Getting back old parts from a garage

Mat · 17 Mar 2008 at 11:11

I had to drop my car off this morning for a new alternator and was told, after asking, that if I wanted to have my old alternator back (regardless of the reason) I would have to pay a £50 surcharge for the privilege!

Apparently they send them away for refurbishment and I presume they get £50 for doing it but how can they get away with charging me for my own parts if I want them back?!

SB118 · 17 Mar 2008 at 11:13

Sounds like you got a refurb not a new one then. The exchange is quite normal on refurb stuff.

InvaderGIR · 17 Mar 2008 at 11:15

Sounds about right, when I've had alternators die on my before, I've taken them out, gone into the local motorfactors, given them the old one, and gotten the new (shiny, brand new) one for a fraction of the cost of the old one.

The reason they can charge is because they get a discount on the parts when they buy them in if they can send back old ones for refurb. So if you want to keep it, you have to cover the discount they get.

InvG

Mat · 17 Mar 2008 at 11:19

Right, got it.

moss · 17 Mar 2008 at 12:39

Virtually all alternators sold are recons, my mate works at a dealership and even a few parts they buy are subject to a surcharge.
There is no discount for old units etc, if we buy an alternator in at work to sell to a customer, we get an invoice with the cost of the alternator, plus a surcharge, which we have to pay until our suppliers recieve the old unit back. The credit may take another month or two to come through back to use, although we credit the customer as soon as we get the old unit back.

pendulum666 · 17 Mar 2008 at 12:42

I suppose with these things you should say up front that you want the old one back. At the end of the day, I bet they dont get many people asking for old parts back so become used to being able to have old parts to exchange back for discounts. But then they have a duty to tell you thats how it works as well to be fair.

InvaderGIR · 17 Mar 2008 at 12:55

Ah, surcharge...I knew there was a word that I should have used...replace discount with surcharge in my post.

InvG

moss · 17 Mar 2008 at 13:48

pendulum666 said:
But then they have a duty to tell you thats how it works as well to be fair.

I guess so, but to be fair the garage is kind of covering the surcharge cost for the customer, they will be charged the surcharge on the invoice and like us, they will be credited later if its all on a monthly account.
If for some particular reason the part is sent back and its beyond repair (cracked housing etc) the garage may then be charged the surcharge.