AAA Care Care Center 200% mark-ups and $30 rags Charlotte North Carolina

We have a car that had been running, but we couldn't get it started. We bought a new battery and that did no good. So we decided to have it towed to a garage by AAA. The nice lady on the phone said, "Oh we have a AAA Car Care Center just 5.1 miles from you, and we'll give you a discount for repairs".

So I said that sounded great. My wife was leaving nthat afternoon for two weeks and taking our "good car" with her, so I needed to get the repairs done or I'd be marooned. The first they asked was if I would authorize up to an hour of diagnosis. How can they fix if they don't diagnose? So I agreed. The "up to an hour" was $99 bucks, which it turns out is not pro-rated. If they spend 10 minutes diagnosing, it's still $99 bucks.

They decided that I needed a new battery cable (retails for about $9.00), a fusable link (retails for about $4.99) and they said the alternator was dead (retails for about $125.00). So their dealer cost I figured was maybe $90.00 total. Their poarts charge on the invoice $315.97.

The next item on the invoice, "Remove and replace battery cable". Labor charge $99.95. What kind of APE do they have doing the work?

The next item on the invoice "Remove and replace alternator assembly". Labor charge $99.95. Hmmmm, and interesting coincidence, seems that have a minimum "if I touch it, it's $99.95"

OK, so I complained, and they were nice enough to cut their labor rate for a discount of $29.99, so for $300 bucks of labor charge, thay gave me a 10% discount after complaint.

When I got home I looked at the invoice again and noticed a $29.29 charge for Environmental Supplies. I called them and asked they guy what that was for. He said "for the rags and stuff we use in the shop". $30 for a rag is ROBBERY. I'm amazed they didn't try to charge me for the paper towels the guy must have used when he washed his hands. They must be worth $7 or $8 bucks APIECE.

I WILL NEVER go to a AAA Care Robbery Center again.