Meineke Car Care Centers Bruce Clarke - Supervisor, Customer Service Meineke failed to follow up on service when reposessing location from franchise owner. Thornton, Colorado

My vehicle went in for a head gasket replacement and just as the work got started the Meineke Corporation took over the shop from the franchise owner, closed it down for a couple of days, and reorganized.  Not such a big deal to me if they had kept the work going on the vehicle.

Because of the large repair estimate I had to put a large deposit down.  The franchise owner cashed my check and did not order parts - apparently he knew the shop was going to be taken from him.  When Meineke took over the shop they did nothing to make sure work was proceeding on my vehicle, or to take it to another shop, or to notify me of what had happened.  My vehicle sat for two weeks without being touched.  I decided to have my work done elsewhere and demanded my money back and a tow to another service garage as the engine was disassembled in order to start the repair.

The customer service supervisor for Meineke at first told me I had to get my money back from the franchise owner, who was no longer an owner, and now they refuse to refund me my money unless I sign an "agreement" freeing them from all liability which I refuse to do.  My vehicle has been sitting an additional three weeks now while I have been trying to get my money back.

Unfortunately I am going to have to hire a lawyer to deal with this.  The Meineke corporation has failed to back up their franchise location and the work in progress, and failed to follow up with me as a customer after the transition of their shop back into their ownership.  Now they are treating me like part of the problem instead of making a potential customer happy when I got caught up in their dispute.  Their actions in this matter have been reprehensible.