[Otis]

As luck would have it, I dropped my key fob the other day and it shattered on the cold hard concrete. I was a little pissed, but what are you gonna do...

Anyway, I called up my local Subaru dealer, knowing that getting a replacement was going to cost me, and I was right - they wanted $119 or something like that for one. I really want to have a spare, so I said I'd come by to pick it up. The guy asked me for my VIN over the phone when I was asking about it, I assumed so they could program it for me.

I showed up, they gave me the new one, and then told me it needed to be programmed. I am thinking, ok, no big deal, what do I need to do? They tell me to make a service appointment (!!!). Said they would charge me $45 for a half-hour of labor, or whatever the standard rate is, to do the work.

You have got to be kidding me. Is there a way to program the thing myself? There is no way in hell I am paying basically $160 for a new remote. Paying 120 bucks for the thing I can stomach, but another 45 on top of that is adding insult to injury.

Is the dealership jerking me around here?

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by Otis

As luck would have it, I dropped my key fob the other day and it shattered on the cold hard concrete. I was a little pissed, but what are you gonna do...

Anyway, I called up my local Subaru dealer, knowing that getting a replacement was going to cost me, and I was right - they wanted $119 or something like that for one. I really want to have a spare, so I said I'd come by to pick it up. The guy asked me for my VIN over the phone when I was asking about it, I assumed so they could program it for me.

I showed up, they gave me the new one, and then told me it needed to be programmed. I am thinking, ok, no big deal, what do I need to do? They tell me to make a service appointment (!!!). Said they would charge me $45 for a half-hour of labor, or whatever the standard rate is, to do the work.

You have got to be kidding me. Is there a way to program the thing myself? There is no way in hell I am paying basically $160 for a new remote. Paying 120 bucks for the thing I can stomach, but another 45 on top of that is adding insult to injury.

Is the dealership jerking me around here?

A dealership that wanted your business would have done it and simply charged you for the remote. Are they jerking you around. It's a dealership. Of course they are.

[aznboi320]

it shows you how to program the fob in your manual

[STIVendetta]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

A dealership that wanted your business would have done it and simply charged you for the remote. Are they jerking you around. It's a dealership. Of course they are.

Yes it`s a "Stealership" alright.....They should be embarrassed...shame on them...

[Blackfang]

See, this is the crap that irks me.To program a remote is not free. The older ones, yes a customer can do it. The 2005+ ones it is easier to use the scan tool to be connected to the vehicle so they can program it. It is very easy to mess up the newer ones and there is more work involved if the customer wants to do it. If they don't, then they should pay to have it programmed.

I am sorry that they do not do charity work for everyone. Most certainly, why should the Service Dept do something for free just because the parts dept made money off the customer? That's like saying, you should service my car for free because I bought it here

[StretchSTI]

Originally Posted by Blackfang

See, this is the crap that irks me.To program a remote is not free. The older ones, yes a customer can do it. The 2005+ ones it is easier to use the scan tool to be connected to the vehicle so they can program it. It is very easy to mess up the newer ones and there is more work involved if the customer wants to do it. If they don't, then they should pay to have it programmed.

I am sorry that they do not do charity work for everyone. Most certainly, why should the Service Dept do something for free just because the parts dept made money off the customer? That's like saying, you should service my car for free because I bought it here

although i do agree with you, I think the fact that they didnt inform him on the phone that it was gonna cost more money and another service appointment was not right.

the dealership is a business and the goal of a business is to make a profit. sorry you feel you shouldnt be part of that profit, but thats the way the world turns

[amg destroyer]

IMO every cost included should be stated clearly upfront. At least that's the way I would run a busines...

Maybe you could contact a different dealership about it. Not sure...but if it were me, I woudln't go back to that one in the future.

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by amg destroyer

IMO every cost included should be stated clearly upfront. At least that's the way I would run a busines...

Maybe you could contact a different dealership about it. Not sure...but if it were me, I woudln't go back to that one in the future.

It is nearly impossible. The parts Dept doesn't know how much it would cost to install such and such part. There job is to sell parts, not time. Just like I do not know how much certain parts cost. Dealerships are not like your average business. There are different departments(like most major businesses) and while the customer would like for there experience it to be easy as can be for them, you can not expect every department to know the other department's job and their pricing. It is easy to assume something about a business when you aren't working it. Things change when you have a different perspective.

