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new ownership no longer honoring free lifetime oilchange
Question:
that > the "New Belleuve Nissan" will no longer honor the lifetime oil change > certificates sold by the "Old Bellevue Nissan" prior to March 1993 > although they did setup a special price for oil changes for these > customers. > My question is (1) doesn’t the new dealership agree to inherit and honor > existing contracts/debts etc. (including my free oil changes) when it > purchased the business and
It’s negotiable between the buyer and the seller. The buyer usually tries relinquish all liability the seller has, especially anything to do with warranties and/or lifetime commitments since these are impossible to put a $ amount on. It would be good to contact the previous owner, if possible, and find out just what agreements they had with the new owner. (2) how should I pursue this matter (BBB, > consumer groups?)? Their excuse is that the entity which reimbuses them > for the oil changes is no longer in existence (although they are still > doin free oil changes for more recent (post 3/93) customers).
Your best bet is to go as high as you can in the hierarchy, and raise lots of heck. The new owners will come out a lot better by doing your oil changes than to suffer damaged customer relations. After all, you’re potential "repeat business". This approach usually works better than threats of legal action, etc, and most reasonable business people would rather do business this way. Unfortunately, the lower a person is on the totem pole, the less likely that person is to fall in the catagory of reaonable businessperson. If you must get an attorney, most offer a free consulatation. > Thanks for any advice you can give (and for getting through this long > post). Is there some appropriate law newsgroup that I could seek advice > from? > – Jimmy > —
– ****sporter****
Response:
I purchased by 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R from a local dealership (Bellevue Nissan) in mid-92. Apparently a year or so later, the dealership sold to a new ownership group that continues to sell Nissans and refers to themselves as Thomason Nissan or the "new" Bellevue Nissan. As part of my new car purchase in 1992, included in the sales agreement was free lifetime oil change (in the form of a certificate which you could have also purchased separately if you didn’t get it thrown in as part of the sales agreement). Anyways, I’ve been getting free oil changes these past four years (including over a year after ownership change). Now, when I went in a week ago for another free oil change, I was informed that the "New Belleuve Nissan" will no longer honor the lifetime oil change certificates sold by the "Old Bellevue Nissan" prior to March 1993 although they did setup a special price for oil changes for these customers. My question is (1) doesn’t the new dealership agree to inherit and honor existing contracts/debts etc. (including my free oil changes) when it purchased the business and (2) how should I pursue this matter (BBB, consumer groups?)? Their excuse is that the entity which reimbuses them for the oil changes is no longer in existence (although they are still doin free oil changes for more recent (post 3/93) customers). Thanks for any advice you can give (and for getting through this long post). Is there some appropriate law newsgroup that I could seek advice from? – Jimmy — : Jimmy Eng Dept. of Molecular Biotechnology : : Research Consultant University of Washington : : (206)616-5058 office Seattle, WA 98195-7730 :