I originally posted this review on yellowpages with the title: Ferrel's Garage, where confusion reigns supreme and you're just a number
The world of auto repair can be tough. It's a sensitive time when you have no wheels and are at the mercy of an auto repair shop. I brought my car in with a serious engine problem. Five days later, their response was that they didn't know what the problem was and I would probably have to replace the engine. That was up to me though. After calling around, their price seemed to be the best. Mass confusion ensued from there. My original estimate was given at 3k with a good faith deposit of half this amount due up front. This amount was also to help with the cost of parts. In the week and a half that followed I did not receive a single call. No updates. Nothing. I called on Wednesday to find out the status and get some idea of the final cost. On the phone, they would not give me a number. His exact words were "I'm not worried about the amount right now, just about getting your car back on the road." Well, have there been any further costs? He said that they had to purchase some $20 parts that were not great on the new engine but that was it. From this I assumed that we would be pretty close with the costs. I called them again to follow up on Thursday and they said Friday. I called Friday and he said these things can't be rushed and it would most likely be Monday. He would call. Monday came, now three weeks without my car and he never called. On Tuesday I phoned the garage and they said it was ready. There was some shaking in the steering wheel but they could align the tires and have it ready for pick up that night. Great. So, how much should I bring with me? The final amount ended up being $600 more than the estimate, even though there weren't any added repairs or snafus. My response was confusion. Is there anything you can do? "Nothing". How about some sort of way I could pay a portion now and a portion later? "nope". No accommodations. I'm in tears at this point. I feel stupid for not pushing the point on the phone the week before. I felt helpless because I needed this car back and in order to get it I would have to empty a bank account. They said they would adjust my tires for free, give me a $20 coupon and $100 off the cost. But I still have this disgusting taste in my mouth. I'm just a number. When I received my invoice at pick up it said at the bottom "all parts and repair are guaranteed for 1 year or 12,000 miles" I said something about it, thinking well, at least I get this great guarantee. His response, "No, actually, for engines it is only 90 days. But that should be enough time to figure out if something is wrong." My response, "don't you think you should state this exception on the guarantee?" He said, "I'm sorry for the confusion." I took my keys and left. I'm writing this review because I am clearly upset. This business does not know how to do business. Fixing cars is only half of it. Don't go there. They have far too many people coming in and don't know what to do with them. You will NOT be a priority, even if you have an emergency or funds. They really just don't care. I'm a single young woman living by myself, ,my family is over an hour away. On my own with this one. Walking to work and they did not seem the least bit concerned. Dealing with the repair shop should NOT be part of the headache of a broken car. Best of luck with your car troubles. read more
