the failure to shop around

The other day, I took my car back to CarMax for some repairs under the service agreement. Seems they don't just take your car in, you have to make an appointment, and tell them what they're going to be doing, and then bring it BACK. You have to go in because they don't answer the phone in the service department. Ever.

Well, I made an appointment to have these things done, and the service writer tells me that since I've nearly got 60,000 miles on the car, I need to schedule the 60,000 service for $440. What do I know? I remember when cars had to have brakes every 15,000 miles and their chassis fittings lubricated every 3,000 miles, and fell apart completely around 75,000 miles.

The morning of, I had a conflict. The snow fell, Yellowstone blew up, people voted Republican, SOMETHING. I started calling the CarMax folks at about 7:30 a.m. to tell them "I must reschedule."

But, CarMax's service department doesn't answer their phone, remember? I never got through to anyone. Left several messages. No calls returned.

Weeks pass.

I still need the work done, but I've had the oil changed and the cabin filter replaced (which involved a great deal of jerking, prying, wedging and swearing, but was finally done.) The total cost for these two services was less than $80 (plus the skinned cuticles and knuckles.)

Yesterday, I had decided that trying to communicate with CarMax and getting the car TO CarMax to re-make the appointment and then take it back FOR the appointment was too much trouble, and I'd just take the car to reliable Poutous Auto Repair on Kelvin.

I ask the nice lady at the desk what the cost is for the 60,000 mile service. She asks one of the owners. He says "there is no such thing." Uh, what? The CarMax guy was making it sound like it was a crucial thing - successful economic stimulus depended on my having this done RIGHT AWAY. Mike Poutous tells me "you probably need an oil change, a cabin filter replacement and a bunch of stuff checked. We'll check it for you, and then call you and tell you what needs to be dne, but I'm not going to tell you I'm going to charge you four or five hundred dollars to do the 60,000 mile service when it's an oil change and looking around under the hood."

I came back to the office, and looked at my owner's manual. At the 60,000 mile interval, GM tells me to:

* Change the oil
* Change the engine air filter
* Change the cabin air filter
* Rotate the tires

All of which have already been done, except for the "poke around under the hood."

By the by, my "dealer," David Taylor Cadillac, would like to collect $498.25 for this "service," PLUS PARTS and state sales tax. They'll install a PCV valve for me, and a fuel filter. Mind, the PCV valve and fuel filter would be EXTRA (and costs a buck sixty-nine and the fuel filter is seven bucks at AutoZone.) The fuel system "flush" involves putting a can of Wynn's fuel system flush in the gas tank.

Caveat Emptor. Ya better shop around.