Grease Monkey

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/10/15) */
Customer stated he was having transmission issues before service, Tranny was slipping in reverse, 1st gear, etc. Customer asked for the transmission service, we advised customer that we really don't do pan drops, and the flush may or may not...

help the issues. The vehicle had 145,000 plus miles on it at time of service, we had serviced the vehicle one previous time 3 months earlier and performed only an oil change. We can not take responsibility for a transmission with that many miles on it and no previous service records, especially with an existing issue.
I did speak with [redacted], our regional manager, and he remembers the conversations with you. He said he never offered the $500, the only offer was to refund you for the service you had done at the Grease Monkey, we would still be willing to refund you that amount approx. $130. I apologize if there was a communication issue between the customer and [redacted]. My contact info will be listed if the customer would like to contact me.
Sincerely
[redacted] Jr.
[redacted]
cell phone XXX-XXX-XXXX
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/10/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
[redacted],
When I went came to your Grease Monkey location, I did have an intermittent, specific transmission issue. I had limited slipping in only a certain circumstance. When I backed out of my steep driveway, the transmission sometimes hesitated before going into 1st gear. I came to your shop to get a transmission pan drop service, which is a service that your company advertises on its website (please see attachment). It is also a service that is displayed on the board in your shop. When I talked to your employees, they insisted that the transmission flush was the best service for my truck. They up-sold me into the transmission flush. The employees did not warn me of any potential dangers associated with a transmission flush for an older vehicle or one with any sort of issue. They did not warn me that if there was any sort of debris in the bottom of the pan, it could be kicked up and get stuck in the valve bodies. If this happened, it could potentially cause great damage to the transmission. I was advised by the Technicians at Aamco that if there was any sort of operating issue with a transmission or if it was a transmission with high mileage, the only proper course of action is to have the pan dropped. That way, certain issues will be apparent and you don't risk further harm by kicking up potentially dangerous particles and making one issue become a much larger one.
The very next morning after the flush, the transmission was slipping many shifts that had never been an issue before. The transmission was running so horribly that I needed to turn around, limp back to my house and take a different vehicle to work. It was apparent that something went very wrong with the transmission flush.
I had many conversations with [redacted] about this matter. I specifically remember that after the transmission fix was completed by [redacted] on 05-11-15, [redacted] offered me $500. He offered me that amount because it is what he thought it would cost the company if I took civil action against Grease Monkey. He related that that it would be the cost in wages by having his employees and himself in court. When I told him that I did not believe that the offer was fair, he told me that he would check with local junk yards to find out what a junked transmission installed would have cost him. He told me that, knowing that might change what he offered. [redacted] told me that he would contact me a few hours later. That was the last time that I spoke with him. Since May 14th, [redacted] has not returned any of my calls or answered my messages since. [redacted]'s refusal to communicate is the reason that this issue needed to be escalated to the Revdex.com.
[redacted], I do agree with you that there was an intermittent, specific transmission issue when I brought my vehicle into your business. However, we will never know the transmission's baseline, since the pan drop was done only by [redacted] after the transmission was destroyed. I disagree with you that Grease Monkey does not have any responsibility for the repairs. It is not normal for a transmission to function with an intermittent issue and then to degrade the extreme and sudden way that it did without an event to trigger it. With the issue that I was having, the proper course of action would have been to conduct a transmission pan drop or refer me to qualified technicians to do that type of service.
On the other hand, with the possibility of a pre-existing condition in mind, I did not believe that it was fair to expect Grease Monkey to take the full financial responsibility of the repairs. That was why I offered to meet your company halfway with the cost of the transmission.
[redacted], you state that you cannot take responsibility for a transmission with the mileage and no service records. Please note, just because I have not had previous service done at Grease Monkey, does not mean that my truck was never serviced or maintained.
I do believe opportunity comes out of this situation that could benefit both Grease Monkey and its customers. I believe that your employees should pose certain screening questions to customers who are coming in for a transmission service. This line of questioning is done by the Aamco that conducted my repairs. Any time customers have older vehicles or vehicles with any sort of transmission issues, they should be advised about the benefits of pan drops and the potential dangers that a transmission flush could pose in those circumstances. I believe that if this was done, there is the potential to prevent a great amount of problems and issues for everyone involved.
If you'd like a copy of the receipt from Aamco or Grease Monkey, I am happy to provide it at your request.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/11/04) */
I would like to apologize for the fact that our regional manager did not return your phone calls. I agree with you if in fact we did not walk you through the issues with your transmission. If you would like to contact me in regards to your repairs I would be happy to work with you on splitting the cost of the repairs. What I would need is a receipt from the facility that did the repair. You can contact me at my email [redacted]@rosbro.com
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 12, 2015/11/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

