Rip offs!!!!

[1911]

Nothing peeves me more than someone's dishonesty while they make a buck off me. Having just noticed a nail in my tire, I drove to the closest tire shop so I could get it fixed with having to do a roadside spare switch. I pull into the shop and ask them if they have time to do a flat repair. The salesman says yes and proceeds to write me up an invoice.

First thing out of the chute he tries to sell me a 20 dollar package to check my vehicle for problems. I roll my eyes and tell him I just need the flat fixed. Anyway, they get the truck into the shop and get the nail taken care of. About the time I figure they are done with the job, the manager comes walking into the lobby to inform me of bad news.

After testing my batteries, they come back way too low and would require immediate replacement. I play along to see how far this is going to get taken. I told him it just does not seem possible to me and asked to go to the shop and talk with the tech who tested them. We both walk back out into the shop and the tech tells me the same bad news story. I pop the hood and said 'let me show you something about batteries.'

I then showed him some numbers stamped on the batteries, 04-10. I then informed him when you see this, as well as very fresh terminals, no dust whatsoever, and the little red and black caps still sitting in the battery compartment, it is a great indicator that the guy you are about to rip off just replaced the batteries in his truck less than 4 days prior to this visit. Needless to say two things happened. The faces of both the tech and the manager got red as hell, and I decided I will never take my vehicle to a Firestone again, even if it means having to change a flat tire on the side of the road.

 

[overton]

Sounds like you should stake out their favorite watering hole.

 

[AZStickman]

Nice.........Way to set em up and bowl em down..... Terry

 

[AyA]

Just like the time I had a flat tire
I aired it up at the house & hauled for the tire shop,I wwent in & asked them if they had time to fix it quick?the guys says sure,pull it in door #3 & we'll fix it.
I'm sitting in the office when here comes the manager with 'bad' news,he tells me sorry but you have a defective widget arm on your truck,I went ballistic on him,Another shop had replaced my widget arm the day before so I knew he was lieing.

 

[cjboz]

Homer J was right dirty cops setting people up GEEEEZ +1 1911 just do what I ask and dont try to sell me any of your BS please!!!

 

[LESGO54]

well u do have "sucker" written on your forhead

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

Hey 1911?
Remember when me & Lil Red said you'd best not give that guy in the Firestone truck that ticket?}>}>}>

 

[slickrock]

1-911! Thank you for the insight... I always thought "Rip Offs" was cheap underware that the girls at the bar wore.

Slick

 

[overton]

The girls who voted for Obama wear them.

 

[Roy]

Nice job 1911 - the local Jiffy Lube here is the same way. The manager is a total con-artist. I dropped the car off before work, asked him to change the oil only, went to work (this was when I worked at Sportsman's and it was across the parking lot), came back to get the car at lunch and it still wasn't finished because he had some "bad news" for me too - I needed to change out the motor mounts first or the engine would fall out of the car before the oil even got cycled through. He had an estimate ready for me though - only $1400! I told him to look up the blue book value on the car and tell me if he thought I really gave a crap about whether or not the engine fell out while I was driving as it would be cheaper for me to get it hauled away and just get a new used car if that really happened and OH by the way, I had a mechanic tell me that at about 45K miles and it had just turned 140K prior to that. Well it is at 161K now and the engine is still there.

Found out later that guy had been fired from 3 or 4 different local places becuase of suspicion of customer fraud.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

 

[txjp]

Its sad that crap goes on! how many old ladies or just non mechanical people get taken everyday.

Had a tire shop tell me I needed an "urgent? alignment done.
Give me some crazy est. like 500 or something told them I have a buddy in the biz and I would let him look at it. Took it to him and he said everything looked fine.
I should have gone back but I just let it go!! Just never go back

 

[Longun]

Must of had the flat in Las Vegas??? The wife and I went there for our anniversary last week and from the time we got off the plane till we left somebody was trying to scam us...We maybe from Wyoming but weren't born yesterday..

 

[sageman]

Americas Tire is where I took my flat for a FREE Fix?1st reparman comes into the lobby & tells me no problem they found the nail in the tred it will be fixed soon,5min and another reparman comes in with the manager & says the nail is in the sidewall and they need to sell me a new tire?????I asked them if the letters FO had any meaning to them and get my tire back in the truck.I had the tire repaired at another shop no problem......Jim

 

[NVBighorn]

1911, did they at least top off the blinker fluid for you at no charge?

 

[Feleno]

Getting your car checked out is worst than a prostate exam. Glad you didn't bend over for them 1911

 

[jodog]

Same thing happened to my sister in So Cal she went in to get an oil change and they told her the battery had to be replaced, she called me and told me about it I told her to tell them no thank you and go get it checked out at another shop. She did and was told the battery was fine. Never take your car/truck to the national chain tire stores for repair!!!!!!!!!

 

[eelgrass]

Ok, so I finally get some time off from work (three weeks) and decide it's time to take my truck in to have any service done that might be needed. It's a 2003 that I bought new and has 51K. It's never been in for service.

The dealer said an oil change, lube and a new air filter. About $90. I told him I do my own oil and lube, and I just got a new air filter. He puts me on hold, and when he comes back he says they can adjust my valves. He said it's advised at 60K. It will cost $503.

I put him off and then got on line and I can't find anything anywhere about my engine that recomends a valve adjustment.

So I took it to Les Schwab and got a free brake inspection. I still have 50-60% on the front and 70% on the rear. I don't drive fast enough to hardly ever use the brakes.

Eel

 

[Huntnfever]

Sage i dunno about where you live but i know in 3 states i have lived in california idaho and colorado it is against the law to patch a tire that has a hole in the sidewall so they might be right about needing a new tire...And you should get the valves/timing chain or belt looked at at least about 80-90k miles should be in your owners manual

has anyone seen my kittie

 

[sageman]

I live in Calif,the nail was NOT in the sidewall the second repairman & manager were lieing to sell a tire.....Jim

 

[Huntnfever]

ok thanks for the clear up sage...i have an ex that was pretty knowledgeble about cars and mechanics and things..it used to make me laugh when she would go to autozone or anything like that when they thought they saw an easy extra sale or 1000....

has anyone seen my kittie

 

[RACKMASTER]

I hate Firestones in Bay Area, Big O's too...in Central Valley there better!

rackmaster

 

[Wiszard]

1911- I'll bet if you weren't wearing a gay, floppy hat they probably wouldn't have tried to screw with you! Just kidding...

Jiffy Lube here in Santa Maria does the same thing. Go for an oil change and say some other fluid level is low or that the fluid is black instead of red. Funny thing is....they're not even smart enough to change up the story from one customer to the next. I went up to pay for my oil change and they gave me the same story as they gave the lady infront of me. Coincidence that both of our fluids were black instead of red? Are we in the twilight zone or what, I thought?

When he told me about the fluid that needed to be changed, I told him I boned his little sister the night before....he kicked me out of the shop! Not really...but I should have!

Steve