frankadelic

Dear forum guys..
I may get in trouble here by the moderators as Putnam Mazda seems to be a sponsor. However, I have had such a bad experience with them I feel I need to warn everyone that they do not stand behind their claim of great customer service. I had purchased over 8K worth of interior parts (and a new car as well!) from them and promptly stored them until I could get to my project. Unfortunately, like a lot of us those boxes sat for longer than intentioned (4 years). However, I did get to my project and everything looked great but I found that 3 parts were broken or cosmetically blemished when I opened up the boxes. Yes, I know It was a long time and the parts might not be covered under warranty, but as they were all obviously new and still in the boxes I thought I would call Putnam (original supplier) about replacing them. They ask that I bring the parts down to the dealer (40 miles from where I live) and they would let me know. After numerous phone calls and no response and 4(!!) months later of being ignored I got pissed off enough to call the owner Kent Putnam. He said he would look into it. The end result was despite waiting forever and not even being previously given the courtesy of letting me know about the situation earlier, he said there was nothing they could do. He did offer to pay for half of the replacement cost for 2/3 (least expensive) of the defective parts (at full retail...which I'm sure he would have paid for the parts at cost...leaving him with no cost to him at all). Yes I should have checked the parts when I bought them (assumed they would be good) and I waited too long but seriously what kind of business ignores good customers for 4 months and then offers no kind of compensation for their bad! It seems they could have ordered the same parts new and switched those out for the defective ones with a claim back to Mazda. I don't know but is my complaint legit? If you think so boycott Putnam buy from Ray he stands behind his product!

NCZ13

I work in a parts dept at my dealership, so i can shed some light on this issue.

Its not a mazda dealership, but all dealers operate in the same way.

4 years is an extremely long time, and chances are they mazda doesnt make the parts anymore, and its waaay over the period at which mazda will buy back the broken parts from the dealer.

Now the dealer could have reimbursed and taken the loss (which they wouldnt because it would come out of their pocket as the parts dept is entirely commission based)

Not to mention you have no way of proving they were broken when you purchased them, and not broken during the 4 years you had them.

as far as them not getting back to you, is all in the quality of their customer service, and not a reflection of mazda itself.

BASTARD

iTrader: (4)

i don't think you have a foot to stand on... it isn't like they are Costco with a customer satisfaction guarantee... plus most parts only have a 30 to 90 day return policy at best

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

Not meaning to be contrary or anything, but I can't think of any business that would even consider taking a four-year-old return claim. The usual limit is between 30 and 90 days, and most all places do not offer any return on special-order parts.

True, they should have got back to you faster once they agreed to look into it... but it's kind of hard to call them out for "poor customer service" for not getting back to you in 4 months, when you went 12 times as long without checking what you bought.

Just my opinion, but I think by even offering to meet you halfway, the owner did more than he was reasonably obligated to do. For all he knows, you could have damaged the parts trying to install them. Or even in storage.

I can understand getting bent with a dealer (I've yelled at my share) but trying to call down a boycott on somebody for this, is probably a little overboard.

YMMV, of course.

JP's 93 fd

iTrader: (28)

Kent is an ***. I used to work for him at his other dealership (Toyota). Also his right hand man that runs his dealerships is even a bigger ***. Sorry for your experience but the guys that work there are pretty cool besides them.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

That is really bad service. They should have at least let you know you were SOL sooner.

John McBeth

iTrader: (1)

I can't think of any business taking a return four years after the fact. Frankie, This is your fault not Putnam Mazda. Look on your receipt, I bet there is a 30 day return policy which is the norm. Your asking Putnam to eat these parts because Mazda isn't going to refund Putnam for these parts at late date!

Moderator! Delete this thread!!!!

iLikeEatPoo

iTrader: (6)

He was already losing money for paying for half the parts. I think that is more than fair. I would have just laughed at you for asking for money back 4 years later.

