ComplaintsforDixie Auto Parts, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  on May 17th 2023 I dropped off my echo eg3500 generator for warranty repairs with dixie . the engine was running fine but one of the outlets was not operating and a choke lever on the carburetor was broken and needed replacing . they kept the generator for months never calling me to let me know what was happening . I called them after a few months and they told me they tested the outlets and they were working fine ( they were not ) and told me they had a carburetor on backorder . a few more months go by and I called them to ask about it . they told me the engine was locked up and echo would not cover warranty repairs . then they tried to blame me for why the generator was not covered . today Is Sept 13th 2020 and I just went and picked it up. the engine is totally locked up and won't even turn over or run , nor is there any evidence that any work at all was performed . like I said when I dropped off the generator it was in good running order besides the issues I had mentioned that were minor and did not effect the way the engine ran . when I picked it up it was not running at all , they tried to say I needed to pay for a new engine because echo wouldn't cover it and they tried to blame me for destroying the engine . they couldn't check the outlets or do any other testing if the engine wassnt running when I dropped it off to them so i basicly caught them in a lie . they are lying about all this and the owner was **** and condecending and stated "can't help you" and hung up the phone on my wife . my wife can attest that it was running when I dropped it off , I dont like being blamed for things I didn't do and I don't like when businesses don't honor their warranties and try to Weasel out of the repairs and I definitely don't like dropping off a running generator only to pick it back up in worse condition than when I dropped it off . this is by far the worst purchase/dealing with a company I've ever had in my life and I feel I've been wronged .

  

  Business response

  09/15/2023

  When the generator was brought into the shop, the air filter was full of oil and the carburetor was covered in black soot. This is due to dirt ingestion from not replacing the air filter. Dirt ingestion caused the motor to lock up. We did contact Echo, the manufacturer of the generator, to see if there was a chance they would warranty the unit, but they would not warranty it due to the fact that dirt ingestion caused the motor to lock up. Proper maintenance on the customers behalf would have prevented the issue. 

  

  Business response

  09/18/2023

  When the generator was brought into the shop, the air filter was full of oil and the carburetor was covered in black soot. This is due to dirt ingestion from not replacing the air filter. Dirt ingestion caused the motor to lock up. We did contact Echo, the manufacturer of the generator, to see if there was a chance they would warranty the unit, but they would not warranty it due to the fact that dirt ingestion caused the motor to lock up. Proper maintenance on the customers behalf would have prevented the issue.
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 06/23/2023 I purchased a new lawn mower belt for $106.81. I went home and installed it, and within 10 minutes the belt had snapped. Bear in mind, the previous belt had been on for several years and did not break, but this one broke within 10 minutes. I simply wanted to exchange the belt, because it is my belief that there was a defect in the belt I was sold. I was told that was a very small chance (though they admitted there was a chance). I was told that I either installed it in correctly (I did not), or that there was a problem with the mower. Like I mentioned, if there was a problem with the mower I would have known it, and the previous belt would have snapped that had been on for years. This one did not last 10 minutes which tells me there was an obvious defect. The receipt states "no returns on electrical or special order items. There may be a 20% restocking fee imposed on return items. All returns must be accompanied by the original receipt and made within 30 days. Thank you for your business!" This belt is not an electrical or special order item. And I am within 30 days. Yet the business refuses to honor their own policy and exchange this belt, instead blaming me or the mower for the problem. I even attempted to grab the belt and leave the store, telling them I'm just going to file a complaint, and he grabbed the other end of the belt and told me to just wait a minute that he was trying to explain. Except instead of helping resolve the issue he continued to tell me it was somehow my fault.My father-in-law came over and inspected the pulleys and bearings and said there wasn't an issue. He put the old belt on and was able to mow for an hour without issue. Which further shows the new belt was defective.

  

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  For 49 years Dixie Auto Parts has been a parts and service provider for the people of Limestone County and surrounding counties. Our primary business is auto parts as well as lawn and garden parts. That being the case, we sell a lot of belts and see broken belts on a daily basis. Most sensible customers understand that a tensile break (description of his broken belt) is caused by either high shock loads, a foreign object being lodged between the belt and pulley, or damaged due to improper installation. Please see attached belt failure analysis from *****************
  It is unfortunate that the customer had a problem, however a return was not given, because the belt was broken. We do accept returns on items that are returned within 30 days, as long as the item is returned in its original condition. The belt that the customer purchased was not a cheap aftermarket belt, as we primarily sell original equipment belts. Belts do not just break without cause. We were not present at the customers residence when the belt was being installed, but anything could have happened. We even offered to have him bring the mower to us and we would inspect it, and install it for free.
  The icing on the cake was that his ****** review was written quicker than the time it would take for him to return home after leaving our establishment. Definitely quicker than he could get home and install the old belt.  He also stated that his father-in-law reinstalled the old belt and that the mower worked just fine for an hour.Whether his old belt was frayed or not (they fray for a reason), nobody that I know replaces belts just for preventative maintenance. They replace them when they break.
  He also stated that he himself went home and installed the new belt. While he was in our store, and also stated in his complaint, he informed us that his father-in law did all of the maintenance on his mower.  Maybe if his father-in-law had installed the new belt, we would not be having this conversation. Some people are simply not qualified to do certain things.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