Just Brakes (Dallas #5) Deceptive Business Practices Dallas, Texas

My question is this: How many cars go into ANY automotive shop where the system being repaired HASN'T malfunctioned above the lowest common denominator part. Simply put, when I run for an extended distance, not JUST my feet hurt.

Automobile systems are just that, a system of components all working together to accomplish a task. Symptoms are an indication that there is a problem. Why do doctors who specialize in certain areas of the human body find problems when your general family doctor does not? They're both DOCTORS, right? Studying the SAME MAKE and MODEL.

Let me just say this.  ALL chain brake shops are scammers.  Go to a real mechanic -- one that actually knows how to repair cars, and isn't some chain like Meineke or Firestone.  The Car Talk website has a great mechanic review database, it's a great starting point.  Find someone who you can actually trust, and use them.  Trying to find the best "deal" isn't really in your best interest -- most things that look like good deals are anything but.  Good mechanics rarely need to advertise anywhere -- they usually have more than enough business just from word of mouth.

Also, there is absolutely no reason for mechanics to lie about what they pay for parts.  Zero.  They get them from the same place you get them from, and usually with a discount.  There is already a way for them to recover overhead -- through labor and shop fees.  If your mechanic charges more than Autozone does for the same brand of parts, they are ripping you off.  It's as simple as that.  The solution is not to try to bring your own parts, it's to find an honest mechanic (yeah, I know, it's difficult).

What you do not realize is that any repair shop IS NOT a parts store......Yes, you can get your parts cheaper at a parts store, however, YOU HAVE TO INSTALL THEM.....Any shop normally infuses the labor charge into the part to cover the labor to do the work......Do you work for free?......Neither does anyone in any shop......Go to Autozone, get your pads, rotors and calipers, pay your reduced price and DO IT YOURSELF or bring those parts to me, I'll look up the actual labor rate and just charge you labor at $85/hr.........I can go to Albertsons and buy a steak a hell of alot cheaper than goin to Texas Roadhouse cant I?.......Your payin for the place to be open, cook it for you, and wine and dine you......same as any repair shop........

Auto Zone has these parts for less than 1/2 of the price you are quoting.

I myself have gotten into a fight with a service manager for Just Brakes when he tried to pad up my charges. Made the a*s just replace the pads.

 My bet is that every repair jobs you folks do involve replacing rotors, calipers, and pads without exception unless the customer complains.

Actually, your ABS light comes on when there's an issue with the over ride system that keeps your brakes from locking up.  It's a system of sensors that can go out or get dirty and cause the system to try to seize your brakes when you don't need it to, and so forth.  It has nothing to do with your brake pads or the condition of your brakes itself.

As for Just Brakes, ALL brake servicers have "specials" with very very tight limitations. The most basic service is done for $99 and very few cars qualify. It's a come-on, just like any sale any where. I'm not condoning the practice, but it's like any advertised special - there's always a caveat in there somewhere. 

TK in Dallas........I called Range Rover this morning on a whim...........Atlantic Blvd in Jacksonville......"Range Rovers are notorious for going through brake pads and rotors due to caliper issues".........this came straight from the parts counter guy as well as the service manager.........All I wanted was some prices for my own humor..........Front pads $193, rear pads $207, front rotors $216, rear rotors $187.............new front calipers $316, fluid service $79.............new front hardware $73, labor @3 hours $110/hr......so according to Range Rover, a typical brake job according to them.....$2320....the sad part is, those prices I just gave you are the wholesale price....good luck with your British Toy..........

cost me 30 bux.

Of course I took in the brakes, new rotors and a new caliper to replace the one that was seized.

But I didn't go to Just Brakes.

Kevin,

I'm sorry for saying this, but you are making an a** of yourself. Just let it go. Your company rips people off to stay in business.  "Most" of us know it and stay far far away from your locations. Some folks are dumb enough to fall for it and some are not. I don't think you get it at all.

My first guess is they probably fired you for being a totally ncompetent A**hole with the customer service skills of a neanderthal.  It isn't necessary for you to dumb down your explanations for me.  Con men and scam artists are exceptional at trying to make you believe you are getting a Mercedes for the price of a Hyundai. 

I suspect you have more experience with meth mouth than most of the chronic crack heads out there.  You have this extremely arrogant and superior attitude that is usually a sign of someone who is incredibly insecure and typically uneducated - and who has the undeniable need to appear much smarter than they actually are. 

