I have no experience with brakes and am not qualified to R and R my own caliper, and the LABOR cost is not the spot where I feel I can save money (if I have to spend 9 hours doing something I can pay $60 for I have lost money, not saved it, especially if I screw it up and kill the rotor). I try to save money on the parts because when I can get a part for 50% off that is a BIG savings in the long run.

Anyway, the fact that I don't do all the work myself in no way justifies the argument that I "really don't care about saving money." Do you refine your own gas? No? Well you must light your cigarettes with $100 bills... cmon man, you save money where you it is feasible.

Yes, FCP is willing to take the part back, but I still don't know if I'll see the shipping I pay to return it, and am still out like $70 extra for no reason. On that level its just the principle of it. Will he compensate me for that? I doubt it. And I don't think it is feasible to think I could ask my mechanic, who has to stop his tight (independant volvo only one guy) schedule to deal with the wrong part, to order another part from MY supplier and deal with any further delays. That's just ridiculous, I might as well just go and slap him over the head while I'm at it.

Basically the point here is that I ordered a part from someone who puts themselves forward as "Volvo experts." This isn't just some shop who has parts to sell, its a shop that lists ALL THE PARTS FOR VOLVOS ACROSS MODEL YEARS specifically along with only two other makes or so. I called them SPECIFICALLY because I wanted to be SURE I got the right part; I could easily have gotten it for $15 less from Importec instead if I wanted to just wing it.

Anyway I told him the exact information needed, including the fact that it is a 1985 745 turbo with Bendix non-ABS, and he sent me the wrong part. When I called to complain and correct him afterwards his response was two-part:

1) "I don't show any other part for your car, so that's the only one." If his suppliers' databases are wrong he should give them crap for it. However, listing an ABS caliper for a model year before ABS was even on the market is pretty stupid, and I would expect him to catch it since he sells these parts (there are two calipers, model A and B).

2) "How can you expect us to know everything about Volvos?" I don't, I replied, I expect you to know about the parts you sell, period. I work in computers as an IA and Web Dev. My customers should be able to rely on the fact that I know about the code, principles, and practices involved.

Just a difference of opinion I guess. Do I think this is the end of the world? No. However, the "attitude" I received when I called to inform them of the problem left a bad taste in my mouth, and that coupled with the part kinda pissed me off.

-rt