C
Cygnet
Guest
I live in Arizona and took a car in to an auto shop because I was having difficulty shifting the standard transmission. I specified (in writing, incidently) that I was having difficulty shifting the car and that I wanted them to repair it. The car was drivable, but because I'm moving to a rural area, I wanted it repaired before I move.
I thought at the time it was a clutch problem, however, the "bad guy" shop told me that it was the hydraulic master cylinder, not the clutch itself. I was skeptical of this (symptoms didn't fit) but they were adamant that the problem was the hydraulics. They called me later that day, fed me a BS line about it needing new motor mounts because they were "cracked" (a few cracks are normal in a motor mount) and then told me my car was fixed when I told 'em I didn't believe 'em on the motor mounts because the vehicle wasn't showing symptoms of bad motor mounts.
So I go, pay by debit card, go out to the vehicle, and discover the moment I put my foot on the clutch pedal that not only did they not fix the problem, they'd made it ten times worse -- I could barely drive the car.
The manager drove the car, insisted that it was fine, and I would "Get used" to the new feel. I fussed at them, at which point they told me it ACTUALLY needed (in addition to the hydraulics) a new clutch. Gee. What I'd said initially. Except they'd made it essentially undrivable with their "repair." They insisted that the hydraulic work they'd done was fine, and the problem was with the clutch. Another $750 to repair, with a 10% discount because I was mad. *snort*
I took it to a differant shop to fix the mess the "bad" shop had made -- the second shop confirmed that not only was the problem the clutch to start with, but that the hydraulic master cylinder the bad shop installed was OBVIOUSLY faulty. Second shop is very much on the up and up, they're willing to write me a letter stating that the master cylinder the "bad" shop installed is defective. The "bad" shop insists that A, there's nothing wrong with the master cylinder they installed and B, if there is something wrong with the master cylinder, they won't honor any warranty work done by anyone else! Plus I have to pay labor if they do replace the bad master cylinder they installed.
I'm downright furious -- I want them to replace the master cylinder for free AND refund my money, since that wasn't the problem to start with and there was nothing wrong with the original master cylinder. Plus I think I should be compensated for my time in taking the vehicle to the other shop.
What tactics would you reccomend I take with the "bad" shop to get my money back? It's not a huge amount of money they took me for ($400) but I worked hard for that money, I don't make all that much, every penny counts, and that $400 is literally my grocery bill for three months.
I thought at the time it was a clutch problem, however, the "bad guy" shop told me that it was the hydraulic master cylinder, not the clutch itself. I was skeptical of this (symptoms didn't fit) but they were adamant that the problem was the hydraulics. They called me later that day, fed me a BS line about it needing new motor mounts because they were "cracked" (a few cracks are normal in a motor mount) and then told me my car was fixed when I told 'em I didn't believe 'em on the motor mounts because the vehicle wasn't showing symptoms of bad motor mounts.
So I go, pay by debit card, go out to the vehicle, and discover the moment I put my foot on the clutch pedal that not only did they not fix the problem, they'd made it ten times worse -- I could barely drive the car.
The manager drove the car, insisted that it was fine, and I would "Get used" to the new feel. I fussed at them, at which point they told me it ACTUALLY needed (in addition to the hydraulics) a new clutch. Gee. What I'd said initially. Except they'd made it essentially undrivable with their "repair." They insisted that the hydraulic work they'd done was fine, and the problem was with the clutch. Another $750 to repair, with a 10% discount because I was mad. *snort*
I took it to a differant shop to fix the mess the "bad" shop had made -- the second shop confirmed that not only was the problem the clutch to start with, but that the hydraulic master cylinder the bad shop installed was OBVIOUSLY faulty. Second shop is very much on the up and up, they're willing to write me a letter stating that the master cylinder the "bad" shop installed is defective. The "bad" shop insists that A, there's nothing wrong with the master cylinder they installed and B, if there is something wrong with the master cylinder, they won't honor any warranty work done by anyone else! Plus I have to pay labor if they do replace the bad master cylinder they installed.
I'm downright furious -- I want them to replace the master cylinder for free AND refund my money, since that wasn't the problem to start with and there was nothing wrong with the original master cylinder. Plus I think I should be compensated for my time in taking the vehicle to the other shop.
What tactics would you reccomend I take with the "bad" shop to get my money back? It's not a huge amount of money they took me for ($400) but I worked hard for that money, I don't make all that much, every penny counts, and that $400 is literally my grocery bill for three months.