Just Brakes, does it again!

I have had my car for two years and had not done any maintenance on the brakes since I had not had a problem, but it had been two years. I had the friction reline done at Just Brakes at the end of June 2000. Of course they didn't stock my front break pads and it would be extra to have the rotors machined because my car had a dificult housing to remove the rotors. I passed on the rotors and the rear pads since they still over 70% left. They also suggested (in writing, not verbally) that I also have my front calipers and brake hardware reconditioned. Sound familiar Just Brakes victims?

Within a week the front breaks were grinding badly, but due to a couple of personal trips and business trips I was only able to take it in yesterday 8/21/00. The call came that afternoon that I needed all of the extra work quoted at $250, which included new brake pads, because the ones thay put on were hardened and crystalized after 2 months and 2000 miles. Knowing about this site and the Dateline report, I told them to put the car back together and I would come talk to them. I immediately called an Acura mechanic and he said that in 10 years he had only reconditioned 3 sets of calipers. I then called another Acura dealer's parts department and asked them what the part number was for my brakes. It wasn't even close to the part number they had originally put on...after market crap! I asked the parts department what they thought about the calipers. They said that the calipers should operate normally for 8-10 years, yet Just Brakes told me that the calipers were faulty on a 5 year old car! I called a Honda parts department and he said that they don't even stock caliper reconditioning kits at their shop it is so rare! I picked up my car and told the manager that I had talked to a mechanic and two parts departments. He said that of course they were going to say that, because they wanted me to buy a new car. I told him that didn't hold water, because if I had problems with one brand that I wouldn't buy it again. The manager was also trying to sell another customer the same extra services on a 2 year old Infiniti! He said that if I wanted to buy the Acura brake pads, he would put them on for free. I called my regular garage and talked to the service manager. He said that in some cases, Just Brakes knowingly and unknowingly damages parts to get the extra work and money on your bill. He said that he has fixed numerous cars after they were worked on by Just Brakes.

I took my car in the next day to get the new pads put on. I was treated rather coldly probably because I ruined their sale from the previous day. When they were finished I asked for the pads they just took off and what part number, what brand, and what store they bought them from. In a rather irritated tone, he told me that he didn't know, that he buys them wholesale. I immediately took my car to my local garage and had them look at it. They said that everything seemed okay and I asked them to explain why the calipers would need replacing. So far I had talked to 6 people outside of Just Brakes, dealers and mechanics and all 6 said that the calipers didn't need reconditioning.

When I got back to work I called the Just Brakes customer hotline to get my money back for the faulty brake pads that were put on my car that were basically useless after 2000 miles. He told me that he would look into it. I asked him if it was woth it to save his company $30 dollars for me to tell EVERYONE I knew that I had a horrible experience. He said that he was still giong to find out if the pads were bad even after I told him that they were useless. I wasn't asking for a full refund, just the money back for the bad brake pads. So, I realize that I was not financially out as much as the other victims, but still with plenty of evidence, they stuck to their BULL**** story. Towing the company line! I was born at night Just Brakes, not last night!