After having the issue forced upon them, S&S Mercedes has just admitted through a consumer rights advocate that they in fact returned the boots I paid them $195 for to CVJ Axles in Colorado. According to S&S Mercedes, they needed to return the brand new boots they sold me to CVJ in order to get credit for my axle cores from CVJ.

The only problem is that Steve, the owner at CVJ, has assured me that they have no such requirement. They provide new rubber boots as part of their axle rebuilding service, and they have no interest in getting rubber boots back with the rebuildable cores.

Thus I have proven S&S Mercedes to be not truthful. They sold me a pair of rubber boots at the full retail price of $195, discovered that the repair attempt was not viable, and then installed rebuilt axles from CVJ into my car that came with their own set of rubber boots. As a way to squeeze more $$ out of me, they kept the initial pair of rubber boots they'd sold me under the guise of "need to return for core credit" though they evidently either sent them back to their supplier for a refund, or they sold them again to the next chump who came along.

S&S Mercedes has accused me of "blackmail" (?!?) by posting my dealings with them on the internet, and they are well aware that I have mentioned my troubles with them on this site. Why no reply here from S&S? Because they know that these are car guys on this board. These aren't bean counters at the credit card company or desk people at the BBB who are easily confused by the autospeak and the twists & turns in this sad interaction.

So come on, S&S. Why not respond, and tell these car guys how CVJ Axles in Colorado would not give you your credit for my axle cores unless you included the rubber boots you sold me? When you do reply, please don't spin off on a tangent about how I begged and begged you to take apart my bad axles and clean them in the parts washer, which you claim you reluctantly did even though you allegedly warned me that it wouldn't work. Just stick to your story that CVJ requires rubber boots to be returned with axle cores for credit.