Horrible experience!!!!! On the surface, this shop seems to be a great place to take your vehicle to be serviced or repaired. I have used them in the past for a couple of things, and everything went smoothly. We really thought we had a shop close by that we could count on for honest auto service at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with "Friendly" Auto Centers.
I brought my Honda Accord to this shop on Thursday last week because it was overheating and leaking oil. I dropped it off early for the day, and Steve called me about mid-morning to explain what was wrong. The primary urgent issue was a combination of a broken thermostat and cracked radiator. They also discovered an oil leak at the valve cover, and a possible leak at the oil pan. He said one of the rear wheel cylinders needed to be replaced as well, but that was not urgent. Steve explained that he could take care of the first issue which would include a coolant flush and new hoses, and then clean the engine and confirm the location of the oil leaks before removing parts to replace them.
I explained to Steve that I could not afford to have them perform the repairs at that time. I explained that I have some experience with working on cars and I will have to do some of the work myself. I explained that I would bring it back at a later time to have them fix any remaining leaks at the oil pan if applicable, and the wheel cylinders. My girlfriend and I picked up the car later that day and paid them $93 for their time to diagnose the vehicle. I replaced the radiator, thermostat, hoses, and valve cover gasket myself that weekend within a few hours in my garage.
This morning (Monday), I get a rude call from Steve asking me why I disputed the credit card charge for the diagnostic fee. I advised him that I did not do that, and that there must be a mistake or error with the bank. He continued to accuse me, saying that he already spoke to them and they told him that it is coming from me. I advised him AGAIN that I did not reverse or dispute the charge, and that I would look into it. His tone and voice was accusatory, and he treated me like I was some kind of criminal.
After confirming with the bank that the charge is in fact processing and was not disputed or reversed, I called the shop. I was put on hold by the kid answering the phones, and waited on hold for OVER 6 minutes. The kid answers again as if I was a new call, I reminded him that I am holding to speak to Steve. After another few minutes, Steve came on the phone, but he unprofessionally failed to introduce himself when he answered. I began to explain who I was and that I confirmed the charge was not disputed, and he cut me off saying he already got it figured out and it is being processed, and that it was a technical issue with the bank. I politely told him I did not appreciate him calling and accusing me of ripping him off, and he continued to speak over me and was unapologetic and rude. He did not think he did anything wrong. He tried to point the finger at ME and backtracked the whole prior conversation!!!
DO NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE NOT FRIENDLY UNLESS YOU ARE PAYING THEM TONS OF MONEY FOR LABOR TO DO A SIMPLE JOB. IF YOU DECLINE THEIR RECOMMENDED SERVICE, YOU MIGHT BE HARASSED AND ACCUSED OF STEALING. read more