We have refunded customer for services performed at our Grease Monkey.  WE did this quite sometime ago.[redacted]Grease Monkey

This is Ron M[redacted], Vice President Retail Operations GMW, LLC, In response to the above mentioned complaint, I will issue a full refund.  I need to verify the address of the customer.  I will research for a phone number we may or may not have on file.  If the customer could please...

call me at their earliest convenience I can process the refund right away. Sincerely, Ron M[redacted],Grease Monkey303-818-0524

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.After paying the full amount of the contract, the business owner, [redacted], assured me that she and her team would return to finish the job.  My husband and I both have several voice and text messages where she makes promises of returning to complete the work.  Then after some time she just quit answering our phone calls.  I would not consider using this business again and want to escalate [redacted] unethical business practices. 
Regards,
[redacted]

We have handled and settled this case with [redacted]. There was no truth to the claim that [redacted] had stated in his letter to you in regards to us draining the wrong fluids and that kind of non-sense. There was a faulty"check plug" gasket on his transmission that had allowed the fluid to leak from...

the transmission. There was no cover up or hiding anything from [redacted], as he has now learned after having the vehicle inspected by real professional auto techs. That is all, Thank you. [redacted]Pres.

Please let us know which location you visited we have 2 on [redacted].If this was in fact the location at [redacted] and [redacted] let me know.

In response to complaint.  I spoke with customer about situation, she sent me a photo of the nail in the tire.  The nail is some kind of anchor that we do not use at the Grease Monkey, also the nail is in the side wall, kind of at an odd angle.  There is no way to know when the nail...

got in the tire.  And if it did happen at our store, I do not know how we would be liable for it.  If you drive to the grocery store and run over a nail that fell out of another person's car or truck, is the grocery store responsible to fix or buy you a new tire?  I did call customer back after reviewing the pictures she submitted and she has not called back.Thank You[redacted]Grease Monkey

I would be happy to speak with customer and come to a desired conclusion, customer can contact me directly at [redacted].  Thank You[redacted] 
[redacted]

I have read and understood [redacted]'s response. I apologize for the delay in my 2nd response as I have been very busy is recent times. without getting lengthy today,  I just know we could have fixed [redacted]'s  problem with the oil pan, and not sure why this had to be so tough. If this is the direction [redacted] wishes to proceed and have a shop of his choosing perform the work, the Maximum we would contribute is $300.00 This is more than Twice the amount of money it would cost use for a new oil pan and the labor to install it. Again, we feel  this is still a very extreme fix for something that could have been made right without future oil pan or engine problems for [redacted].Thank You,[redacted]

I emailed [redacted] this morning asking for his license plate # and the address of the location he visited. I went through my computer and was unable to find [redacted] in my computer system. I also went through the invoices for 6/19 and was unable to find a [redacted] serviced that day. I believe he may have the wrong service center. [redacted]

Efficient, Helpful, honest and excellent customer service!!!
I was greeted by [redacted] the owner (but I didn't know who he was until the end of my appointment) as I drove in.
He demonstrated a warm greeting and was ready to assist me with my car concerns.
I initially went there for a transmission oil change (because that's what I thought I needed). He checked the hood immediately (there were no other cars) and showed me that my car's transmission wasn't the problem-- there was a small slice on one of the pipes-Though he told me that fixing the pipe was something his company didnt do, he did a quick fix with duct tape and before sending me on my way, asked me to drive my car and to inform him how it drove.
The car no longer is giving me problems.
[redacted] clarified my doubts regarding my car, I definitely recommend Grease Monkey for their efficiency and honesty!

