U pull ripoff

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volaredon

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I went to an LKQ pull a part today that I have not been to in a couple of years, a yard that I used to go to often.
They INSISTED on knowing EXACTLY what parts I was after and what kind of vehicle(s) before I got to go in the yard.
They gave me a list of what they called compatible vehicles (most on the list aren't, for what I was needing)
I have the heater box out of our Durango for a evaporator replacement. I cracked the plenum removing it, (fixed with JB weld yesterday, would have probably been alright) and the wiring harness is a disaster from so many replacements of the blower resistor pigtail. The nubs are getting too short, this is the one smoking gun, constantly going bad part on this whole vehicle since we have had it, I've averaged one a year since we have owned, some years I get to put 2 resistor's in to get us thru a winter.
And I've been fighting a "wont change airflow to warm our feet" for the past 10 years
Well I've been " living with it" for about the past 8, but decided that since I have the box out and don't have to contort myself into weird unnatural position to access the problem area while the box is out, I am determined it WILL work when it goes back in. They made a rogue rube Goldberg linkage setup on these, don't know if it's because of being "dual zone or what. They didn't have dual zone on Dakotas so I can scratch all of those off my list.
And any with a 4.7 are 10x harder to get at the studs that hold the heater box to the firewall. So scratch them too.
So I find an 02with a 360 in it in the yard and get to work pulling it's dash to access the heater box.
I get it out, and to the office and right away one counter woman brings another r(trainee I assume) over and starts pointing out all the parts the trainee needs to look for and charge for. They wanted to charge me separate for the heater box ASSEMBLY then ding me for the heater core, ding me again for the evaporator ding me yet again for each actuator (@$23/each, I bought all new ones yesterday for $32) not worth saving $9 for all the aggravation of going to a junkyard and pulling it off for that. She kept calling each actuator a "blower motor".
I also got a radio just the stock one from the 02 since our original is starting to do some weirdness.
And a air cleaner assembly.
So I asked if she planned to charge me for each of the items she was showing the trainee and she said yes.
So I wheeled right back outside and stripped the wiring harness off and left the rest of the ASSEMBLY in one of their wheelbarrows right behind the office. I had left 2 actuators connected as they were giving me fits trying to pop the tiny tangs to release them. She said "you need those"? I said "no not really but they are attached/connected". So back outside I went, found something on the ground in the gravel to help me release the tabs and left them too.
It Still costed me $84 to leave with a stock radio, the air cleaner assembly and the heater box wiring harness. They charged me $39 for the radio, $10.99 for a "90 day warranty" (they never used to charge for that) a "heat riser", it's warranty, and "molding per foot" and ITS warranty. PLUS 10% COOK COUNTY TAX. For those that don't know Cook county is the county that includes Chicago but Chicago does not compromise all of the county.
I thought an ASSEMBLY consisted of everything that was attached not the bare component and all of its parts. They checked my toolbox 3 TIMES to be sure I didn't have anything else in there, surprised they didn't make me dump it out and count every screw that I threw in there from disassembling the dash.
 
Then to top it off the radio won't work. Outward it looks identical but apparently they changed the pigtails on the back of the radio between 01-02.... So I have to go back ......
 
Sounds to me like you need to find the owner and "have a talk"
 
I went to u-pickem junk yard a few years back looking for a five-speed manual tranny for my Toyota Corolla commuter car I picked up for 800 bucks. They gave me a list of the potential cars. I be danged if a transmission was laying on the ground in front of the car I was told was a good match. Checked the one bearing that is suspect by taking a cover off. Threw the tranny in the wheel barrow, 125 bucks later, my car was running like a champ. Was quite happy!!!
 
I just looked at the list of "compatible vehicles" they gave me..,.the actual list of vehicles that what I needed would work from was actually about 20% of the vehicles on said list. And I looked at what part they said would be compatible. A LF fender when I TOLD them I was looking for interior dash stuff and heater box. Here is the recipt details
698 HEAT RISER
Guarantee expires 9/18/2023
Prod; 1@$10.29
90 day GU @ $3.09

638 1 RADIO (w/o navigation)
Guarantee expires 9/18/2023
Prod: 1@ $39.08
90-day GU 1@ $11.72

113 MOLDING (PER FOOT)
Prod: 1@ $7.11
90 day GU 1@$2.13


Part total $56.48
guarantees $16.94
ENV fee (W T F?) $5.15
Tax $5.55
Grand total $84.12.

I actually got a radio (that I discovered won't even plug in) a heater box WIRING HARNESS
And a air cleaner box for a 360 Durango for all that excess charge.

