Talk about getting ripped off

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jeffie7

Wrong Whole!
VIP
Guy from another board.....

Background first, skip to the service list below if you are in such a hurry that you just want to see the scam question.

My mother-in-law has a 1995 Saturn. She has taken it to them religiously for service every 7,500 miles (and gets an oil change elsewhere between services as well). Well, her Catalytic Converter is shot with 110,000 miles on it. Saturn wants close to $1000 to replace it. So, she took it to a local repair shop that has a reputation of being very honest (when they did a sting a while ago, he was one of the only shops that repeatedly fixed small problems for small or no fees without jacking up the price and making stuff up).

Well, he gave her some very bad news. He told her that her car was in desperate need of a tune up, that the #1 cylinder was starving for fuel, the spark plugs were very old, possibly even the original plugs, her transmission fluid is bad, and her antifreeze is bad. He said the power steering fluid is ok for now, but will need replacing soon as well.

Now, here is what has my mother-in-law so worked up. She went back to her house, pulled her records, and has paid for the below service three times, the last one just under 20,000 miles ago.

Every 30,000 miles- $399.95
▪ Change Engine Oil Filter
▪ Replace Engine Oil Drain Plug Gasket
▪ Service Transmission, Differentials & Transfer Case
▪ Inspect Front Brake Linings, Rotors & Calipers
▪ Inspect Rear Brake Linings, Drums/Rotors & Cylinders
▪ Inspect Brake Lines & Hoses
▪ Inspect Exhaust System Pipes Muffler & Catalytic Converter
▪ Inspect Front & Rear Suspension & Steering System
▪ Inspect Drive Axles, U-Joints, CV Boots & Drive Lines
▪ Check Steering Gear Box Oil (Manual Steering Only)
▪ Inspect Spark Plugs (Platinum At 60,000)
▪ Inspect Fuel System - Fuel Tank, Cap & Lines
▪ Check Air Filter Condition
▪ Check A/C Cabin Filter
▪ Service Battery
▪ Rotate Tires
▪ Check Tire Condition & Adjust Air Pressure (Check Spare Upon Request)
▪ Check Complete Drive Train For Fluid Leaks
▪ Check Shocks & Struts For Wear And/Or Leakage
▪ Check Clutch/Auto Transmission Performance & Operation
▪ Top-Off Engine Compartment Fluids (Brake Fluid, If Warning Light Is On)
▪ Inspect Engine Anti-Freeze
▪ Check Drive Belt Condition & Tension
▪ Lubricate Door Locks, Latches & Hinges
▪ Check Interior & Exterior Lights
▪ Check Windshield Wiper Operation, Blades & Washer
▪ Check Parking Brake Adjustment
▪ Check Seat Belt Condition

So, we go over this with the neighborhood mechanic, and he tells her that what she got was a $400 oil change, lube and tire rotation. He goes on to explain that no where on the list does it say to REPLACE anything other than the oil, filter, and drain plug gasket.

I couldn't believe this. So, I called the dealer. I asked, "What happens if I have my Saturn serviced there and you find a problem, is that more to fix, or is that included?" He tells me that for EVERYTHING they find wrong during inspection, it is an additional charge! Looking at her bills, she was never charged an additional fee. So, does that really mean that she spent $1,200 dollars on three oil changes????

Regardless, after the neighborhood mechanic finished working on the car, she says she can't remember the last time it ran so well. It is super quiet, smooth, and doesn't vibrate. With all of her records in check, she doesn't have any recourse, does she?
 
Originally posted by xyswany@Nov 2 2004, 03:58 AM
Hence the term "stealership"
[post=410424]Quoted post[/post]​



:werd:
 
Agreed, lots of those places simply rip you off. That's why my girl has me do most the work on her Saturn. Any work I cannot perform (inspections and the like) is done by a shop that I myself can say I trust. Took my car there for inspection and alignment and the guy brought me in the shop and showed me EXACTLY what was wrong. Afterwards we spent an hour or so talking shop and he showed me how to use the alignment machine.

Ya just gotta find the right place.
 
well i mean it does say CHECK beside everything.
 
i bought my 97 teggy in march 03 from a teacher who lived like a block from the dealership where she bought it. same deal, serviced there on schedule since 97 but when i got it home i tuned it up anyway. ran much smooth and quieter. dealerships are only good foe buying a new car, and even then u get screwed.
 
she could sue for flase advertisement and not providing the service stated on work order, they said they would check all those things so how did they all go that bad with in 3 oil changed
 
Originally posted by pissedoffsol@Nov 4 2004, 02:36 PM
52% of america is stupid.
she's one of them
[post=412112]Quoted post[/post]​


Thats fuckin harsh fool :D
 
aye, thats a few different kinds of diagnostic checks they do, and each one is usually around 60-90 dollars depending on the place, usually higher with dealerships

i have a funny story.

I took my nissan to the dealership because it was under warranty and the alternator needed to be replaced, so i went to the counter and said, "Yeah the alternator on my car needs to be replaced, its under warranty."
the guy asked, "is your check engine light coming on?"
it had been so i said "um, yeah"
"okay, we'll take a look at it"

so two days later i get a call and he said he took care of the problem, and the thing that needed to be fixed wasn't under warranty. i was happy to get my car back and have it fixed so i paid the 300 bucks and was on my way. the next day, my battery died. confused, i took the car back to the dealership and explained
"yeah, i brought my car in to have the alternator fixed and the battery died, so obviously its not fixed"
the guy took my info down and looked in his computer
"well, i see here that you brought the car in for the check engine light, but i dont see anything about the alternator"
"omfg your kidding right?"
"no you can look right here"
"thats okay, i believe you"
"well we can have it looked at again, we wont charge you for the diagnostic"
"damn straight"

so after waiting, the guy comes back and says that indeed the alternator needed to be replaced and it was going to cost me $700 dollars, to his dismay i let him know that the car was under warranty.

" oh :( " he says

lesson learned: dont let other people fix your shit, fix it yourself, if you dont know how, come to hondaswap and learn :D

other lesson learned: if your still going to pay for a warranty on your car and it breaks down and you have to take it to the dealership, dont tell them its under warranty until after they fix the problem.
 
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