GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Got a mailing from GM dealer - they will install a new ACDELCO Professional Silver Battery having a 30 month replacement guarantee in my Vibe for $129.95 plus $24.95 installation.
That is $154.90. Last November a Duracell 36 month replacement battery at Sam's Club cost me $86.23 with free installation.

But the ACDELCO is a Professional!

GM let Mr. GoodWrench go several years ago, and hired Mr. MBA-Wrench in his place.
Mr. MBA-Wrench quickly instituted higher parts pricing and service fees designed to enhance dealership profitability, in part to offset the fact that most dealerships lose money on every new car sold, and (attempt to) gain it back on used car sales, and the service department.

kostby wrote:GM let Mr. GoodWrench go several years ago, and hired Mr. MBA-Wrench in his place.
Mr. MBA-Wrench quickly instituted higher parts pricing and service fees designed to enhance dealership profitability, in part to offset the fact that most dealerships lose money on every new car sold, and (attempt to) gain it back on used car sales, and the service department.

That's what I always tell people - buying new rather than used at a dealership is often a better decision financially. A dealer makes a few hundred dollars on a new car at best, but probably $2,000 and up on a used car. The interest rate on a new car is lower than on a used car. Three years of warranty that you get on a used car would probably cost $2,000 on even a late model used car.used car. And a new car has new tires, new battery, new shocks, new muffler, new brakes, fresh fluids etc. More than one of those is soon apt to be an expense on a used car. Moreover, miles are money. Starting from zero is good.

The business model for car dealerships is a lot like our parish bingo game. We lose money on the game - the receipts for sale of bingo cards is almost always less than the total game payouts. But we make it up and more on the instant bingo cards - often called "rip-offs: because the player rips them open.

jake75 wrote:Got a mailing from GM dealer - they will install a new ACDELCO Professional Silver Battery having a 30 month replacement guarantee in my Vibe for $129.95 plus $24.95 installation.
That is $154.90. Last November a Duracell 36 month replacement battery at Sam's Club cost me $86.23 with free installation.

This is news, why?

Nasmfell wrote:

jake75 wrote:Got a mailing from GM dealer - they will install a new ACDELCO Professional Silver Battery having a 30 month replacement guarantee in my Vibe for $129.95 plus $24.95 installation.
That is $154.90. Last November a Duracell 36 month replacement battery at Sam's Club cost me $86.23 with free installation.

This is news, why?

^This.
I now get junk in the mail from a local Buick/GMC dealer because I took my car there to have recall work done ugh.
(I replaced the ACDelco battery in my car with a Costco one. It looks exactly the same as the Delco did and it was only 85 bucks, plus a full 3-year warranty).

mbz321 wrote:

Nasmfell wrote:

jake75 wrote:Got a mailing from GM dealer - they will install a new ACDELCO Professional Silver Battery having a 30 month replacement guarantee in my Vibe for $129.95 plus $24.95 installation.
That is $154.90. Last November a Duracell 36 month replacement battery at Sam's Club cost me $86.23 with free installation.

This is news, why?

^This.
I now get junk in the mail from a local Buick/GMC dealer because I took my car there to have recall work done ugh.
(I replaced the ACDelco battery in my car with a Costco one. It looks exactly the same as the Delco did and it was only 85 bucks, plus a full 3-year warranty).

You're on their mailing list now. You'll continue to receive offers and coupons? from them until you no longer own the car.

http://www.usa.gov/topics/family/privac ... mail.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You'll continue to receive offers and coupons? from them until you no longer own the car.

That is if you're lucky…

More likely that future generations will still continue to get offers and notices from them until the dealership goes out of business -OR- the USPS ceases to deliver mail.

My mother-in-law purchased a home in July 2000, and passed away last fall. We're still getting mail from a Toyota dealer with service reminders for a Corolla owned by the couple who built the home in the early 1990's...

How about "Return to Sender"?

kostby wrote: More likely that future generations will still continue to get offers and notices from them until the dealership goes out of business -OR- the USPS ceases to deliver mail.

You hit that one right on the head! Just this past winter I received an invitation for a deceased member who used to own my house, to sign up for Humana health care and Rx. Hmmmmmmm ... Humana ???? Need I say anymore ??? They are the absolute worst for Rx. Anyways the kicker to this story is that this poor old man (may his soul continue to rest in peace) died over THIRTY years ago

threadsurrection, but the title seemed to apply

Today I had the Vibe into the dealer for the second airbag recall. Last time they replaced the airbag and shielded something in the airbag control wiring, this time they replaced the air bag controller. In addition to that free recall work, they presented me with a list of other recommended service:

Rear wiper - $25
Valve cover gasket - $155
Spark plugs - $165
Timing chain tensioner gasket - $169
Front brake pads - $100
Front rotors - $275
Clean throttle body - $175
Left Front low beam - $74

