Meineke Car Care Center

I am answering complaint id # [redacted].   [redacted] towed in her vehicle on 07/24/2015 for cooling system problems she stated that vehicle has been siting for 3 to 4months . She was advised that she needed to replace engine and that other repair facility's could not diagnose the problem and...

that they did not want to help her . We decided to take the vehicle in and help her resolve her problem with her vehicle .   We first noticed that engine did not have a supply of power and that her key will not come out of ignition . We called her and advised her that we needed to replace dead battery to start and that we fixed her key problem at no charge . She agreed and we proceeded to diagnose engine , we later identified that alternator was bad and not working and we needed to replace alternator to keep diagnosing her concern, she agreed and we replaced alternator.   Once electrical work was completed we commenced to start diagnosing cooling system , we found that thermostat was stuck close not enabling coolant to flow through her engine and cool it down properly. So we called [redacted] and reported that we needed to replace thermostat she agreed and we continued to diagnose engine . We pressurized her cooling system to locate a possible leak and chemically checked her engine for gasses mixing with engine none where found at that time . So we proceeded to test drive vehicle and found that brakes where grinding really bad and engine had a slight hesitation and a rough idle . We then called [redacted] and advised her that we recommend she replace her brakes and replace spark plugs and do a fuel injection and throttle body cleaning with coolant fluid service , these repairs are warranted by the condition of her vehicle . She agreed and proceeded  with repairs .   Repairs were completed the same day, we called [redacted] to come and pick up her vehicle her car was ready to go.   She called us on the 25th of July invoice # [redacted] . Her concern was that her a/c was blowing hot air and not cooling cabin , we advised her to bring in vehicle so that we may diagnose vehicle , I advised her that A/C was not an original concern when she towed her vehicle in ? so that part of the vehicle system was not checked. We diagnosed problem to be a hole in her a/c condenser that was enabling gas to escape thus not having and Freon in her system. We called [redacted] and updated her on what we found , she stated that her a/c was working 3 to 4 months ago I stated to her that may have been but with that thermostat stuck closed may have created a problem then ?.   We also stated that a/c condenser had a lot of rust at fittings and corrosion was taken a toll on her actual part, a hole in a condenser is usually caused by rock puncturing the meatl while driving on highways.   She then stated that she did not have the money to replace condenser , so we offered to try applying for credit through Meineke , she was declined . So I offered her in house credit and that there would be no interest just that she would promise to pay ac job off , we agreed on 100.00 a month with a 100 dollars down she agreed and repairs were made . A/c was now working and she was able to enjoy air conditioning . Invoice is [redacted] balance is 550.01. She has not made a payment since 08/25/2015 when she promised to do so.   [redacted] called us back a few days later to advise us that car was overheating interment and not constant. We advised her not to drive vehicle that we would pay for a tow at no charge because we did not want her to damage engine . So we towed in vehicle and started to diagnose vehicle , we found that electric fans where weak and not cooling engine properly, and that her 02 sensors where working properly as well, the wires to both fans and o2 sensors where corroded and damaged by the weather and age . And that we would take care of those repairs as goodwill and not charge her a penny for those repairs Invoice  #  [redacted] .   After repairs where made, we took a second look at her engine and retested engine for gasses that may be coming from head gasket leaking and they where positive for leak! , we called [redacted] to advise her that we where going to repair her engine FREE of charge we left a voice mail message . She came in a few hours later , and was upset and being combative and argumentative yelling and cursing in front of customers who where here with small children she was oblivious to anyone around her and was focused on telling us that we where incompetent and that her friend that has never seen the car or diagnosed it was telling her that the heater core was the problem . We advised her that this was not true that the heater core is not leaking it's her head gasket , she would not listen to reason and stormed out of our office .       We tried to explain that we are going to repair the head gasket at no charge , we tried to let her know that we left her a voicemail message advising her that we where going to take care of her . she never responded back to us, and she is more than 30 days late on her a/c repair bill. She has called everyone else but me the store manager , and I want to help her. But now it seems she is trying to make a case to get her car fixed for free and we give her back her money. That's not going to happen , our offer still stands we fix her engine and she could pay us for a/c repair up front .   If not I will have to put a mechanics lean on her vehicle , I don't want to do that ! Please help me resolve this issue .       -- [redacted] Operations Director, Austin- San Antonio Cipercen LLC /Meineke-maaco