I gotta ask ... If I took that air box back would that be a "heat riser" or would that be the "molding per foot?
 
So DON'T be patronizing LKQ unless you want to be taken thru the cleaners. I expected to get outta there for around $60, with a HEATER BOX ASSEMBLY, a radio that would work) and an air cleaner assembly. But I left all the "extra" behind when I saw their game.
 
that's how the game works these days, amigo.

the people at the window don't know their *** from a hole in the ground and just charge for whatever they think that doohickey is. you're at their mercy and they know it.

sometimes you can come out on top, but most of the time you're about even-stevens. also, prices have gone wayyy up. check ebay, offer up and c-list, then evaluate what your time is worth before committing.
 
But since when is it appropriate to charge for an ASSEMBLY and then charge for every component bolted to said assembly? Isn't that what makes up for an "assembly".
To them a heater box "assembly" is apparently an empty housing. That is WRONG I don't care who you are. So now I get to go up there tomorrow and waste more gas and see what they will do with this radio that looks identical from every other outward appearance but won't plug in.... Another 90 miles of wasted gas......
 
volaredon said:
But since when is it appropriate to charge for an ASSEMBLY and then charge for every component bolted to said assembly? Isn't that what makes up for an "assembly".
To them a heater box "assembly" is apparently an empty housing. That is WRONG I don't care who you are. So now I get to go up there tomorrow and waste more gas and see what they will do with this radio that looks identical from every other outward appearance but won't plug in.... Another 90 miles of wasted gas......
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don't tell them it doesn't plug in! only tell them that it doesn't work and that's it. the less info the better.

as for the rest. i dunno what to say chief... you can always start your own junkyard with black jack and hookers?
 
It's not all their fault, either. Things are like they are because of low life assholes that have stolen them blind in the past. They're in business to make money, not give parts away.
 
I just looked at their website and EVERYTHING has a "90 day warranty" charge attached even a "bolt" or a "light bulb". .
There are no HVAC actuators listed anywhere on their list. But an ac evaporator housing is cheaper than a heater housing and both also have cores listed... On PLASTIC? Their blower motor is $34, starts At $23.some plus a core and the 90day bs.... Seems like to this employee each actuator is another blower motor..... I AIN'T paying $23 per actuators when I just paid 31 each for BRAND NEW actuators for this thing at the parts store yesterday.

They never used to add a "90 day warranty charge" to their parts, it appears to be 30-40% of purchase price for most items. They DID used to have an "extension warranty" on things like engines and transmissions.
It was one price with std 90 day, another price with 6 mo warranty and yet another price for same engine with a 1yr warranty.

The holes that held the blower resistor in my heater box have been stripped and made oversized a couple of times.... I put thread serts in it and one side held the other didn't/ I cracked the ear out of my housing.... So more JB weld to the rescue, though it puts me off another day for re installation. I ain't going back to this place again. There is a competitor u pull a few miles away which I actually had to drive by to get back to this place due to a reconfigured road on the way there that I didn't know about and I had to overshoot this place...
I thought as I drove past the competition that if this place didn't have what I was after I'd try this competitor as I haven't been in this yard in a longer time than since I've been in the one that inspired this thread.....
 
RustyRatRod said:
It's not all their fault, either. Things are like they are because of low life assholes that have stolen them blind in the past. They're in business to make money, not give parts away.
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Not to say they had it coming, but I remember the first time they charged me to walk a yard

Not get a part, just an entry fee

I know I walked away with a pocket full of fuses that day

Probably wasn't right, but neither was charging a cover charge for a junkyard
 
diymirage said:
Not to say they had it coming, but I remember the first time they charged me to walk a yard

Not get a part, just an entry fee

I know I walked away with a pocket full of fuses that day

Probably wasn't right, but neither was charging a cover charge for a junkyard
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But it's their property. They can choose to charge to walk it if they want to. You could have chosen to say no. I don't like those kinda business practices either, so don't think I'm on their side, I'm not. But if YOU want something else SOMEONE ELSE has, you have to play by their rules.
 
diymirage said:
Not to say they had it coming, but I remember the first time they charged me to walk a yard

Not get a part, just an entry fee

I know I walked away with a pocket full of fuses that day

Probably wasn't right, but neither was charging a cover charge for a junkyard
Click to expand...
They charge 2 bucks to get into all the Pick-N-Pull wrecking yards, out here in Commiefornia, and all the other self serv, wrecking yards with similar sounding names, that compete with the Pick-N-Pull's.
Ya, the 2 bucks entry fee, covers what you can put into your pocket, while wandering the yard.
Been there, done that.
 
