T C Auto Service, Inc.

I have a [redacted] '95. On April 30, 2013 I took my car into TC Auto because the car wouldn't start, the engine wouldn't turn on, nothing. But the lights and horn still turned on and worked fine, so I didn't think it was a battery issue. I figured it was the starter. I have a manual car, so I had to push start it to get there and the office manager, [redacted], ASSURED me that they would fix the problem. Later that day they told me that it was the battery, that their company checked the starter, alternator and battery and also did an electrical check and they found it was the battery, and that it would cost about $200. Plus they also found that I had bad brake tubes and would need to replace that as well and my serpentine belt. So I figured they were really trying to take care of me. I trusted them. I told them OK on replacing battery and brake tubes, grand total $412.61, $190 for labor and 192.87 for parts. On May 1, 2013, around 4:45 pm I went to pick up my car and was guaranteed it was fine. On May 3, 2013 it wouldn't start again, same problems and issues. I called TC Auto, spoke to [redacted] who gave the phone to the tech and was told that they would see what was going on and offered to drive over to my side of town to check it out, I told them no, and that I would take it back to TC Auto, which I did, Push Start again, and when I got there I spoke to the owner, [redacted], who asked me "what would I do if he went out there and it started? and that they only fix the current issue to get it out and running" That alone took me off guard, and then he told me it was probably the battery. Which they had just replaced. [redacted] then came outside and said to him it was replaced, and got the tech out there. At that point they said the needed it over weekend and would call Monday, May 6,2013. Today May 6, 2013, [redacted] the office manager called me and said it was the starter and would cost $296 to fix, at that point I asked if that was just the part, they said it was parts and labor. I then asked, still having the original ticket, showing I was charged $47.50 for TC Auto checking the Starter, Battery and Alternator and also in there disclaimer stating "We warranty all labor we perform for 12 months or 12000 miles, whichever occurs first. We warranty parts for 12 months. Notice Pursuant to Sec70.001,Texas Property Code" WHY I was being charged for labor or the part when the original problem wasn't fixed to begin with, and if there was a problem with the battery why didn't they inform me about the starter as well, the original problem was NOT fixed. [redacted] then told me, that he didn't know. I told him not to fix it and to speak with the owner. [redacted] than got on the phone and immediately cut me off and asked, "Did you drive off this lot the first time?" Yelling into the phone, addressing me by "Little Girl" stating that I needed to get my car off his lot asap and then hung up on me. I called back and his wife answered, and told me that her husband wanted me to get my car asap. I then told her to PLEASE not cut me off and just wanted an explanation on why the starter wasn't noticed the first time, if they checked it. She then told me that the Test didn't indicate it was a problem the first time, when I told her I was writing this all down, she told her husband who than started to yell in back ground saying I should just bang the starter with a hammer, and that the starter was weak to begin with. When I asked why wasn't it fixed the first time, when they knew it was weak to begin with, she said again that the test didn't work properly and STILL shows that the starter is fine but that they "KNEW" it was the starter. That the new battery drained what was left in the starter, I AGAIN asked her why they didn't notice this the first time and how could a good starter go bad in a day, she kept saying it was weak and then came back to telling me that they wanted my car out of there asap. At this point I even told her thank you for her time and that I would pick it up later.