Ripoff Report Needs Your Help!
X  |  CLOSE
Report: #628575

Complaint Review: PLATT'S GARAGE - Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: anonymous — Milwaukee Wisconsin United States of America
  • Author Not Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • PLATT'S GARAGE 1100 Washington Avenue Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin United States of America

Show customers why they should trust your business over your competitors...

Is this
Report about YOU
listed on other sites?
Those sites steal
Ripoff Report's
content.
We can get those
removed for you!
Find out more here.
How to fix
Ripoff Report
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..



My car battery died around 10 at night, I called my insurance company and they sent out a truck from PLATTS garage, the only shop in town. My car was towed about a mile and a half to the garage,  they told me they could get a battery the next day and called around for a hotel for me and the four other people I had with me. For some reason that weekend every hotel was booked and we had no place to stay, so we asked if it would be possible to have them run me to wal-mart and pick up a battery so that we would not be stranded. Hesitantly they agreed and sent a young man who helps them on weekends to run me over. The trip took about twenty minuets, we returned with the battery and the change took maybe another ten. The man running the garage then charged me Two Hundred and Eleven Dollars for ten minuets of actual mechanic work. 

I believe he charged me overtime for the three people at the garage at the time, the other two men hung around him chatting as he switched the battery. I believe he charged me overtime for the boy to run me to the store, which I could understand if the boy had not told us that we does not get paid for helping the garage out on weekends. So we were in a position were we needed a little extra help, with the alternative being that the garage leave five people who were hours from home with no were to stay. And though the mechanics were willing to help they completely took advantage of the situation, the amount of Two Hundred and Eleven Dollars is outrageous for the work that was done. Once I got home and checked around garage prices I realized how dishonest this price was. I called the garage to try and talk with them and I was treated with complete disrespect, I was hung up on three times. These guys have the only shop in town and they so they take that to mean they can do and charge what they please. A shameful business practice.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/03/2010 11:43 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/platts-garage/wisconsin-dells-wisconsin-53965-1631/platts-garage-dishonest-business-overcharged-for-work-wisconsin-dells-wisconsin-628575. 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

Search for additional reports

If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:

Report & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
What's this?
Also a victim?
What's this?
Repair Your Reputation!
What's this?

Updates & Rebuttals

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
2Author
8Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#10 Consumer Comment

Price of tow too

AUTHOR: Bambam93 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 01, 2010

Included in the amount they charged you was probably the tow charge too.  So for a tow, battery, and the extra services of running around for you...the amount seems fair.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#9 Consumer Comment

They are just a 24 hour towing company...

AUTHOR: Ronny g - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, September 02, 2010

 Platts Garage has a website or two. And the websites clearly state this is nothing more then a towing company. No where is it listed that they do mechanical or body work.

This is pasted directly from their website under contact..

"Remember to keep our telephone number handy for the next time the unexpected happens. From lockouts to flat tires to jumpstarts, Platt's Garage Inc., can help you get safely back on the road."

And under "services"..

24-Hour Emergency Towing of:

  • Heavy Duty Trucks
  • Buses
  • Motor Homes
  • Automobiles

Free Estimates & Consultations

The only services they advertise for specifically, is towing, jump starts, lockouts and flat tires..same as any other company that just does towing.

Now this business does have an A+ BBB rating and have been a member since 2008...so at least for the last couple of years they have managed to avoid any complaints against them there.

I do not know if they are actually qualified to do any repair..but since they are 24 hour towing it explains why they were there at 10pm...because they were open.

I do feel they had a right to charge what they did even though it was just a battery change. You should be glad they got you on the road again being as you would have been sleeping who knows where. $211.00 is no doubt highway robbery for just the labor to replace a battery which should take no more then 5-10 minutes..but when you factor everything else into the equation..it was not really that unfair.

1) Towing
2) Arranging a ride for you that late at night to pick up a battery
3) Doing the battery change for you
4) Calling around trying to find you a room.

All that is time and reasonable to charge for. Certainly towing at the very least is expensive..regardless of distance. They do not owe you any favors just because you were stranded. They did all they could to help you.

As far as the other response regarding bodywork...I would agree the consumer apparently did not use good judgment allowing a towing company do any bodywork..but apparently they did try to do bodywork, messed it up, and were eventually forced to pay for the half assed attempt.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#8 Consumer Comment

Why would you take a deer hit to a mechanic shop?

AUTHOR: NovakAL15 - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, September 02, 2010

Um...why didn't you take this vehicle to a body shop? I have no idea what they may or may not have done correctly, but if you want that kind of work done you go to a body shop, not a mechanic.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#7 Consumer Comment

This mechanic shop is a joke! Avoid at all costs!

AUTHOR: anonymous - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 01, 2010
This mechanic shop is a joke! Shady business practices! Avoid at all costs! 