RustyRatRod said:
But it's their property. They can choose to charge to walk it if they want to. You could have chosen to say no. I don't like those kinda business practices either, so don't think I'm on their side, I'm not. But if YOU want something else SOMEONE ELSE has, you have to play by their rules.
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Yup you're right
But I didn't see it that way back then
 
rklein383 said:
I went to u-pickem junk yard a few years back looking for a five-speed manual tranny for my Toyota Corolla commuter car I picked up for 800 bucks. They gave me a list of the potential cars. I be danged if a transmission was laying on the ground in front of the car I was told was a good match. Checked the one bearing that is suspect by taking a cover off. Threw the tranny in the wheel barrow, 125 bucks later, my car was running like a champ. Was quite happy!!!
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Most my scrap yard visits have ended pretty decent once in awhile was disappointed. Some from my own misjudgement. Lol. But it's cool making a "Find." One one my best was years ago. A 12 bolt posi rear. 4.10 gear out of a wrecked Chevelle. It was actually what I was looking. The guys before took the cover off. And pulled one axel. I watched them walk away. Had that rear out in record time. Bought new axles and put together. Put it into a Pontiac Lemans. To the best of my knowledge? That car is still buzzing around today. That really woke up that Pontiac 350.
 
Yall all should be thankful you have these type yards. We have zero yards around here with anything old. There are SOME you pull it yards around Atlanta, but about ten years is the limit on age. The days of finding old cars on yards around here are long gone.
 
I stopped going to the franchise yards for a lot of the reasons OP stated. I'd rather buy from a member here or other forums, and know they did the work and that I'm paying a fair price than get bent over by Sheila at the counter because she decides that on the third Tuesday of months that start with a vowel in even years she's going to charge for every screw (and it's warranty) holding a headlamp assembly or bumper together.
I used to hit a few yards like those, but it didn't take long to notice that they'd let people come and dismantle stuff, then simply list it for max money on eBay or Craigslist after the dejected customer left because $723 worth of taxes and fees and warranty made it only $10 cheaper than new at the dealer.
It's their right to run their place as they see fit, but I'll be damned if I get duped again. Now I look for yards thst sponsor demo derbies(typically pretty lax and run by cool folks), or just buy from folks online who make a living parting out old iron. Downside is that my Spanish skills have gone all to hell since I quit those yards :rofl:
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yall all should be thankful you have these type yards. We have zero yards around here with anything old. There are SOME you pull it yards around Atlanta, but about ten years is the limit on age. The days of finding old cars on yards around here are long gone.
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bro... even out here in socal the old iron in yards is slim pickin's

early 2000's dodges are stacked up like cordwood, though. if you're looking for magnum motors it's about knee deep!

of course when i'm ready to join the 42RH party there's sure to be none around. *sigh*
 
I'm afraid the good old days are behind us. 20 years ago when my boys were young I took them to a scrap yard that was pretty far from city. And it was slimmer pickings. Today? The old Iron is gone. Last success story was more informational. I pulled an alternator for a Ford Excort GT my youngest sister had. They still wanted the core. So I brought her old one that was burnt up. She put a HI boost stereo system in her car and the alternators kept catching on fire. Even Ford dealership couldn't figure out why. I showed the counter kid the old alternator. And he said. "You have a bad body ground. Thus the increased load due to stereo is grounding back to the source." I looked at this 18 year old kid and thought. "He might be right." I then installed and grounded her car everywhere. Engine, batt, alternator to multiple body points. Never had another alternator fire again. But if she was blasting her stereo for awhile. Beware of touching the body of the car. You got a static discharge unlike anything you've experienced. (Other than a source electric shock.) But this even after an hour of sitting. Lol.

Just another garage story.
 
We have several parts yards around here besides LKQ. Reeds, Montys, Adams, to name a few I've visited.
I don't think there would be a chain like LKQ if not for Obamas "Cash For Clunkers" program. I've visited LKQ maybe 3 times since their opening.
 
The warranty thing is the new money generator for the one I visit. However prices are still very reasonable.
 
Last year all of ours went to $3 admission.

...and my favorite one which was also the cheapest and the closest to me- closed :(

It was literally 10 minutes away. Last time I was there, I got a whole bunch of "smalls" from an 80's 5th Ave.
I took in a coffee can, filled it up and they charged me 10 bucks, plus 15 for the power trunk release.

Now the closest is over 30 min, and the better ones are 60 miles.
 
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