Crooks

[wooddaniel]

I took my car to tire kingdom ( a chain store here locally) to get an alignment done and some other stuff (oil change coolant flush ETC.) They called me two hours later and told me that they needed to replace the Differential. I told them to hold off and I would look at it. When I got there to pick my car up the "mechanic" took me aside and said, man, this is bad news but your rear end is going bad. It is gonna cost you around 1800$ for a used one installed.

I called bullshit because it hasn't been making any noise or giving any of the telltale signs of breaking, plus me and my dad rebuilt it 20K miles ago with an Auburn Diff. The guy got defensive with me (an indicator of being dishonest) and then said I was gonna end up on the side of the road broken down. I told him to F%& off, I took my car, which needed a pinion seal anyways (It was leaking a tiny bit) and took the diff cover off with my dad and as far as we can tell everything looks fine just like it did 20K miles ago when we put the new parts in.

Just be careful guys, try and get a second opinion on expensive stuff or if you can go to a shop you can trust. I hate to think about how many people they have ripped off who dont know much about cars.

[tep98ws6]

they get paid to BS you. never trust em. +1

[KMdef9]

I dont even trust the autoparts store employees.

[wooddaniel]

I only used them for stuff I cant do anymore because I dont have a garage now. I was pretty mad when I left because I use them for a lot of routine maintenance and thought they were a little better than your average Chain store.

[01 LS1 Formula]

thats how they make there money by ripping people off

[DIRTY JERZY]

The tech's get paid from the jobs they do.

say you get your brakes done and it pays 4 hours to do all 4 brakes
wether you get it done in 2 hours or 10 hours you only get paid 4 hours

so when your in for an oil change the tech will get say .5 hours for the oil change
well most of that time is spent putting the car in the air getting parts and putting it back on the ground if the tech is going to make any time off the job he has to upsell stuff wether you need it or not is up to his integrity I never sold anything a car did not need but I had a 40 hour garentee I almost always had 32 hours of work booked now thats tuff when your honest and the economy is in the crapper.

[Zinergy]

A buddy and i took his rx7 (which at the time made 450whp) to a oil change/service shop to get the oil changed as we where short on time and trying to get out of town to the dells for the weekend. It was the kind where they make you sit in the waiting room but it was the only one that does royal purple oil changes. The service tech came in after the car was in the shop for a little bit and said "you got some lifter tick i popped the hood and heard where its coming from, if you want we can open the valve cover and take a look at it." Me and my friend look at eachother and he said the valve train(lol) is fine(literally just put engine together 3 weeks earlier and running like a top). The mechanic said your going to damage your pistons soon and i advise you to let us replace the worn part and when my friend told him to just do the oil change and leave it alone he got pissy and said whatever man your gonna mess up your car. Then as my friend was paying he made a comment like be sure to bring your car in when you damage your pistons, and i turned around and said buddy its a rx7 with a rotary engine it has neither pistons or lifters so STFU and stick to oil changes.

[KMdef9]

The tech's get paid from the jobs they do.

say you get your brakes done and it pays 4 hours to do all 4 brakes
wether you get it done in 2 hours or 10 hours you only get paid 4 hours

so when your in for an oil change the tech will get say .5 hours for the oil change
well most of that time is spent putting the car in the air getting parts and putting it back on the ground if the tech is going to make any time off the job he has to upsell stuff wether you need it or not is up to his integrity I never sold anything a car did not need but I had a 40 hour garentee I almost always had 32 hours of work booked now thats tuff when your honest and the economy is in the crapper.

The problem with that is it should take and experienced person 1.5hrs to 2 hrs to get it done. Yet they charge for 4. I know it's state mandated thing here, but you have some of these a-wipes trying to rip off even more, after you already have been.

[Mike's TA]

i turned around and said buddy its a rx7 with a rotary engine it has neither pistons or lifters so STFU and stick to oil changes.

