Overcharge for parts and labor
(though at least they didn’t try to sell me their credit card; not that they’re at all above doing that if given the chance)
Out of the three repairs that I needed to pass inspection, two were significantly overpriced both for parts and labor. The one that wasn’t overpriced happened to be a service that was conspicuously and regularly advertised on their wall; they probably conceded it wouldn’t be possible to jack up the price on that one without making it utterly obvious.
What I have trouble believing, though, is how stupid and desperate they were to try to pressure me into signing off on the repairs right away: “If you don’t do the repairs now, we’re going to have to put a rejection sticker on your car . . .” Well duh, I know that, and I also know that you purposefully left out the part where I am entitled by state law to return for a re-inspection within fifteen days. Besides, if I’m going to drop a couple hundred dollars on repairs, would I really care about spending a few more dollars to get inspected even if I miss the re-inspection deadline?
(Not obviously) I declined to do my repairs with them.
—
Q: What brand of filter?
A: (insert shop name) brand
How ridiculous is that? Unless, of course, they were afraid to let me know where they actually got their dubious generic product.
—
Credit card, anyone?
Customer next to me is informed that the necessary repairs will be expensive, but:
If you apply for this card we just happen to carry, not only will you be able to pay us the exorbitant charges, you’ll also enjoy the extra privilege of getting it up your ass from the credit card company, which (and we won’t hesitate to shamelessly and emphatically point out) is really good for you since you’d be getting screwed at a rate that’s (questionably, if at all) less usurious than you might get from the competition (that is, your own credit card company–in case our chicanery was not adequately persuasive, causing you to remember that you actually already have one and needn’t gratuitously apply for another one).
As bad as this may appear already, it shouldn’t obscure the fact that it’s actually worse than it looks. The exorbitant charges are not only needlessly but also purposefully inflated–which is their standard practice whether they’re trying to sell you their credit card or not. Of course, the fact that they’re leveraging the safety inspection deadline to pressure the customer certainly helps boost their quota.
Recent Comments