Sometimes as a distributor, I see other competitors that do things that are just plain wrong. Normally, i can keep quiet. After hearing customers complain about what another distributor has been doing to them, I decided it was time to at least make DOM's aware of a special situation. There is a very large aircraft parts distributor who has been overhauling Cleveland King Air High Float brakes in their own shop (Part Number 30-162), instead of Cleveland's own repair station. While this practice would be normally fine, they have been engaged in a bait and switch technique that has bitten a least six or seven maintenance shops that I know of. What they are doing, is quoting an overhaul exchange price that is roughly $800 less than a factory overhaul. Then 2-3 months later, the customer receives a bill ( almost in every case) for $1,000 to 1,250 per each returned brake core. What they are doing, in reality, is billing you back on the brake housing. This housing is very expensive, and is routinely replaced due to corrosion. We have chosen to send all of the Cleveland 30-162 brakes through Cleveland, because of their flat rate exchange policy. Cleveland is aware that the corrosion may occur, particularly on old brakes, so they have made sure to address this during overhaul.