How much post high school education did it take for you to actually achieve your "degree" in brake-fixin'? Or did you even finish high school.  While I WILL concede that I am not capable of fixing my own brakes (that wasn't one of the electives I took when obtaining my college degree) -- I am more than capable of identifying a scam and a fast talking hustler when they are presented to me (that would be YOU and Just Brakes just in case you missed the correlation...) 

PLEASE - NO FURTHER RESPONSE from you is necessary past this point.  Your ridiculous and unsolicited rants are no longer interesting, worthy of my time or relevant to this conversation.  Have a Great Day!

Trying to explain something as simplistic as this is why I ended up leaving the company. "Most" means that they stock pads for "most" cars.....in fact 80-90%.........Once again, you get broke cars in your shop and they expect the whole thing fixed for $99......Why is this so F'n hard for people to get?......So I guess your question is truly this.......How many people leave just paying $99?.......Out of 100 cars, more than 1 and less than 100.....there is no average magical number......however, the amount of broke cars, and I mean broke shouldnt be on the road broke should scare you.......$99 does not fix those rear wheel cylinders dumping brake fluid all over brake shoes.......$99 isnt going to fix that bypassing master cylinder and thats why your pedal is mashed to the floor and you cant stop........these arent scare tactics, its real worldstuff.......Me personally was sued due to the fact that thier wheel cylinders failed 3 weeks after all theywanted or could afford was $99, and they refused to fix the wheel cylinders.......so I get sued since I was the last person to work on thier car.....I won, and then countersued fo slander and won......YOU and only YOU decide on whether you want to fix your crap, not me.....I provided them and you with the information so you can make an education decision......if you dont care about your families safety so be it, just dont put everyone else on the road at your mercy. Regarding a comment about me trying to save the company reputation and me as a stock holder I am not.......I left the company because i was sick and tired of dealing with an ignorant public....."I want the $99"......ok, no problem.......then 3 weeks later here they come back, "My brakes are still squeaking"......well yeah...the hardware is rusted, your caliper bolts are seized up.......etc........I COULD NOT FIX EVERYTHING FOR $99.........The last commentor stated it was false advertisement, that is horsecrap........its not false advertisement, its not bait and switch...........READ....READ THE AD.....LISTEN TO THE AD.....jeeeeeeeeeez

So why bother advertising $99?.......Because like I have stated 20 times already, $99 is for a specific service ONLY........Why do Dentists advertise $69 cleanings?.....Why does Jiffy Lube advertise $29 oil changes?....Why do grocery stores advertise 10 sodas for $10?......Why do convienience stores advertise 12packs of Bud Light for $7.99?.........Lets go back to the dentist since people have a real hard time deciphering this........You have a toothache, and see that the dentist has a special $69 for cleaning....so you take your $70 cash with you and expect him to fix your toothache for the advertise price of $69. While he's in your grill he also see's that you never have done any preventative maintenence....you need 3 cavities filled and a root canal......total price to PROPERLY fix your grill is $800......YOUR PISSED.......all I want is the $69.....so the dentists cleans your rottin mouth, and sends you on you way......you decided not to do what the dentist recommended so now your still stuck with meth mouth.........THEN, to top it off, you want to come back 1 week later an complain that your mouth still hurts......ok.....that will be $800.....WHAT.....I cant afford that......well, either find a way to do so or you are stuck with a sore mouth.....People nowadays are so uneducated that they ont even know when someone is tring to explain something to them.....all they want to hear is HOW MUCH.....and then they freak out when you tell em........Hey, its your car, if you wanna fix it PROPERLY it can be done, but in most cases, and I mean most, $99 wont do it....but then again, everyone always states on here, "All I was expecting was to spend $99......Lets ge real people......nothing is free, every service and product in every industry COSTS MONEY and that means that cost is going to be passed down to the consumer.....any other service whether required or suggested is done, it will cost you more......no SCAM, no Rip Off.......

MOST - From English dictionary - greater in size, number or, degree.

So when Just Brakes says in MOST cases, It should mean that for every 100 cars leaving their premises, at least 51 should have come away with the $99 brake job.

Either that or stop the false advertising.

Well, let me TRY and make this "simple" for you... The several hours that spent at Just Brakes was a SCAM.  Please READ my first post thoroughly and then maybe try to "understand" what happened there.  Then, if you are so inclined - check out the literally THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of other complaints about Just Brakes from all over the country.  Maybe you can try to explain all those scams to all of us simple folks too.  I'm not sure if you are paid to try and clean up their reputation or maybe you just own stock in the company.  As I said before, and I know, I WAS THERE.  I am NOT a stupid person and I KNOW when I'm being scammed.  You can keep this up, but as I said before, there really is NOT anything you can say to change my mind about "JB" or to convince me they aren't scamming people.  Some do you know - unfortunately there are some businesses are that are in it just to make money - and where they will they can - regardless of whether it really is "necessary" or not. 

