PEP BOYS AUTOMOTIVE ripoff SLIDELL Louisiana

To start with...check your spelling. Screaming on the internet with poor spelling makes all of us who live in the South appear as ignorant as our sterotypes.

Now, I have used the PepBoys in Slidell that you speak of. Numerous times, as a matter of fact. I aslo use the Pep Boys in my home town (Mobile). They have always seemd fair and reasonable. I must say, as well, that they usually come out cheaper than the dealerships. The problem here is that you feel you didn't have the work done that you assumed would be done. So, let's back up a bit.

Your van did not start and you took it to PepBoys. Your husband, as you say, asked them to "check the fuel pump, wire harness to the fuel pump, the fuel gauge and the fuse box." They said they would run a diagnostic on it to determine the problem. Just that. You never mention them stating they would run a computer diagnostic, nor did your husband ask for one. Only then would they have noticed you O2 sensor was bad. You apparently didn't tell them your check engine light was on, either. Anyhow, back to your complaint...

PepBoys, knowing your van did not start, would have done the sensible thing and looked at the first plausible problems. These would be that you were either getting no source of igniton (spark) or no fuel. These two things would have been checked before hooking up your van to a computer. If either of the previous were not the actual problem, only then would they have considered other diagnostics. That was not the case, as we know. They discovered the fuel pump was not working. They called you to authorize the work, which you did. They replaced the fuel pump and the van started. Work completed. They performed the work you had authorized; they diagnosed the problem and replaced the fuel pump. You never asked them to find everything wrong with your van and repair it. I do not know of a single shop in the country that would have done that.

You mentioned that they called you 2 days after you dropped your van off. If I were you, I would have considered myself blessed. I noticed that your original post was submitted 6 months after Katrina. You are lucky it only took that long. I know this because I took my truck there to have the fuel tank replaced. It took 3 weeks. I knew it would take a long time. I knew the resources were limited, in parts and manpower, and would have expected nothing less. I knew this because Katrina was not the first devastating hurricane I had been through. I remember how hard it was to get services in Venice after Hurricane Danny in 1997, and that was a minor thunderstorm, in comparison.

For too long I have heard people complain about price gouging after hurricanes. Decades. One thing is for sure...you were not being gouged. If anything, you were charged a little more labor and a little more on parts. During times of crises, these go up due to lack of availability. Sometimes, the costs incurred by businesses are offset by increasing charges to the consumer. Gouging is when this increase is so high it borders on homicide because people would kill for it. Such examples are the prices for ice, gasoline and basic grocery items. They can raise the prices without fear of going out of business because, even after the demand passes, people will buy where it is convenient to do so. For services such as the one you were seeking, it is practically suicide, especially for a nationwide chain, to gouge. The reason for this is because of people like your husband. There is always someone out there who can fix cars for less than PepBoys. There always will be. They don't have to pay for everything that pepboys has to pay for. If I would have had the time, I would have changed my own gas tank. The fact of the matter is that I had another truck and was more worried about getting my cousin and his family settled somewhere since they couldn't get to their home. At one point in time, they lived in Empire, but since their home is nowhere to be found, they wish their biggest problem was a slightly overcharged fuel pump replacement.

What year is your van? I looked up the labor on Mitchell's website for a 96, which is more than likely accurate for most safari's. The labor time is only 1.8 hours. If you were charged almost 3 hours you were overcharged. However if your van is towed in for a no-start and you ask for a diag, they are going to find out why it's not starting. They could care less about your check engine light unless it's the cause of it not starting. Most mechanics have more money invested in their tools than your van is worth. A good mechanic makes over 100k a year, the customers have to pay for that. Just because your husband can put a pump in the truck for cheap doesn't mean a shop is going to do you a favor. Nobody seems to understand that repair shops are businesses too. We are not there to do anybody a favor, we are there for money. We work hard to pay our bills just like everybody else. I hate when people say "I just bought this tire a week ago, why is it already flat?" BECAUSE YOU RAN SOMETHING OVER. Unfortuantely the tire is not capable of sealing itself after being punctured by road debris. That is nobody's fault, just bad luck on the customers part. If you don't like it, do it yourself. I don't know any certified tech that would work for $20-30 an hour, when I'm on my own time I take in $50/hr minimum. You get what you pay for, which you'll complain about later also...

I know someone who bought a new set of tires at Pep Boys and within a week they were left on the side of the road with a flat. The tire looked completely dry rotted and old. Tried to contact a manager, but never got a response. Avoid Pep Boys at all costs and buy through someone local!

I've been working on my cars for the past 30 years while finding it necessary to use mechanics for some repairs. After catching some slack jawed clown on the verge of shafting me in 1978 I did my first engine installation. I recently replaced a thermostat in a 1.9 Ford Escort engine in less time than the official mechanic rate-book despite the fact I never did this procedure before and don't have a top notch collection of tools. This is not the first time I have beat the book time on a new project. I suspect Stevie Wonder
could also manage part replacement in LESS time than those mechanic rate manuals. Several years ago I stumbled across a retired mechanic at a parts store who does most of my repairs at his residence, since I don't have the knowledge, tools or diagnostics to perform work on newer vehicles. He generally charges 20 to 25$ per hour and we frequently barter.