PM Zerox7 for free FD interior pieces

Kingsfan

iTrader: (12)

i stopped reading after "4 years"

iLikeEatPoo

iTrader: (6)

I can't read. but I can read 8,000$ worth of interior parts. What is it made of? Alligator skin? Got some curtains for your windows?

duval7

iTrader: (1)

I have to agree with NCZ13, 4 years is to long to try to bring something broken back and expect something to be done about it. You have to look at it from their side also, they have no idea what those parts have been through in that amount of time even if they still are in their orignal boxes. Don't get me wrong i feel for you and i would be pissed too, but just not at the dealership at this point its not their fault. So anyways i came up with a plan, next time you buy an *** load of parts and want to store them for a few years just send them to me and i will look over them and even test them out for you to make sure they are good and a few years down the road when your ready to install them i will shot'em back to you.

rotary#10

iTrader: (38)

i don't see why you didn't check out your goods when you got them. Please be sure next time for whatever you may order online or thru the mail, to see if what you bought was the right part and is not damaged. etc etc etc. Im sure just about everyone I know does that. Were you that busy with other thing to even open up the box and check it out ? With that much money invested in it you should be more on the ball so to speak.

frankadelic

interesting....for you guys who didn't understand why I'm pissed...I realize I don't have a leg to stand on regarding the parts. NO I DON'T WANT MY MONEY BACK! What I'm pissed off about is about the time they took to let me know nothing could be done! Don't make me drive down to the dealership 40 miles from my house and then not get back to me for 4 months. It's the level of customer service I irritated about. By the way, Yes, Mazda still makes the parts.

NCZ13

You have to understand how absurd this sound from their view.

Your a guy trying to return 4 year old broken parts, that you claim were unopened, and broken when you opened them, and your asking for some sort of compensation or return, just because of this claim. Im surprised they didnt just outright laugh in your face. My dept has a standard 90day return policy on parts, thats more than enough to time open it to see if its broken. They probably brushed it off, and forgot about it, because no business would take back 4 year old parts nonetheless compensate anyone.

So no, i dont think you have a valid complaint. Should they have been clear with you up front? of course. but as for any sort of compensation...no.

frankadelic

Let's be clear, I'm not asking for compensation? I still need these parts. Yes, I realized because of the time passed I probably wouldn't get what I was asking for. Still why not at least (try) ask to see if something could be done in the way of replacing the parts which was all I was trying to get done. I was thinking they could just swap out the parts with new ones and claim the old ones back. I mean I am a customer who spends an innordinate amount of money there. I don't feel like I was as far out of line as some of you make me out to be. These were brand new parts unopened and unused. If I was asking for something it was for the frustration of them as a company not taking care of me as a customer in a timely and respectful need. I work for a company that values the customers repeat business and will take anything back. As a general manager I have taken back worn shoes with holes in the soles, dog chewed up and at least 25 years old. Guess I'm used to a different type of policy.

BASTARD

iTrader: (4)

probably

frankadelic

Wow! guess I may have to admit, based on most of your reactions that I'm completely out of line. I still maintain:
I had nothing to lose by asking Putnam if the parts could be exchanged (they were after all new and unused and I presume could be claimed back to the manufacture)
I still believe their level of customer service was so poor that they might have been a bit more receptive to the idea of rectifying the situation. Some of you guys are real haters....but put yourself in the same situation (knowing how $$$ these parts are) would you really just not even ask if something could be done? Oh and for the most part, I did check the parts when they were new however, most of the issues were invisible at the time or hard to detect (broken clips, mounting points etc...) until it came time to install. NZ13 I completely agree with you that this has nothing to do with Mazda and is strictly, as you state, a customer service issue. I still will not patronize Putnam in the future as I think there are better Mazda dealers out there.

frankadelic

John,

I was a little put off by your response and didn't feel like you really understood why I was so upset with Putnam Mazda. Do I have a right to having my parts exchanged (new and unused) after 4 years? Probably not because of the warranty limitations, but I felt it wouldn't hurt to ask and I was a very good customer as well. Again, to reiterate for the umpteenth time, What pissed me off was the fact they had me drive my parts down to the dealer ship (they could have just said no over the phone and saved me the 40 mile drive and I would have been done with it) and then didn't bother to return my repeated calls or let me know of their decision for over 4 months. Wouldn't that **** you off? Second you are very wrong about businesses' not taking care of their customers with these kind of issues. I'm a former GM for a large retailer and I can tell you I have had people return items worn out, soiled, knowingly stolen, chewed on by their pets, or just plain tired of them (after they worn the items for years!) I am always gracious in handling returns and almost always compensate the customer....there are many more companies like this....The Container Store, Nordstrom, etc...I respect your right to an opinion and that may not change, but I don't think you were being objective about my complaint. Putnam just lost a good customer and lots of $$$$ in the future from me and all my friends who agree (all of them) with me. Oh, (and at the risk of sounding defensive) and Kingsfan don't bother to post a response if you haven't read the (I stopped reading after 4 years) thread. That isn't fair.