It’s been estimated that fraudulent warranty claims cost auto parts stores $600 million every year.
Those costs stem from a number of expenses that are set in motion by a return, including manually processing credits; reverse logistics and transportation; repackaging products; and additional quality-control testing to rule out major defects in materials.
The “Check the Part” campaign estimates that more than 50% of warranty returns are either brand-new or not the manufacturer’s product – which suggests that many parts professionals aren’t even looking at the item that’s being returned.
Endorsed by MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and the Auto Care Association, the campaign encourages parts professionals to follow a simple three-step process when processing warranty returns:
- Open the box.
- Inspect the part.
- Verify the return.
Recently, Dorman Products published a return guide for CV-joint kits.
If a customer wants to return a CV-joint kit, Dorman offers these three tips to help to determine if it’s a valid warranty claim:
- Open the box and make sure the correct part is in the box. Some customers may try to return unrelated products and heavy objects as a scam.
- Dorman parts will be laser-etched with the part number as shown. OEM parts or parts from other manufacturers are not valid returns.
- Some joints come lubricated from the factory. Others have grease supplied. Grease must be installed in all cases. No joint can last without lubricant! Verify grease was present – the unit should be pretty messy when returned. If you see rust, blue discoloration or distorted components, it’s likely the joint had too little grease and thus is ineligible to be returned.
- Please share examples of ineligible returns on checkthepart.com.
You can download a PDF of the return guide below:
