Posts Tagged ‘auto repair’

Real consumer complaint, we will get to the bottom of!

Friday, April 16th, 2010

The following is an actual email from a consumer that we supplied and estimate for repairs too. She wrote this email to HAE after she interacted with this shop owner. We are currently looking into this matter to see if in fact a rip off did occur. As soon as we have the answer we will post our findings to this blog. The opinion expressed by this consumer does not reflect the views of HAE, rather simply the consumers opinion.

From: Elaine S.
Date: Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 1:57 PM
Subject: ripp-off
To: honestautoestimates.com

Jay owner of  Wayne Sunoco at  558  Alps Road, Wayne, N.J.is a crook. He had his employee Adam overcharge me for labor & a starter for my car. He lied to me and told me that because my car is old the parts are very expensive. This is obviously a lie.. .I am sure he is ripping off other customers also..  Please make sure that word gets out about this crooked mechanic. Thank you for your help.

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Low profile tires, are they worth it? Look good at any cost?

Friday, April 16th, 2010

A lot of young people are into the tuning market and like the look and performance of low profile tires mounted on very large wheels. The problem is the tire is the first line of defense when you hit a pot hole or turn into McDonalds. The energy from the collision that is created when your vehicle runs through a pot hole or any other large bump, has to be absorbed by the tire first and then into the wheel, then wheel hub, the suspension and eventually into the chassis, then your seat. If you have a very low profile tire (Sidewall), the energy is not absorbed by the tire it is transferred completely into the other parts. These parts are not designed to take the complete impact so they begin to fail prematurely or worse they fail immediately and cause lots of callateral damage. The idea of street tires having to be low profile to handle well is solid, but it has to be tempered with reason. There is “Too low” when it comes to the tire’s side wall and you could cost your self a lot of money trying to look sporty!

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Consumer Advocate? Really?

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Many companies have began to use the catch phrase “Consumer advocate” to appeal to Americans since of fair play to cash in. They do this by setting up websites to provide information and then do not have actual people to assist consumers. Information by itself is not the total solution to the issue that consumers face of being overcharged for repairs to there cars. Consumers need help to navigate the information provided and support to back up that information that is real, not just virtual concepts. Consumer advocacy began as a movement to protect consumers from being taken, not just monetarily but subliminally as well. The term a wolf in sheep clothing comes to mind when we hear of some websites that are capturing people attention only to direct them towards the parent for profit companies commercial outlet for auto parts or repair facilities that they own or do business with to supply parts too. HAE does allow auto repair shop to interact with consumers to provide repairs, but HAE has “Hands on” oversight of this process to ensure the positive out come for both the consumer and the repair shop. Through this medium HAE has helped and gained the respect of thousands of consumers all over the U.S. It can be a great partnership between consumer and advocate as long as the consumer is the reason for the relationship and not the bottom line of the parent company selling parts or repairs. We would ask that you investigate any website calling them selves a “Consumer advocate” to find the source of that company and their motives for providing help. It’s kind of like knowing why someone is holding the door open for you, are they trying to help or just trap you inside?

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Deadly contact!

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

I would guess that most people have no idea of what a DOT number is on your tires. This is perhaps the most important number associated with a vehicle tire, even more important than the price, it’s the age. Watch the following report from ABC news before you kill your family or friends trying to save money and time:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

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Actual Case of a Rip Off in Fayetteville NC

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

We recently,September 23, 2009, spoke with an HAE Consumer Member who took their 2004 VW Passat to a repair shop in Fayettteville North Carolina. The car’s thermostat had failed causing the vehicle to overheat. now that’s were everything goes off the charts for rip off. You see, the shop quoted a price of over $450 to complete this repair. They said the labor time for this was 4.5 hours, we looked up the labor time on Alldata, mitchell’s and Chilton and the highest time was 2.5. Now, in explanation of the labor times, this shop to remain nameless,  gave the following;

cooling system diagnosis 1.0

verify complaint .1

check coolant condition .1

check coolant level .1

pressure test radiator .1

TSB search (Look up codes in computer) .1

Visual inspection .1

pressure test radiator .1 (That’s right, twice)

inspect belts .1

check cooling fans .1

inspect for proper coolant .1

replace thermostat 2.5

That’s 4.5 hours of labor, for what? Ok, let’s set this aside for a minute. We also looked at the parts pricing model to determine why this overcharge occurred. The following are the prices as listed on the estimate:

Thermostat $50.57, this is twice the manufacturer suggested retail price at the VW dealership.

Coolant $30.90, where is the gold in this fluid? Every parts store in the U.S. has this item for under $15.

