Hi-Ten Service Center

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/01) */
The customer had his truck towed to our shop over the weekend of 8-1-15 and 8-2-15 after the truck had made some "awful noises and stopped driving" (customers words). When we attempted to start the engine, it would not crank over...just...

clicked. We checked the electrical (Battery, alternator and starter) system for faults and found none. We then manually attempted to rotate the engine both forward and backward using a socket and torque wrench on the crankshaft balancer bolt. The engine would not rotate forward but did rotate backward. We noted that a connecting rod bearing had been damaged to the point that the connecting rod had broken and had wedged against cylinder block webbing. After freeing the engine up we called the customer with the bad news. He said he had been expecting our call and thought that is what had happened. It seemed very normal until he listened to our estimate, that is when he became enraged. We quoted him between 3500.00 and 5000.00 for a complete engine replacement using a salvage yard engine with a warranty. The variance in the price is to allow for customer choice in new water pump, spark plugs, wires, cover gaskets, etc. 2000.00 labor plus a used engine with all new fluids, belts, tune up parts etc. The customer came down to the shop to see the truck for himself and asked us to start it up. We knew the engine was damaged beyond repair so we appeased the customer and started the engine. It started up and knocked very loudly as it had done on the highway and then seized up again as the connecting rod hit the webbing of the inside of the cylinder block. (Just as it had done on the highway, necessitating the tow). The customer left and said he was going to find a cheaper place to get his truck fixed. We had an hour into diagnosing and estimating the engine replacement which is customarily a $100.00 charge. We chose to charge him $50.00 as a good will gesture to make him happy. After the vehicle sat in our lot for four more days (Backward and crosswise to the ordinary striping)(That is the way it was towed in and dropped), I took the effort to manually push the vehicle to a safe and well lit portion of our parking lot not knowing just how long it might be here. This customer towed the vehicle away and has not contacted me since. After seeing him and his brother negatively rate our shop on Facebook and Twitter and Yelp and on our own scheduling website I made several attempts to contact him to no avail. His repeated slander on Facebook and Twitter has caused me to remove both pages from existence. We have served the North Metro of Twin Cities for nearly 60 years and never have these kind of experiences. I am a public servant having served a 12 year stint as Cn Rapids City Council member and Mayor-Pro-Tem and am now an Anoka County Commissioner. This customer has publicly posted on social media that this is typical of a "politician" to run his business like that. I feel we were incredibly fair and forthright with this customer. I also think it is very telling that his ultimate repair cost was more than we had quoted him up front. We warned him of the bait and switch engine quotes out there. He towed his truck to us after he "blew up" the engine. We diagnosed and estimated it for him. He some how feels we are culpable in this matter. We had never serviced this truck or this customer prior to this tow and have not seen him since. He lives nearly 35 miles across the Twin Cities from us and has targeted us for some reason that is not clear to me.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/01) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Most of the timeline and facts are incorrect.
There wasn't a loud noise before the vehicle was stopped.
There was a lurching and the vehicle shook. At that point, white smoke came out of the tailpipe.
The vehicle still started. The insurance company had it towed to hi ten, because it was the closest place.
The next day, I contacted them, and they called back after diagnosing it.
I went to their shop that afternoon to recover some items in the vehicle.
At that point, I started it up. Without anyone from the shop present.
This was after their diagnosis.
There was no noise, and the engine didn't click, it started.
I told them I needed a couple of days to decide what to do.
They said they understood. I asked for an invoice explaining what was done, they said they didn't have one.
At that point, I started pricing engines from salvage yards.
What I found was that HiTen was marking up the engines 75% to 150% of the cost.
That is when I decided to look for an honest maintenance shop.
I understand repairs, this one in particular, are pricey. I also understand that dishonest shop owners are going to take advantage of people to make more money. This is the case with Scott [redacted] and HiTen.
I found an honest mechanic, on recommendation from other customers.
On Friday of that same week, I called HiTen, and told them of my finding. I asked why they told me the salvage yards charge 3500-5000 for a used engine, when I hadn't found one for more than 2000.
The response I got was, "we have to mark them up, how do you expect up to make any money?"
I told them that it was dishonest, and I would be taking my vehicle elsewhere.
I was quoted 50 dollars on Monday, for the diagnosis.
They said that was their price for diagnosing.
I asked them to process that onto my credit card, and place the reciept, invoice, and keys in the truck, and I would be having it towed to an honest mechanic.
