They Did Reply. And Somehow, I Saw It.

So I had to get my timing chain changed in January of 2024, way sooner than I needed to.  Apparently, my car is the subject of a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, which maps out problems that appear to be affecting all vehicles of a certain make and model, even though this is not a recall, where cars are supposed to be brought back to dealerships as soon as possible to get a problem fixed.  (I don't know if the difference is the number of vehicles that are estimated to have this problem, the severity of the problem, something else entirely, or a combination of factors.)

There was another TSB for my model that my car actually suffered from, namely a defective starter.  I think I was so incensed at the time that I sent a letter to the car company about this forced replacement -- and, to my big surprise, I not only got a reply but some compensation.  So, even though it took me a long, long time to get around to it, I finally went to the library during Limbo Week (the days between Christmas and New Year's Day) to type out a letter complaining about the bad timing chain and sent it.

And then I didn't hear anything.  For a long while.  I forgot about it, but once I remembered, I remembered that I sent it so long ago that, if they hadn't replied by now, they probably threw it away.  Honestly, I wasn't going to pursue it.  I just have too much on my mind, what with my country willingly falling into dictatorship and all, and besides, if they don't reply, what else could I do?

Thank Buddha, then, that I just decided to look through my spam folder before I went to bed Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.  I kept scrolling through all the fundraising e-mails that didn't go into my inbox and saw my car company and what looked to be a case number.  I opened it up and it said, and I'm paraphrasing, "We got your letter and would like to talk about it.  However, if you don't call and reply within five days of this e-mail we will close this matter."

The e-mail was sent Monday, and I left a message yesterday/Wednesday afternoon.  I hope they reply today, but if not, I hope to remember to call again while at work.  But I think about my very fortuitous fortune in finding this e-mail.  It was sent five, six weeks ago.  The reply was shunted into my spam folder.  I just so happened to go through that spam folder, and I don't think I had a reason as to why.  There were so many circumstances that could, even should, have meant that I would not get a chance to get money out of this defective timing chain.  But it looks like I will get that chance after all.