Theres no integrity in the world anymore

[Specop 007]

So, I'm having some transmission problems with my Expedition. I figure I'll get the fluid changed, if it fixes it great and if not well then it'll get rebuilt.

So I call a Firestone by a mall so I can hang out while they do it. They qouted me $129. Cool. Well I didnt make it due to other things coming up, so I decide to take it to a different Firestone across the street from work this morning. They ring it up and its $250. WTF... Well, the parts came to $133. Maybe the 129 was parts only?

Sitting here at work I decide to call a third Firestone. Get a qoute for $161. I asked if that includes labor. He said yep, everything except tax.

WTF. How the hell can 3 different stores byt he same company have estimates that very by hundreds of dollars??

Theres no damn integrity anymore. Finally got fed up and called an actual mechanic shop. $80 for inspection, then they will tell me whats actually wrong. Screw it, I'm going with that option.

Fucking mechanics.

Keep profanity out of the titles

ATOT Moderator ElFenix

 

[Jhill]

Are you 16 and is this your first car?

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Jhill
Are you 16 and is this your first car?

LOL

I wish man, I wish.

I'm 30 and this is my....Hell I dunno...10th car?

 

[meltdown75]

maybe they were charging for different parts or something at the other locations...

i agree though, the only time i feel like i'm not being shafted by wrenchmonkeys is if i know the guy.

 

[ThePresence]

Why not price the parts yourself so you know what you're dealing with.
I had a mechanic I was using for years. He did good work and came across as Mr. Honesty himself.
Then one time I priced out the parts and realized he was robbing me blind.

 

[dakels]

Originally posted by: Jhill
Are you 16 and is this your first car?

lol seriously.

My father told me of 3 professional relationships you always want to maintain.

A: good Doctor
B: good Lawyer
C: good Mechanic


On a side note, a good contractor and plumber are always good too

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Why not price the parts yourself so you know what you're dealing with.
I had a mechanic I was using for years. He did good work and came across as Mr. Honesty himself.
Then one time I priced out the parts and realized he was robbing me blind.

Ow.

 

[dud]

The Internet (and Google) are your friends. Use them the next time your car needs service. Many chains (like Firestone) have been identified as scammers by consumer groups in the past. There are many websites that contain information/complaints about their shady dealings. I did a quick search and found about 100,000 hits just on "Friestone complaints". Here is an interesting site:


Consumeraffairs complaints about Firestone

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Why not price the parts yourself so you know what you're dealing with.
I had a mechanic I was using for years. He did good work and came across as Mr. Honesty himself.
Then one time I priced out the parts and realized he was robbing me blind.

It depends what I'm getting done as to whether I price things out. With a fluid change there just isnt much to price except a shitload of transmission fluid and a filter.

But I do. The lady I work with needed an alternator and they wanted to charge her like 300 or some ridiculous thing. I looked up the item where I get parts and it was 83.

She wasnt amused.

But sometimes you cant put a price on convienence. I dont want to mess with 17 quarts or whatever it is on used transmission fluid.

 

[Sqube]

You've had 10 cars and you're still surprised at how many mechanics out there would be glad to rob you blind? Interesting.

I'm glad my dad's a mechanic. He wouldn't shaft me... right...?

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Sqube
You've had 10 cars and you're still surprised at how many mechanics out there would be glad to rob you blind? Interesting.

I'm glad my dad's a mechanic. He wouldn't shaft me... right...?

Well, I usually drove the proverbial POS which was old enough I could fix myself. Anymore though I just dont want to fuck with it. I hated fixing cars when I had to do it I sure as shit wont do it if I dont have to. Besides, transmissions are way beyond me anyways so I dont wanan try to figure them out.

But having something thats not a POS and "disposable" and also thats paid for, I'm gonna put a few bucks in it to keep it going till the frame rusts out.

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: Sqube
You've had 10 cars and you're still surprised at how many mechanics out there would be glad to rob you blind? Interesting.

I'm glad my dad's a mechanic. He wouldn't shaft me... right...?

No your flex inhibitor really was broke. And those things aren't cheap.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Did you ever wonder why a shop pays it's mechanic ~$20/hr while charging $89/hr? You are ALWAYS going to get ass raped when taking a car to a shop.

You need to find out one of two things....

1. How to do it yourself
2. Where a mechanic that does side work is located

I got really lucky this weekend with car repairs. I had to swap out the starter on one of our vehicles and once I took the old one out, I realized that it was a reman so I called around and found the parts store that sold it and got it replaced for free under the lifetime warranty. Total cost to me.....a couple of hours and gas to and from the part store.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Why not price the parts yourself so you know what you're dealing with.
I had a mechanic I was using for years. He did good work and came across as Mr. Honesty himself.
Then one time I priced out the parts and realized he was robbing me blind.

It depends what I'm getting done as to whether I price things out. With a fluid change there just isnt much to price except a shitload of transmission fluid and a filter.

But I do. The lady I work with needed an alternator and they wanted to charge her like 300 or some ridiculous thing. I looked up the item where I get parts and it was 83.

She wasnt amused.

But sometimes you cant put a price on convienence. I dont want to mess with 17 quarts or whatever it is on used transmission fluid.

I wasn't saying to do it yourself, but at least you know how much they are charging you for labor, or overcharging you for the parts.

 

[xanis]

It's so true. Two months ago my car was up for inspection, and since I'm off at college my parents took it for me and I just paid them back when I came home next. The car failed inspection due to bad alignment, a bad air filter, and some other small things. My mom, who took the car to the dealer, mistook my daytime running light indicator for my high beam indicator, told the dealer that my high beams were stuck on. The dealer didn't even check to see if it was really broken, they just replaced it. Cost $180 for the part and labor. Luckily my mom picked up that part of the tab.

