TexasLandCruiser
SILVER Star
Haha this is so simple and to the point! Love it
TORT: The ONSC Rant Thread
- Thread starter JohnVee
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Modern day garages trying to take advantage of uninformed car people (my daughter) and not performing the serivces requested. This happened at Chapel Hill Tire in Chapel Hill today.
My google review. I put 1 star but would have selected zero stars if available.
I am very disappointed in CH tire. My daughter called and made an appointment and asked the people 3 times to change her oil. When she returned they inspected the vehicle for $15 (not requested or asked for) and charged her $40 to inspect her rear brakes. This came out to $57 plus tax and no oil change. They also supplied a list of $1800 worth of things that needed to be fixed/repaired on a 24 year truck that runs great. The best was to recommend changing out a lower radiator hose clamp for____wait for it___$72 labor. The clamp needs changing however you can unscrew the current clamp and add a new clamp. The hose would not even need to be removed.
My google review. I put 1 star but would have selected zero stars if available.
I am very disappointed in CH tire. My daughter called and made an appointment and asked the people 3 times to change her oil. When she returned they inspected the vehicle for $15 (not requested or asked for) and charged her $40 to inspect her rear brakes. This came out to $57 plus tax and no oil change. They also supplied a list of $1800 worth of things that needed to be fixed/repaired on a 24 year truck that runs great. The best was to recommend changing out a lower radiator hose clamp for____wait for it___$72 labor. The clamp needs changing however you can unscrew the current clamp and add a new clamp. The hose would not even need to be removed.
That is terrible service and completely in line with the way most people seem to do business today. Shameful for sure.
But let's cut to the chase...didn't you teach her how to change her own oil? Who is really to blame here?
I hope she gave them an earful and refused payment for their upcharge and the services she didn't request.
I know right. She did request the brake inspection which ended up being a $40 charge. She did not request an inspection and I need to circle back on that for sure. She found another place recommended by a local and they are doing the brake inspection for free and an oil change. I love how Chapel Hill Tire immediately recommended rotors without a rotor width measurement. I have changed over 40 brake pads and never touched the rotors and never had any issues.That is terrible service and completely in line with the way most people seem to do business today. Shameful for sure.
But let's cut to the chase...didn't you teach her how to change her own oil? Who is really to blame here?
I hope she gave them an earful and refused payment for their upcharge and the services she didn't request.
Son is now in LA after graduating college. Firestone shop (I have gotten all my tires locally in Virginia for the last twenty years) basically belittled him because they had not done any work on the car for the last 30,000 miles. Started out with asking who has been working on this car? How can you let this car get so run down? You need the fogging treatment for carbon build up. Your ignition system needs the full service and parts need replaced immediately. Basically a blinker fluid witch hunt.
He went to the shop on my recommendation so they could check air pressure in the Firestone tires and change the oil because time was more valuable at that moment than changing the oil himself.
I fully serviced the car minus rear brake pads when he left for LA in February of last year. New OEM wires and new spark plugs. The wires are date stamped for goodness sake.
He got an oil change, rear brake service including new pads, and they never checked the tires. It’s a tire shop where I purchased the tires.
Anyone know of an independent mechanic in LA? El Segundo area. He needs someone to check his tires.
He went to the shop on my recommendation so they could check air pressure in the Firestone tires and change the oil because time was more valuable at that moment than changing the oil himself.
I fully serviced the car minus rear brake pads when he left for LA in February of last year. New OEM wires and new spark plugs. The wires are date stamped for goodness sake.
He got an oil change, rear brake service including new pads, and they never checked the tires. It’s a tire shop where I purchased the tires.
Anyone know of an independent mechanic in LA? El Segundo area. He needs someone to check his tires.
This is terrible. I've only heard "good" things about CH tire but I've only had experience there once. Did you find another shop you'd recomend in that area? I have one or two a little further West than Chapel Hole off I-85.
