AA Auto Technicians, Inc.

We will be happy to discuss this complaint in person and request a mediation. Sincerely, Lauren AA Auto Technicians, Inc

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/01) */
We never said we had plenty of time to fix the oil leak. We made it clear we would have to look at the vehicle first and if parts were available we would get it done as quickly as we could. The part we needed to fix the vehicle had been...

discontinued by the manufacturer due to the age of the vehicle. It did take us a while to determine if and how we would be able to properly fix the oil leak without an actual part. We will admit there was a breakdown in communicating the situation to the customer in a timely manner. Also, when he did call and speak to the lead mechanic, the mechanic was out of line and spoke harshly with the customer. There were extenuating circumstances that already had him in a fowl mood when he spoke to the customer. I tried to explain and did apologize to the customer on the mechanics behalf when he came in the shop to pick up his vehicle that night. I told him if he would leave it with us one more night I would make sure it was fixed right away in the morning and call him promptly. The customer was still unhappy with his phone call but agreed to do so. The mechanic did feel bad and stayed late that evening to repair the vehicle and was able to wrap it up in the morning. I immediately called the customer and let him know the vehicle was ready. We had spent several hours, inspecting the vehicle, searching for parts and repairing the vehicle. I only charged him for the 2 hours labor time that we actually spent repairing the vehicle and we covered the cost of the materials we used. The mechanic was reprimanded for his conduct. We try very hard at our shop to please everyone that comes through our door and feel badly that we did not succeed with this customer. I feel we tried to remedy the situation as best we could and feel the discounted rate he was charged should be adequate.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/29) */
The first time the vehicle was brought into the shop we did a diagnostic test on the vehicle and a visual inspection. We found the valve cover gaskets were leaking and the engine mount was broken. Also, the customer stated the vehicle runs...

very rough and lacked power. We found the Air Hose from the Turbo to the Air Box was cracked beyond repair. After informing the customer of the issues we found with the vehicle, he stated he would like to have the vehicle repaired, but would like to provide his own parts. We allowed him to do so in order to help him save money. We did have to order the air hose from the dealer and pay to have it shipped. Once the repairs were completed we called the customer and we did have an invoice prepared, however, the employee who handled the pickup did not give it to the customer. All the costs were relayed to the customer prior to the repair and his approval was obtained before we began the work. When he called about the actual paper copy, we informed him the invoice was here and we apologized for not giving it to him when he picked the vehicle up. Now please be advised this vehicle is a 1991 and had several issues which we did explain to the customer, but we chose to address the most critical issues first and instructed him to drive the vehicle for a few days to see if the other issues would resolve themselves. With the severe oil leak repaired, we were hoping the spark plugs would clean up and the vehicle would begin to run better. Unfortunately, that did not happen and additional repairs are needed to make the vehicle run properly. We asked him to bring it back when he was able. After getting the vehicle back to our shop, we will admit that we did not get the vehicle back in for inspection for several weeks. We honestly did not try to deceive the customer when he called to inquire on his vehicle's status. We really did hope to get it in the next day. I do admit that we were not the best at being proactive to inform the customer we were running behind and had not been able to look at his vehicle. Now that we were able to finally get his vehicle back into the shop, we had to once again connect the scan tool to his vehicle to read what codes remained. The only code that remained indicates the vehicle should have the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor changed. A tune-up. We called the customer back, informed him of our diagnosis and provided an estimate. He decided he did not want us to do any additional repairs as he was upset we had the car for weeks and he could do the repair work himself with spare parts from another vehicle he had at his home. I then informed him I would have to charge him the $47.50 for diagnosis and he could pick his vehicle up. He was unhappy with the charge and I transferred him to the other owner to discuss the situation. Things did get heated on the phone and while I did not hear the entire conversation, I am sure it was not conducted in the most professional manner. We are a very busy shop and it is frustrating for us to do the troubleshooting and diagnosis and then have the customer state they are going to do the repairs themselves. Therefore, we are trying to enforce our policy of charging for diagnosis time if the customer chooses not to have the work completed at the time of diagnosis. Afterwards, the customer did call back and I apologized for the heated phone call and he informed me he would have his stepfather pick the vehicle up today. I assured him even if that wasn't possible we were not going to have it towed and it could stay here until he was able to retrieve it. I will be happy to give him the $25.00 he is requesting for gas reimbursement. However, I do not feel I have to refund him for the diagnosis time we spent on the vehicle. We did provide a diagnosis and charged him accordingly.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
In your statement, you lied multiple times. This is exactly what I had issues with when I was on the phone. For the sake of this argument, I will outline where the inaccuracies were made.
"we did a diagnostic test on the vehicle and a visual inspection."
So why was I charged for another diagnostic? You did not run the car for codes before fixing the initial issues? That should be the first step to a diagnostic am I correct?
"We found the valve cover gaskets were leaking and the engine mount was broken."
I brought those parts in with me, and instructed your shop to fix them because I already knew they were both broken. I have those receipts from before I brought the car in for proof of this.
Also, you performed a visual diagnostics and you didn't even know its a non turbo car? There is no turbo on the car. Its N/A.
"Air Hose from the Turbo to the Air Box"
I would also like you to mention all of the times I talked with you about "Calling me before you spend any more money on it".
Bringing my statement to its point. A full "Diagnostic" was never performed on my vehicle the first time it was brought in. Therefore, you had NO idea what was going on with it when you sent me off. You had only fixed the things that I told you were wrong with it. They had not even checked it for codes when they let me leave the parking lot with the vehicle. Yesterday morning, I called in and she said "Hold on a second, he is checking the codes now".
This should be sufficient evidence to prove you did not ever do a diagnostic when I brought the vehicle in the first time. And they still didn't look it over enough to know if it is a turbo or non turbo car. So really, there wasn't a full diagnosis done the second time either when they wrongfully charged me for a diagnostic.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2015/07/01) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
I accept this response because the business decided to apologize, and stated that they would refund me.
I would also like to mention that the manager Leslie needs a reality check on how he treats customers over the phone. That was unprofessional, and very rude. If he would like to contact me back, my phone number is [redacted].
My mailing address is
[redacted]
Hastings, MN 55033
Thank you for making things right.
[redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/07/01) */
We have already explained the repairs he needed the first time the car was brought into the shop. The customer was on a limited budget so we only did the most urgent repairs first. I will refund him the $50.00 for the diagnostic fee and the $25.00 for the gas. We are a reputable shop. And we try very hard to help our customers save money when we can. We regret that we did not give him the service he desired in a timely manner. I do not know of any shop that tries as hard as we do and does not charge for their time accordingly. We apologize again for not taking care of this customer the way we usually do. If would like to stop by or provide his mailing address I will refund him immediately.