ComplaintsforPete's Mobil Battery Service Inc

• Initial Complaint

  05/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On the morning of 3-21-22 my car would not start. I called AAA for roadside service. When the roadside service company, Pete's Mobile Battery Service, arrived, they replaced the battery and I drove it the remainder of the week. On 3-28-22, my car would not start again. I called again, gave the same information & the same company came out and replaced my battery again. I drove to Orlando on 4-2-22. When I planned to drive home from Orlando on 5-6-22, the car would not start again. Someone was able to jump start my car and I drove it directly to the dealer, Subaru of North Tampa, to determine the problem & correct it. According to Subaru, the battery was incorrectly installed. The total cost of the repair from the dealership was $1857.42. I reported the problem to my local AAA office on 4-8-22. They suggested I call the Pete's roadside service company, to expedite the claim. I spoke to the service company 3 or 4 times beginning 4-12-22 and was informed it had been submitted to their claim department and should be addressed by AAA in 3-5 business days. This claim was denied by AAA on 5/20/22 based on information from the Pete's. Pete's response was they have a piece of equipment that will indicate that they have not installed the battery incorrectly. I am not a mechanic, so I have no idea if they even used that piece of equipment to test the battery after installation. They also do not explain the electrical tape on the wires connecting to the battery or the fact that the connector to the battery terminal was not even securely attached. The car is only 2 1/2 years old, a Subaru Forester. I am requesting reimbursement of the cost for the repairs. I have all the paperwork associated with the repair from the Subaru with their explanation of the problems as well as the actual battery and parts and the receipts from Pete's Mobile Battery Service for the 2 service calls. Thank you for assisting me with this problem.

  Business response

  07/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2022/06/14) */ When conducting an investigation for a damage complaint, Pete's Mobile Service must follow AAA guidelines. The first course of action per these guidelines are to contact the customer via phone to find out what happened from the customer, so yes the customer was contacted by Pete's Mobile Service Management. Nothing originally stated by Pete's Mobile Service was a lie. A terminal can spark when connecting correctly with the jump box as well, it signals a good connection. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/06/17) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) As I have said before. I am not a mechanic. I did not stand guard over the technician that came out to replace the batteries. All I know is what I observed after the car battery went dead for a second time in two weeks. There was electrical tape on one of the cables connecting to the battery terminal and that terminal connection was not tighten down and could not be tightened down as if the threads had been stripped. This car is only 2 1/2 years old. I have been the only owner. I did required maintenance for the duration and never had battery issues prior to the service provided by Pete's Mobile Service contracted through AAA. My initial complaint was filed with AAA immediately after the car was repaired on or about April 13, 2022. Pete's mobile did contact me after the initial complaint was filed at the suggestion of AAA. I spoke with them several times in the following weeks in which the complaint was submitted to their department that handles complaints and forwarded to AAA. I have also filed a complaint through BBB for AAA. I have also contacted the State Attorney's Office about this complaint. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/06/21) */ All guidelines were followed by Pete's Mobile Service per AAA Policy and or guidelines. AAA approved of the denial and also denied the claim as well. Pete's Mobile can not accept responsibility for a claim when the damage has been fixed before a proper investigation can be completed. Pete's Mobile was never able to see the damage or vehicle before the repairs were completed. This is factual even per the Consumer's timeline that was submitted to the State of Florida Agriculture Department. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2022/06/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) AAA did reimburse me for half the cost of the repair, $900. The car battery failure the first time was from a legitimate cause, I had left the headlights on. But there should have been no reason that it should have failed a second time within a week. That in itself should substantiate that the battery was installed incorrectly the first time. After having the battery replaced by Pete's Mobile the first time, I feel the fault lies with Pete's as no one else handled the car or battery between the first and second failure. The individual who jumped my car so I could return home from Orlando, showed me the electrical tape on the cable as well as how the terminal cable was not secured on the battery terminal before anything was done to the battery to start it. The Subaru dealership found the following, "the negative terminal to be over tightened and now stretched out. The negative terminal is stretched out by whoever installed the batteries. Incorrect battery installed in vehicle." I have attached the invoice from the dealership. My question is, why would I have the same company come out to replace a battery for the 3rd time?

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On. February 15, 2022, a technician from Pete's Mobile Battery came to my residence to jump the dead battery in my 2010 Lexus RX350. The technician attached the cables to the wrong terminals. My husband was present and when sparks started flying informed the technician that cables were applied incorrectly. My battery and all the fuses were blown. My car had to be towed, repair costs were 613.73. I filed a damage complaint with AAA. It was denied. The technician claimed we had "tampered" with the battery. We are in our 70's - we wouldn't know how to "tamper". That's why we called AAA. The technician is being dishonest- he knows he put the cables on incorrectly and he saw the result, as did my husband. We are shocked that AAA and Pete's Mobile are not willing to do the right thing in this case.

  Business response

  06/02/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/05/04) */ A damage complaint was filed through AAA on Pete's Mobile Service for the alleged damage. Pete's Mobile conducted a full investigation and after speaking with the customer the customer stated that a friend or neighbor attempted to jump start the vehicle before Pete's Mobile arrived to service the vehicle. The tech that provided the service stated he saw burn marks on the terminals before attempting to start the vehicle, at no time while the tech was on scene with the vehicle did the vehicle have power. Yes, a blown fuse was more than likely the issue with the vehicle. However, this damage was most definitely caused before the Pete's Mobile Tech was present with the vehicle. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/05/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The only person from Pete's Mobil who has had any contact or who has spoken to us is the technician who came to jump start the vehicle. His statement that we said a friend or neighbor attempted to jump start the car prior to his arrival is a blatant lie! We never said anything of the sort and no one touched the car except Pete's Mobile technician. The burn marks were the result of his placement on the wrong cables. He knew it was his mistake, as my husband told him the cables were on the wrong terminals when the sparks started flying the horn started blaring. Either the technician lied to management at Pete's or management came up with this fabrication on their own to avoid responsibility for the damage. It's shameful that Pete's Mobile is willing to lie to avoid taking responsibility for the mistake, and even more disappointing that AAA doesn't stand behind the services they have contracted when things go wrong.

*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. ↩