Pep Boys - Davis Cir, I was unfortunate to be ripped off. Raleigh North Carolina

I took my Ford Focus to them for brake repair service.
This was a car that my family had been driving and the complaint was that every time brakes are applied there is a squealing noise. I actually drove the car from Chapel Hill to Raleigh to get the check-up and repairs.

When I took the car to Pep Boys, Davis Circle, Raleigh, the first thing that happened was the mechanic turned the starter hard and it wouldn't start. He then got a portable battery jumper and the car started with no issues. Now this was a surprise since the car did not give me any starting trouble previously. The portable battery jumper was removed and the car was running good, so the mechanic stated that the battery may need a replacement.

They then called me and told me that several components in my car's brake system needed replacement and they said the 'alternator' needed replacement. I am confounded. As a mechanical engineering graduate, I know that an alternator is the key to running of an engine and the battery is used only to start the engine. I asked the front office representative and he was sarcastic in his reply that Ford Focus' are notorious for 'alternator' failures. When I challenged him, how come my car was running with no issues, he tells me that the car was running off of my battery till then.
I perhaps can understand replacement of brakes but I am unable to understand even now why my alternator was replaced. There is no proof except for their word. No print-out of the inspection report was attached or given, with the explanation that their printer is not working.

When I went back to the store, I noticed that they priced every item at the highest available option and included all the warranty add-on upsell options. Their price came up to $1200.00 and since I was certain that something did not seem quite right, I wanted to take my car elsewhere for a second opinion. Now they say that I need to tow the vehicle since brakes were removed and so non-functional plus car won't run and/or start. So I take a car in running condition and am left with an unusable vehicle.

I have researched a lot about 'alternator' failures and every advice, every blog and every report on the internet, proves that the car cannot be running smoothly with a dead 'alternator'. Given the circumstances where the car was running with no issues till the mechanic turned the starter on that fateful day proves the point that there was no issue with the car's 'alternator'. I have also talked with a couple of Certified Mechanics and their opinion also was that this cannot be a failure of 'alternator'.

I know I was ripped off, but was unable to prove it. I had no choice and in a bad situation, so at the end I paid about $1100 in total.

When they delivered the car, the brake pedal rubber pad was missing, the battery cover was on the back seat and the new rubber mats were extremely dirty. Funny thing is, the brakes were not as good as before and the starter doesn't quite work as before.
I complained to the front office representative, who tested the brakes and said they looked fine to him. He however apologized for the dirty floor mats and replaced them with a new set.

I am now in the process of selling my car to a dealership (I really don't want to sell it to an individual) since I am not confident about this car anymore. Pep Boys not only destroyed my confidence, they also took away my peace of mind.

I am also approaching lawyers and/or small claims court to see if I have enough evidence to sue them and if not I will think I was foolish enough to be ripped off by them.