Review: I write to you this morning because I want to prevent Grease Monkey on [redacted] from doing this to anybody else in the area.

Exactly five days ago, December 3rd, I visited their shop because my car was shaking really bad. They told me it was a Mass Air Flow Sensor and a Vent Tube, charged me a total of $369.97 and said it was fixed.

Well, here comes today, Monday morning, I start my car to go to work and it is shaking again and worse than ever before. I hesitantly drove the car from the East End back to Staples Mill Road to the shop since on my receipt it states:

"Services are warranted for 3 months or 3000 miles and warranted only with proof of prio maintenance per manufacturers specifications. Vehicle specific transmission fluid used. No warranty on transmission service for vehicle greater than 100k."

I did not have any transmission work done so that part is irrelevant. I was told today that even though I was having the exact same problem as before, that a different code came up on their system that something else was wrong, so it would not be covered under the warranty for the work I just got done FIVE short days ago.

This is absolutely highway robbery. They want hundreds more dollars from me to fix the "new" problem as they call it.Desired Settlement: I would like an apology and also my car repaired at no charge since I am having the SAME EXACT issue that I brought it to Grease Monkey for in the first place.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: On 3/21/16 Grease Monkey on Courthouse Rd quoted me a price of $79-$89 to change the (serpentine) belt on my [redacted]. The next day I brought my vehicle in to have the belt changed. A short time later, Brandon, the manager, informed me that it would now cost about $170 to replace the belt, I mentioned the quote of $79-$89, which he recalled, but said that was before they knew they had to remove the motor mount. When the work was done I started the car to leave but it was making noises and was not running smoothly like it was when I brought it in. I complained to the manager and he agreed that my vehicle did not sound like that when I brought it in and would have the tech that worked on it take a look at it. The tech opened the hood and started poking around the engine and stated he may have knocked something loose or might not have reconnected something. Next I was told I needed to replace the ignition coil and that would cost about $270, again, I protested that my car was running fine with no issues when I brought it in but different issues keep arising that are costing money - I was told by the manager that it was a separate issue from the belt and was not caused by their tech. They replaced, then removed, the coil because they said it did not fix the problem. Next they said my engine was bad and I needed a new one because the oil had not been changed - they could replace the engine but it would cost at least $2000. When I questioned how that could be because it was running fine, the manager said they stand behind their work but he cannot blame his technician or take responsibility because my car has over 170,000 miles on it and it just so happened that my engine went bad while they worked on it and there is nothing they can or will do. After escalating the disagreement we got a voicemail message that Mike Johnson, the VP, agrees that there is no evidence that their technician caused the problem and therefore no reason to take this any further.Desired Settlement: The reasonable expectation is that I should have gotten my car back in better, or at the very least, the same condition it was in when I took it to Grease Monkey to have the belt replaced, therefore, I would like for them to pay to have my engine fixed or replaced elsewhere because I do not feel comfortable with Grease Monkey doing any more work on my vehicle. At the very least, I would like a refund of the 151.89 I paid them for replacing the belt on a vehicle that I am now not able to drive.