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11190046, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I would however like to add few comments on the response that was supplied which is backed up by the provided detailed log of events since the beginning."We are sorry that this customer does not feel we treated him well.  We
will certainly refund his money, and offer him an additional $250 to
cover additional costs of a rental car caused by the delay." - I appreciate it. Meineke did not have to offer the extra $250, but it certainly helps since I still have to get the car fixed. I am sorry that I am still writing more information on this case even though there seems to be a resolution, but if this information is going to be published online, I believe some clarifications must be made. "He did not like our price, which is his right, and we should have
ended the relationship at that point. "- Absolutely right."Indeed, this
customer chose to go with his own parts, and he cannot say that he was
able to provide the proper parts, as his supplier had difficulty
obtaining the correct parts and in the end could not."-As stated in the first case file, I only ordered parts that were told to me by the mechanic, and Meineke failed provide a quote for the axle shafts which would be the solution to the first problem that was caused by ordering the wrong part. I acknowledge and believe that Thomas didn't have any way of knowing if the car had a different type of transmission than he told me to order, so I do not blame him for that."There
was delay.  Jan feels terrible that she was unable to act quicker. It
is nothing personal or discriminatory.  To assume that it was personal
is unfortunate. We are sorry that he feels it was. There were
communication problems caused by language, but that is no excuse. "-I appreciate this comment and feel sorry that Jan feels terrible. But I believe it became personal towards the end, otherwise Thomas' attitude is inexpiable if they treat every customer like they treated me."But
the customer must remember that his supplier in the end could not even
supply the parts necessary to repair the car. They caused a substantial
part of the delay in this case. It is not easy finding parts for cars
that don't take the usual parts. "-Unfortunately this is not correct. As stated in the detailed logs, the substantial amount of delay was caused because of the lack of communication. There were several instances where I was told that I would be contacted, but was not. I usually ended  up having to call Meineke at the end of the day for an update when one was promised, which usually caused another day to pass without progress. The supplier had only one mix up that caused a delay, which compared to Meineke's part is not substantial. I understand though that finding parts might not be easy for cars that don't take the usual parts."The customer
in the end became frustrated and impatient and could not wait for the
parts to be return shipped. The parts were not shipped to us in proper
boxes and we are not a shipping company and we had to obtain packaging
material."-I became frustrated because it had almost been a month and not having a car unfortunately effects one's daily life very much,especially in California. There was a lot of misinformation in the process and towards the end I started not believing anything Meineke told me. To be honest, even though I really appreciate that Meineke offered a refund and an extra $250 for the expenses, I don't know when or if I will be receiving a check, because of  the manager Thomas' hostile attitude and them not delivering their previous promises (ex. calling, giving a quote, shipping).I will however update the case as soon as I get the check in the mail."Our
manager Thomas, was also disappointed that he could not complete the
repair. It was not for lack of trying. He spent far more time on this
car than what was billed. They tried to do the right thing but failed."- I appreciate that Thomas had tried his best. Also as stated in the detailed log, I really trusted him when we had our first face to face communication and believed that he wanted to help. But his attitude changed dramatically towards the end and I was treated really bad. I never said anything rude to anyone, never said any offensive words, the only thing I was looking for was the service that I was supposed to be getting and I was accused of "making a big scene out of nothing", which was not the case at all. I would like to hope that people who read the case will judge the validity of intimidating sentences like  "making a big scene out of nothing", "open any case you want" and "I don't want my name and company anything to do with you".I would be more than happy to provide further information if need be.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11725443, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
The site and advertising are still misleading.  I hope no one else makes the mistake of purchasing from this organization.
Sincerely,
Mark & Oliana [redacted]

March 31, 2017   Dear Ms. [redacted]:   I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding your account.  I’m sorry for any misunderstanding regarding Hidden Pictures Eagle Eye book club.    Our records indicate that we received an order by mail...

