Context: I bought a new fuel pump from a dealer in 2019. About 15k miles later, the hose on the assembly gave out and cracked. In the interest of time and longevity, I bought a new unit from FCP Euro at the end of 2023. 18 months later, and with only a few hundred miles of driving, the new pump has also decided to stop working. Ok, no problem I figured; I'll just use this lifetime guarantee for the first time (I've ordered thousands of $$ worth of parts from FCP in recent years). But, two problems:
1. At the end of 2023, the new pump assembly was $500 + tax. Today, its $700 + tax. Ok fine, I'll pay another $200 + tax. That's still decent value I suppose.
2. But now I learn that in order to use FCP's lifetime replacement guarantee, I have to first re-purchase the fuel pump assembly as a new/separate transaction and then send back the old one after. Kind of annoying but still doable. However, I also learn that I don't even get a refund for the original purchase, I get store credit instead. I have admittedly never taken a close look at the terms & conditions or recent policy changes, but I find this appalling and borderline fraudulent. To me, FCP's wording and marketing of the "lifetime replacement" implies an equivalent exchange of a defective part, which is materially misleading and does not align with the remedy they actually provide. The policy functions as a repurchase cycle, not a replacement guarantee, and locks customers into higher prices and store credit with effectively no practical way out.
With that said, I'm not sure if I want to continue doing business with these guys. I'm also not sure what to do at this point. I could swap the functional pump from my 2019 assembly into the 2023 assembly, but I don't know how long it will last. And from what I remember, aftermarket alternatives have always been hit or miss. I've been out of the game for a few years; are there any new/reputable alternatives that I don't know about? What would you do in my shoes? Thank you in advance, gents.
1. At the end of 2023, the new pump assembly was $500 + tax. Today, its $700 + tax. Ok fine, I'll pay another $200 + tax. That's still decent value I suppose.
2. But now I learn that in order to use FCP's lifetime replacement guarantee, I have to first re-purchase the fuel pump assembly as a new/separate transaction and then send back the old one after. Kind of annoying but still doable. However, I also learn that I don't even get a refund for the original purchase, I get store credit instead. I have admittedly never taken a close look at the terms & conditions or recent policy changes, but I find this appalling and borderline fraudulent. To me, FCP's wording and marketing of the "lifetime replacement" implies an equivalent exchange of a defective part, which is materially misleading and does not align with the remedy they actually provide. The policy functions as a repurchase cycle, not a replacement guarantee, and locks customers into higher prices and store credit with effectively no practical way out.
With that said, I'm not sure if I want to continue doing business with these guys. I'm also not sure what to do at this point. I could swap the functional pump from my 2019 assembly into the 2023 assembly, but I don't know how long it will last. And from what I remember, aftermarket alternatives have always been hit or miss. I've been out of the game for a few years; are there any new/reputable alternatives that I don't know about? What would you do in my shoes? Thank you in advance, gents.
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