Unfare pricing practices
Hi,
I recently put in a claim for repair to my coach ('97 36RS Discovery w/Cummings engine).
Claim reason:
A. Head bolts stretched (a known issue for Cummings engines) and caused a water leak through the head gasket.
B. Oil leak from transmission seal.
C. Exhaust manifold cracked.
The examiner that was sent out agreed to all the issues and told us he was giving the adjuster a green light to go ahead and pay this claim as it was valid.
The adjuster has deemed certain items not payable and others payable at a drastically reduce price. I asked my mechanic if these were Cummings parts of 3rd party. I was told that he went to Cummings Big T in Oxnard, Ca. (our local Cummings dealer) for most of the parts and those that were not available through Big T he went with the best 3rd party replacement products available.
For example:
1) Oil payable @ $18 p/gal - asking $58.99 p/gal (was told that I can purchase Diesel oil at Walmart for $13.99 p/gel) Not a Cummings preferred provider.
2) Will pay for oil but not oil filter nor labor... What?
3) Coolant payable @ $12 p/gal - asking $30 p/gal (again told to go to Walmart)
4) Will NOT pay for gaskets or nuts and bolts but will pay for manifold?
The list of crazy stuff goes on.
They have accepted the claim and authorized my mechanic to remove the head bolts as they needed to me measured. After removing the adjuster now realizes that they are NOT measurable and has now refused to pay for the removal labor. This adjuster also asked for the engine and transmission numbers etc. The original examiner they sent out refused saying they were not needed and are too hard to read without serious labor costs. Again the adjuster is now refusing to pay for that labor.
Apart from me paying the entire bill and suing for a full reimbursement is there a quick and painless way to get the Extended Service people to stand up to their bragging and be reasonable with parts costs? Who can I call to get some satisfaction?
One of the examiners I spoke to last week told me they get there parts from Walmart and Blue Mountain Cummings. I can't imagine the price of parts being this different between Big T and Blue Mountain?
I eagerly look forward to any assistance you can give on getting my coach fixed and back on the road.
Oh, by the way since the examiner has low balled or refused to pay so many items the coach is currently disabled, due to the head bolts being removed, and soon to be a target for vandals!
Sincerely yours,
Phillip Seaman
I recently put in a claim for repair to my coach ('97 36RS Discovery w/Cummings engine).
Claim reason:
A. Head bolts stretched (a known issue for Cummings engines) and caused a water leak through the head gasket.
B. Oil leak from transmission seal.
C. Exhaust manifold cracked.
The examiner that was sent out agreed to all the issues and told us he was giving the adjuster a green light to go ahead and pay this claim as it was valid.
The adjuster has deemed certain items not payable and others payable at a drastically reduce price. I asked my mechanic if these were Cummings parts of 3rd party. I was told that he went to Cummings Big T in Oxnard, Ca. (our local Cummings dealer) for most of the parts and those that were not available through Big T he went with the best 3rd party replacement products available.
For example:
1) Oil payable @ $18 p/gal - asking $58.99 p/gal (was told that I can purchase Diesel oil at Walmart for $13.99 p/gel) Not a Cummings preferred provider.
2) Will pay for oil but not oil filter nor labor... What?
3) Coolant payable @ $12 p/gal - asking $30 p/gal (again told to go to Walmart)
4) Will NOT pay for gaskets or nuts and bolts but will pay for manifold?
The list of crazy stuff goes on.
They have accepted the claim and authorized my mechanic to remove the head bolts as they needed to me measured. After removing the adjuster now realizes that they are NOT measurable and has now refused to pay for the removal labor. This adjuster also asked for the engine and transmission numbers etc. The original examiner they sent out refused saying they were not needed and are too hard to read without serious labor costs. Again the adjuster is now refusing to pay for that labor.
Apart from me paying the entire bill and suing for a full reimbursement is there a quick and painless way to get the Extended Service people to stand up to their bragging and be reasonable with parts costs? Who can I call to get some satisfaction?
One of the examiners I spoke to last week told me they get there parts from Walmart and Blue Mountain Cummings. I can't imagine the price of parts being this different between Big T and Blue Mountain?
I eagerly look forward to any assistance you can give on getting my coach fixed and back on the road.
Oh, by the way since the examiner has low balled or refused to pay so many items the coach is currently disabled, due to the head bolts being removed, and soon to be a target for vandals!
Sincerely yours,
Phillip Seaman