So what you are saying is that very few people end up with a $99 brake job. Why bother to advertise it then?

First off, here we go again trying to explain a simple thing to non simple people.....They ADVERTISE that for $99 (IN MOST CASES)they will replace the brake pads front & rear, machine rotors, pack any bearings and inspect the balance of the brake system for any other problems.  the $99 does not include changing the fluid, replacing any hardware, calipers, rotor or drum replacement, master cylnders/power boosters, brake lines(rubber& steel).  Everything other than pad replacement is an additional charge.  Like I stated previously, they stock brakes for 80-90% of the cars/trucks out there, and alot of BMW, Mercedes, Audi's, etc dont qualify since those brake pads have to be purchased from an outside vendor.  Now, call any dealer and ask them what should be done at any brake service......THEY recommend that you change the hardware front & rear, & service the brake fluid as well as replace any rotor or drum that is under spec.........JB doesnt make those recommendations, the car manfacturers do.  Now if you really want me to dive deeper I can.  JB from what I know follows a protocol that is set in place by the Motorist Assurance Program. You can look them up online yourself. There are 3 types of repairs on any given item, none needed, required, or suggested.....nothing more, nothing less........MAP sets this criteria, not JB..........if your hardware is broken or missing, that is considered a required repair, does that mean YOU have to......its your car, do what ya want.........how many times I remembered tryin to explain something in plain enough terms for the general public to comprehend and make an educated decision based on the information they are presented. People dont want to spend money on car repairs PEROID, hell, I dont either.....however, its your car and if its broke either fix it correctly or dont drive it.......I have seen cars leave in such a condition they should not be on the road but they drive em anyway...........There is always 2 sides to any story, just dont read complaints and choose sides before hearing all the facts......

I would really like to know how many customers actually get out the door of Just Brakes with only a $99 brake job?

I will agree with you that often times getting a Land Rover repaired is more expensive than most other vehicles.  And I will also agree that most always the advertised special to "get you in the door" is  just that.  And by the way, you are the one who pointed it out. 

Just Brakes as well as a few others, have absolutely no intention of letting you out the door for just the advertised special.  There are far TOO many complaints against Just Brakes all over the country to just brush them off.  There isn't anything you can say to persuade me that Just Brakes aren't shady if not down right criminal. 

And, in reference to the ABS light coming on intermittently, it happens to be one of those known "bugs" in Land Rovers where there are a series of 3 lights that come on and in this case didn't actually have anything to do with the ABS system.

Your $60,000 Land Rover's brake system consists of parts probably totaling somewhere in the 4-5k range. Everyone, and I mean everyone has this misconception that thier entire brake system can be repaired for $99......Now, if you LISTEN and READ any of thier advertisements, it clearly states that $99 replaces pads,machines rotors, on all 4 wheels...IN MOST CASES......that is the importart thing no one ever seems to hear IN MOST CASES......The company stocks brake parts for probably 80-90% of the cars/trucks out there but not all and yours is one of those.....the pads for your Land Rover most likely had to come from the dealer which means a higher than $99 brake job......the store had to go out and purchase the pads and I guarentee you that the brake pads for just the front of that Land Rover probably cost $99 if not higher....so when they told you it was gonna be 300 something just for brakes, that is probably accurate...$99 brake advertising is just that, advertising to get you in the door.....and yes, people come in and get $99 brake jobs.....however, when you have a total brake system that does consist of hundreds of parts, they arent gong to fix the whole thing for free......they are a company just like any other that is in business to make money.....most people dont understand brakes just like AC work and when presented with a solution to PROPERLY fix it, it is your decision on whether to fix correctly or not........Land Rover's are notorious for very uneven brake wear in the front and yes they mean reconditioning the calipers or replacing them......now your ABS light coming on and off could very well be the built in speed sensor in one of the front hubs.....that hub alone costs $600.......I ask you to call the Land Rover dealership, and get a price quote for front and rear brakes, caliper replacement and replacement of 1 front hub and get back to me.......I bet you my retirement its gonna be twice what they quoted you........

You didn't need any brake service so why was the ABS light coming on?