- Report: #13420
Complaint Review: pep boys
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| pep boys Audubon Shopping Center
Audubon, New Jersey United States of America |
|
pep boys don't test drive cars, liars, ripoffs or just plain idiots for mechanics. Audubon New Jersey
*Consumer Comment: Pep Boys Rip Off
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Stay as far away as possible from this company!
*UPDATE Employee: 3 Complainats have been fired for theft
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Pep Boys is bad, but...
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: road testing cars
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Get A Refund!! (To the Lady in NJ)
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Stay away from pepboys
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I've seen this time and time again.
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on january 27 i had my car towed to pep boys, hoping that the would be professionals would tell me what i needed to repair and how much i needed to pay. giving them two days to notify me, decided to stop in with my co-worker on the way to work and find out the status of my car. i wanted an estimate on what the "main brain" would cost to replace, the employee replied six hundred dollars at the most. (making myself as clear as possible they already told me what the problem was- then giving me the estimate of $600.00)leaving the store i was relieved knowing that i could pay for the problem without a problem.
the very next morning pep boys called (it was a different guy) giving me an estimate of $1,200!! in shock i asked if i could call them back in 15 minuted. my boyfriend and i called several other places who said that the repair including labor should be no more that $1,100. when we called pep boys back my boyfriend explained to the employee that the day before the other guy said only $600.00. catching him off guard the employee replied that he "would see what he could do."
i went to work and my boyfriend said that the guy at pep boys said the best he could do is charge us $925.00 for the part. and in total the cost was $1,122--this isn't neccessarily the problem. the day i went to pick my car up no one explained anything to me i even had to find a guy who could tell a guy to get my car keys. here is the thing i didn't even get off the pep boy's parking lot when the RPM's would go crazy!! when i would reach 25 mph the RPM's would drop down so low that the car would almost stop--it did this the whole time i drove the car. once i hit a certain mph the car would pause--almost getting rear-ened i drove the car home.
getting a ride to my job i called and asked to speak to "service," i waited for 11 minutes and finaly hung up-then called right back. they put me on the phone with a guy i had never spoken to--explaining to him that my car was acting weird and said how the car was doing the same thing it was doing before i brought the car there the first time!! the guy on the phone explained to me that getting a computer in a car is sort of like getting a "heart transplant" and i should "let the car adjust and give it a day or two." concerned i explained how i don't mean to pester but nobody explained anything to me and all i wanted to know was what i should expect. i wanted to know hom come the mechanics didn't notice,he went on to say how they "don't get paid to test drive cars."
two days passed and it was exactly one week after the car was first brought to pep boys when on my way to work the check engine light came on and the car stalled out in traffic. being a few blocks from my house i nursed the car home-immediatly calling pep boys all they said was "when are you bringing the car in?" i replied 10 min.!!dropping the car off they asked if they could keep the car over night, i said no problem. two more days went by and it was now monday.
pep boys called saying the i needed to pay $374.00 more dollars in order to fix the problem- i cried that i would call them back. my mom seeing how upset and confused i was, called and spoke to the same man who called, and she questioned why that wasn't already taken care of and why nothing was said. knowing about consumer rights she drove to pep boys asking for my old part at least to see it- they said that the don't know where it is. my mom demanded that they locate where the part is because originally they never showed or explained anything.
we had to wait for the maneger to get off of lunch break and once he returned the other employee explained why we were there and truthfully he didn't seem to happy. for 35 minutes i explained all that i could, and that the car never had a problem with the rpm's until i had the work done there--and if that seems minute i continued explaing how the car was doing the same thing that it was doing before i put $1,122 into repair work.
the maneger acted as if i was a fool, not really saying anything. while expressing my side the mechanic who fixed my car walked out and the maneger called him over he explained how he test drove my car. i explained how 4 days prior i was told that they don't get paid to test drive car's. they were left speachless.
to conclude this fiasco the asked if i would be willing to leave the car stating that i won't have any problems once i get my car back for the second time and offered me a deal to not charge me for the labor.
Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on PepBoys
the very next morning pep boys called (it was a different guy) giving me an estimate of $1,200!! in shock i asked if i could call them back in 15 minuted. my boyfriend and i called several other places who said that the repair including labor should be no more that $1,100. when we called pep boys back my boyfriend explained to the employee that the day before the other guy said only $600.00. catching him off guard the employee replied that he "would see what he could do."
i went to work and my boyfriend said that the guy at pep boys said the best he could do is charge us $925.00 for the part. and in total the cost was $1,122--this isn't neccessarily the problem. the day i went to pick my car up no one explained anything to me i even had to find a guy who could tell a guy to get my car keys. here is the thing i didn't even get off the pep boy's parking lot when the RPM's would go crazy!! when i would reach 25 mph the RPM's would drop down so low that the car would almost stop--it did this the whole time i drove the car. once i hit a certain mph the car would pause--almost getting rear-ened i drove the car home.
getting a ride to my job i called and asked to speak to "service," i waited for 11 minutes and finaly hung up-then called right back. they put me on the phone with a guy i had never spoken to--explaining to him that my car was acting weird and said how the car was doing the same thing it was doing before i brought the car there the first time!! the guy on the phone explained to me that getting a computer in a car is sort of like getting a "heart transplant" and i should "let the car adjust and give it a day or two." concerned i explained how i don't mean to pester but nobody explained anything to me and all i wanted to know was what i should expect. i wanted to know hom come the mechanics didn't notice,he went on to say how they "don't get paid to test drive cars."
two days passed and it was exactly one week after the car was first brought to pep boys when on my way to work the check engine light came on and the car stalled out in traffic. being a few blocks from my house i nursed the car home-immediatly calling pep boys all they said was "when are you bringing the car in?" i replied 10 min.!!dropping the car off they asked if they could keep the car over night, i said no problem. two more days went by and it was now monday.
pep boys called saying the i needed to pay $374.00 more dollars in order to fix the problem- i cried that i would call them back. my mom seeing how upset and confused i was, called and spoke to the same man who called, and she questioned why that wasn't already taken care of and why nothing was said. knowing about consumer rights she drove to pep boys asking for my old part at least to see it- they said that the don't know where it is. my mom demanded that they locate where the part is because originally they never showed or explained anything.
we had to wait for the maneger to get off of lunch break and once he returned the other employee explained why we were there and truthfully he didn't seem to happy. for 35 minutes i explained all that i could, and that the car never had a problem with the rpm's until i had the work done there--and if that seems minute i continued explaing how the car was doing the same thing that it was doing before i put $1,122 into repair work.
the maneger acted as if i was a fool, not really saying anything. while expressing my side the mechanic who fixed my car walked out and the maneger called him over he explained how he test drove my car. i explained how 4 days prior i was told that they don't get paid to test drive car's. they were left speachless.
to conclude this fiasco the asked if i would be willing to leave the car stating that i won't have any problems once i get my car back for the second time and offered me a deal to not charge me for the labor.
Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on PepBoys
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 02/05/2002 12:00 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/pep-boys/Audubon-New-Jersey-08106/pep-boys-dont-test-drive-cars-liars-ripoffs-or-just-plain-idiots-for-mechanics-Audubon-13420. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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First of all why would you expect a store that sells auto parts to know how to fix your car???? They sell the parts not install them. The Pep Boys I recall as a child is an Auto parts store in the Southern states similiar to the Napa Auto Parts, Carquest, and Auto Zone in Idaho.
The employees there are not ASE Certified in Mechanics to repair your car. They
may be ASE Certified in Auto Parts handler or sales person but not repair.
That is what the mechanics are for?????
The employees there are not ASE Certified in Mechanics to repair your car. They
may be ASE Certified in Auto Parts handler or sales person but not repair.
That is what the mechanics are for?????
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What's this? #2 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Stay as far away as possible from this company!
AUTHOR: Grant - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, February 05, 2005
I also have worked for Pep boys and can confirm the rebuttals from the ex employees in this report.
Talking about loss prevention at pepboys, the biggest thieves are probably loss prevention themselves. Pep boys truly is a scam in regards to parts, tires and service.
The system that is put in place to ripp off customers is called the "flat rate" system. Its a system that makes the service writers, service managers and mechanics unload the customer's wallet, more money is being made from unnecessary services sold. Because of this flat rate system, employees are not being paid for test drives, clean up your car and every other move, but the repair itself. The flat rate system doesnt take quality into account, just dollars.
