Oil Change Shop Fraud: Conventional instead of Syn

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Rand
I used my free oil change on the new cherokee. I paid $10 for the mopar filter vs the jobber one..
and they put the jobber one on. I saw it from the bottom of the hood.

They also used a drill on the airbox screws with 2500miles on the car.

Boogered them up fierce.

The oil splatter all over the engine bay was nice too.
never again.. even for free.

They DID use a torque wrench on the vehicle they were rotating tires on though at least.

And it actually was moving not just the click test where its overtightened and they just use the torque wrench to see if its tight..(but you cant tell how tight because it didnt move)


Who is they??

 

[901Memphis]

It's funny how shops charge so much for synthetic and even the reporter said it's 3-4 times as expensive I think, but the cost isn't as significant if they buy the jugs like they had, they didn't even have the single quart excuse like some shops do.

Either way they are making a lot of money charging $95 for a $10 oil change

 

[aquariuscsm]

Hopefully that pos had to close his business.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Who is they??


The dealership owned oil change place and car wash that the dealer built across the street after they got the adult videos shack taken down(lol)

Car wash with 3 lanes for oil changes and 2 bays for maintenance (rotations etc)

Car came with 3 years of oil changes.

I bought the car at fred martin
the oil change was at
http://www.speedywashandlube.com/

They did remove the filter and put the mopar one on. I couldnt get their attention so I honked the horn while 3 of em had their heads under the hood.. that got their attention.

Excuse me, Excuse me, Guys..... *horn noise*

It worked caught them before they even put the lid on the filter.

They have cameras so you can watch them under your car.

As far as jiffy lube type places go I'm sure its better than most.

 

[Why]

I know for a fact this happens quite often via a cousin who is a mechanic. (He doesn't own the shop and it's not a chain-type oil change place so don't hate). He told me the dispensing nozzle is labeled as synthetic, but is connected (out of view to anyone) to a conventional bulk oil drum. Occasionally it is actually connected to the synthetic drum so the supplier doesn't get suspicious.

I love supporting small business, but if I were to ever pay someone to change my oil, it would be somewhere that is company-owned and not a franchisee.

 

[wemay]

This makes the it all the more difficult for the hard working, honest joe to make it. Shame...

 

[cmhj]

I avoid these places at ALL costs

 

[HouseTiger]

My local Goodyear dealer has been doing my oil changes for 15 years -

My truck gets Rotella T6 and a Napa Gold filter
Wife's car gets Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Plus and Napa Gold filter

I watch 'em put my filters on, and fill the oil from my containers. Also check caps when you buy the oil to make sure they haven't been tampered with (which has happened in our locale)

 

[Nickdfresh]

As someone that worked in that industry so long ago (I was young, I needed the money!!

), that's pretty sickening. I recall the sheer joy of getting out bottles of synthetic oil and pouring it in! And we had a following of various luxury and performance make owners because they knew we did it right...

 

[oil_film_movies]

I'd go down and have a "Full Synthetic" oil change done, send it in to Blackstone to compare with a VOA of the full synthetic, except I'm too cheap to do all that. Would be nice to catch them. Maybe there is a way to get more audits and checks at random times.

 

[bbhero]

That is really good to hear Nickdfresh. Good to hear there are good guys out there still.

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
That is really good to hear Nickdfresh. Good to hear there are good guys out there still.

Yes, good work Nickdfresh

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
Firestone always did a decent job on our oil changes when I lived in an apartment. At the time they had Kendall Semi Synthetic.


This, find a place where you are happy with the bulk fill. My local shop uses Valvoline DuraBlend semi-synthetic as their bulk oil, so that is what I ordered.

Doing my own changes right now, but sometimes I've used them and never had a problem.

 

[Samrsnow]

I can't stand quick lube places. Quick doesn't mean it was done right and there isn't a mess under the hood even after being charged over 100 bucks. My own mother went to a jiffy lube, I told her to just ask for a basic oil change with pennzoil platinum, filter and nothing more. She did exactly as I told but The jiffy tech didn't listen and wanted to replace every dang filter on the car. Last time I did the oil on her van it was probably under $50 DIY. I freaked when I saw the receipt from jiffy.

The full service station I work for only uses individual quarts (mostly Chevron and Mobil 1) and CQ filters so no funny business here. It's so easy for places to get over on unsuspecting people. I'd be all up in their space making sure I'm not getting screwed out of a buck. Then again you wouldn't catch me dead in a quick lube with my old BMW.

 

[jongies3]

I work in an oil shop but we don't do this. It doesn't necessarily surprise me though that it happens in other places.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Most lube shops are honest of course. Walmart and PepBoys have less incentive to swap bad oils in since the employees are so far removed from the owners who see profits. I hate to say it, but small locally-owned shops are more suspect since the owner hangs around the shop.

Royal Purple: Purple dye means they can't cheat you on this one. Clean and purple means they did it.
Castrol Edge Professional OE: Ultraviolet dye in that one verifies it. http://lubeudo.com/p-655-castrol-edge-professional-oe-oil.aspx

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

He doesn't know a thing about i,t which is right on. Should be locked up for fraud but won't be prosecuted because he is a bottom feeder when it comes to fraud.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: SR5
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Firestone always did a decent job on our oil changes when I lived in an apartment. At the time they had Kendall Semi Synthetic.


This, find a place where you are happy with the bulk fill. My local shop uses Valvoline DuraBlend semi-synthetic as their bulk oil, so that is what I ordered.

Doing my own changes right now, but sometimes I've used them and never had a problem.


This^

 

[Nickdfresh]

I just wanna say I appreciate the accolades and 'attaboys here and say thanks. But to paraphrase Chris Rock, you don't get an award for doing what you're supposed to do! I can't imagine being a d-bag conman selling base no-name conventional as a synthetic...

It was long time ago, but I once had an old lady that told me to change her air filter without even looking at it just after she pulled into the bay. I said I'd "check it first and would change if needed."

The thing was clean as a [censored] whistle! She said she normally went to (the thankfully now defunct) Mr. Oil Change and they told her to change her air filter every 3,000 miles. I told her they were shatbags and that that wasn't true and most filters should last at least a year or 15K in normal use. She ended up tipping me and I tried to refuse it, but would have offended her if I didn't take it...

Mr. Oil Change was later closed down by both Castrol and the NYS Attorney General's office for using the Castrol logo (after they pulled their oil) while selling the local motor oil, though it was formulated to the then standard of either SH or SJ...

 

[yvon_la]

They are authorized to call class 3 oil synthetic .only way to be sure is to stick to class 4 oil