Rant for the Day (keep it clean)

[Patchouli]

Love that car above. Have to have a V8, always have. Had a nova when I was 19, a blue one. Bought it used, and it had radiator problems. Not exceptionally impressed with the looks of the new Chargers or the new Mustangs, but do love the older models.

I had a Nova when I was 18, haha. White. And it had radiator problems too!! Until I wrecked it. Then it had no problems whatsoever. LOL

 

[elkhound]

I had a Nova when I was 18, haha. White. And it had radiator problems too!! Until I wrecked it. Then it had no problems whatsoever. LOL

i had a 72 nova...burnt orange.

 

[havasu]

I'm gunna put a Lexus sticker on my new car, shown here!

 

[mml373]

OK, here is my rant. My 11 month old Lexus, with 3052 miles on it, needed an oil change. I got in to start it, and the electrics went wild. I pushed the start button, but the panel said, "Low Battery, contact your dealer." I called the dealer who advised they do not have their own tow truck, but simply contact "Lexus roadside assistance", and they were there within 20 minutes. The tow driver stopped on the street in front of the house and said he would not touch it until I had it on the street. He recommended that I jump it, get it started, pull it on the street, and he would return to tow it to the dealer.

Well, that sounded easy enough until I realized the doors are electronically opened, so no power, no open door to open the hood, in order to jump the battery. I called my Lexus dealer who said he had no idea how to open the electronic door, but would call Lexus of North America, who had special techs available to assist me. 10 minutes later "Sum Ting Wong" called me, and provided the secret way to open the door. Mr. Wong said to get a jump box, attach it to the two jump tabs on the main fuse block, jump the car, and drive it down. I used my anti-polarity jump box (if you cross wire the positive and negative, it will shut down), and the car started. I backed it down the driveway onto the street, and upon doing so, the car died. No biggie, I called back Lexus, and they sent their tow truck.

Well, the only way to get the car into neutral is to start the car, so the tow driver jumped the car, but had to do it 8 times total in order to get the car on the flatbed. Once I got to Lexus, the Service Advisor was very apologetic, saying he would take care of everything, and even gave me a really nice new loaner Lexus until my car was done.

I got a call from the Service Advisor who said all their techs were unable to troubleshoot my problem, so Lexus specialists came out and decided that my ECU (Computer brain) was fried, and MOST LIKELY as a result of the owner of the car (ME!) MUST have crossed the wires while jumping the car, and it would be my responsibility to pay for a new ECU. When I asked how much this ECU costs, the Service Advisor said, "Well, at least $5000, but don't worry, you won't pay a dime." He simply asked me to call Lexus of America, explain my issue, and they would provide authorization for the dealer to order a new ECU.

I called Lexus of America, explained the situation, but instead of providing authorization, she said once she receives payment from me for a new ECU, she would fix my car. When I explained it could have easily been their authorized tow driver, she snapped back that it was my responsibility to sue the tow driver and his business.

Well, this was where I lost my poop. I told this lady that I would rather burn that "flippin" car down in the dealership parking lot, rather than spend $5,000 to repair an obviously defective new car. I was asked to start the claim process with the tow truck company, but I had to yet another number, file a claim, then I would receive the name of the tow company. This lady was real nice and sensed my frustration. She asked me to call Lexus "Brand Engagement Center", explain my frustration, and maybe they can use my previous Toyota and Lexus loyalty to help me.

I called the engagement center, where she looked up my account, and saw that so far to date, I have purchased 9 new Toyota's and 3 Lexus's since 1988. Once she saw this, her tone changed and said although she was just the low man on the Totem Pole, but believes they will cover the cost for a new ECU. Well, right now, I have a great loaner, I will refuse to pay one red cent for any ECU, so it seems this will be a long ordeal.

To be continued...

That right there is enough for me to never buy another new car. Thank you!

 

[PaulKersey]

“INFLUENCER”….who the heck came up with that title? “INFLUENCER “ indeed! The opinion of these pimple-faced imbeciles carries as much weight as the steam rising from a cow pie on a frosty morning.