My parents have a 2000 GMC Jimmy. Lately, a lot of things went wrong with it and the local GMC dealer quoted the repairs for $3,000 for parts and labor. My parents took it to another private mechanic who's been fixing our family's cars for many years... the price was quoted at $1,500 for parts and labor... fully HALF of what the dealer wanted. The truck got fixed and it's been running like a champ since.

I know where I'll be taking my car from now on. The guy who runs this shop is a genuinely nice guy and as far as I know, has never ripped anyone off.

 

[SearchMaster]

I knew a mechanic who had to quit Firestone because they threatened to fire him because he wouldn't make up fake diagnoses and overcharge people. He said it wasn't isolated to just his shop, everyone he knew with Firestone in the area had the same pressures.

I've never been to Firestone since, even though my dad swears by the one in his town.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Xanis
It's so true. Two months ago my car was up for inspection, and since I'm off at college my parents took it for me and I just paid them back when I came home next. The car failed inspection due to bad alignment, a bad air filter, and some other small things. My mom, who took the car to the dealer, mistook my daytime running light indicator for my high beam indicator, told the dealer that my high beams were stuck on. The dealer didn't even check to see if it was really broken, they just replaced it. Cost $180 for the part and labor. Luckily my mom picked up that part of the tab.

My parents have a 2000 GMC Jimmy. Lately, a lot of things went wrong with it and the local GMC dealer quoted the repairs for $3,000 for parts and labor. My parents took it to another private mechanic who's been fixing our family's cars for many years... the price was quoted at $1,500 for parts and labor... fully HALF of what the dealer wanted. The truck got fixed and it's been running like a champ since.

I know where I'll be taking my car from now on. The guy who runs this shop is a genuinely nice guy and as far as I know, has never ripped anyone off.

They don't call them "Stealerships" for nothing....

 

[FoBoT]

get someone to refer you to a local (non-branded) car repair shop. mention the persons name the first time you take your car there

this strategy has worked for me

 

[JulesMaximus]

Parts? You mean a pan gasket and transmission fluid?

What sort of problems are you having? Changing fluid probably won't do anything to cure a transmission problem and you'll be out $250 because you'll have to change it again when you have it rebuilt.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: SearchMaster
I knew a mechanic who had to quit Firestone because they threatened to fire him because he wouldn't make up fake diagnoses and overcharge people. He said it wasn't isolated to just his shop, everyone he knew with Firestone in the area had the same pressures.

I've never been to Firestone since, even though my dad swears by the one in his town.

No that is how they run the firestones (and most national name shops).

I was a auto tech and applied at a FS and was given the talk. You make a VERY low wage, i think they offered me $8.00 a hr. They pay book rate but not true book rate but their own. So when I asked about it they said a brake job pays .8 hrs, no matter if it was a FWD chevy or a rear drum job on a dually truck. Then I was told that you don;t get paid extra to turn the rotors as thats part of the job. BUT if you replace the rotors then that a extra, I think he said, .2 hrs. Was told the aligminet machine is where the real money was at as tie rods paid a couple hours but only took minutes to replace on most cars they saw, etc...


I turned the job down and worked for myself after that.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: dud
The Internet (and Google) are your friends. Use them the next time your car needs service. Many chains (like Firestone) have been identified as scammers by consumer groups in the past. There are many websites that contain information/complaints about their shady dealings. I did a quick search and found about 100,000 hits just on "Friestone complaints". Here is an interesting site:


Consumeraffairs complaints about Firestone

The sheer number of Firestone service centers across the country all but ensures that there will be massive amounts of complaints. Even if 99.9% of people have a good experience, there will still be hundreds of thousands of complaints just because of the volume of work done.

I have never had a problem with any Firestone service center, but I only use them for tires and alignments, and I decline any additional services they offer.

The biggest problem with Firestone is that they use inexperienced techs who often cannot properly diagnose mechanical issues with a car. Their general solution seems to be to throw parts at a problem rather than take the time to inspect a car and actually diagnose it.

ZV

 

[DawsonsDada]

I have never been to a Firestone repair shop so I can't speak about them.

I have had my vehicle(s) (past and present) serviced at both dealerships and at independent mechanics.

Service at each, like most everywhere, varies upon the location.

Most times I just ask around about where other folks get their vehicles repaired and try them out for simple things like an inspecation or an oil change. While I am there I look at the shop and the employees to see how things are done.

I make it a point to comment favorably on good workmanship and fair prices. If they aren't then I make a "comment" by not returning there again.

I have had very good "luck" at most every place I have ever been too and make sure that the places that take care of my car and my family are mentioned to family and friends when asked for a place to go to get their cars worked on.

Word of mouth is the best advertising there is. I read somewhere that it takes approximately $150.00 (don't quote me on that as I am probably wrong) worth of advertising to bring a single customer into a store. It only takes one bad experience for that same customer to tell 10 (or more) people of the bad experience.

 

[Baked]

You're 30 and on your 10th car? Stop buying American cars! Shop around, get your car fixed at family run autobody shops, it's way cheaper.

 

[Kaido]

I'm SO glad I lease

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Kaido
I'm SO glad I lease

for some that cost far more then buying and repair.

but odds are you are young, get a new car every 2 years, have a good bit of disposable income etc.


no way would i lease. i would rather buy a 1-2 yr old car and keep it for 4-5 years.