[net.legal] what do you do if....

sdd@druxi.UUCP (DensmoreSD) (04/25/85)

a service center says something is broken when it really isn't?

Yesterday, I took my car to Firestone for an oil change and
to have the tires rotated (remove snow tires, etc).  As I
was leaving, I noticed that the mechanic had penned in at
the top, "FT struts (leak)".  I immediately went back in and
asked him what the problem was.  He said the front struts of
my 11 month old car were leaking.  We dicussed price and what
would happen if I ignored the problem ($139.00, and the ride
would get mushy).  I then stopped in at the dealership where I 
had bought my car and asked the service manager to check the
the front struts as Firestone had said there was a problem. He
found no leaks whatsoever (and also showed me where to look).
He then told me he had a friend that worked at a Firestone, 
and they're having a contest this month to see who can sell the 
most shocks and struts, the winner getting an all-paid trip to 
somewhere (I forget).

My question:  besides writing a letter to the manager telling
him what I think of this practice, is there anyone else
I should talk to?

Sue Densmore
inhp4!druxi!sdd
303-538-1393

review@drutx.UUCP (Millham) (04/26/85)

> My question:  besides writing a letter to the manager telling
> him what I think of this practice, is there anyone else
> I should talk to?

Tell us what the name of the shop is that did this so that people
can stay clear of it! (Is it the one near 104th and Melody?)

--------------------------------------------

Brian Millham
AT & T Information Systems
Denver, Co.

...!inhp4!drutx!review

bae@fisher.UUCP (Shiva the Destroyer) (04/26/85)

> a service center says something is broken when it really isn't?
> 
> Yesterday, I took my car to Firestone for an oil change and
> to have the tires rotated (remove snow tires, etc).  As I
> was leaving, I noticed that the mechanic had penned in at
> the top, "FT struts (leak)".  I immediately went back in and
> asked him what the problem was.  He said the front struts of
> my 11 month old car were leaking.  We dicussed price and what
> would happen if I ignored the problem ($139.00, and the ride
> would get mushy).  

I had the same sort of thing happen to me this last summer.  I 
went in to purchase a new set of tires and to have them installed.
While the car was on the lift, the "nice man" showed me how the
rear shocks on my newly-purchased '68 Datsun were gone (they were),
and the front struts were leaking.  The leak was just some machine oil
which had been dribbled onto the struts.  Fortunately, having some amount
of mechanical competance, I told the guy that he was BS'ing me, ran across the
street to the parts store, and bought a pair of Koni's to have the "nice
man" install in place of my rear shocks, and told him that I'd leave 
the front struts as they were, saving the $180 he had quoted me.  Urrr.....

-- 
                    Brian A. Ehrmantraut

					Ad Maioram Gloriam Hasturi!

UUCP:   {allegra, astrovax, princeton, twg} !fisher!bae
BELL:   (609) 452-8991 / (609) 734-7761
USnail: 184 Little Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544

neal@denelvx.UUCP (Neal Weidenhofer) (04/29/85)

> and the front struts were leaking.  The leak was just some machine oil
> which had been dribbled onto the struts.  Fortunately, having some amount
> of mechanical competance, I told the guy that he was BS'ing me, ran across the
> street to the parts store, and bought a pair of Koni's to have the "nice
> man" install in place of my rear shocks, and told him that I'd leave 
> the front struts as they were, saving the $180 he had quoted me.  Urrr.....
> 
> -- 
>                     Brian A. Ehrmantraut

	You have a lot more trust in your fellow man than I do.  If someone
tries to pull a scam like that on me, I want my car back NOW before they can
really damage it.

			Regards,
				Neal Weidenhofer
"The law is for protection	Denelcor, Inc.
	of the people"		<hao|csu-cs|brl-bmd>!denelcor!neal