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Report: #37881

Complaint Review: Pep Boys - Granada Hills California

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  • Reported By: 91344 California
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  • Pep Boys 11130 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills, CA 91344 Granada Hills, California U.S.A.

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Years ago my local Pep Boys sold me break pads that they said they would replace for free for as long as I owned my vehicle and they did replace them many times under that warranty.

Recently they have told me they are ending my Lifetime Replacement Warranty and will not give me MY LAST replacements unless I allow them to keep my original paperwork showing I was part of the Lifetime Replacement program and agree that I will not expect future replacements.

I contacted Pep Boys Corporate Customer Service Department and they told me the decision was entirely up to my local store and wouldn't even quote me a corporate store policy over the phone. My local Pep Boys has offered to give me my money back, but I refused that as well.

I am owed break pads for as long as I own my car and as long as they are in business that is what I expect them to provide.

Scott
Granada Hills, California
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 12/11/2002 08:18 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/pep-boys/granada-hills-california/pep-boys-refuses-to-honor-their-lifetime-replacement-warranty-refuses-to-honor-their-lifet-37881. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
19Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#19 Consumer Comment

Lifetime Means Lifetime

AUTHOR: PA car guy - (USA)

POSTED: Monday, June 26, 2017

If Pepboys does not mean lifetime then they shouldn't say it. Lifetime means lifetime.  If the part wears out from nornmal wear, then Pepbays must replace it - end of story.  This is a national brand so the Federal Trade Commision should be contacted.

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#18 Consumer Comment

It doesn't matter what Raybestos did, my contract was entered with Pep Boys

AUTHOR: Lifetime warranty INCLUDING wear - ()

POSTED: Friday, September 05, 2014

I went into Pep Boys to get my FREE replacement brakes and was told it was for manufacture defects only now. Guess what?  I don't give a crap if you've worked there for 5 years and they haven't done it since then.  I don't care if you don't think it makes sense.

Furthermore, the contract I entered into was with Pep Boys when I bought the brakes and the coverage was EXACTLY the same deal I made with Autozone who has happily swapped my brakes 4 times now for my SUV.

Does it matter that it means the retailer loses money on the deal?  No.  If you think it does, you are a fool.  It doesn't matter.  The verbiage was as long as YOU own your car, Pep Boys will replace the brakes.  Not from defect, but from normal use.

So the manufacturers bent over the retailers?  Do I care?  No.  Does Pep Boys have a team of lawyers?  Yes.  If you think they didn't settle this with the manufacturers, you aren't too swift.

If you think Pep Boys doesn't know that they are hosing their customers, you aren't too swift.

As the other poster mentioned, you can take in a 50 year old Craftsman tool to Sears and they will replace it WITH A SMILE.  Because THEY honor and know what a Lifetime warranty means.  They don't lie to customers.

I'm just one customer.  But not a Pep Boys one anymore.  If you think I won't tell everyone I know to avoid Pep Boys, you are mistaken.

 

 

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#17 UPDATE Employee

THEY ARE LIARS

AUTHOR: Jose - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, October 19, 2004

I used to work for pep boys and saw allot of people gotten turned down. When you purchase we used to tell the customer that the brakes were lifetime warranty and when ever the customer returned we simply said no does not cover wear and tear which is B.S.
Next time go to autozone no matter how your brakes look they gladly replace them at no charge
Pep Boys SUCKS

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#16 Consumer Comment

You need "Schooling"

AUTHOR: Jim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

This post is directed to Bob Handova.
Bob, you are flaming the poster for incorrect spelling, and state that a person must be above reproach to complain.

Interestingly, although you are berating someone for improper spelling, you capitalized the word "Schooling" in your response title. We are not speaking in German, so words other than proper nouns in the middle of the sentence are not supposed to be capitalized.

Also, you stated "Even in your latest rebut..."
"rebut" is the incorrect word. You should be using "rebuttal" instead.

If you're going to go off topic and talk smack about grammar...People in glass houses...ya know

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#15 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Warranty

AUTHOR: Jim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

I worked in the auto parts industry, at Kragen's. It is the brake pad manufacturer (usually Raybestos) who issues the lifetime warranty. Because of the cost of giving everyone free brake pads forever Raybestos stopped honoring the warranty.They published this policy change in the newspapers, and told you what to do.

I do agree with what I know to be true about Pep Boys not honoring their warranties though. I bought one of their own brand of car batteries. It was a 48 month battery, with a 2 year full replacement warranty. The battery went bad after less than a year. When I took it back they tested it, acknowledged that it was bad, acknowledged that it was a brand of battery that ONLY Pep Boys sold, so they knew I bought it from them, but they refused to replace the battery.