Business

Response:

To Whom it may concern,The problem with engine noise after the Serpentine belt was replaced was first investigated to make sure we had installed everything properly. After determining the Serpentine belt was properly installed, the technician hooked up the diagnostic scanner to the car. After reading the results of the scan it was thought the ignition coil was the problem. So the technician tried the new ignition coil thinking it would resolve the problem with the noise and the rough running problem. After installing the new ignition coil it was determined the ignition coil was not the culprit of the problem. The situation involving the 2001 [redacted] was incorrectly diagnosed in regards to the ignition coil and that is why we did not charge for the repair. When the ignition coil did not resolve the issue the technician investigated further and found the oil filter completely covered in sludge and metal shavings from the inside of the motor. The technician then replaced the oil filter to check to make sure the clogged oil filter wasn’t the only problem causing the car run poorly. After replacing the filter and topping off the oil ( at no charge to the customer) the problem remained. Based off the information we had collected we determined that the proper steps to resolve the issue was to replace the motor. We still have the oil filter that we removed from the car. We believe there is nothing we could have done to prevent this problem from occurring. We believe we tried everything in our control to rectify the problem for the customer. We will agree to refund the charge of $151.89 to the customer. I need the customer to contact us to finalize the refund.

Review: Went in for a simple oil change on June 13th on my 2004 [redacted]. I then took the car on a couple of long distance trips out of town and within 3 weeks my car was completely out of oil. The assistant manager was the one who specifically worked on my car and when my husband took the car in to see what they were going to do about the problem, he was told that there was nothing they could do for him and that they didn't deal with prior existing problems on the car. I purchased my car because it had a new engine put into it in February. The car never had any kind of oil leaks or engine noises. Now it knocks like an old car and is leaking on my driveway. The manager was contacted, he was very rude and told us there was nothing he could do for us. He did say he would call us back the next day, but he never did. We have left voice messages at the corporate office, it has been over a week now, and no one has contacted us in regards to our complaint.Desired Settlement: Grease Monkey is responsible for the new existing problems that they clearly created on my newly installed engine and 2004 [redacted]. I want my car fixed and exactly how it was when I brought it in to their place of business on June 13th. I paid for a simple oil change, which is their specialty, and I want someone to take responsibility for what they have done to my car.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the complaint about the [redacted] I have been dealing with the shop chosen by the listed customer to replace the motor. The shop they chose has failed to provide me with a quote and unfortunately I am unable to move forward with this until one is provided. I have gone to the shop (evergreen Auto in Kalispell MT) to request the quote but the shop doors were open and nobody was around. In my numerous calls to kevin the owner he has told me he would bring the quote but has yet failed to show. This issue has my full attention and will be resolved as soon as possible. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Review: I had gone to Genes quicklube for an oil change on 9/25/13 around noon yesterday. I paid $30 for an oil change roughly. I was on my way home from [redacted] this morning to [redacted] where I had just learned my Grandma had past away on I-78 where I noticed a smell of something unfamiliar, I pulled off at a truck stop to get gas and check out my car only to find out I was leaking a tremendous amount of oil on the ground. So much to the point where it was just a puddle and my car couldn't be driven. A mechanic from the truck stop looked at the car and said the Oil pan nut was no longer there and he believed it to be from a poor job from the oil change. It takes 14lbs of torgue to undo a bolt the whole way in and there is no way it could've just come out on it's own from this. I contacted the store and they were nothing but rude to me and told me it wasn't there problem and they weren't going to help me let alone give me a refund. Not so much as a sorry. Meanwhile i'm still sitting at the truck stop four hours later waiting for my car to be taken a look at and filled with oil by another company out this way. To top it all off I missed a huge exam at my school ([redacted]) do to this and was a huge inconvenience. I just felt the need to bring this to the Revdex.com's attention because this isn't acceptable and is just plain wrong. Hopefully something can be done about this so this doesn't happen to others and so I can get justice for their incompetence and their lack of care for their customers. This could've happened to anyone and for all I know it's happened in the past and people just haven't acted on it like I am. For all I know there is internal damage to the motor now for running it dry basically for who knows how long. Could've caused serious injuries too had motor blown or car stalled in middle of busy highway during lunch. Too many bad things from this lack of judgement error by this company.Desired Settlement: I would like my $30 reimbursed as well as the $30 i'm going to be paying for the new oil change i'll be getting shortly. I wish there was a way to get back the four hours I just lost and the F I now have on the exam, but i'm assuming that's out of the question. Please help.

Business

Response:

{Please see handwritten attachment.}