Car Repair for the Female Consumer - Part 1: Documenting the Defect

Are you a female consumer sick and tired of how you are being treated when you take your car into the shop for repairs?  Then follow my 8 part blog!  I'll give you some helpful hints for getting your car repaired and getting the respect that you deserve at the dealership.

Step 1: Documenting the Defect

The keys to identifying the cause of a motor vehicle defect are to be able to describe the defect to the mechanic in a way that he will understand, and to be able to identify under what circumstances the defect most often occurs. The best way to do this is to keep a notepad and pen in the vehicle. When you experience the defect, note the time, the mileage, the temperature, how long the engine has been running, what speed you are going, whether you are accelerating, at idle, or turning, and how long the defect occurs.


Additionally, if the defect is something that can be seen visually, then you may also want to take a video or photograph of the defect which you can present to the service adviser when you take the vehicle into the shop for repairs.

Your defect diary, photograph, and/or video should arm you with the information that you need for a successful repair, and make it much more likely that you will be taken seriously when you take your vehicle into the shop for repairs.

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running

Thinking of upgrading your brand new motorcycle? Think again!

Thinking of upgrading or personalizing your brand new motorcycle?  If it is still under warranty, think again.  

More often than not, if you end up having problems with your bike that the authorized dealer cannot fix, the manufacturer will blame the problems on the non OEM add-on and possibly void your warranty.  And, you typically cannot trust the authorized dealer when they tell you that the part won't void your warranty, because the manufacturer is unlikely to stand behind its dealer when it comes down to it.  In fact, when push comes to shove, most bike manufacturers don't care if you are a loyal customer-- they will void your warranty in a heartbeat to avoid admitting that they built a defective product.


Still set on purchasing and installing that non OEM part or accessory on your brand new bike?  Here are some tips:

1. Take a look at your bike warranty.  Most bike manufacturers have warranty exclusions for racing parts, non OEM parts, or parts that cause the bike to exceed local emissions requirements, etc.  See what your warrant excludes.  Then, contact the manufacturer of the non OEM part or visit their website.  Does that part fit into any of your warranty exclusions?


2. Contact the manufacturer of your bike.  Ask them about the non OEM part and if installation will affect your warranty.  If they tell you that installation will not affect your warranty, then be sure to get it in writing.

3. Have the authorized dealer install the part.  This way if the manufacturer later argues that the part was not properly installed, it is their own dealer that is to blame and not you.


4. The best bet is always to wait until your warranty expires.



Unfortunately, most bike manufacturers these days will not stand behind their product or support a loyal customer if doing so means taking a financial loss.  So, before installing an add-on onto your brand new bike, think long and hard-- you could be left with a bike that doesn't run and a warranty that is void.

Beth Wells

www.BurdgeLaw.com

Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running