PEP BOYS

"The Pep Boys"

ANYWHERE

(The following incident took place in the Bay Shore NY store)

Posted: 05/18/2010

The receipt had to be split into two images for clarity. However, as it can be clearly seen in the above images the image on the left is the top of the receipt and the image on the right is the information just below the "Pep Rewards Number." It can be seen that both halves comprise the same receipt as it was intentionally split to reveal that the numbers below the bar code and that the numbers indicated as "Pep Rewards Number" are exactly the same in both images.

On the right-side receipt image the numbered arrows 1-4 are detailed below.

1.  For replacement of two 3 foot brake lines a "labor" charge of $202.00 was applied PRIOR to any work being done. That is the labor charge at $101.00 per hour. TWO HOURS to replace two 3 foot lengths of tubing? Who are they kidding? In the rip-off-the-customer-world of Pep Boys that's how much time is claimed that it takes. In the REAL world it's, at most, about one hour's worth of work!

2. We don't know what a "Brake Fluid Exchange Pac" means. No fluid was "exchanged." Brake fluid was added to the master cylinder to replace what leaked out when the old tubing was removed but nothing was "exchanged." However,  it was charged at  $69.99

3. Now it wasn't enough of a rip-off for them to charge what #2 details above but they decided that since they already had a good thing going on with the $69.99 charge as detailed in #2 above why not tack on an extra $65.00 for something else that was never done! What is a "brake fluid change?" Again, the only brake fluid that was expelled from the system was the fluid which sputters out when the brakes are bled. Replacement fluid is then added to the master cylinder to restore the brake system to its proper level of fluid. On the receipt above there are TWO charges for work NEVER performed!

4. They told me after I complained about the charges, that they, as a courtesy,  weren't going to bill me for the brake fluid. They said that they were "taking it off" the bill. The minus(-) sign shows that it was deducted. Well, as you can see they did deduct it. As you can also see they simply added it right back!

Question- Do you have to pay for the "services" they claim they performed?

Answer- Yes and no. You do have to pay the bill to get your car back because there is something in the law called a "mechanic's lien." They now "have you in control!"

What this simply means is that when you present your car to a mechanic or to a facility which employs auto mechanics, you create a legal contractual obligation on your part. Your contractual obligation is to pay for the parts and services (labor) rendered in the service which they claim that they provided to your vehicle even if they really did not!  The law creates a condition where, unless the mechanic (or shop) is paid for services that they claim they have performed, the property (your car) may be physically "held" by the mechanic (or shop,) and the owner of the property may legally be prevented from removing the vehicle from the repair facility until such lien is settled by paying for the claimed services and materials.

To get some or even all of your money back if you feel that you have been taken advantage of, or ripped-off, you have to undertake some legal steps, however, before you do, you have to attempt to deal with them (the shop) first. It probably won't work however, but you have to give them the opportunity to correct the situation before you complain to the authorities! Tell them you will post your experience with their company on public complaint-board websites. See if that works before you seek a legal solution! If that method fails you will have to take the legal route if you seek to make a recovery!

Here is an update regarding the situation:

Today is Thursday May 20 2010- I called the Pep Boys Customer Service number. I spoke with someone who told me that the manager of the Bay Shore location stated, in relation to my complaint about a charge of $69.99 for the "BRAKE FLUID EXCHANGE PAC" that the brake lines were "flushed" and that is the reason for a charge of $69.99! They then "closed" my complaint without even letting me know! That's real good customer service, isn't it? In actuality it stinks!

Because the weather was beautiful on May 17th 2010, the overhead sliding garage door to the repair bay was open. Since I don't trust auto mechanics and I firmly believe that they should be under your watchful observation for every minute that they are in the vicinity of your vehicle, I stood there and watched everything that went on. I know exactly what the mechanic did and didn't do.

The brake lines WERE NOT flushed. To properly flush the brake lines the front bleeder valves would have had to be opened to expel brake fluid and any air in the lines! However, only the bleeder valves on the rear set of wheels were opened to get the air out of the lines. THIS IS NOT A BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH! It's merely bleeding the brakes! The mechanic had another shop employee get into the car, the car was brought up to about 5 feet off the bay floor on the hydraulic lift. The mechanic ordered the person in the driver's seat to pump the brake pedal. After several pumps he ordered to the brake-pumper to hold pressure on the brake pedal. The mechanic then loosened the wheel cylinder bleeder valve and a combination of brake fluid and air sputtered out. Then he tightened the bleeder valve. This operation was performed several more times until clear fluid squirted without any "sputtering" from trapped air. This brake line was now free of any air. The same operation was performed on the other brake line.

 THE BRAKES WERE SIMPLY BLED!  BUT THEY CHARGED FOR WHAT WOULD AMOUNT TO A BIGGER JOB THAT THEY DID NOT PERFORM!

I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS WHICH I HAVE HEARD ABOUT AND READ ABOUT PEP BOYS THROUGH THE YEARS ARE PROBABLY AND ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND EXACTLY AS THE COMPLAINANTS DETAILED THEIR STORY!

IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THIS:

MY ADVICE TO YOU: STAY AWAY FROM ANY AND ALL PEP BOYS LOCATIONS!

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HEAD'S UP!!!

WARN YOUR RELATIVES AND ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND ANYONE AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT YOU KNOW WHO MAY NEED SERVICE PERFORMED UPON THEIR AUTOMOBILE TO STAY AWAY FROM PEP BOYS!

Need more proof of how crooked Pep Boys is?

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