BOTTOM LINE:

1) If you can find a competent mechanic who doesn't attempt to rip you off then you have accomplished more than many auto owners. Of course this can be said for any member of any profession*. I say this due to the fact the mechanic I used for over 10 years finally attempted to shaft me despite our long term relationship and his awareness I was not some idiot that could easily be fooled. He relied on our trusting relationship to attempt his scam.

His $400 parts replacement estimate only required a $65 electronic calibration. I watched him diagnose the problem and explain the need for the repair so his attempted scam could not be attributed to ignorance. This guy was a 30 year veteran mechanic.

2) When I select any independent shop (independent or chain) I make it known up front I prefer to source my own parts and 90 percent of them don't object to my doing so. Whenever I need a water pump, timing belt or most other parts I want to be certain it is the best quality available and I am the only one who can make that determination.

3) Many shops will find a reason to pick your pocket and I am referring to the retail chains and the independent. The most recent
scam are the "shop fees" which are based on the total invoice or some other BS. As if charging $75 per hour AND marking up parts by 25 to 40 percent wasn't suffcient. Whenever I see this shop fee notice posted somewhere I advise them I have no intentions of paying it and they ALWAYS back down and say it won't be necessary. What they really mean is they will steal from you
if allowed to do so.

4) I have had good luck with Pep Boys because I am an astute consumer. I have only had one issue with Pep Boys and since the store manager didn't play ball with me regarding a new tire matter so I went to the regional manager and he did not hesitate to agree with my position. They even replaced front struts that went bad despite the fact it was probably worn springs that caused their premature failure, a fact neither of us realized at the time they put on the second set. Pep Boys also installed parts (rear shocks) that I delivered for installation when they did they installed the front struts and did not overcharge me for shock installation labor.


* I have determined mechanics are really no better or worse than other professionals, including physicians, dentists and lawyers. I have experienced dentists who have altered my medical records (to conceal shoddy work) and lawyers who are career criminals in a 3-piece suit. Regardless of the issue the consumer who devotes the time to become familiar with the problem is less likely to be scammed, and the web is an invaluable resource.

I have my van back and only paid $545.00 for it! My husband spoke with the manager and let him know that he isn't going to get over on us and expect us to pay over $700.00 for them to replace a fuel pump and diagnostic. They agreed that we were over charged and reduced the price down to $545.00.
FOR ANYONE THINKING OF USING THE PEPBOY'S ON GAUSE BLVD. IN SLIDELL,LA. THINK AGAIN! THEY "WILL" TRY TO SCREW YOU OVER! PLUS THEY WON'T EVEN FIX EVERYTHING YOU ASK THEM TO FIX!
FIND A "REAL" MECHANIC WHO HAS REASONABLE FEE'S AND WILL ACTUALLY CORRECT THE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR VEHICLE! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ELSE!
I'M JUST GLAD MY VAN IS BACK HOME!

Brandy, the other posters here are correct.
Shops charge for labor based on the time listed for that particular repair in the particular SHOP MANUAL they use.

That's how it works.

For example, the shop may charge $30/hr for labor. The manual says your repair is a 3-hour job. The mechanic is paid $15/hr flat-rate.

Here's what happens:
The mechanic is really fast and does the job in 1.5 hours, but gets paid $15 x 3hrs = $45 for the repair (as per the manual). Now, if a slow mechanic takes 4 hours to do the same job, he still gets paid only $45 because it's a 3-hour job, period. He doesn't earn as much money as the fast mechanic.

The shop charges you the shop labor rate $30 x 3hrs = $90 for the repair. This is why you are charged more than even the mechanic's flat rate.

That's how it works.
The shop has overhead, like rent, power, insurance, taxes, environmental fees, etc.

Brandy,

It sounds like your van is on the way out anyway.
Might want to just let Pep Boys keep it as it is probably worth less than the cost of repairs.

Robert-Jacksonville is absolutely right in what he says, and calling him ignorant just shows your ignorance.

Suggestion for Brandy...Open your own repair shop if you don't like the prices at Pep Boys!

Go to school and get your ASE Certification(s) and buy all of the specialty tools and other equipment needed that changes daily.

Do you really know what kind of cost is involved in running a repair shop?

Obviously not.

For future success in dealing with mechanics and repair shops...ONLY tell them the problem you are having...But refrain from telling them what to check..They can figure this out themselves.

That is what they get paid for. Let them do it.

Brandy,

It sounds like your van is on the way out anyway.
Might want to just let Pep Boys keep it as it is probably worth less than the cost of repairs.

Robert-Jacksonville is absolutely right in what he says, and calling him ignorant just shows your ignorance.

Suggestion for Brandy...Open your own repair shop if you don't like the prices at Pep Boys!