When I reminded them that I paid almost $100 for the battery and that it failed after less than I year, and DEMANDED they honor their warranty, I was told "You don't demand anything from me".

I really feel that Poop Boys is not interested in customer service, and am far happier going to a competitor or an Independent store.

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#14 UPDATE Employee

I think you need Schooling

AUTHOR: Bob Handova - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

Scott,
As early as December 2002, when you first filed this lame complaint, you incorrectly spelled the only thing you were complaining about.

They are called Brake pads, NOT, Break pads. Even on your latest rebutt, you mis-spelled the same items.

I hate to embarass you, but, I think if you learned to read and write before you start complaining, you might be able to have some credibility in your complaint.

I am so glad that I am not the one that sold you those Pads, Geez GET OVER IT!

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#13 UPDATE Employee

I think you need Schooling

AUTHOR: Bob Handova - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

Scott,
As early as December 2002, when you first filed this lame complaint, you incorrectly spelled the only thing you were complaining about.

They are called Brake pads, NOT, Break pads. Even on your latest rebutt, you mis-spelled the same items.

I hate to embarass you, but, I think if you learned to read and write before you start complaining, you might be able to have some credibility in your complaint.

I am so glad that I am not the one that sold you those Pads, Geez GET OVER IT!

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#12 UPDATE Employee

I think you need Schooling

AUTHOR: Bob Handova - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

Scott,
As early as December 2002, when you first filed this lame complaint, you incorrectly spelled the only thing you were complaining about.

They are called Brake pads, NOT, Break pads. Even on your latest rebutt, you mis-spelled the same items.

I hate to embarass you, but, I think if you learned to read and write before you start complaining, you might be able to have some credibility in your complaint.

I am so glad that I am not the one that sold you those Pads, Geez GET OVER IT!

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#11 UPDATE Employee

I think you need Schooling

AUTHOR: Bob Handova - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 13, 2004

Scott,
As early as December 2002, when you first filed this lame complaint, you incorrectly spelled the only thing you were complaining about.

They are called Brake pads, NOT, Break pads. Even on your latest rebutt, you mis-spelled the same items.

I hate to embarass you, but, I think if you learned to read and write before you start complaining, you might be able to have some credibility in your complaint.

I am so glad that I am not the one that sold you those Pads, Geez GET OVER IT!

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#10 Author of original report

If you don't know don't make a fool out of yourself

AUTHOR: Scott - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 12, 2004

For all those of you, (including Pep Boys employees), who continue to suggest Pep Boys does not owe me free replacement break pads as long as I own my vehicle, do know that the Manager of The Pep Boys Customer Complaint Department does not agree with you.

He knows that sales people offered lifetime warrantees to lots of people like me during the time period I purchased my break parts. Many Pep Boys employees even remember when they sold parts under those conditions, but are currently not authorized to honor the agreement. Each time I exchange my parts I have to be refused at the counter, go home, call the complaint department and have them call the store manager, who calls me at home and tells me they will be allowed to honor my warranty.

And for all those of you who still don't believe in lifetime parts, I continue to purchase parts from other Automotive stores like Kragon, and they honor their warranties without all the fuss. Pep Boys warranties aren't nearly as attractive now as they were when I bought my parts, but those changes simply don't apply to me because I am still covered by my original warranty.

The moral of the story here may be that it is wise to keep you mouth shut if you really don't know what you are talking about!

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#9 UPDATE Employee

LEARN TO READ

AUTHOR: Jon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 11, 2004

If you guys would learn to read your original lifetime warranty certificate that is included with your original receipt from the lifetime brake pads, you would see that it clearly states that Pep Boys reserves the right to replace, refund, substitute or relinquish the warrantied item at its option. You accepted this agreement the moment you walked out of that store when you bought those brake pads.
SORRY CHARLIE!!!!!!

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#8 UPDATE Employee

That's right..Everybody is out to get you.

AUTHOR: Bill - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 17, 2004

I am directly pointing this feedback to Scott in California. I know this is hard but try to look past your short sighted views. Do you really think that Pep Boys is looking to gain profit margin by eliminating your brake warranty. Don't you think that it would be just as easy to keep your warranty and tranfer the loss by raising prices on other products? Do you know why that hasn't happened? BECAUSE IT NOT THE FAULT OF THE RETAILER..GET OVER IT!. Do me a favor. Call any parts house (Autozone,Advance, local parts house) and see if you can by brake pads with a lifetime warranty. I will end the suspense for you. You will not find any parts house with a lifetime warranty. Sorry. I know your sitting there and saying "It doesn't matter, I bought these with a lifetime warranty and it should carry on forever and ever." Can I send you the $20 so you can move on to more pressing problems like trying to order an Egg McMuffin at 10:35 AM.

