In early Dec. 2012, I took my elderly dad to this location to get his truck inspected. That service was quick and successful. The mechanic who inspected the truck took it upon himself to also check the other fluid levels and then informed us that the brake fluid was "black and needs to be replaced" He offered a "brake fluid flush service". I asked if it was required for passing the inspection and he said, "No, it's preventative maintenance". My father told the mechanic that he had just had his brakes replaced... "... shouldn't that have been handled then?" "No, some shops don't mess with it." I asked how long the service would take and he answered, "About 5 minutes". My Dad decided to go ahead.
I watched the mechanic complete the service, since, he moved the truck to the first bay (adjacent to the customer waiting area). It entailed spraying some part under the hood with a part loosener and then pouring fluid into the reservoir. It was, indeed, completed in about 5 minutes and we were asked to go inside to pay for the services.
After ringing up the bill he said, "comes to 162.03" We were flabbergasted, to put it mildly... $120.00 for topping off the reservoir!!!!
When we protested he inquired if we had asked how much the service would cost. I hadn't. "Well, you should've asked." It may have been smart for me to ask, but if this "service" company gave ANY real weight to customer service they would be certain to inform a customer of such an expensive charge. I noticed a sign inside that advertised $109 for transmission fluid flush and I know that is a much more involved service. An oil change requires raising the car on a lift ... working underneath the vehicle, draining and storing used oil, lowering the car and then adding 4+ quarts ... time and resource consuming... yet is less than $40.00. Given those costs --- it's logical for me to expect a $30 or $40 charge (especially since the guy who suggested it never even mentioned the high cost).
The mechanic at the register was condescending and patronizing. He admonished us for not asking, saying we had to accept half of the responsibility for the situation. To which I pointed out that they had a greater responsibility to their customers if they wanted folks to come back or refer others. He made a show of saying something to the mechanic who had sold the service and then said he would give us a
'$30 discount", scolding us again for not asking. We paid $90.00 for the "flush" plus the cost of the inspection.
A couple of days later I sent an email inquiry to the corporate office asking for a description of the service and the cost. I received an email response explaining that the "brake fluid flush" service required draining the brake line at each tire and was priced at $89.99!! So, we were initially overcharged $30 ... and then that was discounted to the regular price .... but the work was never actually done. AND, to add insult to injury, the guy scolded us for falling into their trap !!
If there is a lesson here its that it was foolish to trust these guys to consider the customer as anything but a mark for their scam. We will never go back and will retell our experience whenever the subject comes up. These folks only managed to create energized and extremely dissatisfied customers. I will also be pursuing legal options. read more