requesting Hidden Pictures Eagle Eye. The form indicated that you would receive an introductory shipment of Hidden Pictures Club, for which you would be charged $6.95, plus a nominal shipping and handling charge.  It then stated that you were free to cancel and return one of the books with no further obligation.  Or, if you chose to continue in the club, you would receive 2 new Hidden Pictures Club books every three weeks at $13.90, plus shipping and handling.  It is clear from the information you sent to the Revdex.com that you never intended to order this club membership. I have cancelled your account and removed all charges, effective March 31, 2017. The closing balance is zero ($0.00). Please feel free to keep any shipments you have received with my compliments. Please disregard any notices or mailings that may have been printed prior to the date the account was cancelled.  Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.   Thank you, Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers

December 1, 2016   Dear Ms. [redacted]:   I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding your account.  I’m sorry for any misunderstanding regarding Hidden Pictures Eagle Eye book club.    The form indicated that you would receive an...

introductory shipment of Hidden Pictures Club, for which you would be charged $5.95, plus a nominal shipping and handling charge.  It then stated that you were free to cancel and return one of the books with no further obligation.  Or, if you chose to continue in the club, you would receive 2 new Hidden Pictures Club books every four to five weeks at $11.90, plus shipping and handling.  It is clear from the information you sent to the Revdex.com that you never intended to order this club membership. I have verified that the account has been closed, effective December 1, 2016 and all charges have been removed from the account.  Please feel free to keep any shipments received with my compliments.  I have also removed your information from our mailing list. Please disregard any notices or mailings that may have been printed prior to the date the account was cancelled.  Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.   Thank you, Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers

I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding your account.  I am sorry for any misunderstanding regarding Puzzle Buzz.   The form indicated that you would receive an introductory shipment of Puzzle Buzz, for which you would be charged $6.95, plus a...

nominal shipping and handling charge.  It then stated that you were free to cancel and return one of the books with no further obligation.  Or, if you chose to continue in the club, you would receive 2 new Puzzle Buzz books every four to five weeks at $13.90, plus shipping and handling and tax.  It is clear from the information you sent to the Revdex.com that you never intended to order this club membership.  I have verified that your account is closed.  Refunds were issued for the last 7 shipments on October 14, 2016.  Please feel free to keep any shipments received with my compliments.  Please disregard any notices that may have been printed prior to the date the account was cancelled.  Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.   Thank you, Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers

The free oil change is a $24.95 value plus tax and disposal of used oil  and filter. the parts and labor are free but the disposal tax and sales taxes are not free. Thank You,[redacted]Meineke Car Care Center Greer Sc

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #[redacted]. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. I am accepting the offer with the understanding that the mufflers have to be cut off. [redacted] will do the work. They know that the mufflers are to be returned undamaged, but they will cut them off ahead of the weld. I am going on vacation that has been planned for 6 months, so the work will be done sometime in December. All I need to know is does Mr. [redacted] wish to make the check out to [redacted] directly and also pick up the mufflers there? This way he will not have to have direct contact with me, or if he wishes to deal with me directly he may do so. Either way I will make sure that he gets them back undamaged. I appreciate him working with me and although I have to dish out alot more cash to get the car back to where it was, this will take some of the sting out of it. Thank you.
Regards, [redacted]

January 15, 2016
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding your account. I’m sorry for any misunderstanding regarding the merchandise you have received at your former address.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few accounts in our...

records that match the information you provided in your complaint. In order to address your concerns, additional information is required. Please reply with the address where the shipments are being sent. It would also be helpful if you could include the account number from the bills that you are receiving. Once I am able to locate your specific account in our records, I will be happy to address your concerns.
Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.

Thank you,

While a very nice attempt at "making things right" there are no specifics.  First I'm told that the check was sent ... When?  Which time?  Then I'm told that a request for follow-up on the check and send out if not in process.   Either a recent check has been issued or it is still "in process."  When was it sent out so that I can monitor the mail for receipt?  I've been told so many times that "the check is in the mail" that it is hard to accept that it is in fact in the mail.  The reference to "making this right" and "believe me" is nice but just a little hard to accept at this point.  I'm not considering this resolved till I have the check and it is cashed.

I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding your account.  I am sorry for any misunderstanding that has occurred regarding your Puzzle Buzz, Let’s Play, and Which Way USA accounts.   Our records show that your account was cancelled on January 19, 2017....

