll ask around costs and time from some aircon mobs like suggested and decide in the next week or so which way to go, which will be a shame for such a minor fault.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Sfitz38]

Went into the service department today (no return phone calls) and they told me the part arrived on the 23rd Dec, WooHoo!

Apparently they don't actually log the warranty claim until they replace the parts, so there is no proper record of the fault, eek.
This may have been a reason trying to get updates.

Booked in for next Wednesday