 

[havasu]

... so, today, i filed a claim with the tow company to get that Lexus fixed. I submitted 9 pages of documents, a 3 page explanation, and a few minutes later the claim was filed. I received a response requesting the ECU cost on an official Lexus letterhead, to also be submitted, so I called the Service Writer asking for the cost on the letterhead. He said "Lexus Care Center" tried 3 times to speak to the service guy, but said they would call back. The Service Writer said it was going to be official authorization to get the damn car fixed, but I need to wait until he speaks to them personally. Maybe me mentioning burning the Lexus in their driveway, and inquiring on the cost to rent a electronic message board between the business and the freeway saying something nasty about Lexus, may be helping me?

Today's saga, err rant...

Got a call from the service writer. He got "the" call from 'Lexus Customer Engagement Center' this morning, and said "As a goodwill gesture, Lexus will cover the cost of this ECU for the customer" (me) and he said he has ordered it immediately. He said the ECU must be built at the factory, have my VIN # built around the ECU so it will recognize my specific car, and once complete, they will put my Lexus back together for me, at no cost.

Anyone want to buy a slightly used Lexus, or trade for a 1968 C1500 Chevy Pick Up?

 

[Patchouli]

A song I might like because of the music but the lyrics might not be what I like. That’s a rant.
Here’s another: Being sick. Do I have Covid? Consider testing. Means leaving the house. Do I even feel like walking? Let alone out the door. Thinking? Driving? Aw heck no. Making decisions?And! And! We shouldn’t have to pay for it. Fauci can pay for mine. Aw never mind cuz I’m not going anywhere. Crawl back into bed.
>>>Remind me how my flight was filled to capacity.<<<

 

[Pearl]

A song I might like because of the music but the lyrics might not be what I like. That’s a rant.
Here’s another: Being sick. Do I have Covid? Consider testing. Means leaving the house. Do I even feel like walking? Let alone out the door. Thinking? Driving? Aw heck no. Making decisions?And! And! We shouldn’t have to pay for it. Fauci can pay for mine. Aw never mind cuz I’m not going anywhere. Crawl back into bed.
>>>Remind me how my flight was filled to capacity.<<<

Stay in bed!! You are safer, it's one of those days!! Hope you feel better fast!!

 

[zannej]

Havasu, I'd have had an apoplexy by that point. There's a reason I don't like people much anymore. I like car dealers even less.

Patchouli, I hope you get feeing better soon.

So, last night I went to wash dishes and when the water was off I heard water pouring and it sounded like it was coming from under the sink. I'd pinned the doors shut to keep cats out so I had trouble getting the door open to look. I'd heard it in the past, peeked under and saw nothing. This time I saw water pouring out. I moved stuff I was using to prevent cabinets from opening and saw that a vertical pipe was disconnected and there was over an inch gap between it and the fitting (it's the thin-walled stuff with the little nuts that twist together, not the solvent weld). I was able to move the nut for the upper part but couldn't get the one on the lower part of the pipe loose to pull the pipe up. Even my brother couldn't get it. I have scratches on my fingers/hands that make gripping difficult and my hand strength is weak. Told my friend and he came out after work and fixed it. but the bottom of the cabinet is destroyed and the floor underneath may be damaged. One more thing to fix.

At least I have demo toolst o remove the old shelf and I have the plywood to replace it. I think I even have 2x4 that can be used as support. Board will have to be installed in multiple pieces to fit. I also still need to change the drain to have an AAV (since trying to get a proper vent on would be too much of a pain and risk hitting electrical). Might as well do that at the same time as replacing the bottom of the cabinet.

Bottom of cabinet is absolutely disgusting right now.

I'm still trying to figure out how that pipe came apart. It was holding together for years and then suddenly shifted. Also wondering where all that black/brown stuff came from.

The pvc water supply line is just a placeholder for when we replace with pex. It is not connected to anything on the bottom.

 

[mml373]

Today's saga, err rant...

Got a call from the service writer. He got "the" call from 'Lexus Customer Engagement Center' this morning, and said "As a goodwill gesture, Lexus will cover the cost of this ECU for the customer" (me) and he said he has ordered it immediately. He said the ECU must be built at the factory, have my VIN # built around the ECU so it will recognize my specific car, and once complete, they will put my Lexus back together for me, at no cost.

Anyone want to buy a slightly used Lexus, or trade for a 1968 C1500 Chevy Pick Up?

Bingo. I was thinking of buying an older used pickup for this very reason...but now you have the opposite problem of parts becoming harder to find. I like the late 80s/early 90s Ford and Chevy pickups but am also becoming more of a fan of the older 1980s/early 1990s Dodge pickups, too (I have a 2006 Ram 3500 on my small farm that's been terrific).