On top of that most mechanics are not qualified to perform a quality job. You may find just one mechanic per pep boys store that is certified. Dont be fooled by the ASE signs posted outside the store.
If ASE would check upon every store, many stores would have to take the sign down, because they wouldnt meet the requirements.
Pep boys does not have the proper equipment to fix computer controlled vehicles.
My recommendation is to stay as far away from Pep Boys as possible.
Talking about loss prevention at pepboys, the biggest thieves are probably loss prevention themselves. Pep boys truly is a scam in regards to parts, tires and service.
The system that is put in place to ripp off customers is called the "flat rate" system. Its a system that makes the service writers, service managers and mechanics unload the customer's wallet, more money is being made from unnecessary services sold. Because of this flat rate system, employees are not being paid for test drives, clean up your car and every other move, but the repair itself. The flat rate system doesnt take quality into account, just dollars.
On top of that most mechanics are not qualified to perform a quality job. You may find just one mechanic per pep boys store that is certified. Dont be fooled by the ASE signs posted outside the store.
If ASE would check upon every store, many stores would have to take the sign down, because they wouldnt meet the requirements.
Pep boys does not have the proper equipment to fix computer controlled vehicles.
My recommendation is to stay as far away from Pep Boys as possible.
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What's this? #3 UPDATE Employee
3 Complainats have been fired for theft
AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, January 19, 2005
There are 3 people in this complaintr that have been fired by this company for theft. This people know that Loss Prevention had tghem walked out in handcuffs and now they retaliate by saying the things they were doing. Be very careful that Pep Boys does not sue each one of you for the lies you are saying.
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What's this? #4 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Pep Boys is bad, but...
AUTHOR: Mark - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 30, 2004
I've worked for Pep Boys and it is bad. The techs for the most part are not trained well enough and only the dealerships have special equipment for testing many of the vehicle systems.
The writers are there for one thing, to sell work. They don't know alot about cars, only how to boost their paycheck, they are like used car salesmen. They will lie to get your money. Here is a secret, the dealership is not much better. I worked at a dealership also and the writers rip customers off bad there too. How can they sell a tune up on a car, only change the plugs, and charge $600? How about a throttle body service, which is spraying in some carb cleaner and wiping with a rag, for $100? How about a can of fuel injection cleaner, the same you can buy at Wal-mart for $5, but charge the customer $150? It's easy, it's greed.
The techs are caught in the middle. Once time, I found a wire to the PCM (engine computer) was chewed by a squirrel, causing a Service Engine light. The service writer comes out to look and says to tape up the wire and write up the malfuntion as a bad PCM ($700). I protested and was told, that if I didn't want to starve, that I had do what he said. So the new computer is charged to the customer, is not put in, the parts department hides the profit, kicks some back to the writer and I get paid one hour verses 2/10ths for the repair. If the techs don't play the game with the service writers, they don't get any work. We are only paid by the job, not hourly in most cases. So you make a writer mad and you stand around all day, not getting paid.
Auto repair shops as a whole, are a money making racket. Their reputation is well deserved. My suggestion is to make sure you are good friends or have a relative who is a tech. If you have to take it to a shop and a writer(liar) says you need brakes, ask him to show you, look at the pads yourself. Same thing with tires or any repair for that matter. Make them show you exactly whats wrong and how they determined it. Remember, it's your money.
The writers are there for one thing, to sell work. They don't know alot about cars, only how to boost their paycheck, they are like used car salesmen. They will lie to get your money. Here is a secret, the dealership is not much better. I worked at a dealership also and the writers rip customers off bad there too. How can they sell a tune up on a car, only change the plugs, and charge $600? How about a throttle body service, which is spraying in some carb cleaner and wiping with a rag, for $100? How about a can of fuel injection cleaner, the same you can buy at Wal-mart for $5, but charge the customer $150? It's easy, it's greed.
The techs are caught in the middle. Once time, I found a wire to the PCM (engine computer) was chewed by a squirrel, causing a Service Engine light. The service writer comes out to look and says to tape up the wire and write up the malfuntion as a bad PCM ($700). I protested and was told, that if I didn't want to starve, that I had do what he said. So the new computer is charged to the customer, is not put in, the parts department hides the profit, kicks some back to the writer and I get paid one hour verses 2/10ths for the repair. If the techs don't play the game with the service writers, they don't get any work. We are only paid by the job, not hourly in most cases. So you make a writer mad and you stand around all day, not getting paid.
