Really GM??? *shakes head*

A little back story.  A couple years ago my trustworthy van died.  I replaced it with another van.  New van came with an aftermarket Sony stereo.  I like most Sony products, but not their car audio equipment.  After putting up with this unit for a couple years, the time came that I put my old Pioneer deck in place of the Sony. 

My intentions were to sell the Sony at a garage sale, and install the higher quality Pioneer deck that would function properly.

After removing the Sony I learned that the previous owner who may have considered himself to be an electrician, was most certainly not.  What a hack job.  Rather than spend a few buck (no more than $20) to buy the proper wiring harness to install a Sony head unit into a Chevrolet van, he cut everything.  To save a couple bucks he made a lot of work for himself, and now even more work for me.

So my decision was to order a new OEM harness (plug) from GM and install it in my van, so that I could install my Pioneer deck.  This would also allow me to easily swap out the old Pioneer for something newer should I decide to do so.

Upon searching the internet, I find that there's a few different versions of this OEM harness.  I could take a shot in the dark and hope that I get the right one, or I could call the local GM dealer and order the part as long as the price was reasonable (normally this dealer is exceptionally highly priced).

I called the dealer to get a price and potentially order the harness.

Dealer: Tom Smith's how may I help you?

Me: Parts department please

Dealer: One moment please *on hold with advertisements playing*

Parts Department: Parts Department, this is Laurie speaking, how may I help you?

Me: Laurie, how are you today?

Laurie: I'm good, and yourself?

Me: I'm good, I'm calling because I'm looking for a rather obscure part.

Laurie: Uh huh....

Me: I need a wiring harness for a stereo for a 1993 Chevrolet Astro.

Laurie: I can't get that for you.

Me: Why not?  I know they're still available, I've seen them online.

Laurie: It's stereo related.  All stereo equipment is contracted to a different company.  We're not even able to look it up.

Me: But it has a GM part number.

Laurie: That doesn't matter, under the contract we're not allowed to look it up because it's part of the stereo.

Me: But it's not part of the stereo, it's part of the vehicle's wiring.

Laurie: It's has to do with the stereo,  I can't help you.

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So let me get this straight here.  I cannot buy a part for my General Motors vehicle from a General Motors dealer?  What kind of a world do we live in?  I've never heard of something so ludicrous.

I guess I will just head to the scrap yard and salvage a harness from a van that would love to feel useful one last time before being melted down.