DO NOT GO TO CARX

wrote in article
. com>...
> WARNING: DO NOT GO TO CARX CAR X
>


Only if YOU promise to not go to Wal*Mart, PepBoys, or any other "big box"
store....

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message ...
>J J > wrote:
>>I agree, Car X has tried to rip me off on two occasions.
>
>
> What the hell is Car X?
> What city and/or country is this place in?

It is a network of car repair shops: http://www.carx.com/
Similar idea to Jiffy-Lube, but they do muffler and brakes.

On 26 Oct 2006 02:52:33 -0700, wrote:

>WARNING: DO NOT GO TO CARX CAR X
>
>I took my girlfriend's car to car x for brake service. They quoted me
>$120 estimate over the phone.
>I figured it might be a little more, maybe in the neighborhood of $200
>or so. I know car x is expensive. After waiting for about 15 minutes
>the mechanic came and took me out to the shop to show me that all four
>sets of brakes and rotors had to be replaced, and the cost would be
>$500.00!!! I told him there was no way I could afford that, and that
>he should just put the wheels back on the car as there was no way I had
>that kind of money!! He then tells me that my girlfriend called him a
>few days before and to go ahead and fix the car!! LOL LOL LOL!!!! I
>looked at him and thought, is he out of his mind? My gf is one of
>those easy going laid back blonde girls that don't do that kind of
>thing untill the wheels fall off the car!! I said to him, you have the
>wrong person, it was me who called and who suggested this place. He
>then continued to suggest that indeed he talked to my gf and that she
>wanted him to fix her car. HA!! I said, no, I don't think it was her,
>I said, it's one of those wouldn't call in a million years type of
>deal. He put the wheels back on the car, I thanked him and I left.
>She then took it to a small mechanic in another town who fixed it for
>less than $120.00 and all he did was turn the rear rotors and replace
>the rear pads.
>I guess I should have expected this, but I like to give people the
>benefit of the doubt. Anyway, be careful and do not go to car x or any
>of those chains, nothing but con men running those places.

Just about every chain operation is the same way and lots of non-chain
places too. A Chinese engineer who worked for me bought a brand new
Corolla. When it had about 20K on it he figured it was due for
brakes, I think it was making a small squeal/squeak from the pads and
he didn't like the noise. He had an appointment at "Just Brakes" and
figured that for the $99 it would be nice to get rid of the squeak. He
asked me if he thought it was a good deal. I told him exactly what
was going to happen when he took the car in...

.... They would do a 157 point inspection
.... they would determine he needed new pads/shoes all around
.... they would determine all the rotors/drums needed resurfacing
....they would determine that he needed his calipers rebuilt
....if he hesitated they would take him out and point to the "worn out"
parts and explain how dangerous it would have been for him to drive
even another mile


I told him to go look at the parts when they started their sales job,
notice that most likely none of the pads/shoes were less then 1/4"
thick and that when new they are not much more then that, to look to
see that there were no leaks from anything. And to remember that the
brakes had been working fine, no pulling, no shuddering, no pulsing so
there was no reason to believe anything needed work other then the
possibility of the pads being a little squeaky from some glazing.

I told him they would quote him a price for the $99 brake job of about
$450 and that all he most likely would need would be a set of new pads
and that they would insist that the rotors just HAD to be machined or
they couldn't guarantee the pads. So that was all he should agree to
and to expect it would wind up costing him a little under $200 if he
was determined to get rid of the squeak.

When I saw him a few days later he said it went exactly as I told him
it would go and he told them all he would authorize was an upgraded
pad and the rotors turned. It cost him about $175.

This pattern with these rip off chains repeats over and over and over.

Christ, we knew that back in 1978. Midas too was another one to stay
away from.


harryface