Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2017/06/29) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]
Contact Phone: [redacted]
May I start with that she spelled my name wrong, it is [redacted], I am the business owner. I am only replying to this complaint purely because it is a lie and is...
offensive. Many people in our community has come to us as a business they trust, who they know is a family ran small business of which has been in our family for 50+ years. Anyone would know that what we charge is not as much as a bigger shop, and knows we are much more personal with our customers. May I note that the complainant is known to another local mechanic shop giving them the same problems.
This started April 26, 2017 with her reaching out to us with problems with her van. She came to us with a noise in her front wheels and ABS light on. We scanned the vehicle to find out the ABS sensor in the left front wheel was giving the notification. We replaced the wheeling bearing as it was very loose. Charge for that was [redacted]$ including parts, labor and tax. She had later called [redacted] at the shop to complain of the shake, we told them to check the wheel studs and never heard from them again for another month. She later stopped in (a month later) telling [redacted] to check van for A/C and said the van seems to "jerk" and no power at times shaking. She also said she would bring the car in later for A/C work. She then later dropped the van off with check engine light on, engine running rough and shakes. We scanned to see the problem at which it showed us misfire codes. At that point we replaced the plugs & wires. The plugs were rusted in and one had broke off, it then took a torch heat and a "easy out tool" to get it out. We took it for a test drive at which it ran smooth. Other work done was the air filter which was completely dirty, we then cleared codes and took it for another test drive which the van was running much better but the check engine light came back on again. We scanned and it notified us that the O2 sensor up stream was bad, at this point we changed it. We did not ask to change the sensor as it was only [redacted]$ and would only create more of a problem later on. We charged up the A/C (which she asked us to)because it was not turning on.
We told her that the oil was down on the stick below the recommended line to be running the van, and the filter had rust which indicated it was not done for a while; she had told me to go ahead and change the oil. After all this the van works great and she had no complaints. She had came in later that next week to tell [redacted] (my son and red seal mechanic) that the A/C is working great and never been so cold, and seemed quite pleased.
She then dropped off her car for A/C work, we checked the pressure which showed low and the pump was not working; we charged the A/C up. The clutch was not working and that you had to tap it to engage. We then took the clutch apart to see it all rusted, we cleaned it up and it had seemed to work okay. We charged them [redacted]$ for A/C charge and the clutch repair. They then picked it up on the Saturday and they paid my son the [redacted]$.
A week or so later she called AFTER HOURS, saying A/C not working in car and van is shaking(which is what we heard in the community she would keep saying to the other local shop). She stated she did not want to spend any money, she asked more questions about the shake, said it took about an hour for it to happen. She was also very angry about the O2 sensor, I tried to explain to her that the O2 sensor needed changed for the engine to run smoothly and run properly. She stated very angrily "It does not need it" she would not take the information from me a mechanic of 45+ years. At that time she demanded all her money back. I then told her I would return her money all I had to do was remove ALL the new parts in which the van would have to be towed out of the yard, as it would not run without them.
She dropped the car off we looked at it and the clutch burnt out of the A/C compressor. We told them it is about [redacted]$ to replace the clutch and pump. They did not want to spend that so I told them I will give them [redacted]$ back, at which I did not have to because we did perform work. She came in to pick the car up wanting me to repair this "shake". I said fine, I will check it out free of charge but will not pay for the parts out of my pocket, she started to get very angry. My son ([redacted]) in the back of the shop yells out and says "hey lady we've been doing this for years and have not had this happen with others". She then becomes even more angry and tries to argue with us, says she will be going to the Revdex.com. She gets in her van and calls her father to come get the car.
I walk to the van, knock on the window she ignores me as she is still on the phone, I open the van door and pass her a [redacted]$ bill which she took in HER HAND. I tell her to have a nice day. Her father then pulled in and came into the garage and I explained what happened. He is very nice and polite, talks normal to me. I tell him I hate to see her leave unhappy and he said well I guess we will have to go to ``another mechanic of 40 years``. That was the last we heard from her until we receive the letter in the mail. As far as we are concerned the matter is closed.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2017/07/01) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Information in this response is not accurate nor honest. Some of this information has truth in it as I have also described previously about the issues with the van and car however, I am very surprised at some of the statements that have been made by this business and dishonesty they are showing. I am unsure where the statement about another local mechanic shop giving us the same problems is coming from as we have been bringing our vehicles to this business for over a year shortly after we moved here from a location that is hours away and have and no issues up until this point with [redacted] garage or any other mechanic in the area. The information about previously bringing my van in and then having issues is accurate and I called multiple times in regards to the shaking which I was told to tighten the wheel nuts and check the balancing which I was told to bring to another location to check. These did not fix the problem so I called as soon as I had them checked at another location as suggested. The amounts and reasons for the things fixed on the van were clearly not required and the issue was fixed by another mechanic who quickly identified the issue of the breaks and rotors. The statements made especially about handing the $[redacted] in my hand and telling me to have a nice day is very unsettling knowing that this business would make statements completely untrue in an attempt to cover this situation. I can tell by the owners recount of the situation that this issue will not be fairly or honestly resolved and hope that future clients do not have similar issues.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2017/06/29) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]
Contact Phone: [redacted]
May I start with that she spelled my name wrong, it is [redacted], I am the business owner. I am only replying to this complaint purely because it is a lie and is...
offensive. Many people in our community has come to us as a business they trust, who they know is a family ran small business of which has been in our family for 50+ years. Anyone would know that what we charge is not as much as a bigger shop, and knows we are much more personal with our customers. May I note that the complainant is known to another local mechanic shop giving them the same problems.