My older kids have each had early 2000s Chevy pickups; neither has been reliable. My 2003 Silverado has been OK (knock on wood) but came from my wife's dad, who took care of it (except for Iowa salty roads).

 

[teeceetx]

My tolerance for bureaucracy is VERY short.

I would have been on the phone to the Lexus top management on day 2.

What they put you through was inexcusable.

Once fixed, that would be my LAST Lexus. In fact, I'd sell the damned car ASAP before it happens again.

 

[Peanut]

How the heck did I lose not one, but two plastic bowls? Small bowls I use when frying fish or chicken for mixing/coating in batter. Sometimes used to soak items that need extra cleaning.

They are the cheap nested bowls from walleys or the dollar store that come in a 4 or 5 bowl pkg. They disappeared sometime between the 4th and 10th of this month. Used at least one of them that week frying fish. They are not in my house, I've looked everywhere!!! Did both accidentally fall into the trash bin and get tossed? Guess it's time to buy another cheap pkg of nested bowls.

 

[havasu]

Lexus Rant # 3. So, it appears Lexus Customer Care have rescinded their offer at this point, and are only allowing it to go up the chain of command. To top it off, we had a major rainstorm yesterday, and the car is still stuck in their parking lot, waiting for a new ECU. The hood and both front windows are down, according to my tattle tale phone app. Can I get more furious?

 

[Pearl]

Lexus Rant # 3. So, it appears Lexus Customer Care have rescinded their offer at this point, and are only allowing it to go up the chain of command. To top it off, we had a major rainstorm yesterday, and the car is still stuck in their parking lot, waiting for a new ECU. The hood and both front windows are down, according to my tattle tale phone app. Can I get more furious?

If it's in THEIR parking lot I would think THEY are responsible! You need to get " more furious"!!

 

[Pearl]

How the heck did I lose not one, but two plastic bowls? Small bowls I use when frying fish or chicken for mixing/coating in batter. Sometimes used to soak items that need extra cleaning.

They are the cheap nested bowls from walleys or the dollar store that come in a 4 or 5 bowl pkg. They disappeared sometime between the 4th and 10th of this month. Used at least one of them that week frying fish. They are not in my house, I've looked everywhere!!! Did both accidentally fall into the trash bin and get tossed? Guess it's time to buy another cheap pkg of nested bowls.

If I were closer I would come find them!

 

[havasu]

If it's in THEIR parking lot I would think THEY are responsible! You need to get " more furious"!!

I have the contact for California's leading Lemon Law Attorney. Problem is if I begin this fight right now, they will cease doing any work on the car, and it will sit in their parking lot. I really am stuck between a rock and a hard place currently.

 

[zannej]

Peanut, things are forever disappearing in my house. I will literally be tripping over something one day and then when I need/want it I can't find it anywhere. Like, I'll trip on something, pick it up, put it on the counter or in a designated spot and when I go to look for it later it's not there anymore. I hate that!

Havasu, they have the vehicle in their possession and they are liable to any damages that happen to it while it is in their care. At this point, I'd be demanding a new vehicle from them. I'm willing to bet this problem you're having is a known issue and they haven't yet issued a recall because their actuaries are saying they can refuse to pay for stuff and jerk people around the way they are jerking you around to avoid having to pay out so it saves them money in the long run. I wish I could go chew them out for you. File complaints with BBB, post negative reviews on every car site you can find, etc. Doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.

Meanwhile, AT&T guy called and had to get specific directions to get out here. He was confused gps was trying to lead him outside of town into the woods. I told him that was the right direction but to avoid the bad road. He made it and I showed him the phone box. He plugged up his equipment and said it showed a breach in the line 6 miles away. He said if its at one of their boxes he can't fix it and would have to call in higher level technician. I pointed out that there had been digging and there were orange flags along where they had been digging for conduit and that they may have cut the line but that my line always goes out when it floods and it is always on their end at one of the boxes. So he left awhile ago and said he'd call or come back in 15 to 20min.

