Meineke Discount Muffler

Review: My car would not start. Meineke gave an estimate for a fuel pump. I asked if I can get my own part to save money. They said yes. Because of this "favor," as [redacted] described it, I could not use a coupon $20). [redacted] ordered the part and ensured it fit my car. Meineke called and said it didn't fit so I payed triple the money for their part. [redacted] let me use a coupon now that I bought their part ($50. The owner [redacted] said, "I don't know anything about coupons," (false advertisement). I called periodically to check on the car. [redacted] was extremely rude and at one point said, "I told you not to help this guy." as he handed the phone to [redacted]. [redacted] denied that and said he didn't hear. I picked up car and asked for my old part. He showed it to me, but did not give it to me (illegal in NJ). They said they filled tires, but gave my car back with a flat, (lied about service). [redacted] said it went flat in the 3 hours it took for me to get my car. He tried to fill it with air, but didn't know where the air compressor/machine was in his own shop (incompetence). I drove the car home, and it would not start the next day. I had it towed back there. The next day they called me. They were about to tell me something when someone yelled in the background. He got back on the phone and said they were gonna look at my car later. They called 8 hours later (24 hours after it was towed back), and told me that there was no problem. It started right up (even the tow truck driver tried to start and jump it but could not). I asked what they did. They said, "Nothing. We didn't drive it our do any diagnostics. It starts. Come pick it up." I asked for an invoice. [redacted] said he would leave it in the car. He never did. When I picked it up, the car was facing the building, but tow truck driver dropped it off facing away from the building, meaning they moved it and worked on it, but did not want to tell me what the problem was, (their repair caused another problem, but did not want to admit it).Desired Settlement: Being that the repairs resulted in additional damage, [redacted] discrimination by not wanting to help "this guy," (what kind of guy am I that does not deserve service), not giving back the old part when asked, refusing to install a part unless I bought theirs, denial of an active coupon that is on their website from [redacted] (I have the first invoice with no coupon on it)[redacted] incompetence (has no idea about [redacted] coupon schemes and doesn't know how or where to even fill a tire -- I waited for 20 minutes as he walked around the shop looking for something), I missed a day of work, I paid for two tow trucks, producing no invoice upon request for second repair, and lying about second repair to defer responsibility...My desired settlement is a refund in the total of $658.

Business

Response:

I am responding to this complaint that we received. This customer came in and his car would not not start and we gave him a price and he said it was too much. He asked if he could order his own parts and We said yes. The parts did not come for 4 or 5 days while the car sat on the lift. We did not charge him for diag time either. He dropped off his car and left it in the shop for five days while we waited for him to bring the parts. When he finally came with the parts the fuel pump was not right. We called him and told him we had to order the part because the one he brought was incorrect. We looked up the part for the car and quoted him from [redacted] list price and called him with the price and he agreed. We gave him a $50 coupon for spending over $500. We never charged him storage or extra labor time for the amount of time it was on the lift or for having to do the job twice. When he came to pick up the car we showed him his old part to show him it did not fit. As far as the tire goes we told him the tire had a leak in it which he did not want to get fixed at the time so we filled it with air and it began to lose air because it had a leak. When I spoke on the phone with him and he asked to speak to [redacted] I handed [redacted] the phone and never said anything as far as "we shouldn't have helped him" we were both standing right there and those words were never said. When the car got towed back in we tried to start it at least 5 times and there was no issue with it starting. It started right up every time. If you have any questions please call us @ [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

there is no resolution...if you just want to argue what really happened, then dont neglect to explain the coupon that was refused on the original repair because, as you put it, "we are doing you a favor."...dont neglect to explain that [redacted] gave permission to leave the car for the THREE days that was there...he was fine with that...you, apparently, think there was a problem with that, but unfortunately, that doesnt matter since your boss already gave permission for that...also please dont neglect to explain how on the second repair, the one that you claim that the car started right up, your mechanic called THREE days later, was about to tell me whats wrong, but then was interrupted...I think you neglected details like this because there are records of these things...I have the first invoice where the coupon was denied...I have the tow trucks invoice of how the car would not start or jump...please remember the Revdex.com is public and people can read this...so a smart decision might be not to argue just the things that cant be proven...but to offer a resolution...what is your solution for a customer of five years?...if you are not going to offer a solution...then why even respond?...you obviously dont care about reputation since this is the FOURTH Revdex.com compkaint youve had since its been under your new ownership and youve only responded to two of them.

Regards,

Review: 3 month ago they changed the motor oil to my two 2011 Honda CIVICs and they used regular motor oil. Today, they changed the oil on the same two 2011 Honda CIVICs cars and they use Synthetic motor oil. When I showed them the bills from 3 months ago, they claimed that they go by the vin number and the car manufacturer recommend Synthetic oil. What I do not understand is: same cars, same vin numbers, two different motor oils, two different bills $25 vs $50. The question is what is different? They could not explain why.Desired Settlement: I believe they are not been honest with the customers and I will like to report them to you. I do not want other customers to go thru the same thing I went thru.

Review: On 1-2-12 I brought my car to Meineke in [redacted] to have work performed. Total cost of repairs was $881.64. The shop owner [redacted] told me that my car was leaking oil & needed a new valve cover gasket installed asap. At that point I had known [redacted] for at least a couple of years, having known my car very well during various services, I trusted his evaluation. In the months that followed I noticed that my car began leaking oil again. On 7-28-12 I brought my car in again for repair and asked [redacted] to check the valve cover seal for leaks, he assured my that the valve cover gasket was not leaking but it was now my oil pan leaking and needed to be replaced. The repair of the new oil pan cost me $278.16. Again in the coming months I saw oil in my driveway & smelled oil burning as if it was dripping on the exhaust somewhere. In the fall of 2012, 11-10-2012 to be exact I brought my car in for a routine oil change when the mechanic approached me & said that my valve cover seal was "seeping". [redacted], the shop owner was quick to interrupt his mechanic stating that "it's not seeping, it's weeping oil, but we'll keep an eye on it." [redacted] assured me that he would monitor the small leak. Shortly after [redacted] sold his shop in East Windsor and is now the owner at the Meineke in Fairliss Hills, P.A. Fast forward to 11-2014, my car is losing a significant amount of oil; in fact I can't even drive it right now. On 11-25-14 I took my car to East Windsor Meineke & spoke with "[redacted]" who is the new owner of this store. I asked him to inspect my oil leaking problem. He confirmed the oil leak is coming from the valve cover gasket AND the oil pan. [redacted] said that the car needs a new valve cover gasket and the whole oil pan needs to be replaced. I located [redacted] in PA, explained what happened & proposed that he credit my credit card. Had [redacted] addressed the leak in 11-2012 as his mechanic evaluated the work would be covered under warranty. I think that a refund is justified for 2 poor repairs!Desired Settlement: I have made several attempts to speak with [redacted] on 11-26-2014 and 11-28-2014. [redacted] told me that he would "make it right." He said that he would call the new shop owner in East Windsor to "work something out". He also said that he was going to talk to the mechanic who confirmed where the leaks were coming from. [redacted] assured me that he would call me back on 11-28 or 11-29 but he never did. At this point I was not impressed with the valve cover repair that was done. Keep in mind that oil was leaking just months after the valve cover seal installation. My original valve cover seal that came with my car was 14 years old before it needed to be replaced!

I have already filed a dispute with my credit card for an investigation. I am asking for a total refund of the valve cover repair totaling $881.64 and the oil pan replacement/installation totaling $276.16. Grand total=$1,157.80. I need to get my car repaired as soon as possible. Thank you.