Auto repair facilities are CROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS

[Drew99GT]

I am so [censored] mad right now...

I know there's a couple people here that own garages or are mechanics but I've never in my life found one that isn't just ready to ring every [censored] dime out of someone who won't say no. Immoral, unethical cowards.

MAF sensor goes out on my mom's car; I couldn't get to it today, so my pops and mom take it to pops's beloved mechanic. Now, mind you, the auto trans fluid was changed about a year ago, coolant is fresh, new air filter, battery is about 2 years old and fine, etc. etc. etc.

Now, they're walking out of this rapage facility with a new battery, air induction cleaning service, coolant flush, trans fluid flush, oil change ( I changed it about 2K ago), new air filter, [censored] $200 super duper diagnostic test bla bla [censored] BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Oh, and they installed that MAF sensor.

I'm so [censored] mad my head's about to explode... I am so mad I'm about to go over there and shoot the owner dead.

 

[Drew99GT]

I'm for sure gonna file a BBB report, go have a little chat with them. [censored], I'll stand out on the sidewalk with a big sign that says RAPIST if need be so these crooks stop stealing money from people.

 

[Drew99GT]

I'm not even gonna say what the [censored] bill is, but it's over a grand...

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I am so mad I'm about to go over there and shoot the owner dead.


A crime of passion!

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
MAF sensor goes out on my mom's car; I couldn't get to it today, so my pops and mom take it to pops's beloved mechanic.


I hope you're not mad at them, too.

 

[doitmyself]

In Colorado, garages can do whatever they want without your authorization???? That's strange.

Here, service garages are required to get your permission if they want to do additional work not listed on the service contract.

 

[Drew99GT]

Actually I'm mad as [censored] with my Dad cause he won't freakin refuse this extra bee ess. 3/4 of the stuff they did, I already did it! The air filter in the car was brand new with less than 1k.

I'm tired of this service based economy horse manure; auto repair, insurance, financial services; people are getting taken to the cleaners and not getting one ounce of economic value from most of them, and we as a people keep bending over and taking up the rear.

I won't even go into it about my Dad's good ol stock broker...

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
In Colorado, garages can do whatever they want without your authorization???? That's strange.

Here, service garages are required to get your permission if they want to do additional work not listed on the service contract.


No, they have to get authorization, but they're sure as [censored] scare you into authorizing it if you're a sheep and won't say no, knowing perfectly well the vehicle doesn't need all the extra stuff.

Alright, I'm out, I'm goin to suck down some brewskies and watch Monday night football

 

[doitmyself]

One problem is that our society is so far removed from the things we require to survive.....food gathering, shelter, transportation, etc.. Learning to take care of oneself should be taught in high school and at home. We simply depend on others too much and that makes us vulnerable.

I fixed my daughter's washing machine yesterday for $30 and 3 hours of my time. A service tech. would have charged at least $150.

 

[Merkava_4]

Did they break anything in the process?

That's the main reason why I prefer doing my own work if possible.

 

[Mr Nice]

Go there tomorrow and talk to the owner

 

[Auto-Union]

The problem is not that they want to do usefull and needed work, selling it as-needed, but they do peripheral bull.

 

[SMB]

Take it easy. You have the right to get mad at them, but at least they didn't break anything. Did they?

Is it a franchise or a local shop?

 

[Panzerman]

I hate to wind you up more, but another problem with society is displaced guilt and everything being someone elses fault. Truth is your Mother and Father are grown adults and its their money they are spending. So if they dont pay attention to the maintence you performed already, its their money they are wasteing. Its the garages job to stir up bussiness, with the reliability of modern cars, most garages such as these would go out of bussiness if they didnt rope people, hence the cheap oil change specials to get you in the door, then find a magnitude of other things that must be done. I know a friend that works at a quick lube and said they try to average $70 a car. Most bussinesses make their profit, if not all, out of screwing people, as a consumer, its your obligation to arm yourself and not be taken advantage of. If your parents have not learned this already, in a lifetime, chances are they never will and they should just be prepared to get sheered like sheep, everywhere they go.

 

[newtoncd8]

I also live in Colorado (Aurora not the Springs), but I would sure be curious what the name of the shop is .... just so I can ensure some of my friends that live in the Springs can avoid the place ... if nothing else, will you PM me?

 

[BearZDefect]

Drew99GT, I would be mad in that situation too!

To add some experience of mine on a tangent here, sometimes when I do automotive services for friends for basically free it simply isn't appreciated because they didn't pay a significant bill for it.

For a very trivial example: A friend has a vehicle he uses about once a week. Wiper blades hadn't been changed in years, rubber was peeling off. I offered to change them while I was doing some other auto work; sure please do. I didn't charge him for the new blades. A couple of months later he takes that vehicle somewhere to have those new blades changed because he thought "Hmm, I haven't had these replaced in years." I wondered, "Why did I bother trying to help??" He can't remember little things I do for him, would rather pay someone else to do the same when it crosses HIS mind. There are no bad intentions on his part, but a free service is sometimes a forgotten service.

 

[BearZDefect]

My sister had a "Trusted" private mechanic who similarly ripped her off for years. After seeing multiple bills and results I had to tell her a few times that the guy was doing shoddy work for top dollar. His prices were HIGH, the work he did was POOR. Stop taking vehicles to him! If you're willing to pay the premium price you're better off using the dealer you purchase from, assuming they're not crooks.

 

[Silk]

If someone comes into my shop (actually sold now after 11 years in business) with a problem,and then says - ''The ****,and #### are ok because my son has just changed them''.The first thing I do is check the **** and the ####,because their son is usually some smeg head who hasn't a clue what he is doing.

 

[Drew99GT]

I bet you charge them too.......get a little more labor. That's fine.

I found so much [censored] wrong after these peeps have touched my parents cars (and mind you, this is one of the larger, more highly regarded shops in town). The oil is ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS overfilled even when I tell them not to overfill it, they knocked a plug wire loose on my moms car (and of course charged them to find that out), and then could never in their lives take the time to get the air filters installed correctly in both cars.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Did your parents have a clue what you already did for their car?

As much as the shop is at fault for doing the unneeded work, it is also your parents' for not standing up to them when the shop pulled their stunt with them, that is assuming that they know you already did it.

My dad doesn't know much about car care but know when somebody tries to sell him something that has recently been done he refuses it. And being a cynic sort of help too.

Maybe it's time for you to train your parents a little and teach them some car lingo. At least if they seem car savvy the shop might not bother. Or teach them the phrase "let me think about it" so at least you get a chance to look over what the shop want to do so you can prevent them from being ripped off.