Also, was too exhausted to post yesterday but I had an appointment to get new tires put on at 8am (Walmart website said my tires would be in by then and ready to be installed). So, I show up and then get told my appointment was canceled because the tires weren't in yet and they expected them to come in on the truck around 11 to 12 and they would call me back. So, around 1pm no callback and I see that the tires have been delivered to the store. I called them and said the tires were shown as delivered but not as ready to be installed. Got put on hold for 20min while they went and looked and said they found the tires but earliest appointment I could get was 4pm. So, I scheduled for then. I showed up at 3:55pm and they told me they had a problem with scheduling the appointment but that I can just give them the info and leave my keys so they'd get to it soon. I walked around the store for awhile, stood in one place and spaced out for a bit, chatted with one of my friends who works there, more staring into space, went and sat near the tire area and waited. Got thirsty and grabbed some stuff-- including some kind of zero sugar electrolyte beverage. Bought the stuff, drank the electrolyte stuff, waited. 5pm rolls around and my vehicle still hadn't been pulled. 5:30, 5:45, 5:50, 6pm. Associate had told me another customer raised a stink-- same thing happened to her where she paid online for the service and her appointment got canceled but her bank was now saying she couldn't pay for it again bc it would overdraft her account and the bank hadn't processed the refund yet. Woman was not understanding. Wanted Walmart people to call her bank and argue with them but they weren't authorized to get any of her account info from the bank, bank wouldn't talk to them without talking to her, she refused to talk to the bank and basically delayed everything. Anyway, employees disappeared from the area so I couldn't get my keys and leave. Around 6:45 they finally pulled my truck into the garage to work on it. The auto dept is supposed to close at 7. Employee wasn't back out until after my truck got pulled. What sort of aggravated me was that they worked on the tires of people who came in after me before they worked on mine when I had been there waiting. Around 7:20 they came out and said my TPMS sensor was broken and did I want them to fix it for $20. I said "Sure" bc it would cost a lot more to have someone else pull the tire and do it later. So around 7:30 my truck was ready and I asked if they remembered to put the one good tire from rear driver side in the back and they said "No". Had to wait until they did that and they had me sign, pay, and gave me my keys back. My brother had called a couple of times saying Mom was hungry and wanted to know when I'd get home. Said she wanted McDonalds. So I had to go get McDonalds afterward. Took about 20min to get the food.

I don't blame the employees in the auto department for a messed up system. They were incredibly frustrated with the computer system and how it was canceling appointments and refusing to let people make appointments. And the one lady had put my truck in to be worked on before others since I was there first and had tried to make an appointment, but her shift ended and I guess the next person moved it to the back of the line. At least 6 people were having their tires done. At least its done now though.

 

[teeceetx]

These days, I have ZERO tolerance for ineptitude.

It is everywhere - nearly every interaction I have is enough to make me want to go nuts.

Corporate America is now completely unaccountable to its customers - they simply do not care.

I always go right to the top (CEO / Board of Directors), and end up somewhere a level lower, but I make it quite clear to them that I will not accept their incompetence any longer. I don't waste my time with low level morons who can't really help.

Zannej, I wouldn't let it rest, start making calls, or this will never end.

 

[Haertig]

I always go right to the top (CEO / Board of Directors), and end up somewhere a level lower...

One trick that works here, or did work back in the day when we were more dependent on telephones than email, is to find the LDN ("Listed Directory Number") for the company you want to contact higher-ups at. Say that number turns out to be 1-234-567-8000. So you should try dialing 1-234-567-8001. Or 8002.

I worked building and configuring PBX's ("Private Branch Exchanges" - the internal phone systems) for large companies. The higher-ups - CEO's, etc. - invariably wanted THEIR extension number to be near the main company number. As an egotistical sign of status I assume. So try numbers that are close (up or down - but usually up) from the main number. Half the time you might get a fax machine, and the other half of the time you might get some unsuspecting higher-up that is greatly surprised once you have broken through their defenses and are talking to them on the phone. I got a free replacement for a lemon lawn mower this way once. That was LawnBoy/Toro. I ended up talking with some VP who was sympathetic to my plight with a dealership that basically told me, "Too bad sucker, looks like you ended up with a crappy lawn mower!" So it turned out that the company itself was good, just the dealership (which was not corporate but sold their products) was the bad actor.

Nowadays, with higher reliance on the internet than POTS ("Plain Old Telephone Service"), this trick may not work as well. Possibly if you are dealing with a long existing company that has had their LDN for a long time, you might run into some legacy phone extension higher-up ego carryover.