I was sitting here from the start of him saying there was lifter tick thinking "it's an rx7, there are no lifters". It's always fun to call bull on a mechanic.

I once went in to get the bushings replaced on my passenger side A-arm. It was still under warranty. The mechanic was like "The bushings are fine, let me show you what I'm looking at". He proceeded to take me to the rear of the vehicle to say the A-arm bushings were perfect. I was like. "Do you see an A-Arm back here?" He points to the trailing arm. I looked at him dumbfounded and said "There are only A-Arms on the front of these cars."

[Cutlass]

I know I'm super resurrecting an antique thread here, but as a professional mechanic(I prefer automotive technician), I'm extremely embrassed to be associated with these loser "mechanics."
Believe me, I understand the pressure to upsell work to make a good paycheck for my wife and daughter, but some of these guys are just terrible. But the fear of being called out on BS upsells keeps me honest. I've been called out many times and am always able to show the owner the problem.

[cammed goat]

I know I'm super resurrecting an antique thread here, but as a professional mechanic(I prefer automotive technician), I'm extremely embrassed to be associated with these loser "mechanics."
Believe me, I understand the pressure to upsell work to make a good paycheck for my wife and daughter, but some of these guys are just terrible. But the fear of being called out on BS upsells keeps me honest. I've been called out many times and am always able to show the owner the problem.

I show the customer everything I find when I am under the hood or car. I enjoy being honest. Some companies don't want honest techs. The last job I worked for had an owner who only wanted to sell the jobs that brought in more money. If I had a car that needed brakes and the owner wasn't in the mood to sell the job, he would come into my bay and tell me to put the car back together. One morning, a customer wanted tires and I found he needed brakes. I documented what I found and gave the workorder to my boss(owner of the shop) and he told the customer he was fine. The customer came back to my bay frustrated, but I left the car on my lift with the wheels off. The customer saw he had paper thin pads and looked at my boss who was next to him and they had it out in the shop. Apparently, the customer had his brakes inspected a few weeks before by one of the techs(not me) and the tech said there was no need for service.

Man, it was funny watching the tech, owner, and customer go at it. I was embarrassed to be associated with the company, but I was able to sell the job. And I'm not A.S.E..

[Ramairgod84]

I had my input shaft installed about 2 weeks ago at a local amco shop. During the few days the car was there, all of a sudden they found problems with the parts. They said the pilot bearing on my clutch (That was just installed in juuuly) had a dent or something in it. I naturally said it shouldnt because it's brand new. Mind u this shop is an hour away. I couldnt just go down there. Anyway, the guy said that they'd have to order a new master cylinder, this and that. And that quick added up to like $300 extra on top of the 750. I said hold up. and told the guy where i could find a pilot bearing by itself for cheaper. I had to call up a local checkers and have them send it to this shop. So when I go to pick the car up, I open up my driver's side door, and its rubbing on the front fender. WTF?! how do you fuck that up. So I told them I wasnt taking the car home like that. They put it up in the air, and some dipshit had lifted the car where ur not supposed to, and bent (i dont know the name of it) the lil tab underneath. So he had to take a hammer and hammer it back into place. I went under the car inspecting some of the work the best I could, and part of my exhaust wasnt bolted back together. All in the meanwhile, the mechy who did the work was trying to defend himself saying he lifted the car correctly. O Rly? Anyway, after all that, one of the head guys came over to me, and said that my rear was whining. I said it shouldnt be, it didnt whine on the way in here. I said they have a natural whine. the guy kind of went well alright.. He said we'll see you again soon. I said I hope not. And I left. I dont trust hardly anyone anymore. All the things you hear now. The perf shop i took it to in the beginning said i'd need all this new stuff as well, and when I saw the original inputshaft, the guy said it wasnt too badly worn. My a$$hole feels a size or two bigger, and my pocket considerably smaller. Like a bad night in tiajuana...

