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Posts Tagged “

Mechanics

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auto repair

Caliber Collision Center Damages Car Brought In For Repair

Sean's car had a blowout over the Easter weekend, and he had it towed to Caliber Collision Center for repair. Three weeks later he "forcefully retrieved" it from their lot—they kept telling him it wasn't drivable due to "very serious suspension damage," but he visited the shop in person on April 11th "to find that their shop gate is wide open, and my vehicle is unlocked." Now there are scratches on the bumper and one of his speakers has a hole in it, and when he called USAA to complain he was told the scratches would constitute a second comprehensive claim within a month and that his premiums will consequently go up.
More »

9:01 PM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Chris Walters
7,769 views, 35 comments

Latest by trujunglist: For those saying "why take it to the shop for a blowout," it's entirely possible to be driving on say, the highway, and losing control, and steering into a guard rail, hitting another car, or some other unfortunate incident. more »

complaints

Sears Automotive Tries To Charge You For Work They Didn't Do

Here's a story that illustrates how important it is to ask for documentation. Reader Jarome had already handed over his credit card to pay for an alignment on his car when he learned that the work hadn't even been done:
I've been an avid reader of Consumerist for quite some time. Reading the good/bad experiences other readers had and the shortcomings of some companies is an eye opener. Unfortunately, my recent experience at a nearby Sears Automotive Department is worth mentioning. I've noticed my car would pull to the left while driving on a straight road. My initial thought was to get the wheels aligned. I decided to have it done at Sears.
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1:59 PM on Tue Jan 22 2008
By Meg Marco
10,695 views, 49 comments

Latest by n/a: I would say it just seems like a harmless mistake on Sear's fault, but if they never touched the car, why would they state he needed a new part costing $487? That part, at least, seems like a pretty obvious more »

the state of las vegas

Farmers & Mechanics Bank Takes Word Of Mouth Very Seriously

We basically are more motivated by the overall relationship. We don't want to have an unhappy customer. We have to be careful that no one feels they got a bad deal from the bank. These are our neighbors. We have to remember we are locked in with the community, so word of mouth is important.

Farmers & Mechanics Bank President Craig W. Yates, who obviously needs to read "Eloping Nearly Ruined By Bank Blocking The Entire "State" Of Las Vegas," as quoted in a 2003 Philadelphia Business Journal article.

9:18 PM on Thu Jun 28 2007
By Ben Popken
1,463 views, 4 comments

complaints

Eloping Nearly Ruined By Bank Blocking The Entire "State" Of Las Vegas

I know a lot of your readers believe that local, mom and pop operations are the way to go — that big corporate companies are universally evil and local is almost always filled with nice, smiling workers who are far superior to their sell-out counter-parts. I'm here today to show you that, at least in banking, size doesn't matter.
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7:12 PM on Mon Jun 25 2007
By Ben Popken
14,500 views, 94 comments

whistleblower's anonymous

Dollar/Thrifty's Unwritten Rule For Mechanics To "Find" Problems Covered By Warranty And Bill The Manufacturer

An unverified reader report has an interesting claim that should grab the attention of every auto-maker. Dudes, Dollar/Thrifty Group car rental is totally ripping you off. More »

7:15 PM on Thu May 24 2007
By Ben Popken
4,523 views, 24 comments

caveat emptor

The Used Car You Are Looking To Buy May Have Been Totaled

Most states prevent totaled cars from re-entering the market without a salvage license, so consumers know that the used car they are looking to buy was once a complete wreck.
What bugs dealers and consumer advocates is that the tangle of state laws makes it possible to move a vehicle across state lines and apply for a "clean" title that makes no mention of its checkered past. The fact that some states don't even require salvage titles stretches the loophole even wider.
The practice has become so prevalent, particularly in states affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, that Congress is considering a measure that would establish a national database of totaled vehicles. Before you buy a used car, especially in the south, first ask your mechanic to give it a once-over. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER More »