Refunds for the shipments sent December 16 through January 6 have been refunded. Please allow 3-5 business days for these 4 refunds to appear on your card.   I am sorry that your account was not cancelled previously. Please feel free to keep any shipments received with my compliments.    Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.   Thank you, Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers  Account # [redacted]  JC/mlc

We showed the customer, with our tech Jack D[redacted], the oil filter housing and she verbally agreed that she saw no signs of damage to the housing. We paid for the cost of the tow, and didn't charge her for the specialty oil filter
that we ordered (we replaced with one of ours first and was...

still leaking slightly). After replacing with a different brand, the leaking ceased and there remained a bit of bubbling around where the cap screws on. We suggested
a manufacturer defect with the housing, which of course, the dealer denied. We showed her the threads and everything. Our technician can attest to everything that was said. She has never been to our location five times.
We have also attached a copy of the signed work order.
 
 
 
 
[redacted]SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

December 18, 2017   Dear [redacted]   I have received a copy of your complaint to the Revdex.com.  I am sorry for any misunderstanding that has occurred regarding any of our book clubs.    Our records indicate that we received responses to promotional...

mailings for Top Secret Adventures, Which Way USA, and Hidden Pictures Let’s Play on March 27, 2017.  The promotional material included with each order form indicated that you would receive an introductory shipment of the respective book club that would include free items, as well as trial items included in the introductory shipments. It then stated that you were free to cancel with no further obligation.  Or, if you chose to continue in the clubs, you would receive a new shipment about every three weeks, at the standard rate included in the promotional material.  Three shipments each of Hidden Pictures Let’s Play, three shipments of Which Way USA, and two shipments of Top Secret Adventures were mailed in good faith in accordance with the details of the offers. It is clear from the information you sent to the Revdex.com that you never intended to order Which Way USA, Top Secret Adventures, or Hidden Pictures Let’s Play. I have verified that your accounts have been closed. I have also removed all outstanding charges, effective December 18, 2018.  Your balance is zero ($0.00).  It is not necessary to return any of the items; please feel free to keep any shipments received with my compliments.  Highlights contracts with agencies to collect on accounts that are past due.  However, your credit rating will not be impacted.  Please disregard any billing notices you may have received.  Per your request, I have also removed your information from our promotional mailing list, which will be effective within 30 days.  The only thing you’ll continue to receive is the gift subscription to Highlights magazine, which was purchased by a gift donor through the December 2018 issue.  Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.   Thank you, Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers Account [redacted] JC/klj

I am writing in regards to my complaint submitted on 1/31/2016 against Meineke Car Care Center.  The ID number is  [redacted]
I have been contacted by two Meineke employees, and they assure me that the University Place shop that I had the problems with is now under new management...

and the gentleman that I had the issues with is no longer employed there. I have agreed to give them another try, so would like to close my complaint at this time (and I truly hope not to have to reopen it!).
Thanks very much for your assistance with my complaint,
Live simply...Love generously...Care deeply...Speak kindly...Leave the rest to God.
[redacted]
([redacted]

We offered the customer money back if she return the battery and got her old one back which is only fair if she did not need the battery. She refused . Customer wants the money back and keep the new battery. Her old battery is not good and which could also bring multiple lights on dashboard. Her...

light was off because of the battery being disconnected and has nothing to do with battery.  Technicians are not allowed to smoke inside customer vehicle. Why she would not her money back and get her battery which we still have if she thinks her battery is good?