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by StretchSTI

although i do agree with you, I think the fact that they didnt inform him on the phone that it was gonna cost more money and another service appointment was not right.

Did the customer ask if the remote came programmed or not? Did he ask how it gets programmed? No he assumedMany people fail to ask the next question and many parts guys fail to do the same. However, if you can not do the work, then you can expect to pay someone for their services to do so.

the dealership is a business and the goal of a business is to make a profit. sorry you feel you shouldnt be part of that profit, but thats the way the world turns

Exactly. You proved my point. Why should 1 department make money and profit from a sale while another dept takes a loss because a technician worked for free(would you?) performing a service that they should get paid for, all because a customer thinks they are entitled to it being free? I am sorry but I along with technicians have a family to support and bills just like everyone else. I am a part of the profit because if the customer doesn't want to pay, then I simply tell him to have a nice day and he can go elsewhere to have someone program it.

[amg destroyer]

Originally Posted by Blackfang

It is nearly impossible. The parts Dept doesn't know how much it would cost to install such and such part. There job is to sell parts, not time. Just like I do not know how much certain parts cost. Dealerships are not like your average business. There are different departments(like most major businesses) and while the customer would like for there experience it to be easy as can be for them, you can not expect every department to know the other department's job and their pricing. It is easy to assume something about a business when you aren't working it. Things change when you have a different perspective.

Although things do change when one has a different perspective, an effective business is one where all the departments work together flawlessly - that includes dealerships. There should be no guesswork/hassle invovled.
And, oh, I KNOW that dealerships aren't your average businesses...

But I'm not in here to get into a debate regarding my extreme hatred toward dealerships...OP - did you get this issue resolved yet?

[Blackfang]

Originally Posted by amg destroyer

Although things do change when one has a different perspective, an effective business is one where all the departments work together flawlessly - that includes dealerships. There should be no guesswork/hassle invovled.
And, oh, I KNOW that dealerships aren't your average businesses...

But I'm not in here to get into a debate regarding my extreme hatred toward dealerships...OP - did you get this issue resolved yet?

I can guarantee that there is not a single dealership that works flawlessly on every customer. There are too many factors involved for that to happen on every case. That is why there different departments instead of just one handling all of them. You can not effectively train everyone to know everyones job, and be up to date on pricing,etc.

My dealership, the parts department doesn't give prices on labor. if the customer asks for a price on a part they give it to them and then transfer them to service to get a quote on the install. I don't have time to get into a debate on this(Uncle Sam also has me busy), but I will key in on some key points that your average person who may not know how we work and operate.

[M155L3R]

Same at my dealership, We charge to program remotes, How else does the service department pay for tools and how else does the tech pay for his tools...just ask a tech one time how much money he has invested in his tool box....probably in the 45K to 50K + range. The new Subaru Lap top and all the updates that dealership has to pay for is not cheap.

[fergusmj]

Both sides of this are understandable for this particular situation. One one extreme, its similar to buying an engine and expecting free installation. I think the main thing is it would be nice for a small item, like a KEY FOB which usually would need some isntall, that a place would go ahead and program it. It all depends on where you go though. Some dealerships are better than others. Its all about where you go. I've had to replace a fuse in a car before after I got it back from the dealership. I asked them for a new fuse. They gave it to me and I said "how much" they said "don't worry about it". I know its an extremely small cost, but the satisfaction it gives to the customer is worth it in the long run. I've noticed it usually depends on how cool the service guys are too.

[Blackfang]

You are right as it can go either way and a lot can vary or services and discounts. I try to give discounts where I can and be fair. If you have an immobilizer key that needs to be programmed and purchased a remote, I'll program the key and do the remote for free. My good customers, I will install blades, throw in an air filter or other smaller things for them at no charge.
However, if you never come in for any service, don't expect any favors or a discounts unless you have one of our coupons.

[Rootus]

It's reasonable for the dealer to charge for the time to program the remote. However, I think it would be a good idea if the parts department were aware of the requirements -- especially for something sure to be a somewhat regular occurence, like a key fob. "Sir, the fob will cost $120, but you should be aware that it will require programming to work. I cannot tell you how much that will cost, but I can connect you with a service advisor who can quote you a price." This way, no surprises. The parts department should have at least a passing familiarity with the parts they sell.