Re: Re: DC/Balt. drivers stay FAR AWAY from Merchants Tire (read on)...


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Posted by Dennis Zarger on August 20, 1999 at 21:55:34:

In Reply to: Re: DC/Balt. drivers stay FAR AWAY from Merchants Tire (read on)... posted by Cindy A. on August 18, 1999 at 16:29:07:


Haha.... Damn am sorry I didn't see this site FIRST!

On Tuesday 8/17/99 I TOO visited the RESTON VA Merchants for an Axil replacement. I dropped the car off at 7 AM!! At 10:30 I was notified via a page from the store manager Phil that I indeed needed TWO.. I conferenced the call with my WIFE for financial approval. On the phone my wife confirmed that the price was 275 times two ,for a total of $525, NOT once but TWICE. I gave approval for the work to be done and confirmed that the work would be done in time for me to pick it up when I got off work(4pm). I arrived shortly after 4 to find my car STILL on the lift. Being a person who prefers perfection over punctuality I took a seat in the lobby and waited for it to be done. I watched as my car exited and re-entered the bay about THREE times. On each occassion it was taken for a ride each longer than the last. On the final drive at "5:30" a full 10.5 hrs later I noticed a small crowd of people gather around my car with puzzled looks on their face. The assistant manager then walked out into the bay and began berating the Tech who performed the work on my car and I qoute, "YOU are ALWAYS performing half assed work, cutting corners. If YOUR work habits Don't improve I CANNOT see holding onto you". With that I stoped pacing and ask aloud IF My bill would be HALF price ? No sooner did the assitant manager return to the showroom floor did PHIL take him out of sight into the back room. When they returned the assistant manager told me that My ABS light was on and they couldn't get it to turn off !!! With that PHIL gracefully left with NO WORD spoken to me. As the assistant Mngr had his BEST Tech look the vehicle over for proper workmanship he then excused himself for the evening and left it up to this tech to HANDLE this situation??? GO FIGURE.
This tech was trying his best to handle this desperately BOTCHED service. I then went into the bay and assured the installer that I was NOT beyond him telling me that he had tried all he could and we could try again tomorrow after all it was 6:30. He informed me that he was able to retrieve a code that indicated a defective speed sensor and that it would take a day to get it in.
THEN after all of this I was presented with a bill for $625!!!! Seeing as how THIS technician was NOT responsible for any of my pains I mentioned that this WAS NOT our agreed upon price but stroked the check anyhow as I merely could take NO MORE and needed to settle this up on the following day anyhow.
I then got into my car and headed home only to find my trunk mounted cd changer NOT working... As the steam began to poor out of my head, what to my surprise did appear but a CHECK ENGINE LIGHT!!!!!! I pulled off the road and it went off. So in my frustrated condition I continued on only to have it come on again. Again I pull off the road and YES the engine was still there and the light went out.
It didn't come on again for the remainder of my 20 mile drive home. I spent the next two hours repairing the CD changer that was damaged when the service tech got into my wheel well for the wheel lock key. (He hit the data cord and broke a solder connection on the PC board).

Now as if that was NOT bad enough I awoke the following day to hear the SAME noise coming from the wheels when steering around corners.

Again I dropped the car off and relayed my DIS-PLEASURE with the entire experience I had on this my ONLY service at THIS Merchants ( I had used the one in Rockville with GOOD feelings afterward).
Phil's excuse for the 100 dollar price discrepency was SURPRISE TAXES and he had mis-quoted my price because he was unaware that I had ABS...(YEAH RIGHT)
I told him that was UNACCEPTABLE and unfortunately I HAD to go to work but we had to work that out when I picked up the car. He made notes of the noise and how my CD player was broken and the price thingy.
When I returned to pick my car up I witnessed the tech who performed the original service on my car cleaning out his section in the Bay and ALL this "supposed" Manager could agree to refund was $35, he claims the check engine light is a code 52 which is a faulty oxygen sensor, and that they couldn't dupilcate the noise. (And neither could I that is until the FIRST drive EVERY morning.)
I was a little skeptical but being from a retail environment myself I know that it IS possible for FREAK coincidences to occur. As I stood awaiting for the $35 the manager seemingly walked around as if I were NOT even at the counter. So I asked politly what about this refund? He said we'll mail it to you. Being that I did pay by a check I didn't find it unreasonable at the time. WHAT surprised me the most was that as I picked up my things to leave I didn't even get so much as an apology from the service team or manager... Oh well so much for good customer service.
I am STILL in the midst of having this noise repaired
and have stopped payment on the check.

SO BEAFRAID BE VERY AFRAID.
And KEEP AWAY >>>FAR AWAY.. From Restons Merchants Tires


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