My daughter moved to LA 5 years ago, similarly after school. I had bought her a VW, and got her the extra warranty and service contract. Was an eye watering number but wanted her to have it and gave me peace of mind. She did all the servicing, tires, etc at VW Downtown LA, only paid for tires and everything else was covered, never had a problem. She recently traded it in and bought her first grown up car so she is on her own now.
Anyway, my advice in LA is to find a dealership, not sure what your son drives but what I have heard is that in LA area there is a lot of dodgy car places, but dealerships tend to be the best. Now, my middle son was a tech at a local charlotte VW dealer and would tell you NEVER take your car there, and when he went to Firestone found out they actually do the work they bill you for and are honest, so the opposite of what he found in NC is what our experience has been in LA.
why didn't they change the oil?
"i'm here for an oil change" is pretty straight forward and thats all that should have been dictated to the tech.
Did the service writer add the extra stuff or did the tech just do it unprovoked?
and what is a generic inspection?
"i'm here for an oil change" is pretty straight forward and thats all that should have been dictated to the tech.
Did the service writer add the extra stuff or did the tech just do it unprovoked?
and what is a generic inspection?
My wife has had a similar experience every time she's gone in to a shop on her own. Any shop. Sexist predatory pigs, all of em.
She won't go to shops anymore as a result. Either I take her car for her, or I do the work myself.
I can't blame you. I'd say it's more common for women for sure as it's happened to several women in my family too. Not exclusive though as I've seen ignorant skinny jean hipsters getting taken for a ride. At least once it's likely due to condescension from the hipster. But I'm a simple man and can only call it like I see it.
Heather ran a used car lot for many years, buy repair sell and came away with a very well rounded automotive knowledge. She handles all her own maintenance on her van and truck (not hands on). Her diesel guy was surprised at how much she knew about her truck.
In regard to the "tech" inspecting other things, they generally get a percentage of any work they write while working on the vehicle. Failure to do the work you already have is an interesting business plan, cant see it lasting long
In regard to the "tech" inspecting other things, they generally get a percentage of any work they write while working on the vehicle. Failure to do the work you already have is an interesting business plan, cant see it lasting long
I am still confused on the oil change that did not happen and the not requested inspection that did happen. I understand the laundry list of other items. The best is still the proposed $72 charge to change a hose clamp. The other proposed charges looked pretty close. They were salivating at the leaky head gaskets on the 4.7. Her 24 year old 100 has been leaking at the head gaskets for over 10 years now. Never an issue.
Let me guess Firestone in Manhattan Beach. Glad to see they haven't changed. Guys had all kinds of repairs I needed when I took my camaro in for a tire patch coming back from from an early morning beach session.
Is this a cruiser we are talking about? I know a girl that used Joe's in El Segundo for oil changes and tune ups, not sure if they do tires or not. When you say tires checked do you just mean check the depth or get patches done?
Now I miss the Beach again damn it.
@lt1fire its our 2003 camry 5 speed.
Firestone tires have road hazard. One lost a little air. Son has no tools currently.
Firestone tires have road hazard. One lost a little air. Son has no tools currently.
Different shop. If it has Firestone roadhazzard though tell him to go in and give them a slap if they give him any lip.
This Is why I stand by my new tactic of kidnapping an employee…everyone stfu real quick.
If I learned anything from Dwight Schrute, it’s that you must assert dominance immediately.
100% truth
I had good experiences with CH Tire until about 2 months ago. Went in to have them plug and patch a tire on the Tundra that had a nail in the tread and they tried to tell me I didn't have enough tread depth left to patch/plug, so they were going to price a set of tires for me. Um, nope. I probably do need to replace the tires in a couple months, but I don't buy a set of tires without shopping around and I definitely don't buy a set of tires when all I really needed at the time was a patch/plug.
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Semi rant: Such a thoughtful gift. This is literally like 2 years worth of cookies in our house, as the giver knows well (and they also know my hatred of wasting food). It's 3.53lbs. On the off chance that the sender was trying to covertly suggest that we need to entertain more, I hearby cancel their future invitations for 5 years. But, hey...that's a lot of cookies for $15, and isn't that really the reason for the season?
