I did not have a good experience. And, If I was Jewish, it would have been a lot worse, after the manager complained that I "Jewed" him down on the price for tires. More on that later....
I took the car in for replacement of four tires. Their price was about $60 more than Mavis so I canceled the Mavis appointment b/c I would rather have the dealer put new tires on. My wife drove her vehicle to the dealer.
While the tires were off, the service department took a video of the brakes -- a really cool service - and texted the video to my wife, who forwarded the video to me. The video, and mechanic's voiceover, showed an immediate need for front replacement of pads and rotors and 30% pad wear remaining on the rear.
I called my normal mechanic for a price and then I called Ontario Mazda. I told them I could get pads/rotors for four wheels and put them on myself for about $175 or my mechanic could do it $300+, but in keeping with the same philosophy as with the tires, I asked Ontario Mazda for a competitive bid to leave it with them. The Service Manager countered that they were installing OEM parts and there was no way my mechanic could put OEM pads/rotors on four wheels for $300. I agreed that the parts were likely coming from AutoZone.
The Service manager said he could put the pads and rotors for $398.00. I responded that $398 for front and back OEM pads and rotors was a good price and I asked if he could get all four done by noon because my wife had a an appointment at 1:00, they said yes. So I approved the work.
At 11:00, my wife texted me that the dealer charged her $398 for the front pads and rotors only. The Service manager denied that we ever talked about all four wheels, even though I mentioned "front and back" or "four wheels" several times. The service manager claimed my wife approved the estimate - not true...she was never presented an estimate. They looked up the estimate which was apparently sent with the video, and confirmed that their data showed the video was "viewed" but the work was not "approved".
I reminded them that I approved the $398 for front and back pads and rotors. The service manager, who said NOTHING when I asked if he could get all four wheels done before noon, claimed I never said "front and back" or "four wheels". I advised (cursed) that what they were doing was crooked and I wanted to speak to the manager (I know... Karen, right?)
After going through the same argument with the manager of Ontario Mazda, he finally let on what was bothering him. Out of nowhere, he claimed I "Jewed" him out of $75 on the tire replacement. Not believing what I just heard, I asked him to repeat what he just said and he DID. Said I "Jewed" him out of money on the tire replacement. I warned him that he had no idea whether anyone on the other line was Jewish but that the remark was extremely offensive and anti-semitic. While I am not Jewish I still found it incredible that the manager of a large dealership in Canandaigua NY would use that type of discriminatory language in support of their practices. The obvious stereotype plays upon the presumption that "Jews are cheap" and I must be Jewish if I expected them to stick to the deal we agreed upon.
Then, the Manager "offered" to remove the new pads and rotors on the front and replace them with the old pads and rotors, which they just claimed, and I agreed, were dangerous, and that I could get them done elsewhere. So, the dealer essentially calls a customer, who bought the vehicle at their dealership, a "cheap Jew" and then recommended that they make my wife's vehicle more dangerous after making it safer.
I don't know whether it's CoVid or something else, but I am amazed that this is what passes for customer service these days. I will get the back brakes done and take available legal remedies in small claims court, which means they will have to spend $2000 or more on a lawyer to defend -- Dumb. Get your work done elsewhere. read more