Go to school and get your ASE Certification(s) and buy all of the specialty tools and other equipment needed that changes daily.

Do you really know what kind of cost is involved in running a repair shop?

Obviously not.

For future success in dealing with mechanics and repair shops...ONLY tell them the problem you are having...But refrain from telling them what to check..They can figure this out themselves.

That is what they get paid for. Let them do it.

Mechanics don't get pay raises per se'. They get faster and more proficient at their jobs. By doing the job faster, they can do more work in the same amount of time. That is how mechanics make a living.

As has been mentioned, the labor guide is for an average mechanic using typical tools and equipment. ALL shops use a labor guide. If you find one that doesn't, get ready to really pay.

There are 4 classes of mechanic, A,B,C,D. An "A" mech will be able to do more than a "D" mech. If the job calls for a "D", it will take about the same amount of time the labor guide calls for, when done by a "D" mech. The same job, done by an "A" mech, will take less time. Like some other individuals, you seem to think the "A" mech should take a paycut for becoming better at his job. A job that takes an "A" mech, but is done by a "D" mech, will be done in a greater amount of time. I will guess you would be unwilling to pay more for the extra amount of time the "D" mech takes. This is what we call being a hypocrite.

You don't want to PAY the 2.9 hours of labor the guide calls for. Do you get paycuts at your job whenever the boss sees you doing it better? No? Why not? You want the mechanic to.

As for the rest of your post, what are you on about? The mech checked it all out. Did you think he was going to check every single wire in your van? He was only going to check out the ones that operate the fuel pump. The fuel gauge? You said he wrote down on the ticket it does not work. The gauge cluster probably needs to be replaced...a dealership part that PepBoys does not have. The fuse panel? Again, did you really think he was going to remove it and go through it piece by piece? No. The mechanic checked the fuse panel to make sure the fuel pump system was getting correct voltage, and nothing else. The van had a NO FUEL condition. The mechanic was only concerned with that. Your O2 sensors have nothing to do with anything. At the worst, they will set a rich condition that will burn more gas and increase emissions. They have nothing to do with the fuel pump, gauge, or fuse panel. And again, "diagnostic" does NOT mean hooking up a scanner and seeing what is in any of the computers the vehicle has. It means DIAGNOSING the problem. If you wanted him to hook up a scanner, that is what you should have told them.

Are you going to blame them when the water pump starts leaking? After all, they didn't check that out either.

Good grief.

First off, you don't have to be sarcastic. It's apparent that you are one of those mechanics who screw over people!

I don't expect someone to work for free! I just don't expect to get screwed & taken advantage of!

When you take a vehicle to a mechanic and say that it is not running at all and for them to run a diagnostic on it, you expect just that. Not for them to just test one thing and replace it! The mechanic was told to specifically run the diagnostic on the vehicle, to find out EVERYTHING that is wrong with it. He was also instructed to repair the fuel gauge, and to test the harness, pump and fuses!

It's funny how mechanics don't say that they are going to make you pay for a set amount of time to repair something, even if it take less time, real convenient! Plus, those idiots didn't even repair everything, they just write on the bottom of the bill "FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING!"
Trust me, I will not pay for something that has not been done! These asses can go price gauge and take advantage of some other ignorant person who nows no better, I'm not the one!
SO IF ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE WANT'S TO LEAVE SARCASTIC, RUDE COMMENT'S DON'T BOTHER!

Being a former Pep Boys mangager, I can tell you exactly why you were charged 2.9 hours of labor for this job. The time used for calculating the labor is taken from the Mitchel Labor guide ,which is the industry standard for setting time needed for repairs on all vehicles. It is based on an the time needed for an average mechanic with adequate tools to do the job. Obviously, If you have superior tools, skills and knowledge you can do the repair much quicker than the labor time allowed by this guide. This should have been explained in detail by the service mangager. The Mitchel labor guide is a hard concept for some consumers to digest because of this time difference between actual time and mitchel time.

So even though the mechanic probably did the repair much quicker than 2.9 hours,this is why you were charged for that specific amount of labor time.

Because that is the labor charge for the fuel pump. It doesn't matter if the mech can do it in 6 hours, or 30 minutes. The labor guide says 2.9 hours, and that is what you were charged. The mere fact that your husband did it a year prior, tell alot about his skills as a wrench, and/or his choice of parts.

Next, when the customer wants a diagnostic done,the mechanic is only going to diagnose what is causing the "issue" the customer has...in your case, will not run. He diagnosed it as a pump. You oxygen sensors have nothing to do with the fuel pump.(Get that Wally? Another system that is seperate from the other.) The mechanic would have no reason to hook up a scanner to figure out the fuel pump was bad. A fuel pressure gauge is needed, nothing else. After jumping the pump relay, if there is still no pump function, the problem is either the pump, or the wires. Testing for a short will eliminate the wiring. THAT is your diagnostic for the pump.

While I would not charge you for diagnostic time at my shop, it IS the industry norm. Time is being spent, and the mechanic expects to be paid. They do not work for free.

Good luck trying not to pay.