Ok whats wrong with this pic

[Mike Costello]

Interesting thread. I used to deal with this stuff all the time in the automotive business. It usually boils down to the customer not taking responsibility for his actions, so the blame game is played. The customer's initial responses speak volumes in this case, such as threatening to "Bad mouth" the dealer etc.

I would usually explain to the customer that I would do whatever was reasonable to solve their problem after a thorough inspection. I never made any accusations, but would work any warranty available to help cover costs. I advised them I would be getting in touch as soon as I had more information for them. This cooling down peroid is important because it eliminates hasty, often emotionally charged comments from happening. It also gives the customer time to think about what is happening, especially if a scam is being attempted.
If the repair gets covered under warranty completely--then all is well. If the customer is ultimately on the hook for the repair costs, I will then offer reduced costs as a "Goodwill" gesture. The choice is theirs--to fix or not to fix. Surprisingly, most will opt for the deal because they know down deep (if they're scammers) that they've been made, and if thy're legitimate they still get a deal.
At any rate, threats and whining never bothered me much, as I had too many good custmers who knew me well to worry about a few bad ones. The dealer is using the right approach with this guy. Mike.

 

[jake98]

It's just a clutch job, and if the guy had moved it a couple times in the last year it probably wouldn't have been a problem at all. I don't think he deserves some kind of break, reguardless of how the water got in there. And since he's dishonest enough to try to get free extended service he ought to get to pay for a new one at full rate. He's getting away easy.

 

[rjkobbeman]

It's just a clutch job, and if the guy had moved it a couple times in the last year it probably wouldn't have been a problem at all. I don't think he deserves some kind of break, reguardless of how the water got in there. And since he's dishonest enough to try to get free extended service he ought to get to pay for a new one at full rate. He's getting away easy.

I could not agree more. I have been trying to figure out how the moisture got in there and why the clutch failed. At the end of the day, it does not matter. The thing is out of warranty and it has probably sat for extended periods outside.

Not that sitting outside is bad... but you gotta run it now and then.

We have all had stuff break not long after the warranty is over... it is just how life is.

I have a bad feeling the OP's overly nice and caring attitude is what got him in trouble. The customer capitalized on that. If the dealer said "Nope, it is out of warranty" from the get go, the customer probably would not have pondered too much.

 

[jlsmith]

Yes sometimes I think I try to be too nice. I just like the customer to know he has someone in his corner in his time of need. The bell housing does have a drain plug to let the water out. When we picked the tractor up we thought we could free it up without splitting it. When we saw what ws wrong and called the customer and told him the cost is when he started yelling warranty and he was advised 6 months age his warranty was up and to bring the tractor n so we could go over it incase we saw a problem before it expired at which time he declined. So yes he knew it was out of warranty when we picked it up I just don't think he thought it would cost as much to fix.

 

[jake98]

Well I'm not against extending a little charity sometimes, but the truth of the matter is it gets made up somewhere else. That's why nice guys finish last..

 

[MikeD74T]

jl, Nearing 100 posts on the thread. How about you print it out, give it to the customer to read , & invite him to TBN ? MikeD74T

 

[jlsmith]

jl, Nearing 100 posts on the thread. How about you print it out, give it to the customer to read , & invite him to TBN ? MikeD74T

I do like that idea. :thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Smitty, I don't think it matters whether the tractor has been underwater or not. The tractor is out of warranty and the clutch is a mess. Whatever you and MF do for this guy is good will on your part. We have no way of seeing the number of low-hour split tractors that you and MF do, so we have no way to make comparisons or say if this is due to submersion or condensation.

I do know one thing, if I owned a MF of this or another model, I'd be drilling a drain hole in the bottom of my bell housing and putting in cotter key dongle, maybe even two holes. To me, that bell housing looks too tight. When the clutch and engine operate, the air inside is going to get warm. If the weather is cool outside, warm moist air will condense inside the bell housing and could easily drip down onto the clutch surface. Sure, this is extreme, but if the owner regularly uses his tractor for short runs, it could see lots of heat cycles.

I don't think it would break MF to provide some form of coverage, but probably not 100%. In a worst case scenario, I'm sure MF would not consider this normal for their tractors and would investigate if it was possible in the current configuration. There are questions needing to be answered here, but none of them are related to warranty. Perhaps a recall campaign to drill holess and provide better drainage would help ensure both dealers and customers do not have to be confronted with these issues.

Those pictures you showed would not please me on a 5-year old tractor, much less one of a much younger age. Nobody here wants to think that their tractor of any age could look like that. Without positive proof, you have to take the customer's word that the tractor has not been underwater. That's what you are doing and you are providing the kind of support I would like to have from my dealer. The fact that you posted the pictures shows you have some doubts and would like to hear every side of the problem. Good for you.:thumbsup:

I agree with your post.

I think MF designing a bell housing in a way as to hold water/oil is a design flaw.

We have two holes under our 1976 265 MF that will drip some oil so I know it will not hold water.

The fact the water was so deep that the clutch was picking up the water and throwing it indicates a MF design issue.

If MF will pick up the labor that should be fair not that the owner would agree. The dealer will wind up being a sucker if MF wants to buy the parts and the owner pay the labor.

I think we are interested in what MF states on Monday.

My question would be will the owner ever be happy with the tractor again?

 

[SPYDERLK]

I dont see any evidence of the clutch picking up and slinging water.
larry

 

[dourobob]

Yes sometimes I think I try to be too nice. I just like the customer to know he has someone in his corner in his time of need. . . . called the customer and told him the cost is when he started yelling warranty and he was advised 6 months age his warranty was up and to bring the tractor n so we could go over it in case we saw a problem before it expired at which time he declined.

I bet you have no trouble sleeping at night!

Sounds like your "customer" was trying the warranty thing on for size because he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

As others have said, let him read this string of posts on TBN and (if possible) watch his face for his reaction as he goes through them. Might tell you everything you need to know.

Also interested in hearing what your MF rep has to say.

Bob