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
First of all, Meineke did not respond to the other problems found with their repairs, such as the power steering fluid hose and the brakes.  With respect to the timing belt, Meineke claims that the repairs are out of warranty, but I brought the car back in,not once, but three times, asking them to recheck the timing belt installation.  The district manager, [redacted], was incorrect in saying that there were no problems.  The first time I brought the car back with a complaint about the noise, he said it was a disconnected hose.  This did nothing to correct the noise (and loss of power) so I brought it back a second time and Mr. Maze admitted that the timing belt was not installed properly and that they had corrected it.  However, it still made an unusual noise so I brought it back a third time and was told that I was "hearing things'.   he assured me that the car would run well when I specifically asked him if it was going to break down on me (which it did). All of this occured in within the 90 days of the warranty, so I did my due diligence.  I am asserting that the warranty time limit does not apply because Meineke did not provide the service as promised, so they are in breach of the contract.  I have attached several documents from the Toyota dealership that show a pattern of shoddy work that resulted in extra cost to me for repairs on the brakes, the power steering line, and a year later on the timing belt.  Documents 1, 2 and 3 show the invoice, dated April 04, 2015, of the work done by Meineke.  Document 4 shows that 2 weeks later I had to have the brakes and the power steering line repaired again. In regards to the power steering line, when I originally asked Meineke to check a leak, the mechanic told me that he knew exactly what the problem was, that it was common for Highlanders, and that he could fix if by replacing one part of the line.  After I drove the car out of Meineke, it continued to leak power steering fluid.  I did not initially bring this to their attention because the timing belt problem was creating such a loud noise and a significant loss of power, I was more worried that the engine was being damaged but an incorrectly installed timing belt.  As can be seen in document 4, Toyota fixed the power steering leak.  Obviously, Meineke did not take care to locate the leak and just replaced a part of line without confirming that the leak had been fixed.  In regards to the brakes, I noticed a sinking brake pedal when stopped and strange noise coming from the rear when brakes were applied.  At this point I did not trust Meineke so I had Toyota check it.  As documented in their invoice, the fit kits had been taken off and were missing and the "rear backing plates have been smashed in with an air hammer".  I think that line speaks for itself.  The mechanic at Toyota assured me that this was not normal.Documents 5 and 6 are from the invoice that resulted from the most recent repair, which was itself necessitated by yet more shoddy work by Meineke.  This was the most expensive cost to me.  I have highlighted in yellow the findings by Toyota. Their technician said: "found 5 bolts missing, one broken off, pulley may have been damaged when removed causing it to separate and rub through lower cover, melted plastic got in betweeen belt and gear knocking the timing belt out of time. "  Again, I think it speaks for itself.  The technician at Toyota had a box with the separated pulley waiting for me and said he has never seen that before (this is actually what the lcoal manager at Meineke also said when I whoed him the same day).  The Toyota technician told me that pulleys don't just separate like that and acknowledged that it had to have been installed incorrectly.  As the invoice shows, it wasn't just installed improperly, it was damaged.  I don't know how Meineke can justify that they did the repairs as promised when there are five bolts missing and another broken off.Overall, the records show that much of the work done on my car by Meineke last year was either substandard, or downright damaging.  I deserve a refund for the work done on the brakes the power steering line, and the timing belt.  I am willing to compromise with payment of the repair bill that was incurred at Toyota for the timing belt (documents 5 and 6).
Regards,
[redacted]

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I appreciate the invoice break down and appreciate the discount for the one tire. However, I don't agree that the manager behind the desk was "friendly to me." He was only friendly because I was the one to bring up conversation due to awkward silence after he stated that they didn't want to stay after hours and fix my U-Joints. I also stated that the tire may be under warranty due to the front desk individual telling me that they had already put the tire back on the pickup (not bothering to ask me if I wanted a new tire or for it to be further inspected). When I told him this he said "it probably won't be under warranty because it may not be bad enough". It was bad enough that they replaced the tire at the other tire shop due to the failure to pass a road test. The email also doesn't explain why my pickup wasn't brought into the shop right at 3:30 pm when my appointment was and why it was brought in at nearly 4:15 pm instead. I am not the person to complain often but this visit upset me along with the excuses in the emails. I now have to replace screws on my wheels as well due to them breaking at least 4. I understand damages happen but it was pretty pathetic that they broke them and the front desk manager didn't even care to apologize. I will just accept this resolution because I am sick of getting the run around. I will not be returning back to the Meineke business due to horrible customer service both in the shop and over the phone. There are plenty of other places in the F-M area with nicer staff and more reasonable prices who won't damage pieces to my vehicle. Coming from a business standpoint myself, I think it is pretty sad that the customer was nicer than the employees in this case. I hope this review is seen and I will post in other places of my experience. Like I said, I'm not one to complain but this business really upset me. Thank you for your time, [redacted]

February 8, 2016
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
I have received your reply to the Revdex.com regarding your account. I am sorry to learn that the recipients never received digital access as intended. I have verified that a link was sent to you via email, as well as directly to the parents of each recipient.
Since you’ve contacted us multiple times, each of your gift subscriptions has also been extended by two complimentary hard copies of High Five. We are also sending packets of bonus stickers to each recipient, which should arrive soon. Your satisfaction is very important to us.
Once again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 1-888-372-6433, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, EST.
Thank you,
Jeff C[redacted] Director, Customer Contact Centers