This started April 26, 2017 with her reaching out to us with problems with her van. She came to us with a noise in her front wheels and ABS light on. We scanned the vehicle to find out the ABS sensor in the left front wheel was giving the notification. We replaced the wheeling bearing as it was very loose. Charge for that was [redacted]$ including parts, labor and tax. She had later called [redacted] at the shop to complain of the shake, we told them to check the wheel studs and never heard from them again for another month. She later stopped in (a month later) telling [redacted] to check van for A/C and said the van seems to "jerk" and no power at times shaking. She also said she would bring the car in later for A/C work. She then later dropped the van off with check engine light on, engine running rough and shakes. We scanned to see the problem at which it showed us misfire codes. At that point we replaced the plugs & wires. The plugs were rusted in and one had broke off, it then took a torch heat and a "easy out tool" to get it out. We took it for a test drive at which it ran smooth. Other work done was the air filter which was completely dirty, we then cleared codes and took it for another test drive which the van was running much better but the check engine light came back on again. We scanned and it notified us that the O2 sensor up stream was bad, at this point we changed it. We did not ask to change the sensor as it was only [redacted]$ and would only create more of a problem later on. We charged up the A/C (which she asked us to)because it was not turning on.
We told her that the oil was down on the stick below the recommended line to be running the van, and the filter had rust which indicated it was not done for a while; she had told me to go ahead and change the oil. After all this the van works great and she had no complaints. She had came in later that next week to tell [redacted] (my son and red seal mechanic) that the A/C is working great and never been so cold, and seemed quite pleased.
She then dropped off her car for A/C work, we checked the pressure which showed low and the pump was not working; we charged the A/C up. The clutch was not working and that you had to tap it to engage. We then took the clutch apart to see it all rusted, we cleaned it up and it had seemed to work okay. We charged them [redacted]$ for A/C charge and the clutch repair. They then picked it up on the Saturday and they paid my son the [redacted]$.
A week or so later she called AFTER HOURS, saying A/C not working in car and van is shaking(which is what we heard in the community she would keep saying to the other local shop). She stated she did not want to spend any money, she asked more questions about the shake, said it took about an hour for it to happen. She was also very angry about the O2 sensor, I tried to explain to her that the O2 sensor needed changed for the engine to run smoothly and run properly. She stated very angrily "It does not need it" she would not take the information from me a mechanic of 45+ years. At that time she demanded all her money back. I then told her I would return her money all I had to do was remove ALL the new parts in which the van would have to be towed out of the yard, as it would not run without them.
She dropped the car off we looked at it and the clutch burnt out of the A/C compressor. We told them it is about [redacted]$ to replace the clutch and pump. They did not want to spend that so I told them I will give them [redacted]$ back, at which I did not have to because we did perform work. She came in to pick the car up wanting me to repair this "shake". I said fine, I will check it out free of charge but will not pay for the parts out of my pocket, she started to get very angry. My son ([redacted]) in the back of the shop yells out and says "hey lady we've been doing this for years and have not had this happen with others". She then becomes even more angry and tries to argue with us, says she will be going to the Revdex.com. She gets in her van and calls her father to come get the car.
I walk to the van, knock on the window she ignores me as she is still on the phone, I open the van door and pass her a [redacted]$ bill which she took in HER HAND. I tell her to have a nice day. Her father then pulled in and came into the garage and I explained what happened. He is very nice and polite, talks normal to me. I tell him I hate to see her leave unhappy and he said well I guess we will have to go to ``another mechanic of 40 years``. That was the last we heard from her until we receive the letter in the mail. As far as we are concerned the matter is closed.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2017/07/01) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Information in this response is not accurate nor honest. Some of this information has truth in it as I have also described previously about the issues with the van and car however, I am very surprised at some of the statements that have been made by this business and dishonesty they are showing. I am unsure where the statement about another local mechanic shop giving us the same problems is coming from as we have been bringing our vehicles to this business for over a year shortly after we moved here from a location that is hours away and have and no issues up until this point with [redacted] garage or any other mechanic in the area. The information about previously bringing my van in and then having issues is accurate and I called multiple times in regards to the shaking which I was told to tighten the wheel nuts and check the balancing which I was told to bring to another location to check. These did not fix the problem so I called as soon as I had them checked at another location as suggested. The amounts and reasons for the things fixed on the van were clearly not required and the issue was fixed by another mechanic who quickly identified the issue of the breaks and rotors. The statements made especially about handing the $[redacted] in my hand and telling me to have a nice day is very unsettling knowing that this business would make statements completely untrue in an attempt to cover this situation. I can tell by the owners recount of the situation that this issue will not be fairly or honestly resolved and hope that future clients do not have similar issues.