The conclusion we came to was the same as you are probably thinking, “They saw him coming!” These shops get away with this because of the previous lack of knowledge of auto repair the public once had to endure. HAE was founded to prevent this type of hideous, out right abuse of the consumer.  For further details about the exact shop name and location you can email customerservice@honestautoestimates.com and request the information.

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Hey is it just me or did I really see………………

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Maybe I am old fashion, but I think that auto repair should be auto repaired. So many times we take our cars to a repair shop only to hear, “We have to start with this and hope”, hope? Why not fix! With the level of computer intergration, most vehicles self diagnose. If a shops says this to you, look out wallet! They are telling you they are not sure whats wrong but if you don’t mind footing the bill, we can throw enough parts at the problem until it goes away. I know some problems are difficult to find, but dilligence can be a money saver. The key to getting a direct answer to “What’s wrong with it” is really a 3 pronged appraoch; 1) Technical knowledge 2) Tools 3) Technician. If you have these things going for you, there is a good chance you will only pay for the repair and not that shops training session on your car.

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The real world of auto repair

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

In the real world of auto repair shops, the bottom line rules. As the economy has tightened up, many shop have found themselves struggling to make it. Some have turned to overcharging the customers they do get in just to make ends meet.
HAE does not recognize the reasoning of “anything goes, I have to stay in business.” The truth is that it is possible to stay open and NOT overcharge consumers. The key to it all is getting the word out that no matter how bad it gets you will not resort to “Ripping off” consumers. Association such as HAE, BBB and AAA can be valuable resourses for both consumers and repair shops. They can connect “Honest” shops with consumers who don’t mind paying “An honest days pay for an honest days work”. HAE offers shops the ability to connect with it’s consumer members only if they meet the standards set to protect the members. These shops must meet criteria including being subjected to “Mystery Shopper” estimates. HAE makes sure that shops treat every consumer with respect and honesty or HAE will make an example out of that shop.
HAE is considered by many to be the authority concerning auto repair rip offs. We spot them a mile away and expose them everyday to our consumer members so they are not taken. Shop who think “Profit above all” or “Do what ever it takes” will pay the price, but those shops that join HAE and GUARANTEE they will not overcharge will reap the rewards!

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Here the secret to not getting over charged!!!!

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

HAE’s: “Don’t  be  overcharged  for  auto  repair”

4 Steps that can save you a lot of money and headache!

1) Choosing  a  repair  shop:

*Ask  friends  about  their  experiences  at  a  shop  they  may  recommend

*Find  a  shop  convenient  to  your  work  place;  if  this  is  where  you  spend  most  of your  time  during  the  day.

*Consult  the  telephone  book

No matter how recommended the shop is “Do  your  homework”  and  go  online  to  consumer affairs division and  look  for  the  number  of disputes  and  how  many  have  been  settled  unsatisfactory.

2) Make  contact  with  the  shop  and  ask:

*Do  you  provide  a  written  estimate?

*Do  you  have  certified  technicians  and  in  what  areas  are  they  certified?

*Do  you  offer  a  standard  12  months  or  12,000  mile  warranty?

*Does  your  warranty  cover  parts,  labor  and  towing?

*Do  you  charge  a  diagnostic  fee?

*Do  you  have  a  minimum  charge?

*Do  you  offer  to  return  of  old  parts?

*Do  you  charge  storage  if  the  vehicle  is  not  picked  up  the  same  day  repairs  have  been  completed?

3) After  you  receive  an  estimate  in  writing:

*Tell  the  shop  not  to  complete  any  repairs  until  authorized,  DO  NOT  let  them  press  you  into  saying  “Yes”.

*Call  other  shops  to  see  what  they  would  charge  for  the  same  repair  or  find  a  resource  such  as  honestautoestimates.com  that  can  check  the  estimate.

*Make  a  call  to  the  parts  store  and  compare  the  parts  price.

*If  you  feel  that  you  are  being  treated  fairly  Authorize  the  repairs  and  confirm  the  price  by  saying  “  I  authorize  this  amount  for  these  repairs”.

(For steps 2 and 3 Honestautoestimates can be a good resource to reduce time)

4) When  you  pick  up  your  car:

*Go  over  the  repairs  that  were  completed  asking  about  the  old  parts  and  any  other  issues  that  might  cause  problems  later.

*Check  over  the  invoice  and  look  for  the  “warranty  statement”,  parts  listed  (Make  sure  they  are  listed  as  new  along  with  part  numbers),  labor  cost  (  Make  sure  the  hours  are  clearly  listed  or  ask  to  have  them  listed)

*Write  down  the  name  of  the  person  who  has  accepted  your  money.

*Inspect  the  car  for  any  damage  that  did  not  exist  before  your  visit and tell the manager before you leave.

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