By the ARA Certification Committee
Returns are inevitable in the sale of any goods. One important aspect of providing great customer service lies in how returns are managed. A customer with the wrong part can still come away from a Gold Seal facility with a positive outlook if returns are handled well.
Gold Seal certified facilities focus on the customer service aspect of the ROE® part sales process. Gold Seal certification is quality assurance.
To facilitate a good return experience for the customer, the Gold Seal certified auto recycler should have a written policy for returns that are available to the customer at the time of purchase.
The Gold Seal certified facility has a written policy for returns covering issues with the ROE part purchased. Faulty part returns fall under handling a warranty. The Gold Seal certified facility also has a written warranty statement available for the customer to review before the sale and easily accessible afterwards. And the written warranty is posted at the sales counter and referenced on the customer invoice.
The ARA Certification program has developed SAMPLE written procedures to assists members seeking to become Certified Auto Recyclers in developing the required written policies aligned with the standard of excellence set forth in the CAR and Gold Seal certification program.
The following sample written return and warranty policy may be modified to reflect the facility’s policies that go beyond the minimum requirement of the Gold Seal program.
| Return & Warranty Policy Sample: This Gold Seal certified facility has a return policy of 30 days for store credit or exchange for sheet metal and mechanical parts. Brokered parts have the same return policy and standard warranty as inhouse part sales. For sheet metal parts, customer's warranty is a limited warranty against rust and corrosion for a one-year period from the date of purchase with the ability to purchase an extended limited lifetime warranty on parts and limited labor. For mechanical parts, customer's warranty is a 90-day warranty on parts with the ability to purchase an extended warranty for at least one year on parts and limited labor. In the event our quality assurance processes identify a defective part prior to delivery to the customer, this Gold Seal certified facility will substitute a part of like kind and quality for the replacement of a defective part prior to delivery to the customer with notification from your salesperson. Quality is important to us at this Gold Seal certified facility. This Gold Seal certified facility will make any price or warranty adjustments agreed upon between us and our customer upon inspection and request for credit by the customer clearly noted on the invoice for future reference including “as is” or no warranty sales. Where a part that was delivered to a customer is to be returned to us, this Gold Seal certified facility will arrange pick-up in the time frame agreed upon with customer for the return of delivered parts. This Gold Seal certified facility will cover the return shipping cost unless agreed otherwise with customer for parts that were originally shipped. A restocking fee, if applicable to a returned part, will be noted on the invoice at the time of the sale. Refunds will be generated within four (4) business days of the part being picked up or returned to the recycler. Customers may contact the Automotive Recyclers Association at email or telephone if not satisfied with the service of this Gold Seal certified facility. |