Auto repair shops as a whole, are a money making racket. Their reputation is well deserved. My suggestion is to make sure you are good friends or have a relative who is a tech. If you have to take it to a shop and a writer(liar) says you need brakes, ask him to show you, look at the pads yourself. Same thing with tires or any repair for that matter. Make them show you exactly whats wrong and how they determined it. Remember, it's your money.
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What's this? #5 UPDATE EX-employee responds
road testing cars
AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, August 19, 2004
Hey to all the idiots who work a Pepboys roadtesting cars is part of the repair thats the problem at pepboys the hacks working there just dont care about fixing cars how can you attempt to fix a car with a driveability problem with out a road test? or confirm the repair with out a road test? All pepboys want to do is sell you shopping cart of parts! Like I said before stay away from pepboys in my opion they ruined the repair business for the good techs and good shops! In closing I feel sorry for anyone who brings there car to pepboys for repairs! Do your a favor just buy air fresheners car wax there! Pepboys is a joke!
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What's this? #6 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Get A Refund!! (To the Lady in NJ)
AUTHOR: Al - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, August 19, 2004
Call 1-800-PEP-BOYS and explain your story and tell them you want a full refund. I've seen this over and over at pep boys. I can't tell you how many times I heard from a "technician" "I don't get paid to test drive cars" Which, they don't, and it's an organizational problem on pep boys part, that and they hire "Hacks" for the most part. Don't let them screw you! Get your money back. They didn't fix it, not your fault. Don't settle for "We won't charge you for labor" because they jack up the parts prices anyway to offset the "free" labor.
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What's this? #7 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Stay away from pepboys
AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, August 18, 2004
I worked at pepboys for 6 months the worst 6 months of my life! I am an auto tech for 21 years and owned my own business for 7 years! I never saw such a lousy operation in my life! people have have a better shot trying to fix there cars themselves! They dont care about fixing cars and the service managers dont know how a car works! I worked in 3 different stores and maybe saw 2 good techs the rest were idiots! I spent more time giving people back there money and listening to complaints than I did doing any work! In closing Pepboys suck stay away!
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What's this? #8 UPDATE EX-employee responds
I've seen this time and time again.
AUTHOR: Al - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Recomendation, if you have a lawyer, get him/her involved. I am a former Assistant service manager with Pep Boys. I worked at a store that had "The best technicians in the region". You are correct in saying they do hire idiots for the most part, which is why I'd rather be unemployed (as I am now) than work for them. I worked for them twice, once in 2002 and again in 2004, for a total of seven months, the first time I worked for them I left because the conditions were terrible. I'd work at night, and customers would come to get their cars and would say "What is this" pointing to two or three additional charges that were added without their permission. I came back in early '04 because the money they offered me was alot. Well, it wasn't enough. Being the "Assistant Service Manager" meant I got to explain (lie) to customers about what we did (in some cases didn't, but the customer still paid for it) to their vehicles. If the customer wasn't happy, I was to offer them 10% off, if they still weren't happy I was to offer them (as a favor) my employee discount of 20%. Unreal. Ripping off the elderly, and women is a common thing at Pep Boys. It's really sad. Manny, Moe, and Jack are rolling over in their graves because the business they started ain't what it used to be. People trust their cars to companies like Pep Boys to perform services they ask for and to recomend or to let the customer know what they find, not to rip them off for every dime they are worth. The automotive industry as a whole gets a bad name because of practices like these! There are good people in the business, on the flip side there are companies like Pep Boys that make us look bad.
Current customers of Pep Boys: tip, They tell you you need front brake pads, tell them okay and you absolutely want the old parts back, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the legal limit for passing is 2/32nds. I always recomend them at 4/32nds. By 32nds, I mean 32nds of an inch, measure that out, 2 isn't much. If the pads they hand back to you are over 4/32nds, you got ripped off!!!!!!!
Current customers of Pep Boys: tip, They tell you you need front brake pads, tell them okay and you absolutely want the old parts back, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the legal limit for passing is 2/32nds. I always recomend them at 4/32nds. By 32nds, I mean 32nds of an inch, measure that out, 2 isn't much. If the pads they hand back to you are over 4/32nds, you got ripped off!!!!!!!
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