Ever get a bad feeling about a company, but have no real reason to justify it?

I had this happen with a local car dealership.  When it came time to lease a new car, they were much closer….but I chose the dealership Dave Ross told me I should trust on KIRO.  Hey, if Dave Ross recommends them, done deal!

So, I went to Rodland Toyota up in Everett and leased a Prius.  I love it.  But last weekend, on our “Tim & Victoria Whirlwind Tour 2012”, apparently one of my wheel covers flew off.  Don’t know where, must have been a bump in the road I missed, but one day this week I noticed it was gone. 

Thus began my quest to find a replacement. I first went to the Internet, right there on eBay, I found several ranging from $10 to $18.  There was even a set of four for $50, but I don’t need four.  Not yet. So, I went to order the one that was $14.95, but with built-in shipping of $12…..now I’m looking at $26.95.  Hmmm…..I think I’ll check with a Toyota dealership, just for fun.

And that’s when I called the place I had bad feelings about.

Those feelings may have come from the one time I went in there to, just for laughs, find out just how much a Toyota Prius costs.  They seemed very “dealershippy” (I just made that word up) but you know the drill.  I couldn’t wait to get out of there and I was afraid they’d follow me home.

I called their parts department, left a message asking to be called back and soon, a voice at the other end identified themselves from the dealership and that Toyota “forces” them to charge $104 for those covers.  Say what?  $104 for one plastic wheel cover?  I could get a SET online for $50!  He could probably tell that my jaw was now below the steering wheel, so he then slipped in, “But I tell you what…if you buy it today, I can give you a 20% discount.”

Wow.

I said I’d get back to him.  I won’t.  My $26.95 wheel cover will be here next Wednesday.  My hunch was correct. 

The next sound I heard was my inner voice saying, “I told you so.”

Tim Hunter