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#7 Consumer Suggestion

It is Pep Boys, not their supplier who is obligated to fulfill that warranty

AUTHOR: Ana - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 17, 2004

I am amazed by how many people think Pep Boys should not be required to honor their own lifetime warranty. I see arguments in favor of Pep Boys in the following categories:

First many people suggest it isn't Pep Boys fault because their parts supplier has forced this change. That is not valid because Pep Boys, not the supplier, offered the warranty, (to replace the parts without charge for as long as you own you car). It is Pep Boys, not their supplier who is obligated to fulfill that warranty by providing me with a comparable part whenever I am entitled to it. Sears replaces Craftsmen tools that were sold with a lifetime warranty over 50 years ago with a comparable replacement even when the original tool manufacture has been out of business for years. I have screwdrivers that they have replaced at least 10 times.

Second, the warranty Pep Boys sold the parts under was never limited to defective parts only. Although that argument makes sense, and was the condition of sales for many parts made before and after they offered the Lifetime Warranty I have, it does not apply to the parts I have.

Third, I should be satisfied with what I already have gotten from them because I have already gotten my money's worth. Many companies including supermarkets and car dealers offer some of their customers great deals, (often called loss leaders), to entice a much larger number of customers into their store so they can make money on other sales. I will not be humiliated into giving up the great deal I got just because I recognize the fact that it doesn't make money for Pep Boys. I also have a lifetime 4-wheel alignment contract with Tire Pros that they honor with a smile every 10,000 miles, (and I have over 200,000 miles on my vehicle).

Under the terms and conditions of Pep Boys warranty I am entitled to free exchange replacements for as long as I own my vehicle and I expect Pep Boys to provide those replacements as long as I ask for them. For all of you who disagree, consider how you would feel if you had an accident and your insurance company told you they have just decided to give you back your premium for the year and cancel you policy, because they don't want to pay for your accident. After all you would be a looser for their company, if they honored your agreement.

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#6 Consumer Comment

Lifetime anything? are you NUTS?

AUTHOR: Bob - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, February 14, 2004

I understand your feelings about the lifetime pads. And many years ago Raybesto's offered with their packaging lifetime replacements for as long as you own your car. PepBoy's is just an outlet for Raybesto's Brake products. In Sept 2001 Raybesto's stopped offering lifetime brake pads. PepBoy's has always offered a Lifetime Limited warranty, which states that the pads will be replaced free of charge, - IF - there is a defect in the materials used to produce the product,,(Manufactuers Defect) their policy also states that normal wear is not covered by this warranty.

Although PepBoy's only offered a Limited Lifetime Warranty, and Raybesto's offered (at one time) A life time free replacement. Pepboy's felt obligated to replace the pads for free and all was well since they were able to hold Raybesto's responsible, and Raybesto's had to give PepBoy's Credit $'s for every set of pads that was warranted.

Raybesto's Changed their policy, and refuses to reimburse PepBoy's for anything other than a manufactuers defect in the pads.

PepBoy's cannot and will not continue to absorb the cost of replacing your pads, especially if they are not going to recieve their credit due.

You didn't mention how many years ago you purchased those pads, (so I will Guess) Lets say 10 years ago? Hmmm your cost for those pads was probably about $16.99 right? Pepboy's Cost was probably about $9.00. Now if you replaced your pads once a year for ten years then you recieved about $169.90 worth of brake pads for ONLY $16.99. Thats a total savings of $152.91 for YOU! If PepBoy's had been the ones to offer the lifetime unlimited free replacement as you have stated, then they would have spent about $90.00 on those pads minus your $16.99 = $73.01 of pure loss! How do you figure this was a ploy to increase their profit margin? How long could you stay in business, if you gave every customer that spent $16.99 another $73.00 of free product?

My suggestion: Get a life! You paid nothing extra for the LIFETIME WARRANTY, so stop crying

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#5 Consumer Suggestion

pepboys brake pad fraud dirty rotten s****.>

AUTHOR: Watch - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 11, 2004

I have also been the victom of pepboys brake warranty scam. Those dirty rotten s****.>

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#4 Author of original report

no right to increase their own profits by selectively refusing to honor their contract

AUTHOR: Scott - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, February 09, 2004

"For as long as you own you car"?? Pep Boys knew they would loose money on a few customers like me they day they created the lifetime warranty and have no right to increase their own profits by selectively refusing to honor their contract with me when it no longer increases their profit margin.

When they offered the warranty they knew over most of the people buying the parts would not return for free replacements because they lost the receipt, sold the car, or forgot where they bought them. Only a small percentage of the people actually get free replacement parts, and very few continue to own the car years later.

