RE:AoA experiences

[James Desveaux <desveaux@ucla.edu>]

The list message had no Audi content, so I must make amends.

I had one surprising and positive experience with AoA.  I bought my '91
200QW in Nevada.  It was registered in Minnesota, however.  I drove it to
California and got it smogged.  It passed, no problems.  WHen I went to
register it, California tacked on a $300. emissions fee, since the car
hadn't been registered here before, and the emissions sticker was partially
missing.  A couple of Audi mechanics at local dealerships told me I had a 50
state car, and that the 3B US models were all the same, except for perhaps
the missing bulb in the 'engine check' socket for non-California cars.  I
called AoA, and spoke with a client relations person (their term, not mine).
She asked where the car was first sold.  I told her it was Pennsylvania.
She said in heavily accented French, 'Well, you know, your car was made for
Pennsylvania standards, not California standards.'  I figured, this isn't
going anywhere.  DMV in Cal had given me a form for the manufacturer to fill
out.  If AoA certified that the car was originally designed to meet Cal
specs, they'd refund my money.  I was not optimistic.

Anyway, I wrote a detailed letter to AoA in Auburn Hills, MI, and included
the DMW form, having filled out my portion.  Amazingly, I received a
telephone call from AoA the very day they received my letter.  They had
never confronted this problem before, but they called Sacramento and hashed
it out with my buddies up there.  So my client relations person with the
french accent tells me that AoA signed off on the form, that I had a 50
state car, that DMV should and will refund my $300., and that I was to 'ave
a nice day.  Amazing.  The dealers had told me that, in so many words, I'd
be p*ssing up a rope trying to get AoA's help on something like this.  I
sent the completed form to DMV, but still haven't received my refund.  But I
thought I should throw a fly into the ointment of AoA bad service stories.


- Jim