McGeorge tried to punk me on the supercharger
09-14-2006, 11:51 PM
#1
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McGeorge tried to punk me on the supercharger
So while i was visiting in the Richmond area, I thought I might let the folks at McGeorge install the s/c for me.
First a call in to their 800 number...i explain I've already bought about $700 of merchandise over the past year, my father in law bought a scion from them..and hey, I'll be in town next week visiting. wanna install my s/c?
I ask him if they've installed them before and he says sure...then I say on an auto? He tells me that there is no installation available for the automatic. "there is no ecm map for it." I ask him what everyone else has been doing, as that comment makes no sense. He repeats that there is no map. And i ask him "why are you selling an 'autofit kit'? Then I ask him to please get someone more knowledgable on the phone. He reluctantly says ok.
While I am on hold, i call up TRD to confirm that yes, a map does exist and the instructions are included with the auto kit..ok sanity check complete.
Oh, then the guy hangs up on me. So i call back.."hey I'm the guy interested in the s/c" He says he stands corrected and he was told yes indeed the map was available. So I ask him if its possible to schedule an install but he doesn't do that, he tells me i have to do that with service.
...so i get through to service, after about 3 attempts. Finally get a guy on the phone, who is really pleasant but when i say tC supercharger, he says "oh we've never installed one of those." um...didn't the other guy confirm to me that they had?
ok, whatever..someone has to be the first...so i ask how much is it?
He tells me the s/c is $3200. I reply "you're selling it cheaper on your website. is that the all in price with install??"
He has to go back again to the first one for clarification. the guy on the phone i must say was very nice. however, he was only the messenger for the first guy i talked to.
So this is what the messenger tells me..The price of the s/c from the website + tax, approx $3100..ok no prob there i expected to pay tax in state..but the install will be..get this..$1100! Based on 13 hours of work. I ask him to repeat that, yes 13 hours of labor..I explain that I have a copy of said install guide. He says he is being told by the man behind the counter that it is a 13 hour install and that this is due to a requirement to "remove the engine." I repeat that i have the install guide, i have read it and nowhere does it state engine removal necessary. Plus i told him that the average install price nationwide is typically based on 7 hours based on TRD's own suggestion of 6-8 hours. I also mention that just 5 months ago thats the exact hourly figure i was quoted by McG over the phone. But since he was only the messenger and he was told it "required engine removal" that was the end of the conversation.
I spoke to another dealer on Saturday in PA. They confirmed the 6-8 hours. So sanity check there.
So this leaves me with the thought, either the folks over at McG are uninformed, or they are deceptive. We've heard of other dealerships charging their first s/c patron for the price of the flash tool (about $500)..so i figure with all of the back and forth in the phone calls, they realized that this was a requirement and decided they'd pass that expense on to me. I think it would have been better if they just told me they hadn't ever installed an s/c, had no interest in installing one and would rather just do service, oil changes and to sell parts on the net. That's fine. I would understand. But they lied to me, and tried to punk me. And because of that I won't be buying from them again in the future.
First a call in to their 800 number...i explain I've already bought about $700 of merchandise over the past year, my father in law bought a scion from them..and hey, I'll be in town next week visiting. wanna install my s/c?
I ask him if they've installed them before and he says sure...then I say on an auto? He tells me that there is no installation available for the automatic. "there is no ecm map for it." I ask him what everyone else has been doing, as that comment makes no sense. He repeats that there is no map. And i ask him "why are you selling an 'autofit kit'? Then I ask him to please get someone more knowledgable on the phone. He reluctantly says ok.
While I am on hold, i call up TRD to confirm that yes, a map does exist and the instructions are included with the auto kit..ok sanity check complete.
Oh, then the guy hangs up on me. So i call back.."hey I'm the guy interested in the s/c" He says he stands corrected and he was told yes indeed the map was available. So I ask him if its possible to schedule an install but he doesn't do that, he tells me i have to do that with service.
...so i get through to service, after about 3 attempts. Finally get a guy on the phone, who is really pleasant but when i say tC supercharger, he says "oh we've never installed one of those." um...didn't the other guy confirm to me that they had?
ok, whatever..someone has to be the first...so i ask how much is it?
He tells me the s/c is $3200. I reply "you're selling it cheaper on your website. is that the all in price with install??"
He has to go back again to the first one for clarification. the guy on the phone i must say was very nice. however, he was only the messenger for the first guy i talked to.
So this is what the messenger tells me..The price of the s/c from the website + tax, approx $3100..ok no prob there i expected to pay tax in state..but the install will be..get this..$1100! Based on 13 hours of work. I ask him to repeat that, yes 13 hours of labor..I explain that I have a copy of said install guide. He says he is being told by the man behind the counter that it is a 13 hour install and that this is due to a requirement to "remove the engine." I repeat that i have the install guide, i have read it and nowhere does it state engine removal necessary. Plus i told him that the average install price nationwide is typically based on 7 hours based on TRD's own suggestion of 6-8 hours. I also mention that just 5 months ago thats the exact hourly figure i was quoted by McG over the phone. But since he was only the messenger and he was told it "required engine removal" that was the end of the conversation.
I spoke to another dealer on Saturday in PA. They confirmed the 6-8 hours. So sanity check there.
So this leaves me with the thought, either the folks over at McG are uninformed, or they are deceptive. We've heard of other dealerships charging their first s/c patron for the price of the flash tool (about $500)..so i figure with all of the back and forth in the phone calls, they realized that this was a requirement and decided they'd pass that expense on to me. I think it would have been better if they just told me they hadn't ever installed an s/c, had no interest in installing one and would rather just do service, oil changes and to sell parts on the net. That's fine. I would understand. But they lied to me, and tried to punk me. And because of that I won't be buying from them again in the future.
09-15-2006, 12:04 AM
#4
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Originally Posted by MJVstc
What dealer in PA did you call?
09-15-2006, 12:07 AM
#6
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Who cares what price they want. Any dealership that says you need the engine removed to do a supercharger installed is not touching my car. I live not to far from there and am headed up there for a car show. They have been good to the locals but thats just nuts to say an engine pull for the install.
09-15-2006, 12:52 AM
#11
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sounds like they have not installed one before and are not eager to install them, its a common practice to over charge for things they are not interested doing. i say give them a break and just look some where else.
09-15-2006, 01:02 AM
#12
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Originally Posted by jetlounge
wow, york is far from me. maybe on my next drive down to the richmond area. the folks at krause were nice, i will say that. has diehl installed any s/cs?
09-16-2006, 01:34 AM
#17
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yo man just come down by me...its 45 max to get down there and the guy that does the install is awsome, i just had a double check of my tranny after the 500+mile break in for the clutch, 400$, ok fine but if somethin happens or if u try to work a deal wit that tech how u gona get back out there?? i would love a deal like that...but gas, and if emergency, i would like the person that installed it on my car to fix it...im not to wild about havin to many people touchin my car....
09-16-2006, 02:22 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by jetlounge
Originally Posted by HOLLYWD69
This may be a dumb question but is the reflash of the ecu different for the auto and the standard?
09-16-2006, 02:50 PM
#20
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from what trd told me, they get instructions with the auto kit for the ecm map to "download"..so maybe they go to a toyota service site and d/l the proper map? someone else here might have more info.