Vote: Screwed by "Wrench"

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Comment: John Price, 12-09-2020

This is a tricky one. I have never heard of Wrench but they seem like a good company, also very convenient (is it a franchise?) and my guess is they don't think they did anything wrong here, They were hired to replace an alternator, they did that, and the customer was happy (until they weren't). They earned the cost of their labor. I looked up how much an alternator costs and readily got this: "In general, expect $130 to $250 for a quality alternator. The lower end is offers professionally remanufactured alternators, while the high-end price range is generally new alternators." So a savvy customer pulling that up on their phone and paying $288.72 for the part alone would be justified in believing that the alternator was brand new, as they were told. In my opinion parts mark-up is dishonest, though standard. There is a cost to going and getting the part, yes, but add that to labor,

The other problem is that the customer is held hostage by this practice. If Wrench had customers call to order the part and pay by credit card, the customer would own the part they paid for and not have to beg and scrape and pay labor to get a warranty replacement.

Of course Wrench is willing to replace the warrantied part and get paid again. However, I do not believe that is a fair resolution because, as others have said, they were deceptive. In my opinion they should chalk this up to experience and reconsider their practices regarding retail purchases of parts. They should accept return of the part, for what the customer paid for it, at a minimum.

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Reply: Gregory Lindsay, 12-13-2020

I have work as a mechanic for over 10 years in the past. I am aware how much an alternator cost, etc. At the time I hired "Wrench", I had become disabled to the point that I could not perform the replacement myself. I have personally maintained this automobile it entire life... it has over 296,000 miles on it. I asked "Wrench" to put a new alternator on the car. I did not mean this request as just a commonly used request, but as a well thought through request for what I wanted and paying for. I was calculating that a new alternator would last me for the what I foresee as the end of the cars life from 3 to 5 years. I was willing to pay someone to do that job. The part purchased was the problem,. Since I asked to have a new alternator installed and the price was more inline with the cost of a new alternator plus markup, I with good reason, had every induction that a new part was installed. After the alternator failed a emailed "wrench" and asked if the part used for this job was new and they responded yes.

I replaced the failed "wrench" alternator myself in half the time than I was billed by "Wrench". I installed a rebuilt part but have an extended warranty on this item and except the cost of my time in the future required to replace if this part were to go out. When I hired "wrench" to do the job, if done to my requested standards, I was pay for the price of mind that I would not have to worry about an alternator problem for the foreseeable rest of the cars life - 3 to five years.

It is not financially prudent to spend $350.00 every 18 months on a car that is only worth $1500.00

I feel if "Wrench" had indicated on the invoice the the part installed was remanufactured. I would have had a change to have this problem corrected. But because the amount invoiced was more than twice the cost of a new alternator, I was non the wiser.

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Proposed solution: Nicholas McGavic, 12-07-2020

No refund on the labor. He has the time invested in the labor. He did install the replacement alternator. You were not cheated on the job unless the "Wrench" advertises labor warranty, You had an unfortunate part failure but got 18 months of use. It's really the part supplier's fault. You could have insisted on O.E. replacement and spent a bunch more money on the part, it would likely still be a reman. You could have asked wrench to swap the part out for a new one at the store as he holds the warranty.

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Proposed solution: Nicholas McGavic, 12-07-2020

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Reply: Maeve Green, 12-09-2020

It's a disclosure issue to me. We all know that **** happens, but would that particular **** have happened if a new part had been installed? If Wrench had said hey, are you OK with a reman, and the customer had agreed, I don't think they would be so upset.

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Reply: Nicholas McGavic, 12-09-2020

They were not even told it was new until they contacted the shop after it failed. That sounds like their only mistake was being wrong about new versus reman but they didn't misrepresent the sale on the front end. The shop even offered to send a technician to install the warranty part, on location, with a reasonable, labor only charge.

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Proposed solution: Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell, 12-07-2020

It is sad to see that you have spent time and trouble over this. Your contract with Wrench has clearly failed and you are entitled to return of $360.63. that may be covered by Visa in any event. You may be entitled to more but the proof is more complicated and going to Court will involve you in more time, expense and worry, This Englishman's advice is to accept a refund from Visa and put the rest down to experience, Better luck in the future. Stay safe.

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Reply: Sarah Gideon, 12-07-2020

I don't think his credit card will give him a refund after such a long time, unfortunately, It isn't really a chargeback situation anyway, although the misrepresentation of the part could warrant that if it were more recent.

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Reply: Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell, 12-07-2020

Thank you. The trouble is that this sort of money is important to most people but may not be worth taking to Court.

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Comment: George Maxwell, 12-05-2020

An alternator should last 5-8 years. While remanufactured parts are supposed to be as good as new, clearly this one wasn't, unless there is some other problem with the vehicle. Regardless, if you tell the customer it's a new part, it should be a new part. The customer's first solution seems quite fair to me; $50 for having to redo a repair that should have lasted 5-8 years is nothing. It is a cheap lesson to Wrench that it needs to be very specific about how it describes parts--remanufactured is NOT the same as new. I feel that any small claims court would rule in favor of the claimant.

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Proposed solution: Linda James, 12-04-2020

Wrench should refund $288.71 to the customer and pick up the remanufactured alternator. It costs a company to stock or pick up parts, so it is normal to charge over the odds, although that is a LOT over the odds, but it is not normal to claim that a remanufactured part is a new part.

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Reply: Gregory Lindsay, 12-13-2020

Since I have had to remove the alternator and replace it with a new one, I feel I should be compensated a little for this time and effort, I further, since I attempted to resolve this matter with "wrench" before I sought assistance with this matter feel that I should be compensated from my time and effort researching a filing this claim and the different actions I have had to take after filing the claim. I also feel that I attempted to resolve this matter with "wrench" before I sought assistance with this matter a had to file a claim, I am entitled to the cost in cash I have had to spend $50 to resolve this matter. I have tried to be as fair in this matter with "wrench" as humanly possible, even offering "wrench" the failed alternator which since they own the warranty, is basically a new rebuilt alternator is being given to "wrench" by me which they can install on to any future customers automobile. With my concession, "wrench" is not longer out the cost of the part. What I am asking for is very little if "wrench" will remove the failed part from my residence and take advantage of the warranty that they own. This is really the same solution that "Wrench" suggested to me... the only difference is that wrench would be paid to replace another person's alternator instead of mine with a new rebuilt part that was just exchanged by autozone. This is totally a win-win solution for both parties involved. I have put much thought into the best way to resolve this problem so that neither party would really suffer any loss. "Wrench" has been unable to think through my dilution and see that they would really not be out much with my first request resolution.

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Reply: Sarah Gideon, 12-07-2020

If the part failed because it was remanufactured and not new, don't you think they deserve some small compensation for time and trouble?

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