I purchased a new 2002 F-150 Harley Davidson pickup with the Ford "Quality Care Service" contract and an extended 3-year warranty in 2002 while on vacation in South Dakota (December).in March I took it to my local Ford Dealer (Sunset Ford in Peoria, Arizona) for the first oil change and the service technician Scott Arnold registered my vehicle at the drive-up center. I notified him that I had paid for the Quality Care Service Package at time of purchase he indicated that he could not verify this information as the computers were down. I figured no big deal we will sort it out at another time so I paid the $32 to get my truck back and got back to work.
Since this was a second vehicle, I put very few miles on my truck. Also, I paid strict attention to the little oil change sticker that they put up in the left hand corner of your window (as a missed oil change can be grounds to void my warrantees). I didn't rack up enough miles for the next oil change until August where my wife took it in for the second oil change. I forgot to tell her about the warranty so she ended up paying the $32 for the oil change.By the time January rolls around, I had forgotten about the warrantee and ended up paying $32 again (as the sticker said so)... And then again in March (as the sticker date required).
Finally a friend reminded me that I had the Quality Care Service contract and I shouldn't have been paying for the oil changes. So I went back to the Dealership and asked Scott Arnold for a refund. He said there was nothing he could do right then except put me in the system for the quality care program. He asked me for the receipts (which were already in his system since they were from Sunset Ford) and he would look into it. So I did his dirty work for him and hunted down all the receipts from all the oil changes at Sunset Ford. He told me it would take a bout two weeks and I would get my check.
Six weeks go by, and no response from Scott Arnold or Sunset Ford. So I called Scott and he stated that the Dealership denied my request! If I wanted to discuss it I would have to talk to the Service Manager, Russ Dangle. I set up a meeting with Russ Dangle and he indicated that they couldn't do it because I had not informed them at my first oil change. I became furious at the bull he was trying to feed me - (Keep in mind folks this is a $42,000 truck and we are talking about $128 in oil changes that were already prepaid in 2002). Russ Dangle told me that, If I didn't like his decision I could take it up with Ford Customer Care.
To make a long story short, I spent the next FIVE months, eight phone calls, and about 6 hours going back and forth between Ford Customer Care (who will not call you back) and the dealership. Finally, I was so frustrated with them trying to steal from me that I told them that this is no longer about the $128, but the principle that I had already paid for the service, then I paid again, and I should receive a refund. They then decided that they would only pay for two of the four oil changes because the warrantee was for every 5,000 miles not the 3,000 miles that they put on your sticker (Talk about a double standard at Ford in determining when you should change your oil.) So, in September I get a check for $63.28 (two of the four oil changes) screwed out of the other two oil changes for $63.28. The additional thievery was in my time to get through their bureaucratic processes to deal with poor service.
Screwing #2 Same Dealership (Sunset Ford), same Manager (Russ Dingle) but now I get a nail in the side of my tire (covered under my Ford Road Hazard warrantee). I price the same exact tire and mounting etc. And I find that I can get it done for $150 on that day. Now, the Ford warrantee covers (up to) $150 for a road hazard where I have to pay the balance. So I go to Sunset Ford and ask Russ Dingle what the price will be. He tells me that it will be $240 ($180 for the tire and $40 for the balance and mounting) however, they will have to order the tire because they don't have any in stock and they will have to send it out to be mounted because they don't have the equipment to mount on the Harley Davidson styled rims. I asked if I could just have it done at the other place and have it done "today" and have it billed to him so I wouldn't have to wait and because he had to send it out anyhow. He said he could but he would still have to bill me $260 even though it would only cost him $150. Why I asked he said it is company policy and I wouldn't authorize it... Period. Needless to say, the whole Ford road assistance warrantee is a scam (they cover up to $150 but they mark it up 200% and require you to go to a Ford Dealership) so you really don't get the benefit at Sunset Ford.
Bottom Line I will never buy another Ford vehicle. Screw me once - shame on you screw me twice-shame on me.
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