I went into the Bellevue Wa Nissan dealer today to pick up a set of front brake pads...after telling the parts lady "I have an '05 350Z enthusiast non-brembo and want the front brake pads", she says "the computer gives me 7 optional pads...you HAVE to give me your VIN#"...

Q: why?? (I've ordered pads for this Z several other times from various aftermarket companies w/out every giving my VIN)...was this parts department just dumb?

*I ended up giving her my VIN # and she found the right pads...not a big deal, but just curious if this is a Nissan wide thing, or just 1 mis-informed person.

 

the pads are different between the years. The 05 non brembo part should have cleared that up though. Maybe they want to be 100% certain?

was there a caliper change mid year?

 

sometimes ill use the vin number just to make sure, but most of the time i dont need it.probably just wanted to make sure they got the right pad.shouldnt have needed the vin though.

 

Computers are nosy---also people are. They both love Data and the games they can play with that Data

 

My first thought (after thinking she was clueless) was that it was Nissan's way of tracking their cars and what parts are bought for them...maybe I'm just paranoid

 

That was my point ---I mess with those people and rufuse to give them Numbers of any kind unless it a VIN to REALLY find a part. Went to a Doc a couple months ago and refused to give them SSN, Christ...they treated me like I was a ****. Some places ask for address and DOB---I tell them ...........What? You going to sent me a Birthday Card ???

 

Peter they were just checking to see if you had stolen the car, i tipped them off! LOL







Seriously all the Nissan dealerships even Younker does this with the VINs, I like to mess with the guys at Eastside now they ask me for the VIN and then I say i need Brembo pads and they are like WTF .... and then i show them my car and then they storm off and smoke a cig... Talk to Bob Childs the parts manager there he won't ask you for a VIN

 

Companies are also pretty lazy about protecting your data. There was a news report not too many years ago about a big drug store chain just throwing out customer SSN numbers in the dumpster out back. Not shreaded or anything.

 

That reminds me ---Just got a letter last week notifying me that a company I dealt with is missing Data pertaining to customers--addresses, etc.