Quote:
Originally Posted by gramicci101
It doesn't matter what you choose to call it, it's still fraud. Which can be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the state's laws and the value of defrauded goods or services. It doesn't become not illegal just because you don't want it to be.
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I agree that returning a modified car to stock condition to get a warranty fix may be fraud, but it isn't always black and white. I disagree with the accusation of fraud when the warranty claim in question has little if nothing to do with the modifications.
For this instance, a clutch physically breaking in half (no premature wear or glazing) on a stock drivetrain, but the warranty claim was denied because of tires, brake pads, and stickers. If the service manager instantly makes the decision because of
these criteria and then contrives his own "facts" then I fully support the "return to stock" MO because he is not playing fair. I don't consider this fraud, just the owner protecting himself from unfair judgement. On the other hand, returning a FI engine back to stock because of drivetrain problems, is certainly fraudulent and I do not support it. I do not believe an HDPE event or doing canyon runs should result in a warranty claim being denied for something like
this. There's plenty of things that can go wrong and should be denied if a car is driven hard frequently, but
not this.
In my opinion, the dealer proceeding with work that was already determined to be out of warranty was grossly unfair and unprofessional, if not illegal. As stated above, the inspection port should have been sufficient for a "yes or no". Instead, the owner is forced to pay for parts and labor without authorizing it.