CD Changer swap gone bad
 

Ok so someone emailed me with a problem and i thought it would help to hear some other opinions.

Michael bought an RX-8 used. He thought it had a 6disc changer. When about to leave the lot with he tried to load CDs and it would only take 1 cd. So he asks the saleman about it and they suggest taking it to a mazda dealer to have it checked.

He does.( remember he thinks he has a changer the whole time) The dealer checked over the car and did all the updates needed including the new starter and said they had to order the changer. When it came in he took the car in and they swapped the units and now he has an operating 6disc changer.

Then, several weeks later, the Service Manager calls him and informs him they made amistake and swapped his SINGLE cd player for that 6disc changer. HE had a single all along and NO ONE caught it until it came time for the dealer to show his parts to get thje warranty reimbursement from Mazda.

The Service Manager wants him to come back in to swap the changer back out. I told him it might be fair for him to pay the diffference between the dealers cost for the units but that i didnt think he was obligated to do anything.

what's your opinion?

Agreed..sheesh..what about taking responsibility for your actions? My GOD..that is pathetic..

too fucking bad on the dealerships part. They make enough money as it is.

I would think that when the dealer checked out the problem, they should have probably checked to see if the problem was actually a defective changer. Since they determined that the changer needed to be replaced, and they replaced it, they made a mistake, and they are on the hook for it.

The face plates are identical, right? I remember noticing the controls for the changer as I drove my 8 home, thinking (hoping!) that they had screwed up and only charged me for a single cd player on a car that had the 6 disc. Easy mistake for the consumer to make - also fairly easy mistake for the dealer to make. But that was Mazda's call. If there is no way for the dealer to tell which component is in the car without taking the car apart, maybe the dealer has a beef with Mazda.

I agree with you. If he's feeling philanthropic, pay the difference (cost, not retail!).

I agree with zoom.

But was he told he had a 6-cd changer when he bought his car? Or did he just assume that?

If he made that assumption himself and told the Mazda dealership his '6-cd changer' wasn't working properly, I think he should pay the difference.

But if not, he should go back to where he bought the car and complain to them.

Just my opinion. :>

Alyssa :angel:

did he talk to the guy or get a voicemail? if it was a voicemail I'd just ignore it. not much that can do about their fuckup and then you'd certainly be able to use the plausible deniability card...

The dealer installer was stupid if he didn't realize the single disc player was not a six disc changer.

I guess it depends on what the service order paperwork said too, but ultimately it's the dealers fault.

Not sure what legally you are required to do.

If you feel compelled to not have to fight it out, then I'd offer to pay the difference between the two units at cost and nothing for installation.

As the others have said.. Myself I'd offer to pay the difference between the two units. Though I am curious as to why he thought he had a 6 disk changer, I could of swore there was a lil denotation stating "6 disk changer" or "mp3 player" if it wasnt the normal cd player.

But in the long run.. how the hell could these guys not notice the difference between a SINGLE cd unit and a 6 DISK cd unit?? :confused:

I think everyone agrees that this is a case of dealer stupidity. Both the LED displays and even CD faceplate are different between the single-CD and 6-CD changers (same slot different logo). Not something one can miss.

Certainly the dealer re-installing the single-CD at no cost will "make things right". However, since your friend really wants the 6-CD changer anyway, he should counter offer to pay for the 6-CD changer at Mazda part-cost and they keep the single-CD unit. That way he saves some part cost and the installation cost.

Potentially he could also compromise and just pay the Mazda part-retail. That way he gets free installation which he normally would have paid for. However, if he does he needs to make sure he gets the original single-CD unit returned.

Am I the only 1 who thinks it's a little ironic that in another thread people are ripping Mazda customer service to shreds for not following through, listening to customers, etc... and here we have them trusting the customer when they shouldn't have, and some are saying dealer error, don't give them squat?

The dude has recourse against the place he bought the car, if they told him it was a 6 disc and it wasn't, but IMO the dealer didn't do anything wrong. I agree with msrecant on the kids options.

Granted, the dealership screwed up, but I think he should pay the difference on it since he wanted one anyway. Do we know that he really thought he had one or is that the story now.

Meanwhile, if it was my dealership I probably would have gotten to keep the upgrade for free. :)

Yep, pay the differance or be black listed by all Mazda dealers.

You can't believe how many times they help consumers for free.

A single has the "load" button on its face, which is typical for a multiple-CD changer. When I bought my 8, I wasn't sure which mine was, so confirmed. It's possible that even a seller unfamiliar with the car -- e.g., a used car lot -- might assume that it's a 6-CD changer without opening it up to verify.

It is a different face plate and the dealer is showing typical Mazda incompetence for screwing this up but I don't think you should profit from their stupidity. I would pay the difference or a least negotiate a deal. It is always best to take the high road.

Mine clearly says 6-Disc CD Changer on it. Jisoo26 only has a single and it looks different than mine and does not say that anywhere on it. :dunno:

Assuming they presented or answered his question about the CD player AS A CHANGER, he's not obligated to do a thing. I'd tell him to fight that one, and I wouldn't see too much of a reason why he wouldn't win.

The dealership MADE A MISTAKE, and it's their fault that they weren't paying enough attention to realize

1) when they sold it to him, that somehow it was incorrectly represented as a 6-disc, and that

2) they switched it out and did all the paper work.

If it slipped through both those rungs without anything noticed, that is clearly on the dealerships shoulders. I'd tell them tough luck, their gonna have to eat it.

2 different dealrships- one used that he bought it from and may have misrepresented what it was. the second the mazda dealership that swapped the unit and then called him to bring it back.

LOAD exactly. when i bought my car i made the silly assumption that it was a 6-disc changer, even though the salesman probably never claimed ti to be. in my opinion, the buttons on my stereo make it appeart to be more than it is.

either way, 'michael' should be willing to pay the difference at cost, unless the dealership made claims that it was a 6-disc. and even still, it cant be that much more for that featuree that seems important to him.

I don't think that the dealership that swapped the CD changer should be responsible for what another (probably non-Mazda) dealership told him. Yeah, they made a mistake installing the 6 disc, but it could have just been a misunderstanding between the service desk person and the actual installer. I think the right thing to do is pay the difference if you want the 6 disc. I guess that's what I would do. Why get on the dealerships bad side over something so small?

The dealership could report him to the police for "theft by deception" or fraud for claiming he had a changer when he did not. They gave him the chance to correct the mistake so they could get ugly if they want to. If the bank makes a mistake and gives you extra money and you do not give it back, hello jail time. You have to be the "rightful owner" of something to be able to keep it.

if theres document for his car from the used car dealership where he bought it from, he should go after them instead since they are the ones that originally tricked him. Eitherway I would not give it back unless the dealer threatens legal action, chances are the dealer will just let it go. I would not go back to this dealer for service though

Pay the money. Open dialogue with the first dealer as a means of obtaining some sort of recompense.

Not to take this off topic but is there really a difference between the faces of the 6-disc vs. the single disc? Or is the only difference the "6-disc" logo on the right side of load slot?

yea it's a little symbol smaller then a dime on the left lapel of the slit right above the disc slot

If that's really the only difference (I'm guessing all the buttons and stuff is the same), then I could see why something like this could be easily missed. :cool: