Man am I pissed about rip off shops, MIDAS sucks.

i agree that it's not always the franchise thing thats bad but instead the franchise owners.i have a freind that bought a tuffy muffler franchise and he appreciates EVERYONE who walks throgh the door and treats them fairly.hell he even price checks with his distibutors for lowest prices.i had him do my exhaust on my daily driver pick up and the final price,with a 3"exhaust was cheaper than the estimate!he's a motorhead though,so im sure that helps too.

 

I DO hope there is something to Karma. I'm hoping our local Midas man falls into the nearest baboon cage and well, you know what happens next...
Last year I had them check the belts and hoses on my daily driver S10. I didn't have the time myself as I put it off and had to leave for Vegas in a couple of days. I should have made the time. My truck ran perfect before, but on the way home (2 blocks from Midas as a matter fact) it overheated. Called the ex-waterbed salesman and he (with his most concerened voice) asked if maybe I ran over something and flipped that something into the radiator. Uh HUH, right! I had them throw it on a trailer and haul it back to the shop. The manager, concerened as he was, told me his buddy, the manager of the radiator shop in the same complex "owed him a favor" and could get me a radiator for like 350-400 and wouldn't charge to put it in, because he felt bad about the situation. chinga tu madre. I called El Polocko and asked if he knew someone in the radiator biz. He did and I call the guy. 250 installed. So I call the Midas Man and he says he'll do some checking to see if he can match it, I say don't bother, haul it (my truck) across town to the Good Guy Legit Radiator shop and he says O.K., Calls back and says he can match the deal, I'm beat, I take him up on it.
5 years earlier, My pregnant wife and myself are on our way downtown, carpooling to work one Monday. Saturday before that our Honda gets brake service at same Midas (I know, I'm a MAJOR DUMB*** for going back) we are coming up to a Grand Avenue int. (read: huge intersection,3 ways) hit the brake at a yellow light, NO Brakes!! We go through the RED as I'm slowing it down with the E-brake, whip into a parking lot and call the evil ******* (same manager as years later) he has the balls to ask if I can drive it in using the e-brake! No, you'll be coming to get us. After all was said and through and we had our car back I call Swindler and tell him he needs to make "this" right. He gives me a $50 credit, I'm a ****ER.
Send your worst enemy a gift certificate for my local Midas, you'll be glad you did....
Work on your own car or find one of the last private small guy shops that you can trust. Capitalism only works if we as citizens have the for***ude to not give these people are money out of convenience.

 

A few years ago I bought a cell phone at a radio shack and got the extended warranty (for $80) because the sales man told me that "it covers any damage or theft to the phone". well it got washed in a pair of my pants and didnt work.I took it back and of course they said it wasnt covered after telling the manager how I was lied to by his employee he still wouldnt do ****...

so every year year since then I give them a little 'gift' through the window or through the mail slot right around the holidays.

 

I happen to listen to talk radio in the office. Maybe some of you do as well. There is a Nationally Syndicated talk show called the Troubleshooter, run by a gent named Tom Martino. He is based in Colorado but has a network of folks around the country to help CONSUMERS!!!!! He is fair and gets **** done. Look up www.troubleshooter.com. You will be impressed. If you fell you have a good beef, feel free to call him up. He has no qualms calling up a guy and telling him he is a snake THEN suing his ***!!! And yes, he broadcasts badguys phone #s and encourages folks to call and give them a rash of ****

 

long story short... my buddy HAWK up here in nor-cal had the ****** go out in his dodge van. he uses it for work... for convenience he dropped it off at an AAMCO in VALLEJO for a quick turnaround... anywho, 8 days later...
nic

 

p.s.- too bad the L.A. RUMBLERS chapter was disbanded... you could send them out...
nic

 

My Dad's rule, and mine, if I ever have shop do any work.

If they won't let you watch them work, LEAVE.

A good mechanic doesn't give a **** if you're there, and some are impressed to see you inspecting **** when its apart, showing that you give a **** about the maintainance of your car.

****....

 

I know this is OT for this thread but, its not just auto shops that rip you a new one. I worked for someone for 6 years(electronics) that would screw his own mother if he could make a few extra cents. He sold alot of sale items at full price, lied to customers about orders, subs***ued knock off merchandise for name brand, and sold a **** load of refurb stuff as new. I got to the point where I couldn't sleep at night and finally quit even though it but me and my family through some really hard times. The point is that, if you don't watch your own *** someone will always be there to try and stick something up it.

 

[ QUOTE ]
I think this is the MO of many a shop, especially franchised operations. I think they look for easy patsies like ol' timers and folks who can't speak English well or women.

The GM wasn't there but he will be in the morning, I'm going back and telling him that I didn't get off the boat yeterday and I know a little something about car repair.

About 20 years ago an acquaintance of mine who was the GM of a MIDAS was sent up the river for preying on innocent customers as well MIDAS itself.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be really interested to see how this one turns out.

That's outright fraud, and I hope you can nail those *******s. If not for you or your folks, then for all the future innocent ****ers that those guys are going to fleece.

Here's a great resource for fraud in Florida:
http://www.onetgov.net/Dept/hfs/Aging_Office/Fraud_Guide.pdf
Florida state law takes auto repair fraud pretty seriously, so you have more recourse than just the impotent BBB.

I hope it helps. Go get 'em!

--Matt

 

There have been several notes in this thread about filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and although I havn't read the thread mentioned earlier about "Quality", I think this link would be useful in it as well...

Better Business Bureau

You can file a complaint on-line and it doesn't take long at all... In fact, I have this site bookmarked for easy access when I feel like I've been treated unfairly... And I can tell you from experience, it works... There's also an awards program for nominating businesses that you feel deserve it, if you get exceptional work from someone you like and trust, take the time to drop their name in here... Very usefull site, easy to use too...

BBB "International Torch Award"

Or... as mentioned in my previous post in this thread, if we have any volunteers for suicide bombings, we could do that too... Joe (Jrussell) backed out of it... what a *****.

 

This **** happens to my gal friends all the time, now they have me take their cars in for them. I love to act like a typical girl (car stupid) and I'll let them talk for as long as they want to then I let them have it! I let this guy tell me for an hour about how my friend's car needed a new carburator... then asked him to please point out the carb on the carbless mill... boy he backpedaled quick. I cussed his *** out and told everyone there what had just happened. ALL then women customers drove off! I hope I hurt his business a little!

 

GOOD FOR YOU GRACIE!
I love to hear stories like that.
r

 

OK folks here's the update. I've been sick with a nasty backache that's why I haven't been on the computer.
Anyway I went down there yesterday and all the guys are looking towards my Ford work van going, "The ***hole's back."
Lo and behold the Caddy's all back together and sitting in the lot. I go in and see "Rob", "Rob" looks vaguely familiar. Much screaming ensues, he tells me to the car outta here, I say no problem. Of course there's no charge. I never back down for one second about my feelings that the shop's a crooked operation. He tells me he's going to tresp*** warrant me and that he likes my dad (because he's not too smart) but he doesn't like me and he won't let me have the car. I say fine he'll come and get it.

So anyway my dad gets it, he had to have it towed because the pet**** was still gone. I guess putting that back in would be admitting fault.

Long story short, I put in a $4.21 pet**** and $5.00 of antifreeze and the car's fine.

Turns out this ***hole "Rob" worked for me years ago as a maintenance man (I wonder how much he ripped off from me?) and my dad's telling me he's not such a bad guy. I tell pops, the hell he isn't, he's sweet talking you and I'll never speak to that ***** again.

And late last afternoon my dad slipped me a $100 note for saving him at least $800. I told him I didn't want it because it's not about money, it's about principle.

I guess the consumer won this time but I bet at that Midas many more losers than winners exit their gold plated doors.

 

Thanks for the update.

Take care of your back--backaches **** worse than, say, a colonoscopy, or dealing with "Rob" at Midas.

 

Good job, Nads. We gotta watch out for the parents. I know I get 100 times more pissed when I think someone is trying to screw my family than if it were just me. By the way, what's up with the chev? get it painted? I was at Daytona saturday, but didn't see anyone or their rides (think I must've skipped a section of the show somewhere.) We need pics when it's painted!!!

 

I got hosed at the Midas in Independence, MO, but won't go into detail. Suffice it to say that their lifetime warrantied muffler deal is BS.

I now live in a much smaller town, and thru my business (computer store), know several of the other business owners. Local mechanic is a good friend. Used his shop many a time to do work on the ol Byooik. The local tire shops are good to me as well, because I work on their computers for them. Muffler shops aren't trying to gouge me either, cuz I've helped em out. The local starter/alternator rebuilder is cool too.

I know that I'm probably getting a bit of a break on my parts because we work on each other's stuff, but I know that they don't jab Joe or Jane Doe either.

 

i hate to say it, and i might get a few people fumed over this, but i think all auto shops are a rip off. at least every one i have dealt with.

a few weeks ago, my wifes car died. i had a feeling it was the fuel pump, but i wasnt sure. she wanted to take it to a shop and have it check, and that was ok with me. its a 99 neon, so i dont know a lot about the car. turns out it was the pump, and needed replaced. they wanted 600 bucks to do it. 250 for the pump, and the rest was labor. i found the pump at autozone for 210, and did the job in 2 hrs. they had it listed as a 6.5 hr job. i called a few other shops just to see what the prices would be, and they were all around the same. given that it took 2 hrs to do it, thats 175 an hour! i dont think their time is worth that kind of money.

it just kinda makes me mad that buis are out ripping people off like that. i think the best thing my dad ever did for me was get me started working on my own stuff. me and my uncle inlaw do a lot of fab work for people, and we are reasonable. usually about 10hr plus cost of materials. neither of us can bring ourselves to rip off people like so many others do. i just wish more businesses would practice that!

good job Nads! i hope you feel good about it, and i hope the owner is 100% pissed, and looses sleep over it!

trey

 

If you've noticed Midas and Mineke have changed their names recently. Why? Because Detroit has gone to stainless steel exhaust systems. They don't wear out like the cars from the 80's. Their market share (and mine) is drying up.

Most franchises pay about 15% off the top to corporate. That's before they pay the rent, managers, techs, parts, insurance, heat, etc. etc. Oh yeah PROFIT. You will do better at an independent shop even if they both are honest. An honest Midas still has to cover that 15% off the top.

Profit is't a 4 letter word but greed is.

 

Nads, your dad sounds exactly like mine....

Believe everyone else before your son. I've had to pull back considerably from my relationship with my dad because I was constantly trying to fix messes he got himself into that had he listened to my advice, he would have avoided. He asks for suggestions and doesn't take them.

Midas woulda had his engine "rebuilt" for him when I coulda replaced his aircleaner for free.

 

[ QUOTE ]
There have been several notes in this thread about filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and although I havn't read the thread mentioned earlier about "Quality", I think this link would be useful in it as well...

Better Business Bureau

You can file a complaint on-line and it doesn't take long at all... In fact, I have this site bookmarked for easy access when I feel like I've been treated unfairly... And I can tell you from experience, it works... There's also an awards program for nominating businesses that you feel deserve it, if you get exceptional work from someone you like and trust, take the time to drop their name in here... Very usefull site, easy to use too...

BBB "International Torch Award"

Or... as mentioned in my previous post in this thread, if we have any volunteers for suicide bombings, we could do that too... Joe (Jrussell) backed out of it... what a *****.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've noticed the better business bureau mentioned several times. I was involved with the BBB a long time ago. Granted it was a small town in KS, but they were as crooked as a dogs leg.
I'm sure that there is an upright BBB out there, also an honest shop owner or two.
Most places I've lived the BBB was run by the same people that are ripping you off (the business owners).
I can't suggest that you strong arm the MIDAS shop (although that usually works for me). But even in small claims court it would be he said she said. They more than likely have a signed release.
Just get the car back, lick your wounds and chalk it up to experience.
Oh, and bad mouth them to all your friends.

By the way, I'd like to hear how you come out on this one myself. Perhaps you'll get lucky and they'll make it right.

 

[ QUOTE ]
250 for the pump, and the rest was labor. i found the pump at autozone for 210, and did the job in 2 hrs. they had it listed as a 6.5 hr job. i called a few other shops just to see what the prices would be, and they were all around the same. given that it took 2 hrs to do it, thats 175 an hour! i dont think their time is worth that kind of money.

[/ QUOTE ]

My pops used to own a garage, and I can tell you that the hours that are listed for doing a job are set by a standard book, not by the shop. If you can get the job done faster, that's how you make money. The rate you were quoted is about right (~$53/hr) for most shops, at least in this area these days.

If you were to total up the money you spent on the tools you used along with the amount it would cost you to pay for the space you used (along with drive time and gas to go get the pump), I guarantee doing it yourself doesn't look nearly as cheap.

But then again, the fact that you can (and did) do it yourself is why you're here in HAMB-land, right?? I mean, that's what this place is really all about.

 

A number of years ago I had a Midas muffler installed on my '82 Scirocco, by the time I had driven home (3 miles) the spot welds blew out of the muffler and it was leaking. I took it back and they replaced the muffler. Now when I drove it the pipes rattled against the floorboard. I took it back to the same shop and complained, all the guy did was to pull the exhaust pipe over and say there ya go, no more rattle. I said BS! To make this long story short, I wrote a letter to the district office do***enting my horrible experience with Midas. They contacted me immediately and asked what they could do to remedy the situation. They offered to replace my ENTIRE exhaust system with original equipment VW parts, which they ultimately did. The moral to this story is that if you write a letter to the district office, they will correct the problem to your satisfaction. This is a rule that applies to ALL Midas locations. Good Luck!

 

If you think midas and others are a ripoff.....get your teeth repaired at one of those clinics in a mall. It's like a 10 min. JIFFY oil change cause time is $$$.

 

trey, wait'll you get to do that vato zone pump again(and again, and again)

 

it truly bums me out to hear of your problem and to read of the many other problems some of the HAMBers have had. as a shop owner i can tell you that we run a respectable shop that by no means ever rips anyone off. however there are shops out there that will. it does not matter wether they are independents or franchises. there are always going to be crooks in every form of business. the best thing to do is go to shops that come recomended from people you know. if what a shop tells you does not sound right it probaly is not. the only way to get rid of the crooks is to put them out of business by telling your friends about their practices. please do not lump all franchisees such as AAMCO together, there are many that are very respectable business people and do a good job. thanks for letting me rant a little.