Identifix Inc

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2016/02/15) */
Identifix is a diagnostic and repair information service offered to after-market and dealership automotive repair shops. Direct-Hit ("DH") is a self-service web-based diagnostic and informational database providing the user information to...

perform their own diagnostic short-cut tests and to use confirmed fix procedures that have been gathered from millions of calls to our Repair Hotline ("Hotline"). Access is available 24/7 for a monthly subscription fee, on a month-to-month basis. DH is a web-based solution for many vehicles and vehicle issues, however, it does not have complete diagnostic solutions for every issue for every vehicle. Customers may cancel at any time, without notice. Hotline is a phone-based hotline staffed by ASE Master Certified automotive technicians, which provides real-time live assistance to customers for the diagnosis and repair of vehicles. Hotline is a per-call, transaction based service, also without any contract term. DH customers receive a discount for Hotline of $36 for the first call and subsequent calls for the same vehicle and same problem are free.
[redacted] ("Customer") subscribed to the DH service from August 31, 2015 to January 31, 2016. The Customer was billed the standard retail price for DH for four months of service, and received the second month of service free as a result of a sales promotion offered at the time the Customer became a subscriber.
During the subscription period, the Customer received one training session with the Product Support team to assist the Customer in navigating the website. Unlimited training sessions are included with the ongoing subscription to DH at no additional cost to the subscriber. Also during the subscription period, the Customer submitted, either via the DH site or by calling the Hotline dispatch center, 10 requests for assistance with navigation of the website. Product Support responded to these requests, at no additional charge.
If Product Support is not able to assist the subscriber with their issue, the subscriber may request to speak to a technician for an additional charge per the terms of the agreement. The Customer made that first request on December 16, 2015 for a 1987 Ford Mustang GT ("Mustang"). Between this first call and January 8, 2016, the Customer placed 9 Hotline calls through the dispatch center specifically for the same Mustang, requesting assistance from a Hotline technician to perform diagnostic tests on the Mustang for the customer. Our records show all of the calls were responded to by our Hotline team. Customer was charged for only one of the 9 calls.
On December 29, 2015, the Customer called Identifix's customer service department to request a credit for the charged call, stating that he could not find the information on the site and did not believe he should be charged for information not available on the DH website. A courtesy credit for the total amount billed on that call was placed on his account the same day. Further, our Hotline technicians had provided Customer with copies of the manufacturer's manual pages that he could not locate on December 16, 2015.
On January 8, 2016, the Customer contacted the Hotline again for the ninth time, requesting further assistance on the same Mustang for the same issue. The Hotline technician did assist the Customer again, and during that call, reminded the Customer that the Hotline service is charged per call, Customer was receiving all of this assistance at no charge, but if Customer continued to call on this specific vehicle and issue, we would charge him because Customer was receiving diagnostic assistance and was being advised to try a number of testing procedures (both of which aren't included in his DH service). Further, his original complaint that we were not helping him appeared to not be valid as our technicians were continually running diagnostics and walking him through testing procedures.
In total, 45 minutes of call time was spent on the phone with the Customer on this specific vehicle and issue. The Customer was billed once for $36, which was subsequently credited as a courtesy, and he was not billed for any of the 9 calls he made, as an additional courtesy. Due to the age of the vehicle, we are confident that the information being provided, as well as the issue being diagnosed and advised on, would not have been available, or expected to be available, through the DH website. In other words, being a DH subscriber would not have helped him in this instance. Had he not been a subscriber, he would have been charged $36 for the first Hotline call, then if he called again for the same issue for the same vehicle, $16.50 for the second call, and $9 for the third call, with 4-9 calls being free.
The Customer cancelled his monthly subscription to the DH service on January 13, 2016.
Identifix does not believe there is any responsibility of the company to provide a refund to the Customer under these circumstances. The Customer was made aware of the billing policies for the use of the Hotline, and the Customer clearly utilized the service and stated he was satisfied with the assistance provided. The Customer was also a consistent and frequent user of the DH subscription site, with 104 access times during the subscription period (for other vehicles) and 9 calls. It is clear that he used DH services and Hotline services for other vehicles successfully. He was charged our standard pricing and received a courtesy credit after making multiple calls on the same vehicle.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2016/02/16) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
If Identifix has the info I requested it SHOULD be on there site so I don't have to call in to find it, Also The tech that was helping was completely wrong on the test info being provided because he wasn't listening to what the customer was telling him. He was going off of his own assumption not what I was telling him or asking for. When I switched to a different company. They had the info that I was looking for And the vehicle got fixed. Identifix claims to have factory data, but they didn't have what this other company had and when questioned about it before I left I was told that the car was to old. The company is using a bait and switch to get customers. Several other auto repair shops in my area have also tried Identifix on a trial basis and have not signed up for the same reasons. My complaint still stands. The company promised repair info that I was supposed to be able to access. They didn't provide that info saying it wasn't available. I have found that info from another company, which proves that either Identifix is lying or the have no clue as to what they are doing. So I am still requesting a refund. Mike Elkins
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2016/02/26) */
It is unfortunate the service did not meet the Customer's expectations. We addressed the Customer's needs to the best of our ability providing him with assistance at no charge and a credit to his account which we feel was more than a fair solution for the number of calls we received from him. The customer was not able to locate the information for a 1987 Ford Mustang GT, so our Certified Technicians emailed pages from the OEM manufacturer's manual to him and responded to various inquiries.
Identifix aims to consistently deliver a professional service to our customers with the tools we offer. According to our records, the Customer heavily utilized the services, accessing the site over 100 times for different vehicles during his subscription period without complaint. We do not have complete diagnostic solutions for every vehicle and we do not advertise the product in that manner. Direct-HitTM by Identifix is the automotive service, maintenance and repair industry's largest and most reliable database of continually updated, experience-based information for what breaks on vehicles and how to fix it. In addition to over 1,000,000 confirmed fixes and shortcut tests gathered from our live hotline, our Direct-Hit online system includes genuine OEM service and repair information. Although we have information on thousands of vehicles, most of the information we offer consists of model years 1996 and newer, as clearly stated on our website. The Customer contacted our technicians nine (9) times about a 1987 Ford for which they attempted to assist and emailed him the manual since the information for that year make/model was not available.
With regard to Customer's claim of a "bait and switch" to get customers, this is completely untrue and could be considered slanderous. Identifix was not dishonest in their sales practices and at no time drew in the Customer in order to sell him a more expensive product. The terms of the Agreement state that if the subscriber requests to speak to a technician, there will be an additional charge.
In response to Customer's accusation that Identifix promised repair information that he was supposed to be able to access, Identifix made no such promise as clearly stated on the website and per the terms the Agreement of the subscription. Identifix provides a self-service web-based diagnostic and informational database for many vehicles, but not all vehicles. Furthermore, he accessed the site dozens of times and availed himself of the service.
Since Identifix made no such promises and have credited the Customer's account as well as provided free assistance, we respectfully deny Customer's request for a refund.
While disappointed that we have been unable to find an amenable solution, we are pleased the Customer was able to get the assistance he required with another company.