For the 1st time since I've owned this car, I decided to let someone else change the oil. I was in a hurry, didn't have any oil or a filter at home, and needed a fuel filter as well as a radiator flush.
I was going past a Valvoline kind-of-quick-change place. I pulled in, told them what I wanted, and they said no prob. I jokingly said that it should cost around $15.00 for everything. With a perfectly straight face, the guy told me that actually, my car called for a "semi-synthetic" 0W 20 oil & that the oil change alone would cost $50.00.
I laughed and said to never mind that, just throw some plain vanilla 10W 30 in it. No can do, he says. Tells me to look in my owner's manual to see for myself. I told him I didn't give a rat's rectum what it said in the manual, I wanted 10W30 of the cheapest stuff you've got. He said that if I used that it would wreck my engine, and that he couldn't be responsible for it. I said don't worry, I'll sign off on it.
That mother%&^%$% would NOT put that oil in my car. I informed him that he wasn't speaking to someone who was stupid enough to believe his line of shit. Then he tells me that it's "company policy." OK, this was going downhill like a bowling ball dropped off the Sears Tower building in Chi-town. I told him to forget it, I was going somewhere else. He then has the balls to ask, "What about the rest of the work?" I said again that I was going somewhere else.
They had the hood up on my car. I was sitting inside. He tells me that there might be some kind of charge because they already did some work on my car. I asked him what they'd done. He replied that he didn't know, (that's because they hadn't touched a thing), he'd have to ask. I asked him to close the hood, & open the door so I could drive out. He said he'd have to see about the charge 1st. I jumped out of the car, slammed the hood shut, jumped in, started it up & screamed at him while I was revving the engine,
"If you don't open that fucking door within 5 seconds I'm going to drive right through the goddamn thing. After that, I was going to contact someone higher up, way, way higher up, to tell them about how I'd been treated.
He opened the door, I left smoking the tires, with the Magnaflo in full song.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
I cant tell you just how much I despise some quick lube shops. It was one of the reasons I started the mobile lube business. Prior to that I was sending customers to quick lube shops to pour in the Amsoil they purchased. However, it was not uncommon for the customers to report back some pretty unpleasant experiences.
I just dont understand why they do the things they do. But its not going to get any better I suspect because quick/mobile lube operations are an extremely fast growing segment of automotive maintenance.
Im all for some required classes in High School that teach people basic prevenative maintenance such as checking and changing their oil, checking the other fluids such as tranny fluid, power steering, brake fluid, etc. Ive even started a car care ministry at church where we do oil changes for single parents and hopefully soon will have some classes covering such things.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Just an FYI - it was a Valvoline place. From there I went to a Pennsoil place & was treated fairly. They did what I asked wihthout question, and without trying to sell me much of anything else. IMO, the price was reasonable too. Took about 15 min. for everything.
That's the 1st time since I bought the car new in 2002 that anyone had changed my oil besides me. The main reasons I went were:
1. I needed the radiator flushed & filled. I don't have the equipment to do that.
2. It was 9 degrees F outside.
3. I also needed the fuel filter changed, which is a major pita even when it's 75 F & sunny.
4. I didn't have any oil or filter at home, and was too damned lazy to go shopping for some.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
The last time I went to a quick lube place was waaaay back in 1995 w/ my '87 Taurus. the nimrods they hired didn't put my radiator cap back on and I nearly blew my engine - at least I was paying attention to the temp on my water.
it was a 90* day and she got hot real fast. boneheads
There are a lot of places that will rip you off. That's why it's so important to know your rights as a consumer.
If that garage had done ANY work w/out your permission you would not have had to pay one red cent. Man, what a joke.
I'd have loved to have seen you do that Mr. V - priceless I'm sure.
I do hope you write a letter to not just the franchise owner, but the company itself. if the name of the company is on a franchise you could make both the franchise owner responsible as well as the company. I had a run in w/ a local garage that was a Ziebart franchise - the phucks ruined my mint '92 4Runner's inside roof lining - irreplacable and oem costs were over $2000. I would have had to go custom to have it repaired. needless to say, the company, Ziebart paid me for damages and the garage lost it's license to carry the Ziebart name.
next? lmao
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
I informed him that he wasn't speaking to someone who was stupid enough to believe his line of shit. Then he tells me that it's "company policy." OK, this was going downhill like a bowling ball dropped off the Sears Tower building in Chi-town. I told him to forget it, I was going somewhere else. He then has the balls to ask, "What about the rest of the work?" I said again that I was going somewhere else.