I'll give them that the car probably needs all that done to it (and more) , but I wasn't about to give them $1138 to do that work. I haven't priced the parts to do the work yet, but it won't be close to the dealership cost. I am grateful that I can do all that work list myself, and I feel sorry for those that will get a service estimate like that and will just go ahead and pay. I mean, really, $74 to replace a headlight bulb? Anybody here need a conventional headlight bulb replaced, just stop by my house, I'll give you a huge discount and do it for only $50 Offer restricted to genvibers only. Limited time offer. call within the next ten minutes, operators are standing by. Act now, avoid disappointment and future regret

joatmon wrote:threadsurrection, but the title seemed to apply

Today I had the Vibe into the dealer for the second airbag recall. Last time they replaced the airbag and shielded something in the airbag control wiring, this time they replaced the air bag controller. In addition to that free recall work, they presented me with a list of other recommended service:

Rear wiper - $25
Valve cover gasket - $155
Spark plugs - $165
Timing chain tensioner gasket - $169
Front brake pads - $100
Front rotors - $275
Clean throttle body - $175
Left Front low beam - $74

I'll give them that the car probably needs all that done to it (and more) , but I wasn't about to give them $1138 to do that work. I haven't priced the parts to do the work yet, but it won't be close to the dealership cost. I am grateful that I can do all that work list myself, and I feel sorry for those that will get a service estimate like that and will just go ahead and pay. I mean, really, $74 to replace a headlight bulb? Anybody here need a conventional headlight bulb replaced, just stop by my house, I'll give you a huge discount and do it for only $50 Offer restricted to genvibers only. Limited time offer. call within the next ten minutes, operators are standing by. Act now, avoid disappointment and future regret

I'm offering the same thing at my garage for $49.99. Free tap water w/service!

jake75 wrote:

kostby wrote:GM let Mr. GoodWrench go several years ago, and hired Mr. MBA-Wrench in his place.
Mr. MBA-Wrench quickly instituted higher parts pricing and service fees designed to enhance dealership profitability, in part to offset the fact that most dealerships lose money on every new car sold, and (attempt to) gain it back on used car sales, and the service department.

That's what I always tell people - buying new rather than used at a dealership is often a better decision financially. A dealer makes a few hundred dollars on a new car at best, but probably $2,000 and up on a used car. The interest rate on a new car is lower than on a used car. Three years of warranty that you get on a used car would probably cost $2,000 on even a late model used car.used car. And a new car has new tires, new battery, new shocks, new muffler, new brakes, fresh fluids etc. More than one of those is soon apt to be an expense on a used car. Moreover, miles are money. Starting from zero is good.

I get the idea, but it still doesn't mean it is a good value for the customer. Yes the dealer is taking a hit on the new vehicle, but the customer takes a nice haircut the second they drive it off the lot. At times the auto loan numbers hold, but nowadays the range includes a couple years.

Ideally something a year or two old with dealer warranty (in case someone is returning a lemon)

New car leasing can be a great deal if you can live with the parameters as you don't take the value haircut when you drive off the lot.

[quote="joatmon"
Rear wiper - $25
Valve cover gasket - $155
Spark plugs - $165
Timing chain tensioner gasket - $169
Front brake pads - $100
Front rotors - $275
Clean throttle body - $175
Left Front low beam - $74
[/quote]


Valve cover gasket and Timing Chain tensioner gasket prices are a good deal considering shop labor

Cleaning the throttle body cost is almost nuts. Even if they totally remove it an soak it in cleaner blessed by the virgin mary.

I'm guessing they most have a lot of blown lights that require return service work to price the low beam that way.

AC-Delco has totally never produced shitty batteries, ever.

(except for when they have)

ctgottapee wrote:

jake75 wrote:

kostby wrote:GM let Mr. GoodWrench go several years ago, and hired Mr. MBA-Wrench in his place.
Mr. MBA-Wrench quickly instituted higher parts pricing and service fees designed to enhance dealership profitability, in part to offset the fact that most dealerships lose money on every new car sold, and (attempt to) gain it back on used car sales, and the service department.

That's what I always tell people - buying new rather than used at a dealership is often a better decision financially. A dealer makes a few hundred dollars on a new car at best, but probably $2,000 and up on a used car. The interest rate on a new car is lower than on a used car. Three years of warranty that you get on a used car would probably cost $2,000 on even a late model used car.used car. And a new car has new tires, new battery, new shocks, new muffler, new brakes, fresh fluids etc. More than one of those is soon apt to be an expense on a used car. Moreover, miles are money. Starting from zero is good.

I get the idea, but it still doesn't mean it is a good value for the customer. Yes the dealer is taking a hit on the new vehicle, but the customer takes a nice haircut the second they drive it off the lot. At times the auto loan numbers hold, but nowadays the range includes a couple years.

Ideally something a year or two old with dealer warranty (in case someone is returning a lemon)

New car leasing can be a great deal if you can live with the parameters as you don't take the value haircut when you drive off the lot.

Part of my point is that you take a value haircut when you drive a used car off the lot as well.

When I took my Vibe in for the PCM recall I was also presented with a list of things that needed doing. I simply told them to do the warranty work and leave everything else to me.

Sometimes even dealers make up stuff. I took another car to a Chevy dealer some years ago for some repairs under warranty and was told the brake fluid was dirty and needed to b changed. Except I knew it was clean as I had just changed it about a month prior to taking it in.

When the Vibe's new battery died I replaced it with one from Walmart. Still going after 7 years - the original battery lasted 3.