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Old 07-16-2007, 08:16 PM   #151
Hondaslayer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Unit 91 View Post
Production date doesn't always help, but it's better than nothing.

You're all paranoid androids.
Wraps self in tin-foil
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Old 08-23-2007, 12:57 PM   #152
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shame on whoever doesn't know what year their car is.
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Old 08-23-2007, 05:35 PM   #153
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Originally Posted by limequat View Post
I don't like it one bit, and I refuse to supply my VIN.

1) It's a way of tranferring liability to the customer: That's the VIN you supplied, it can't POSSIBLY be the wrong part!

2) It's a hassle. Why should I wait in line, go the desk, find out I need a VIN, go back to my car, find a pen, find paper, write the VIN, Is that a zero or an O?, come back, wait in line, wait for the monkey to punch in 16 characters, and then... "We don't have that part in stock, would you like to order it?" Prepay of course.

3) It creates a data base uniquely identifying: You, your car, the part. Whether or not we are being "tracked" is only a question of semantics. No, Subaru isn't doing this because they want to get in our business. BUT, IT IS A SEARCHABLE DATABASE!

The implications aren't hard to imagine. Say vehicle X is used in a homicide. It's unregistered, but the local dealerships cough up their records. Someone transposes a "1" for an "I" and suddenly you're being investigated for murder!

Here's another one. Let's say we decide that global warming is a real threat and all cars must have all stock functioning catalytic converters. Let's say that modifying a vehicles emissions system becomes a $1000 misdemeanor with up to 90 days in jail (equivolent to driving w/o tags).
Would it be hard to imagine the local cops going through the dealership records to find who recently purchased up-pipe gaskets?

Here's what I do if a dealership asks for VIN:
* First, "Just say no." Cause a delay, ask to see the manager.

* If that doesn't work, go to a different dealer. Make it clear, that they're losing business over a damned computer program.

* Don't have another local dealer? Buy online.

* Finally, offer to supply the first 8 (or so) digits of the VIN. This is a comprimise. They can still get all the information they need, but it does not uniquely identify the person and the car.
hey dude, ur a psycho. chill out. the government isnt going to conspire against you...and the aliens never came and probed you either...that was your lil brother(contrary to what everyone else tells you)
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Old 08-23-2007, 05:43 PM   #154
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Originally Posted by TheSilverFox View Post
Don't you think it's suspicious how they need a Long number with letters in it that matches the car DIRECTLY to you, JUST TO GET YOU SOME PARTS????

yes, parts change, but only FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. After the car is made, the bolt size doesn't just mysteriously change.

so No, i will not give my VIN number out to some kid behind a desk to get me parts. Would you give out your social security number to buy groceries??? It's the same thing in theory. That VIN # is like the cars social security number. Everything can be tracked by using it. Keep playing the odds, and one day you might regret it. Which is why I refuse to just give it out for something mediocre such as a car part, or just to look up and item in stock. It's getting ridiculous how our privacy is getting abused. And most of you are ok with it. What a sad sad day.

--J
p.s. you suck. parts dont mysterously change, go to a local parts store and ask if they have any vehicles that have year breaks. they will say yes...i know this cause i work in a parts store and just because it was made in a year doesnt clarify what parts are on it. vehicles have changes and upgrades in parts, it happens to almost every car at least one time in the stage of years it was made. water pumps for instance, Ford made a truck in the early 90's that had 3 different water pumps on it because of changes in the year/which warehouse it was made in. I have been in the auto parts business for over 4 years and know that things change like that all the time
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Old 08-23-2007, 07:12 PM   #155
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Originally Posted by TheSilverFox View Post
I wouldn't say paranoid. just saying what makes sense to me.

Answer me this... If I buy a stock 2006 STI, how are the bolt sizes going to change. If i don't do anything to my car... how will the size of a bolt change? Is it going to shrink? Lets say I break a bolt, I still need the same size I had stock... b/c it didn't change.

So when you are telling me that the size of parts change, it doesn't make sense to me.... unless you're talking about new parts designed such as like a new radiator in a different size and such.

That's what I was referring to. Does that make sense???
Ever hear of a little something called a "VIN break"? It's the application cut-off point between different generations of a parts' design within any given model year.

For example, it could mean the difference between whether the front brake rotors on your 2000 Ford F-150 2WD pickup are fitted with 12mm wheel studs or 14mm wheel studs. So when the guy behind the counter asks for the VIN when you "just want some damn lug nuts", check yourself, then check your VIN.
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Old 08-24-2007, 12:18 AM   #156
state
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Ok, a lot of VERY good points have been made on here, but you are forgetting one very important reason to collect your vin when getting service: CASH

You may have heard of a company called CARFAX this company has over 20,000 different data sources both public (police records etc.) and Private (insurance companies, midas, and your dealerships) with a total of over 5 billion records.

as an employee of this company, I can tell you we pay thru the nose for this VIN specific information.