On the next Monday morning, I met the tow truck driver at HiTen.
The truck would not turn over. It just clicked.
When the vehicle arrived at [redacted]'s auto, in Bloomington, he looked at it, and told me that the engine was most likely seized.
It took him 3 full days of working on the vehicle to get any bolts loose, to turn the engine.
He had to cut the oil pan from the engine. What he found was disintegrated pieces of piston and rods. In the oil pan.
He said in his 25 years of repairing engines, the only way this type of damage could be done is from placing the vehicle in park or neutral, and pressing the accelerator to the floor for at least 5 minutes.
I attempted to contact scott via facebook, but I received no response. I even mentioned on hiten's facebook page, that it would go a long way if the owner would contact me. I received no contact. No phone call, no text messages, and nothing via social media.
If indeed Mr. [redacted] tried to contact me, surely there would be record of it, through uneraseable means, such as phone records. Almost everything has records now, and if he has tried to call me several times, as claimed, there should exist a record with a time stamp, from the phone company.
I find the continuing dishonesty of scott [redacted] appalling.
The damage done to my vehicle, when they purposely seized the engine, out of spite, needs to be compensated by HiTen.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/09/01) */
The customer, Mr. [redacted] is quite confused on both the time line and the details of the incident. I have 4 technicians that are all certified and accomplished. They have verified my previous timeline and detailed incident report. Mr. [redacted] and his other shops accusations are ludicrous. I have built engines professionally for both on road applications and off road racing applications and can assure you that the series of events that Mr. [redacted] and his other shop are characterizing are just not plausible. I have been L1 certified at NIASE and have repaired cars and engines in this location for over 40 years without incident. This engine suffered irreparable damage on the highway at highway speeds causing the white smoke from the tailpipe and the severe noise and shudder brought on by the imbalance of the rotating mass after the connecting rod let go from the crankshaft. We had no problem diagnosing the destroyed engine from the beginning and told Mr. [redacted] so. For him to imply WE ruined his engine is beyond insulting and bears no semblance of reality. We would have no incentive to do so and we are quite busy, so this job was not overly appealing to us to begin with. As far as the work the other shop chose to do, Mr. [redacted]'s quote..."It took him 3 full days of working on the vehicle to get any bolts loose, to turn the engine.
He had to cut the oil pan from the engine. What he found was disintegrated pieces of piston and rods. In the oil pan."...Makes little to no sense. the only part that is believable is that there was broken engine components in the oil pan. The first point is that you don't loosen bolts to turn the engine over, that makes no sense at all. The second point is that when you remove an oil pan, even from a destroyed engine you simply unbolt it and remove it. Moreover, the engine was unrepairable on many levels, why is he disassembling it other than to run up an invoice? My integrity is above reproach and has been unjustly impugned. I will defend my honest actions and my shops abilities to the end. In my shop the customer is king and is always right...until now. I do not know what has happened to Mr. [redacted] to have caused him to develop this hatred for me or my shop but I can assure you I will be watching him closely. The Revdex.com has been around a great many years as has Hi-Ten Service Center. We have worked on no less than 222,375 cars in our 57 year history and this is the first time anyone has contacted the Revdex.com in regards to a repair. I think that alone speaks volumes and should weigh heavy in a final outcome. The Revdex.com is recognized and respected arbiter of business disputes and surly had any of the quarter million owners of the cars we had worked on felt they had been slighted the Revdex.com would have heard. After giving Mr. [redacted] a 50% discount off of the $100.00 bill I feel have done all that I can do to modify him. Again his assertion that the damaged happened at my shop does not pass the smell test. If there was no major engine damage than what caused the white smoke, the severe shudder and loud noise that initiated the tow to different shop that he had never used before? It is incredibly unfortunate that engines come apart when we least expect them to but that is just exactly what happens. When you go to the dentist for a toothache and he diagnoses you with severe gum decease and has do surgery...it's not the dentist's fault. And your gum disease was not brought on by the dentist looking for your toothache.
My attempts to contact Mr. [redacted] were twice via Facebook(before he destroyed the page) and twice via cel phone. I am always available at a public cellphone number of[redacted]. It is with me most of the time and is published on many websites and at both my business and at my Government job as my easiest contact. if I am in a meeting or sleeping just leave a message and I'll get when I get up in the morning at 3:45 AM to get started on my 17 hour business day.