Since Pep Boys lifetime parts cost quite a bit more than competitive parts without a lifetime warranty, Pep Boys can still make a handsome profit even if most people get a second set of parts from them before selling their vehicle. Pep Boys offered the lifetime warranty knowing there would be people like me. If they wanted to exclude me they should not have sold the parts under the guise that they would be replaced for me as long as I owned my vehicle.

When Sears sells tools with a lifetime warranty they mean it. If insurance companies behaved like Pep Boys they would just hand you back your premium if you got into an accident. Why would any company honor any contract that turned into a looser if they could just say no.

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#3 Consumer Suggestion

Industry trend in regards to friction warranty

AUTHOR: Scott - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 05, 2004

Let me just stat by saying I am in the retail autoparts business and have been for 16 years. I have seen the lifetime warranty brake pad in its glory and also in its demise.

Here is the reality of the situation. DO NOT BLAME THE RETAILER!!!! The manufacturer of the product is the decision maker when it comes to warranty agreements. Heavy abuse of brake pad warranty from consumers whether it be Do-it-yourselfers or professional installers have pushed the industry into this corner. You need to look at the situation in a realistic way. First of all.. when did it ever make sense to offer a free replacement warranty on an item that was designed to fail? This trend was developed to give companies an advertisement edge and be competitive in the marketplace.

Before we new it everybody who sold brake pads had lifetime warranty slapped all over their box. Then came the parts industries worst enemy..PARTS PROLIFERATION. Parts proliferation is best described as auto engineers feeling compelled to reinvent themselves every other model year with a different brake pad for the same model car.

Here is where the economics of the lifetime warranty take a turn for the worse. With the amount of part numbers increasing and the year range usage of part numbers decreasing the manufacturing costs are blowing up because of more SKU's and fewer sales per part number. Have you priced out pads for your 1999 or newer car recently? If your an old school wrench you know the days of $15.99 pads are gone.

All that being said , here is the "brake"down. All the major manufacturers (Federal Mogul which owns Wagner and recently purchased Bendix and Raybestos) have severed ties with the lifetime warranty. A class action suit has been settled with Raybestos and Pep Boys that states if you had purchased Lifetime Warranty pads before Sept 2001 and have proof of purchase you lifetime warranty is still valid.

I am tired of seeing retailers being abused because they are the ones on the front lines. Meanwhile the manufactures who created this monster sit in the shadows obsolved of fault because they do not have to face Mr. Customer and his warranty issues.

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#2 Consumer Suggestion

What they are doing is deliberate and premeditated.

AUTHOR: Scott - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 17, 2002

My local Pep Boys store sold lifetime replacements just like many other local stores who were doing the same thing at that time. I would not have bought those parts from Pep Boys if they had not offered a competitive warranty. They clearly stated their intent to replace my parts "for as long as I owned my car" and honored that agreement for many years, making my exchanges with a smile. The practice was not a secret and they still have some employees who remember selling and exchanging over the counter parts under that warranty. It is only since late 1999 that they have been told they need to stop honoring the lifetime warranty.

By the way, they don't exactly tell customers what they are doing. They go about exchanging your lifetime warranty parts as though nothing has changed, but if you look carefully you will see that they replace your old paperwork that proves you were part of the lifetime warranty program, with newer paperwork that clearly states you have no lifetime warranty. I am sure most customers do not realize they have been scammed until they need to replace the parts again, perhaps years later, and discover they now have no proof they ever had a lifetime warranty. I refused to hand in my original old paperwork, so my local store MGMT refused to make the exchange.

My local store has not tried to make me think I imagined the original warranty, they just tell me they no longer want to keep honoring it. I have been given the following excuses: (1) They switched parts suppliers and the new supplier will not make the exchange, (2) When the warranty was offered people sold their cars frequently, but now people keep them much longer so they can't afford to keep it up, (3) They never though someone like me would expect the program to continue for this long.

I believe they have another reason for ending the lifetime exchange program, they can get away with it and it saves them money. Most people won't realize they have been cheated until it is too late and most of the rest won't go to the trouble of doing anything about it even after they realize they were cheated.

I think this is something the Attorney General's office needs to know about.

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#1 Consumer Suggestion

you need to talk to the brake maker on this one

AUTHOR: johnny - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 11, 2002

ive delt with pepboys and buy my brake pads and other parts there, the warranty, is to protect you aginst manufacture defect for the life time of the pad. it does not cover wear and tear. with most pepboys, where replaceing these brakes left and right, so inturn rabesto,s brake had made it so the pads would be replaced one time under warranty, no questions asked after that it would no longer replace them for free unless the pads are sent back to them for them too to look over. and i'll admit myself it sucks it says life time replacement, and there for defects in manufating only. and hopefully the people at your local pepboys whould start to expain this too you and other so you are informed as, i am now.

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