[RealMcCoy]

My shop is a general repair shop that does SOME performance work, not a full time performance shop.. So the warranty policy is going to be different overall. But IMHO the IPS should have just eaten the $200, and kept a satisfied customer.. (and just have a six month backlog next time he calls..)

As it stands now, IPS has lost all the labor cost for the install, as well as the profit from the part sale... He would have been much better off financially to just send his tech home for the day...

While The OP's method of dealing with this situation is way out of line.. he did so because in his mind he is being screwed over.. So his knee jerk reaction was to screw back... Now IPS has another ex customer running around badmouthing them.. In hindsight that $200 isn't so important now is it?

It basically comes down to having a clear warranty policy that is plainly understood by the customer.(a signed work order with the warranty policy printed on it never hurts)

Of course it also depends on the pricing structure.. In my shop, this would not have even been a question.. It would have been swapped out at my expense.. But that is our policy, and we self insure against the inevitable loss such as this one in our pricing structure... For instance, let's say doing one over costs a shop $300.. And one in fifty have to come back out.. You have to charge less than $10 more per job, to self insure for such an occurrence.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying IPS did anything wrong here.. I'm just pointing out that human nature as it pertains to customer relations is very predictable.. This situation could have been foreseen and avoided.. And the reasons for doing so should be self evident.. The only people that got screwed in this situation is IPS...