Strange situation - Am I crazy?

Am I crazy?

  • No doubt

    Votes: 17 27.0%
  • Yes, for sure

    Votes: 37 58.7%
  • What kind of question is that?

    Votes: 9 14.3%

  • Total voters
    63

inertiadrifto86

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Okay, here's a bit of a book. I have a tl;dr at the end but I highly recommend reading the whole thing for context.

In January of '18 I purchased a '17 Civic Si Sedan. Loved the car, was fantastic. I installed very few aftermarket modifications to the car, kept it mostly stock. Three of the 'performance' modifications I installed were Acuity parts. These were the Throttle Pedal Spacer (a must have for downshifting), the shifter centering spring & the shifter base bushings. These three things greatly improved the driving experience of the car.

In November of '18 I made a huge mistake and traded in the Si. There's a thread about it. Yes, I'm an idiot. Yes, I am well aware of how much money I've wasted. Yes, my wife is pissed. Yes, I may or may not have been experiencing an early midlife crisis. Also, as a side note, Bipolar I is a hell of a drug.

When trading in the Si I failed to part it out and just left all the acuity parts on the car. The dealer didn't seem to care so I didn't make a deal out of it.

I just came to my senses and traded back into an Si. This time and '18. I should have never left. I'll be posting about the new car soon so if you care watch for that.

As I was shopping around for my second Si I discovered that the dealership I purchased my original '17 from had in fact reacquired the very same car. Myself and the sales rep helping me verified this via VIN number comparison. I almost got back into the same car but the dealer was asking for $2.5k more than I originally paid for the car. Crazy, I know. Would have been a story of legends, I'm sure. The same sales rep at the same dealer selling the same car to the same customer twice, the second time for more $$$ than the first time. The sales rep and I laughed about it, and I booked it off the lot.

So fast forward to a couple days ago, after I had picked up my slightly used '18 at a different Honda dealership nearby. While going through paperwork, I found the spare key for my '17 and decided to be a nice person and drop the key off at the dealership selling my original '17.

On my way I remembered the Acuity parts I installed on the '17. I figured it was at the very least worth inquiring about.

Once at the dealership I met up with the sales rep and even though he was with another customer, he graciously took me out onto the lot and allowed me to verify that the throttle spacer was in fact still installed on the car. I would have had to pull the console apart to verify the centering spring and base bushings, but I wager they're still on the car.

Now at this point I asked him if the dealership would be removing the parts, and if that would be the case if they'd be willing to deliver them back to me as a courtesy for a) buying a car from them back in January b) coming to them first when shopping for a new Si and c) letting them know about the aftermarket parts to begin with. My assumption was that the aftermarket parts would affect the CPO status that they had the car listed as.

If they were just going to throw the parts away, why not give them back to me? If they were going to sell them, I told him I'd be more than happy to buy the parts from the parts/service department instead of paying full price from Acuity.

This is where the sales rep rubbed me the wrong way. He gave me this smile that just reeked of "You didn't do anything for me this time around, so fuck you." He told me he didn't think that arrangement would be possible. I thanked him for his time, and let him know I'd still be coming back to the dealership and him specifically when searching for a vehicle in the future.

I have since e-mailed the service manager to inform him of the situation. Here's a screenshot of the e-mail below.

Honda Civic 10th gen Strange situation - Am I crazy? upload_2019-1-9_9-3-52


So my questions for everyone here is:

a) am I downright crazy to begin with (the answer is yes)
b) is there any chance in hell the dealer would be willing to sell (if not give) me these parts back?
c) Is there any precedence for these parts voiding the CPO status on the vehicle?

tl;dr I'm crazy
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caspar21

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hate to say it like this but..
you sold it back. they want to sell it back to you for more than you paid originally.
they don't want to give you anything.
stealership blah blah..
buy the parts new from acuity and accept the loss due to your mistake.

i think Murphy's law says something like; "even if they sell you the parts back then they will be damaged by some tool removing them roughly, and you won't notice till you get home."
 

gtman

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They own the car now, so honestly, nothing the dealer did or said was out of line in my opinion.
 

TheKevinlyFather

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It was worth asking, I think. But, sounds like it's going to be a no and I would just accept it and move on.

The dealership won't sell you the parts back without recouping OEM part costs + labor + a profit. Probably better off buying new Acuity parts anyway.
 

jred721

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You should have parted the car out when you had the chance. The car has been out of your ownership for a while now so what the dealer said makes sense. Maybe if you push a little you could get those parts back but at this point i'd just take the loss and move on.
 


REBELXSi

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You're SOL and completely at the mercy of the dealership. If you want them to take off parts you put on, they're well within their rights to charge for labor at dealership prices and that alone might make it not even worth it. I'd cut my losses.
 

aegeanbluecivic

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Not sure of the laws in Washington if that's where you returned the car but from my initial understanding is that they now own the car and are free to do as they please with it. Granted there are some modifications to it, the car would be sold as used. Unsure of the warranty but I'm sure the dealer would have to disclose that information to a potential buyer. I wouldn't guaranty getting those parts back and just take this as a lesson learned.
 
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inertiadrifto86

inertiadrifto86

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So the one question I'm not seeing answered is whether or not a Honda CPO vehicle is allowed to retain aftermarket parts.

I believe this to be the Crux of the matter, and my further inquiries logically follow, IMO. I mean, of the dealership has to remove the parts anyway, why not just give 'em back to me?

Yes, I get I should have parted out the car. Yes, I am an idiot. No, I no longer have any right to the vehicle or any parts installed on the vehicle. Yes, stealerships and all that. But if there's a possibility I could save ~$200 on some of the best aftermarket parts for the 10th gen just by writing a few emails and asking a few ques6, we'll sign me up.
 

gtman

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Alex, it doesn't matter. They bought the car from you with those parts installed. It's theirs now. I've traded in modded cars that were sold as is. Most dealers will return them to stock. At this point, this is a learn from your experience situation. Don't get worked up about it. Not worth the aggravation.
 


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inertiadrifto86

inertiadrifto86

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Alex, it doesn't matter. They bought the car from you with those parts installed. It's theirs now. I've traded in modded cars that were sold as is. Most dealers will return them to stock. At this point, this is a learn from your experience situation. Don't get worked up about it. Not worth the aggravation.
Thanks gtman. I appreciate the honesty. Looks like I'll just have to rebuy the parts.
 

n2da2nd

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Alex, dont waste your time and get worked up. There is nothing you can do if the dealership said no to your inquiry. If they decided to sell that car as CPO with the Acuity, I don't think anybody would know about it. Even if the next buyer knew, he/she would like to keep it like that as well. Similar thing has happened to me before. I know a guy who put aftermarket parts on his hatchback (cf hood, eibach springs, camber arms, wheels and tires, etc.) and ended up trading his hatch for a coupe without removing those aftermarket parts. I contacted the dealership where he traded it in and offered to exchange my OEM parts for those aftermarket ones. The answer is "No, it is impossible to do so." Somehow the car was sold later as CPO without any of those aftermarket parts. Up until this day, I don't know what happened and who got those parts.
 

gtman

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Thanks gtman. I appreciate the honesty. Looks like I'll just have to rebuy the parts.
No problem. And remember this. Who's to say if the dealer removed the parts and gave them back to you, they wouldn't have somehow damaged them in the process? It's all good. Get the new parts and enjoy your new ride. :thumbsup:
 


 


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