For example... Unibomber, your VIN is JF1GG29694G803308
I can tell that on August 13th 2004 with 26,417 miles on your car you decided to get your vehicle serviced. (I am assuming for it's 30k mile checkup)

This is amazingly valuable information to the consumer looking to purchase a used car, a dealer looking at a trade in, a bank checking to see if the Loan To Value ratio is high enough.

not that I am trying to stress the importance of my company, I am just saying there is always more than just the obvious reason and money is always a factor...
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Old 08-24-2007, 08:55 AM   #157
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Enginuity View Post
Ever hear of a little something called a "VIN break"? It's the application cut-off point between different generations of a parts' design within any given model year.

For example, it could mean the difference between whether the front brake rotors on your 2000 Ford F-150 2WD pickup are fitted with 12mm wheel studs or 14mm wheel studs. So when the guy behind the counter asks for the VIN when you "just want some damn lug nuts", check yourself, then check your VIN.
If you don't want to provide a VIN, buy both and return the set that doesn't fit.

-kC
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Old 08-24-2007, 12:03 PM   #158
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Originally Posted by KC View Post
If you don't want to provide a VIN, buy both and return the set that doesn't fit.

-kC
that makes it a huge pain in the butt. maybe everyone should stop cryin and jus give the vin
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Old 08-25-2007, 03:18 PM   #159
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I can't believe this thread is STILL going.

Quote:
Originally Posted by VA07WRX View Post
SWEEET!! now I can go order keys for YOUR car.
You could order keys from my car, but there is no way you and 900 professional thieves could not break into my car as it's 10,000***37; ghetto proof. And when these babies go off, I will hear it.



OMG....my license plate is on the intraweb now too!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by state View Post
I can tell that on August 13th 2004 with 26,417 miles on your car you decided to get your vehicle serviced. (I am assuming for it's 30k mile checkup)
That's actually quite odd. It wasn't a service at all. I logged on my.subaru.com that I installed new tires. This was NOT through a Subaru dealer at all.

<------runs off to read my.subaru.com's terms of service agreement

Last edited by Unabomber; 08-25-2007 at 03:27 PM.
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Old 08-25-2007, 03:25 PM   #160
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Privacy statement from my.subaru.com

Subaru of America, Inc keeps a database of the information collected by this site, on your behalf, to allow you future access to your information. Other uses of this information may include updating our customer records, fulfilling e-mail requests and sending you important information concerning your vehicle, as well as promotional material about Subaru products and services.

The information gathered by My.Subaru.com may also be used for marketing purposes. However, none of this information is ever sold to marketers, periodical publishers or any other outsiders. We share this information only within the Subaru family.

While I'm not a tin foil hat types, it kinda irks me that Carfax knows that I logged new tires into my.subaru.com as I sometimes use it as a car log to knwo when I did this and that. I emailed them about this issue and I wonder what they'll say.
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Old 08-25-2007, 03:54 PM   #161
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^ What privacy statements SAY and what legal teeth are behind thier following or not following them are two different things.

I used to work for a company that had the usual, expected privacy statement/policy, but contrary to it, openly sold marketing lists to anyone with a checkbook.

Who is really going to sue and win, thus proving an information breach by a singe company. The whole privacy statement fad is worthless.
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Old 08-26-2007, 04:36 PM   #162
state
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the question is, where did you go for the service?

We don't collect info from my.subaru.com

we would've gotten the info from your local tire changing company
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Old 08-27-2007, 10:40 AM   #163
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I logged the fact that I got 4 Toyo Proxes 4 tires and they were radial force balanced and mounted that day at that mileage. This was done at a dealership though, but it was the truck department of a Ford dealer as they were the only ones in the area with an OMG$$$$ radial force balancing machine. No word from SOA yet.... Guess I'll let them know if they respond and I can remove my tinfoil hat about my.subaru.com
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Old 08-27-2007, 10:51 AM   #164
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I work for a subaru parts department they do it because one its easier to find the parts for your car and two they do it to make sure especially if u are trying to get blank keys made then they wanna make sure ur not trying to steal.. its really not a big deal..
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Old 08-31-2007, 02:04 AM   #165
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eyeless99prez View Post
I work for a subaru parts department they do it because one its easier to find the parts for your car and two they do it to make sure especially if u are trying to get blank keys made then they wanna make sure ur not trying to steal.. its really not a big deal..
Its kind of a big deal (or at least pain in the ass) when you're like me and bolt-on a turbo to your older NA Subie using parts from several different years and models (regular WRX's vs. STi's) and don't have a VIN for them. I had one guy that refused to look up parts unless I could provide him with a VIN.

