Got into a pretty heated debate with the manager of Belle Tire

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: amicold
You know you're not necessarily being wronged here. I had rubber lines on my previous car that my mechanic said pretty much disintegrated when he moved it out of the way. I had it replaced but only the one that I thought he broke. Two months later the other one ruptured while I was driving.

But it's not a rubber line.

It was the hard line. Just in front of the rear tire there is a 90 degree bend where it connects to the line running to the master cylinder.

My guess is they damaged it putting it up on the hoist. The lift lug on that corner was improperly positioned. It went up in the pocket where the brake line was. This is pure negligience. It's nice that the manager is backing up his employee, but he's losing a customer by doing so.

It should have been repaired at no charge. If the manager needed to recoup the money, it should have come out of the mechanic's check. If the mechanic is a good employee that just made a mistake as people do, then he needed to eat the repair.

In Michigan right now, you really don't want to lose a customer. rudeguy, IMO you're in the right.

 

[Vette73]

OP, is this a brake line (metal) or a brake hose (rubber)???

Take a picture of it and I can tell you if it was worn out or they broke it some way.

Rubber hoses do wear out and I have seen them go out while driving with no symptoms. The metal lines don;t break but can wear/rust out in heavy salt areas. Again I have also seen that happen as well.

So they could be telling the truth.

 

[God Mode]

Take it from someone that has several mechanics in his family and circle of friends. The average mechanic is a shithead and will rip you off.

 

[meltdown75]

kick his ass, Seabass!

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
OP, is this a brake line (metal) or a brake hose (rubber)???

Take a picture of it and I can tell you if it was worn out or they broke it some way.

Rubber hoses do wear out and I have seen them go out while driving with no symptoms. The metal lines don;t break but can wear/rust out in heavy salt areas. Again I have also seen that happen as well.

So they could be telling the truth.

again, they did not return the part so I can't post pics.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: amicold
You know you're not necessarily being wronged here. I had rubber lines on my previous car that my mechanic said pretty much disintegrated when he moved it out of the way. I had it replaced but only the one that I thought he broke. Two months later the other one ruptured while I was driving.

But it's not a rubber line.

It was the hard line. Just in front of the rear tire there is a 90 degree bend where it connects to the line running to the master cylinder.

My guess is they damaged it putting it up on the hoist. The lift lug on that corner was improperly positioned. It went up in the pocket where the brake line was. This is pure negligience. It's nice that the manager is backing up his employee, but he's losing a customer by doing so.

It should have been repaired at no charge. If the manager needed to recoup the money, it should have come out of the mechanic's check. If the mechanic is a good employee that just made a mistake as people do, then he needed to eat the repair.

In Michigan right now, you really don't want to lose a customer. rudeguy, IMO you're in the right.

I think it did happen when they were putting it on the hoist. You were able to explain it better than I can. The edge/corner of the hoist was right behind where the line was broke. It could be a huge coincidence but I dunno...

I sent their corporate an email detailing exactly what happened, how the situation was handled and the 4 state laws that were broke.

 

[alkemyst]

4 state laws broke?

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
4 state laws broke?

no written estimate given, deceitful practices by their manager, not returning the old parts to me and the big one of not taking responsibility for damage done to my car while in their care.

But it all kind of worked out. I will never go back there or to any other chain repair places. I know how they work but didn't think they could pull any shenanigans replacing a tire.

Lesson learned.

 

[Delta6Echo]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
I dropped my car off today at Belle Tire to have a new tire put on and an allignment done. We agreed on $150 and I killed an hour while they were supposed to be working on it. When I got back, my car was still on the hoist. Apparently, a brake line snapped when they were pulling it in.

My argument was that I dropped off my car in a certain condition and I should get it back in the same condition. I don't think they broke the line on purpose and don't know if they really did anything to make it happen when it was in their possession. But the point is that something happened while they had it. They offered to replace the brake line for $100. That's $20 for the line and $80 in labor.

After going rounds with the manager, I got fed up and told him that I didn't want to do business with them and that I wanted my car back in the same condition that it was in when I brought it in. He got a bit worried because he realized that I do have the right to demand that. He called his boss and came back and was wanting to deal. I said that I was willing to pay for the parts but not the labor. He came back with an offer of $220 for 2 tires and the brake line but no alignment. My whole reason for bringing it in was that it needed an alignment.

So I told him I wanted a night to sleep on it. My car is still up there and unless I call him and tell him different, he is going to do the brake line and throw a used tire on it for $100. I will still have to pay for an alignment later on. I am not happy but at least my car will be driveable.

Anyone have experience dealing with their corporate office?





Cliffs:
Dropped off my car to get it worked on
Brake line magically busted while they had it
I don't think I should have to pay for the labor to fix the brake line
Their manager talks like Elmer Fudd


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update:
I went to pick up my car and told the manager I wanted to talk to him in private. I showed him the laws I linked to below and also the ones on not providing a written estimate and one regarding intentionally misinforming a customer about needed repairs to their vehicle. I told him I would much rather solve this on the spot rather than have the BBB, DOT, SoS and small claims court involved. Its not about the money anymore, its about principle. He said his district manager was aware of the situation and that he wasn't willing to do anything else. I made sure I paid cash so I didn't have to sign anything before I left. No parts were returned to me or offered to be returned to me, violating another major law.

This is going to be my hobby until it gets settled one way or the other.

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10/1 update:

Just got off the phone with the district manager. After a half hour long session of him denying responsibility and me stating the laws and my rights, he finally offered me most of the money I paid for labor back. I still wouldn't go back there or to any other chain repair places. They are only out for profit and don't care about customers. The only reason he was willing to do anything was that I did know my rights.

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10/1 update again:

I'm an idiot for using Belle Tires

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: rudeguy

Originally posted by: alkemyst
4 state laws broke?

no written estimate given, deceitful practices by their manager, not returning the old parts to me and the big one of not taking responsibility for damage done to my car while in their care.

But it all kind of worked out. I will never go back there or to any other chain repair places. I know how they work but didn't think they could pull any shenanigans replacing a tire.

Lesson learned.

I didn't think a written estimate nor getting your old parts back was law unless you requested it.

The second and last issues are hearsay.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: abaez
What would watching it do? You gonna stop them before they accidently break something?

no, but when it does happen you can run up and say "HEY! you just broke my brake line!!" and thats kind of like... witnessing their fuck up...