Al's Shell

Review: On April 30, 2013 I took my vehicle to this business for its annual safety inspection. The business advertises that its inspection services open at 8am Monday through Saturday. This is posted on signs around the gas station and shop area. I arrived a short time before 8am in the hopes of being the first in line, which I was. At around 810am I went inside the gas station and asked the cashier when he expected the inspector. He told me that the inspector was "stuck in traffic on the beltway" and would be another 10 minutes. I went back to my vehicle to continue to wait. The inspector, however, did not arrive until after 835am.

The inspection revealed a few issues with my vehicle (which I do not dispute or challenge), so I had to return within two weeks after the requisite repairs had been made. The repairs having been completed off-premise by May 6, I took my vehicle back to this business for its follow up and certification on Tuesday May 7, 2013.

I again arrived just before 8am in the hopes of being in and out quickly and on my way to work (commuting into DC makes the time between 8 and 815 the only really feasible time for me to transact this type of business). Around 810am, the cashier from inside the gas station comes to my vehicle and alerts me that this time the inspector "had a flat tire on the highway" and didn't know how long it would take to make it in. Unable to wait an indeterminate amount of time I left.

The following morning, May 8, 2013 I tried again to finish the inspection on my vehicle. Ever the optimist, I arrived at the inspection station around 750am. By 810 the inspector had not arrived so I went in to speak to the cashier, who was the same employee I had spoken to each of the previous visits. Visibly frustrated, I asked the cashier where the inspector was. The cashier told me that the inspector was the owner and that there was nothing the cashier could do. He did however call the inspector /owner (presumably) in my presense, who told him that he would be there in 10 minutes without explanation or apology.

I returned to my vehicle to continue waiting. At 835, and the inspector / owner still not having arrived, I returned to speak with the cashier. I alerted him to the fact that it had been over 20 minutes now, rather than the 10 minutes he told me, and my experience with this business was rapidly growing cold. As he continued to assure me that he could do nothing for me, he pointed out that the inspector / owner was just now pulling in.

I returned to my vehicle to await the inspector / owner. I looked at his car (which the cashier recognized from a distance as being his, telling me that this was the car the owner drove regularly) out of curiousity to see whether one or more of his tires seemed to be newly replaced. Of course, they did not appear to be (I understand that this is not conclusive that he lied about the previous day's flat tire, but confirmed at least in part my suspcioons). After perhaps another 5 minutes of basic opening procedures (opening the bay door, turning on the service computers, etc.) the inspector / owner came over to me. He asked me how I was doing. I replied "I'm feeling impatient having to wait for you three days in a row." He did not respond but instead got into my vehicle. I continued "I had to wait for you for the past three days I have been here." He ignored that comment too. Then I asked him what had happened yesterday, the day of the alleged flat tire. He ignored that and drove my truck into the bay for inspection.

After he had inspected the two items that needed attention, he gave me my inspection sticker and receipt. I had decided as I waited that I would ask him for a refund of my original inspection fee (which if I recall was $16). Certainly fair from compensating me for my lost time (over an hour waiting and 20 minutes of time spent driving and waiting on the day I had to leave before he showed up), frustration, and lost faith in his business, I felt this would at least be a decent gesture. Instead, I was greeted with "that will be $1." So instead of offering a single apology or in-person explanation or compensation for my visible frustration and loss of time, I was invited to pay the dollar re-inspection fee as if nothing had gone wrong.

To be fair, he was completely entitled to the new fee. But it is telling of his utter disregard for his clientelle, their time, and above all his advertised business hours upon which the public relies that he could not be bothered to explain why his late arrival three days in a row much to a customer's frustration should be explained or apologized for.Desired Settlement: It is evident to me from my experience with this business that there is no reliable or consistent business hours beginning at 8am. Of the only three days I went there to be serviced at 8am, the shop did not open until well after 835am. The complete lack of explanation or apology cements the fact that this is the modus operandi of this business owner; not that he simply had a couple late morning which I just happened to witness.

Accordingly, this business should at the very least be mandated to adjust its advertised service hours to better reflect reality. This way consumers can make an informed decision as to when to arrive or whether to even patronize its services at all.

In my frustration, of course, I would like to see some form of punitive action taken or at the very least that this business's utter disregard for its actual paying customers and the public at large be made publically available to future consumers or similalar customers.

Business

Response:

HI MY NAME IS [redacted].SAFETY INSPECTOR AT AL.S SHELL.

I AM DOING CAR INSPECTION IN THIS LOCATION OVER 35 YEARS.IF ON MY WAY TO WORK MY CAR GOT FLAT &GOT 15 MINUTES LATE TO MY JOB I AM SORRY ABOUT INCONVENIENT FOR MY CLIENTS AND I DONT LIKE TO LIE . WITH REGARD FROM [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because it reflects no effort on the part of the business owner to resolve the issue. Further, it does not even begin to respond to my experience of the inspector's being late 3 out of 3 times I tried to get my car inspected. It also completely denies my factual statement that he was at least 30 minutes late on 3 of the 3 days I happened to be at his station as well as the number of times it occured to me. This is obviously not a trustworthy or believable businessman.