When I did finally get to talking to the older more experienced Subie parts guy, he was easily able to provide me with everything I needed. To be smart, I saved all of the wrappers and labeled them for future gasket purchases so I can just cut to the chase.
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Old 08-31-2007, 03:23 AM   #166
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Originally Posted by state View Post
You may have heard of a company called CARFAX this company has over 20,000 different data sources both public (police records etc.) and Private (insurance companies, midas, and your dealerships) with a total of over 5 billion records.
Ha, yeah, sure, billions of records. And really, you get records from insurance companies? Are you sure about that? It's great that the assumption you made from the carfax was completely wrong. Do you make up stuff like that all the time?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...fax_facts.html



So anyway, yes sometimes it's a pain in the ass, especially since my car is now a conglomeration of parts from all sorts of different things. It really just gives me one more reason to not walk into some random dealership when I need a part. Hurray for Subiegal.
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Old 08-31-2007, 12:24 PM   #167
state
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carfax does recieve info from insurance companies (however, not ALL of them)

there are still a few service/body/repair shops who do not report to carfax, so if a car was repaired there, it would not show up on the report, and if you look at the website in the Terms and conditions it even states:

NEITHER CARFAX, ITS AFFILIATES, NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS, OR LICENSORS WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE; NOR DO THEY MAKE ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM USE OF THE SITE, OR AS TO THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION, SERVICE, OR MATERIALS PROVIDED THROUGH THE SITE.

Carfax purchases the info from third party vendors. all we do is compile it into a useful form.
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Old 09-06-2007, 01:31 PM   #168
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I think honestly they reason they ask your vin is depending on where you go... Usually if you go to the dealership and your nice to the service manager or parts guy they are way chill with you.. for example at Irvine Subaru i always go there to get parts for random things.. and they have never asked me for my vin or nething they just ask me the year of car and type and thats it... they are very helpful and never have had any problems.. infact they always seemed like they would go out of the way to help me out.. so I have a lot of love for Irvine Subaru...
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Old 09-06-2007, 01:58 PM   #169
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bla bla bla. all the damn parts people stand behind the VIN number idea...

it allows them to type less and get straight to the exact car I have. you can look up the parts other ways... which is why i won't give you my VIN and make you do it the old fashioned way. i'm sure your manager wouldn't want any un-satisfied customers muahahha.

--J
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Old 09-06-2007, 02:02 PM   #170
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I hate when I know what I need and they ask for a VIN.

Example, I was going from the OBS bumper to a Ver. 5/6 front end, and they demanded a VIN. Of course, the OBS VIN will give me the parts I no longer want!

If you need a part from X car, just go find that car and copy the VIN down.
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Old 09-06-2007, 02:08 PM   #171
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Originally Posted by bl_easy View Post
I hate when I know what I need and they ask for a VIN.

Example, I was going from the OBS bumper to a Ver. 5/6 front end, and they demanded a VIN. Of course, the OBS VIN will give me the parts I no longer want!

If you need a part from X car, just go find that car and copy the VIN down.

well i would have demanded that they blow me. why the flip do they care??? they're still getting your money. and that's one of the reasons the world goes 'round anyways.. so everybody should be happy.

--J
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Old 09-06-2007, 05:32 PM   #172
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Ok I have question What if your car doesn't have a vin#
I'm have ej20t mid 90's car. that is going in a vw bug.
what do i tell the parts guy. can he look up parts of the numbers off the block.
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Old 09-09-2007, 06:59 PM   #173
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a lot of parts are now considered special orders, which means no returns, or large fees. Think of it as the dealership covering your ass as much as their own.
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Old 09-09-2007, 08:53 PM   #174
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kbwakesk8 View Post
Ok I have question What if your car doesn't have a vin#
I'm have ej20t mid 90's car. that is going in a vw bug.
what do i tell the parts guy. can he look up parts of the numbers off the block.
Mid 90's EJ20 would not be a USDM engine, therefore even with a VIN a US dealer cannot look up or order the parts for you.
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Old 09-09-2007, 08:54 PM   #175
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bl_easy View Post
I hate when I know what I need and they ask for a VIN.

Example, I was going from the OBS bumper to a Ver. 5/6 front end, and they demanded a VIN. Of course, the OBS VIN will give me the parts I no longer want!

If you need a part from X car, just go find that car and copy the VIN down.
If you know what you need then ask them to order part #xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and pay for it, problem solved.
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