[cammed goat]

I NEVER lift an F-Body by the seams. By the beams sitting inside of the downpipes and by the rear trailing arm mounts. And my GTO either goes to the speed shop that dynoed it, or I do the work myself, depending on what the job is. Techs I have met in my life all seem to have that "NOT MY CAR" mentality. IMO they should be shot.

[wooddaniel]

I NEVER lift an F-Body by the seams. By the beams sitting inside of the downpipes and by the rear trailing arm mounts. And my GTO either goes to the speed shop that dynoed it, or I do the work myself, depending on what the job is. Techs I have met in my life all seem to have that "NOT MY CAR" mentality. IMO they should be shot.

I cant do too much myself anymore, working at the Sheriff's Office takes up too much of my time. I used to, and it was always done right.

[bberretta]

A good friend of mine took her Ford Escape to a local shop after I had changed the fuel pump in it due to the fact the check engine light came on. I was out of town at the time so I couldn't look at it. They charged her $400 to change some plug at the tank (they claimed they had to drop the tank- all they had to do was go through the access panel under the back seat). I told her they were ripping her off but she refused to listen. They "fixed" it, the light came back on and then they tried to charger her another $350 for a charcoal canister. I told her to hold off... she didn't listen. Light came on again and I finally got a chance to take a look at it. Gasket at the tank was off center- cost: 30 minutes of my time.

The best thing you can do (if you can't do the work yourself) is find a shop you trust, and then double check everything they suggest. I've worked for different shops and couldn't stand the push to sell crap that I knew people didn't need.

[cammed goat]

A good friend of mine took her Ford Escape to a local shop after I had changed the fuel pump in it due to the fact the check engine light came on. I was out of town at the time so I couldn't look at it. They charged her $400 to change some plug at the tank (they claimed they had to drop the tank- all they had to do was go through the access panel under the back seat). I told her they were ripping her off but she refused to listen. They "fixed" it, the light came back on and then they tried to charger her another $350 for a charcoal canister. I told her to hold off... she didn't listen. Light came on again and I finally got a chance to take a look at it. Gasket at the tank was off center- cost: 30 minutes of my time.

The best thing you can do (if you can't do the work yourself) is find a shop you trust, and then double check everything they suggest. I've worked for different shops and couldn't stand the push to sell crap that I knew people didn't need.

I agree. The crappy rep of the company rubs off on the employees and should be prevented every chance the employee gets.

[Ramairgod84]

I was working for checkers for a while, and we had this one young manager. And all he did was try to push us to sell crap. For example, we had to suggest to people to buy these stupid calendars. This guy was slick. One day I saw him scan a calander 3 times, and then quick shove one into some older person's bag. I think there's a point where it just becomes rediculous. It's hard to find shops you can trust now a days. I remember hearing 2 summers ago that whole thing with jiffy lube or some place like that, that would charge people for the work they needed, and not do anything, as the customer sat in the waiting room. It was a big article they did on the news. It really makes you open your eyes. Wherever I take my car for stuff like that now, I try to get to where I can watch them. Everyone's out to make a buck and times are getting desperate for people.

[pewterz55]

man reading this makes me nervous to bring my car in which it desperately needs. are dealerships any better then a non-chain axle/bodyshop? im bringing it in because i think i have a bad lca or tie rod or something, im not to familiar with all that under the car which is why im worried im gonna get butt raped.

[bberretta]

You just have to find someone locally you can trust and then make sure that you get an itemized receipt showing all of the work that was done. Then make sure they go over all the work they completed and make them justify the charges. The best thing you can do is go in knowing what is going on- that way they can't pull one over on you. Do your research, read the forums and you'll be set.

[Cutlass]

man reading this makes me nervous to bring my car in which it desperately needs. are dealerships any better then a non-chain axle/bodyshop? im bringing it in because i think i have a bad lca or tie rod or something, im not to familiar with all that under the car which is why im worried im gonna get butt raped.

If they say something is wrong with your car and you're not sure you believe them, then make them show you.