There is no apology for my experience because he cannot apolgize for his modus operandi. If he truly had a one-off flat tire on one day, one would expect him to apologize to me in person on any of the days I was physically present. He chose not to apologize then, and he chooses not to apologize now. This is because he comes late to his location every day. A reasonable and responsible business owner would arrive at his station well before the time he advertises as being open to the public. This owner makes no such effort, thus every little hitch in traffic, weather, etc. causes him to open late, at the expense of his customers.

The only reasonable solution to this matter is to ensure that the State Police who oversee all Virginia State Inspection locations mandate a change in his advertised operating hours. Clearly, this owner will not take any remedial or compensatory actions of his own volition.

Review: My driver side headlight went out so I stopped by this shop as it advertises that it is a [redacted] repair shop. They told me they could repair. They called me several days later telling me I need new rotars, brake pads, & tie rod assys. I had my brakes pads replaced 3 yrs ago so I thought that was reasonable and told them to go ahead. After I picked up my car, I went out of town on business for 10 days, I drove it for about a month and then one day drove in the rain and the danger alarm for my headlights started blinking on my dashboard, which has never happened before, so I went right home. I found that the driver side head lamp was full of condensation, which is why the alarm went off. I took the car back to Al's and he said he would have to replace the "seal around my front head lamps" for about $900. I told him I was going to the [redacted] dealership around the corner for a 2nd opinion. The techs there initially thought the new bulb was not screwed in all the way & if they tightened it would be fine but they couldn't do it until they had the car up on the hoist. Since I had the vehicle in the shop, I went ahead and had routine maintenance as well. While in the waiting room, the service advisor found me to say that the issue was not a loose bulb, that in fact, the clips holding the bulb housing in place so no moisture gets in, had been broken off. I had to pay for another Xenon bulb kit. After the dealer replaced the headlight, I never had another problem with condensation. So the so called seal had nothing to do with the problem. I contacted Al to tell him he put a defective bulb kit in my vehicle and I wanted to be reimbursed. He refused to listen only saying that they didn't touch the head lamp. He had no clue about the clips so I didn't pursue further. The [redacted] service advisor diagnosed the problem as broken clip on bulb housing. That is printed out on my invoice as well. They also gave me the old one back for proof. Al also charged me for a front end alignment, which I did not authorize nor requested. Also, my odometer in was 76,214 and out was 76,222 - I have never had the dealership use more than 4 miles to test. This is indicative of the unethical dealing at this shop. I disputed the charge on my credit card but was unsuccessful because I guess they didn't want to pursue.Desired Settlement: Total $484.80, breakdown as follows:

Xenon head light: 244.36

shop supplies 50%: 10.00

front alignment: 119.00

labor for headlight: 84.00

tax: 27.44

TOTAL: 484.80

Business

Response:

HI THIS IS MR AL [redacted] FROM AL,S AL,SHELL

I DENIED [redacted] COMPLAINT REGARDING THE ALIGNMENT&HEAD LIGHT REPLACEMENT

ACORDING TO LEGAL CONTRACT SHE SIGNED PRIOR TO REPAIR SHE WAS AGREED WITH ALL THE ITEMS IS WRITTEN IN HER INVOICE.

AS FAR AS REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTED HEAD LIGHT BULB.IF WE DIDNT INSTALLED THE BULB PROPERLY IT WE NEVER STAY IN PLACE TO BEGIN WITH,MOISTUR ISSUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BURNED HEAD LIGHT BULB.

WITH REGARD FROM AL [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

The [redacted] service dept saw the faulty bulb housing installed by Al's Shell, the clips that hold the bulb tight in place were MISSING. The [redacted] Service tech describe on the invoice what was wrong AND they gave me the faulty bulb kit back in case Als Shell denied it.

So I have the faulty kit that Shell installed in my car. He can settle here with Revdex.com or I'll have to file a suit against him in small claims court and let the judge decide.

Al's Shell has the responsibility to install correctly since that's what I'm paying for.

I should also claim for the Channel sunglass case that was also missing from my vehicle after picking up from Als'.

Regards,

Business

Response:

WE GUARRANTEED OUR JOB FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12000 MILES WRITTEN ON THE BOTTOM OF CONTRACT SHE SIGNED. IF ANY THING WRONG WITH YOUR REPAIR .CUSTOMER HAS 1 YEAR TIME TO BRING HER CAR BACK HERE TO BE REPAIR WITH NO CHARGE.NOT TO TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BE FIX&BLAME ON US.AND SHE CAN NOT ACCUSE US IF SMOETHING IS MISSING IN HERE CAR(THIS IS SOMETHING NEW SHE ADDED TO HER PREVIOUS COMPLAINT) ,THAT IS NOT FAIR AND THAT IS NOT NICE AND THAT IS NOT THRUTH. WITH REGARD FROM AL [redacted].