9:46 PM on Sun Apr 29 2007
By Carey
1,742 views, 14 comments

Latest by mac-phisto: @chimmike: i know more than one junk dealer that does not follow that law. they buy titles, not scrap. a clean title, no matter how wrecked a car is, brings big money in the junk world. there's a guy down more »

san rafael chevrolet

Dealership Wrecks Customer's Corvette, Won't Compensate Him

Poor Mr.Williams. He brought his 2005 Corvette into San Rafael Chevrolet to have a bad antenna and a jammed trunk fixed, and instead he got a wrecked 'vette. It seems that "Gene B.", an employee of San Rafael Chevy, took the car of the lot (against the owner's specific instructions) and smashed into a big box truck. The ticket issued for the accident says that Gene was driving too fast for conditions, and as if that wasn't damning enough, Mr. Williams found a bottle of codeine/acetaminophen under the seat. Now Mr. Williams wants the dealership to replace his car or compensate him for the loss of resale value. They've said no. More »

10:49 AM on Thu Dec 28 2006
By Meg Marco
1,813 views, 55 comments

Latest by xanax25mg: @ velocinpenguin--- The poster initially stated it was acetamenophin OR codeine. So my argument was he was not even sure what the pills were that he was inferring were responsible for the car wreck. In addition, and you have to more »

jiffy lube

Jiffy Lube Begs For Forgiveness

A followup to reporter Joel Grover's undercover investigation revealing Hollywood area Jiffy Lubes to be staffed by crooks. More »

4:46 PM on Wed Dec 20 2006
By Ben Popken
1,147 views, 21 comments

readers

Built-In Gypping: Auto Mechanics Paid On Commission

Auto mechanics are always finding extra things wrong with your car is because they work on commission. More »

5:41 PM on Mon Nov 6 2006
By Ben Popken
656 views, 22 comments

automobiles

Jiffy Lube Up For Double Reaming

Yesterday, within 58 minutes of one another, we got not one, but two stories about Jiffy Lube trashing two separate customers' cars in different ways. Neither accusation is provable; by themselves, mere coincidences. Together, though? Too strange a dark alignment of the illest stars. More »

5:25 AM on Tue Aug 1 2006
By consumerist.com
782 views, 9 comments

jiffy lube

Jiffy Lube's Scam is Sand in its Own Vaseline

NBC4 in LA put hidden cameras under their car hoods and took them to nine different Jiffy Lubes, They found six out of the nine didn't do any of the promised work yet charged for services in full. More »

4:47 PM on Wed May 24 2006
By popkin
2,213 views, 12 comments

complaints

Broken Bumpers, Sneaky Mechanics, and Screaming

This is never a good way to start a date: More »
automobiles

Congress Moves To Protect Honest Car Mechanics, Chupacabras

Congress is considering a "Right to Repair" bill. The idea, basically, is that car manufacturers' proprietary systems give them a monopoly on many types of car repairs, making that walking, oil-covered ass crack at your local garage impotent in gouging you twice as much money for a simple repair than its actually worth. More »

6:40 AM on Thu May 18 2006
By consumerist.com
399 views, 14 comments

complaints

UPDATE: Mechanics' Hubris in Humble, Texas

The Consumerist makes dreams come true. More »
complaints

Mechanics' Hubris in Humble, Texas

Margaret L. writes in an all too typical complaint of car mechanics taking the elderly for a ride. More »

9:47 AM on Tue Mar 28 2006
By popkin
319 views, 5 comments

cars

Red-i-Lube is 'The Smoking Engine'

Melissa writes in a a comedy of car errors, a spiral of compounding auto troubles and escalating costs. A simple oil change ends up as an engine getting replaced and several hundred dollars. Now she wants to know if she should take Red-i-Lube to small claims court. You be the judge, after the jump. More »

12:40 PM on Tue Mar 14 2006
By popkin
188 views, 2 comments

electronics

Popular Mechanics for HDTV Lovers

We've been surprised to have so many requests by readers for a good buyer's guide to HDTVs—it's easily eclipsed requests for purchasing legitimate Kristy McNichol autographed glossies on eBay. (Hint: Go for the Empty Nest cast photos that were accidentally left unsigned by David Leisure for big savings.) More »

4:03 PM on Tue Jan 3 2006
By consumerist.com
109 views, Comment