My son had to take his car in because when he tried to change a flat, two of the bolt-type things that the lug nuts go on broke off.
It cost $102, which he paid. On his way home, he noticed the opposite (rear) wheel wobbling. When he stopped to check it, the wheel was loose, the lug nuts were loose, and one was missing. Apparently, when it was in the shop, they either loosened the nuts or took the wheel off, and forgot to tighten them up again.
He went back to talk to them, and the store owner was rude and unhelpful. Basically, he denied that the other wheel was touched, therefore the lugnuts couldn’t be loose, and they would not replace the missing one. However, he could pay them to replace it, to the tune of approximately $100 (90% of which would be in labor fees.)
They also did not issue him a receipt when he paid for the work in the first place. He didn’t realize it at first, but of course, when he returned (within an hour of paying the bill) and talked to the SAME person he paid, he got the “Well, we don’t even know that work was done here anyway” bit.
Now, I believe that if I were the owner, I would be thankful that I wasn’t involved in a lawsuit filed by the mother of a young man whose car accident* was caused by a faulty wheel replacement that occurred in HIS shop, and I’d be out in the lot replacing that lugnut in a heartbeat. But that’s just me.
I think they were rude and blew him off because he’s young and they figured they could get away with it.
Right now, I want: A. a copy of that receipt, which I am positive they have on file; and B. a new lugnut put on the wheel. I think an apology in order as well, but I’m pretty sure that’s out of the question.
Am I being reasonable? What’s it going to take to get this shop owner’s attention? It’s a big shop, too, not just a garage in someone’s back yard, if that matters.
Thanks for input…
Best,
karol
*No, he wasn’t involved in a car accident. I’m just sayin’.
$102 does seem kinda salty to replace two studs, but without knowing more about the vehicle, e.g. what had to be disassembled to effect their replacement, I’m loath to condemn the shop at this point.
It seems like a peculiar coincidence, yet I have to ask why they would touch the opposite wheel. Did your son ask them to check all of the wheels? Even if he did, popping a wheel cover and checking the lug nuts is a less than 2 minute procedure.
$100 for a missing lugnut is crappola. Go buy one yourself at Pep Boys-it should cost no more than $2.
Failing to give him a receipt at first could be an honest mistake, refusing to give it to him upon his return is being a butthead.
Perhaps they simply saw him as an easy mark. Folks who don’t understand cars and the cost of things are regularly hosed by dishonest practitioners.
Good luck.
Save yourself a lot of aggravation. Going into battle against these clowns is going to yield you nothing but tsuris. Go buy a new lugnut at Pep Boys, like danceswithcats suggests, and just never, ever go to that repair place again. And tell everyone you know that they’re unreliable crooks.
Any reputable mechanic would rather eat several small meals to keep you coming back than eat one big meal and never see you again. A big shop isn’t going to care if you come back or not, but when they get a bad reputation and a lot of people stop coming back, that may be a wake-up call. Tell everyone you know about what happened, but be straightforward about it. Don’t make any accusations you can’t back up. Suggest that people avoid the place like the plague.
If you are going to stop patronizing that place, consider sending a letter to the store owner. Describe in detail what happened and how you think you were mistreated. It also couldn’t hurt to ask them for a receipt of the transaction because you did not get one at the time of the service (Which I’m sure that ALL mechanic places are required by law to give). Also mention that you as a consumer would not recommend them to others because of all this and that you will be taking your business to the competition.
Most business owners like to try to improve their businesses. They may very well file your letter into good old file-13, but at least you told them in print what they did wrong and why they are losing your future business.
It can’t hurt to try. My wife has done this many times and on about half of those, she received either a letter or a phone call back from somone wanting to try to make the situation right.
Oh, one more thing…
And unless they do try to make the situation right, don’t ever contact them again after you send the letter.
In addition to the above, file complaints with the local consumer affairs agency and better business bureau. They probably won’t be able to do much for you directly, but if a pattern of complaints about this particular place starts to develop they might take note. Also, if someone looking for a mechanic tries to check out this place they’ll be told “we have complaints on file,” and that potential customer will likely go somewhere else. Also, if it’s a chain or franchise place like Goodyear or NTB, complain to their regional and national offices. Same deal–they might not do much for you personally but if a pattern develops about this place they’ll have to deal with it.
(As an aside, I have had unpleasant dealings with crooked mechanics more than once, but I’ve never met anybody who could keep a straight face while demanding $100 to put on a lug nut. How did you find these guys?)
I guess I’ll settle for sending a calm-but-nasty letter, complaining to the BBB and whoever else I can find, and spreading the word on them.
The guy I spoke to on the phone (when I called to see if the car was done) was fine. I think that once my teenage son showed up with a concern, though, things went to hell because the boss figured he could get away with trying to intimidate him. What a jerk…it wasn’t like my son hadn’t just handed over $100, for heaven’s sake.
Thanks for the input, everyone. I don’t expect I’ll ever hear from them again, but I’ll post if I do.