The short story? I live out of state and had body and other repair work done here after hitting a deer.  Upon picking up my vehicle and giving them almost $4500 I noticed MANY shoddy repairs done to the exterior of my vehicle. I pointed this out before leaving and was completely blown off.  Upon closer inspection (back in my home state) I noticed that the paint job was terrible and there was still deer hair (painted blue) in my vehicle trim! Two local estimates to fix the problems that Platt's created were for $2000 and $5000!!  

I tried in vain for 5 months to deal with them personally to get this resolved. Mark Platt was combative and rude to me during my dealings all while denying that they had done anything wrong.  I tried working with them to resolve this to no avail.  I had a lawyer contact them asking to resolve my issues and was ignored. So, I went to the Better Business Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Consumer Protection. Only THEN did I get what was owed to me, a check to right the wrongs they had created. 

They were paid to replace my bumper and trim among other things.  They REPAIRED my bumper and took the money! I still have the factory bumper to prove it wasn't replaced. There was dirt under the paint they applied and after one winter it had begun to chip and the metal of the hood was visible. The local shop that repainted my vehicle said, "I've had guys straight out of school paint better than this the first time holding a paint gun in their hand." And, "It looks like it was painted on a dirt floor!" 

I don't know if Platt's just expected me to roll over and take this kind of mistreatment.  If they expect customers to just take this type of scam they have another thing coming. I can't believe they're still in business after witnessing deceptive and illegal practices like this. They should be ashamed of the stunt they tried to pull here.
Respond to this report!
What's this?

#6 Author of original report

oh really

AUTHOR: anonymous - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 01, 2010



So I spoke with another mechanic who agreed that Platts price was outrageous.




They helped me out of a tight spot and then they gouged me. Plain and simple. They saw an opportunity and took advantage a customer. They dont sound like great guys to me.




Not to mention the fact that my insurance company has been trying thing finish up the paperwork for weeks and the garage has been nothing but a hassle for them. 


Respond to this report!
What's this?

#5 Consumer Comment

Platt's Garage - Honest, Great Guys

AUTHOR: NovakAL15 - (USA)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 01, 2010

I do a lot of business with Platt's Garage. They are awesome, laid-back and extremely honest. They are customers of mine, and when a lot of my customers like to try to rip me off on warranties, they have never once. If something warrantied and it was their fault or one of their mechanics faults they take responsibilty. In a world where there are A LOT of dishonest and irresponsible shops and mechanics, Platt's is definitely one of the good ones. I wish every one of my customers was like Platt's.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#4 Consumer Comment

Ingrate.

AUTHOR: Robert - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, August 05, 2010

This shop went out of their way to HELP you, after hours no less, and you go online to proclaim them a RIPOFF!


They call around (on their phone) to find you and 4 others a place to stay.


They chauffer you to Wal-mart and back so you can buy a battery.


INGRATE.


All this at 10 o'clock in the evening!


INGRATE.


You have probably screwed it for the next person who gets in a jam at 10 at night.  I suspect that in the future, they will simply tell the next guy to CALL A TAXI to go buy a battery or go hunt for a room.


Let me guess.  If they had done that to YOU, you would have smeared them on-line for doing that!


INGRATE.


Oh, don't forget to have your vehicle checked out to determine WHY the battery went dead.  The next time this happens to you, you may not have such a HELPFUL shop to deal with.  If I were you, I'd keep some "emergency money" (including change) under the floor mat.  You know, for incidentals such as using a PAY PHONE, taxi fare, and the like.


INGRATE.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#3 General Comment

Uh huh

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

POSTED: Thursday, August 05, 2010

So you are broke down after everyone else is home. You have nowhere to stay, and one shop is still open...the same shop that got the tow call.


They didn't want to do the swap out that night, but you got them to do it. They drove to WalMart so you could give them ZER profit on a battery. I guess you think the fuel to drive there is FREE. So anyway, they swap out your battery, and then you sre stunned you have to pay them? Really?


Why shouldn't they charge you for making them stay later than usual? What do you think would have been a fair and reasonable charge?


Seems to me, the shop went waaaaaaaaay out of their way trying to help you, and here you are complaining. No good deed ever went unpunished. They towed you off the road. They tried to find you a place to stay. They drove you to another place to buy the battery that they are not making a penny of profit on. They installed your battery(something most shops refuse to do). And all of this was done after hours when they all could have been at home with their families.


Yep. No good deed ever goes unpunished.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#2 Author of original report

... and the battery

AUTHOR: anonymous - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 04, 2010

I paid for the battery as well

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#1 General Comment

Ummm

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

POSTED: Tuesday, August 03, 2010

You don't mention the cost of the battery itself, did you pay for this? or did they?

Respond to this report!
What's this?
Featured Reports

Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.

X
What do hackers,
questionable attorneys and
fake court orders have in common?
...Dishonest Reputation Management Investigates Reputation Repair
Free speech rights compromised

WATCH News
Segment Now