I took my deceased father's truck to have it inspected at a local place in Gainesville as a favor…read moreto my mom. When they failed it citing that the brakes and rotors needed to be replaced, as did a bearing in a front wheel, I took it to Fries to confirm since I was unfamiliar with the original shop. After looking at the truck, they replaced the bearing and said the brakes and rotors were fine, and they passed the inspection.
A couple of months later, the ignition locked up, so I had AAA tow the truck to Fries to have them look at it. I also asked that they look at the check engine light, which was on, and a squeak that was coming from the rear of the truck. They called me back and let me know that it would take a while but would be $600; I authorized this. I received a call as promised that the truck was ready. I asked if they'd looked at the check engine light or the squeak. They had not but said they would.
I received a call that a pressure sensor was causing the check engine light. I did not authorize anything and asked about the squeak. They had not looked at it but said they would.
During this time, they continuously called my husband despite us both asking that they call me. They called me only a couple of times, and when I called back I left a voicemail. I never received a return call from any of my messages.
Two days ago, I received a call when I was out of town for work. They said the calipers needed replacement, so I assumed that was the squeak. I was told it would be $2,700 so I said I would need to check with my mother (who is on a fixed income and lives alone since my dad died two years ago but insists upon paying for things herself). Today, I called to say that I would be picking the truck up and would pay the $600 bill. At that point, they informed me that the bill was over $2,000 because they had replaced the brakes and rotors, claiming that my husband had authorized it, which I knew to be untrue. The employee even admitted that my husband had said he would not authorize repairs. He told me he would find out who authorized it since it appeared to have happened while he was on vacation and he would call me back. Knowing I could not actually expect a return call, I got in the car with my husband and drove to Fries.
When I arrived, I explained to Billy that I had come there to avoid getting swindled by a shop I didn't know when I was told the brakes and rotors needed to be replaced in the not-so-distant future, and that Fries had (upon passing my dad's truck in the safety inspection) had agreed that this was unnecessary. I asked why this work was suddenly authorized and done without my knowledge at all when just a month or so before Fries had told me it was unnecessary, and I had take the truck in for an ignition problem and simply asked them to look at a few minor things. He explained that he could make a call to see if there was anything they could do on the pricing, but that he would have to call me and I could not take the truck then. I asked him to call someone right away, because I was not leaving without taking the truck as it had been almost a month.
When Billy walked in the back, I was surprised to see him followed by Gene, the owner, who apparently was onsite not requiring any call back. When Gene came out, he immediately informed me that my husband, who he did not know was in the car, had authorized the work before telling Billy that he was uncomfortable authorizing anything because it wasn't his vehicle, but my mother's. This obviously made no sense, so I called my husband in. My husband informed them that no such thing had happened.
Had Fries simply admitted to the mistake and attempted to make some kind of concession, I probably would have been fine. I work in the service industry myself, and I understand these things happen. Instead, my husband and I were essentially called liars, and I was told that it was my fault that the vehicle had been there for so long because I didn't answer my phone. They had no excuse for constantly calling my husband instead of me, and for not returning any of the (at least six) voicemails I had left, or the call I had made directly with a human being last week. I was told that I was not leaving with that truck unless I paid the bill they claimed was due. Once I realized I was being held hostage, I will admit, I went COMPLETELY off (not sorry), at which point the owner's wife felt the need to say that her husband was no liar (again insinuating that my husband and I are), and further stating that if I didn't like it, I could just take them to court.
I had to truncate this for space, but you get the idea. I would never recommend this place.
