ComplaintsforThe Auto Shop

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ****** is one of the 3 owners. We took our 2011 Mercedes in there on November 22 for repairs because the car would not start. We corresponded back and forth with ******. He had the car for 51 days. We paid $2020.76 and we are still having the same issues as soon as we got the car home. We had to take it to another dealership. They diagnosed it and repaired it in 1 day.

  Here is an email sent to ******:

  We recently had our 2011 blue Mercedes C300 serviced at your shop. We brought our car in on Tuesday November 22, 2022. We brought it in because it would not start. ***** explain to you the car been running fine, and all of a sudden it would not start. He stated the car had done this exact thing one year prior. Said "it just will not start" NEVER once did he say the car starts and then dies. No other notification, just won't start. The lady at the front desk was mistaken when she described what ***** told her. You told us at that time it would be the next Tuesday, which would be Nov. 29 before you could get it in for service. We agreed on that. A few weeks went by and you called and told ***** "with it being around the holidays, it might take a little longer to diagnose." You explain your workers would be off around the holidays. ***** responded by saying " that will be okay, we have other cars to drive." Holidays came and went and we hadn't heard from you. I, *****, called to see the progress because it had been more than six weeks. Your response to me was "***** said you had other cars to drive." Now we felt we were being put off. On Thursday January 5, I called you and you said you ordered a part, but they sent the wrong part, and we would have to wait two more days for correct part to come in. You told us our car would be fixed and ready on January 9. It was an additional three days later you text and said our car is ready. We paid you $2020.76 to fix our car. We drove it home 15 miles and pulled in the garage. I turned the car off and tried to restart, and it would not start. The next morning it did the same thing. It would not start. As soon as this happen, we called you. After a few unpleasant words from both sides, we decided to cool off and have a conversation later. You called us the next day and said "we are a local family owned business, and I want to make it right." You offered to pick to pick up the car at our residence and tow it back in at no charge to us. We said we would have to think about it and get back to you. This how we recall the transactions leading up to now. According to you, we needed a new fuel pump. This was a $950 part that did not need to be replaced. We are out the total cost of $2020.76 for parts and labor. In the beginning you had a conversation with ***** and assured him your best technician could diagnose and fix the problem on our Mercedes. We trusted you as a professional full service Auto Mechanic Shop. This did not happen, and as a result we were without a car for 51 days, $950 for a fuel pump that was not needed, and all the labor cost. We are confident that you are an honest and reliable person that can fix problems with cars, otherwise you wouldn't be in business. With you being the owner, I am sure you will agree this was not an ordinary fix. As the owner of this family owned business, you said you want to "make it right" with us, the customer. Our question to you is where do we go from here? We look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards, ***** and ***** ******

  From: ****** * **************************
  Sent: Friday, February 3, 2023 3:26 PM
  To: ***** ****** <************************
  Subject: Re: The Auto Shop
  
  Thank you for contacting me.  I am the same person who spoke to you over the phone so I do remember our conversations.  The first thing we need to do, if your willing, is get the vehicle back in here and experience the concern, once that happens we will perform the needed testing and once we find the result of that testing, come up with a plan to get it repaired and get everything straightened out.  Let me know when is a good time to come and get it.  - ******

   

  From: ***** ******
  Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 9:51 AM
  To: ****** * **************************
  Subject: 2011 Blue Mercedes
  
  Good Morning ******,
  We are still waiting to hear from you, and hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
  
  
  Regards, 
  ***** and ***** ******

  From: ***** ******
  Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2023 6:43 AM
  To: ****** R <*************************
  Subject: 2011 Blue Mercedes
  
  Good Morning ******,
  
  
  We first contacted you Feb. 16 regarding the total cost and time you had our car (2011 Blue Mercedes) at your shop.  You stated that you are reviewing this matter and will get back with us.  We've heard nothing.  On Feb. 21 we made contact again, and still haven't heard from you.  
  
  
   We proposed a VERY reasonable offer, considering nothing was repaired.  Our total bill was $2020.76, and we want $1500 returned.  Not interested in going back and forth with a different amount.  We would like to resolve this as soon as possible, put this experience behind us, and move forward with no additional hard feelings.  
  
  
  Thank you,
  ***** and ***** ******

  

  Business response

  03/03/2023

  I understand the frustration of being without your car. However I was unable to understand you refusing to allow us to tow your car for free and diagnose what was happening. This would have allowed us to check for defective parts among other things. Our technicians are ASE Certified and constantly train so that we can offer great service and back up our work. You did not allow us the opportunity to correct anything and refused to tell us what Mercedes repaired. If you would like to talk to the owner or management please call and ask for ********* or *****. Thank you

  Customer response

  03/03/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: You (******) said you are 1/3 owner in the business.  You said you did speak with your mother and sister about our concerns, and together the three of you decided not to return the $1500 we ask for.  You had our car for 51 days, and charged us $2020.76 for repairs that were not made. Within that time and money frame, you ordered a $900 part that did not need replacing..   We did not want to go through more charges and more time lost without a car while your repairman could make additional guesses to what might be wrong.  You had our car for more than ample time to figure it out!  We don't understand why you think we would send it back when you couldn't complete the job in a timely manner the first time.
  We would like for you to return $1500 to us.  Regarding your phone conversations, you mention $200 the first time, and $500+ the second time.. We feel like this is a fair amount to ask for.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** & ***** ******

  

  Business response

  03/08/2023

  I understand your frustration however I need to have a conversation with you or your husband. I also would need information from the Mercedes dealership on the repair made after your car left here. I am not ****** and we have never spoke. Calling ************ or coming by the shop and we can have our first conversation. I am sorry you felt you had to take it this far but there is information missing we must get, to get to a resolve. Thank you for your time and I also will include my email so you can communicate straight with me *******************************. Thank you and have a great day!

  Customer response

  03/08/2023

  The business contacted us and said I understand your frustration however I need to have a conversation with you or your husband.  She said I would also need information from the Mercedes dealership on the repair made after your car left here.  She said I am not ****** and we have never spoken, calling ************ or coming by the shop and we can have our first conversation.  She said I am sorry you felt you had to take it this far.  She said there is information missing we must get to a resolve.  She said thank you for your time and I will also include my email so you can communicate straight with me, ********************************  She said thank you and have a great day.  

  Customer response

  03/08/2023

  When she said I understand your frustration, I need to have a conversation with you and your husband.  We have had conversations with ****** and he said that he was speaking on behalf of all three of them and together they decided to not refund our money.  I don't know who ********* is.  The conversations we have always been with ******.  I don't understand in their last response to us, they said they don't understand why we didn't bring the car back to them.  My answer to this question is that they have had our car for 51 days that was ample time to figure out all the testing and see what was wrong with our car.  So we took it to someone else and they knew within 30 minutes they diagnosed the problem, ordered the part and the car was fixed the next day.  Every time we would talk with ****** it was excuse after excuse after excuse.  They replaced a $900 part that didn't need to be replaced.  You can refer to the first email I sent on this website and it gives a history of the repairs on our car.  For documentation, I would prefer we keep our conversations through the Better Business Bureau.  

  Customer response

  03/10/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Although you manage the business, you are not the person we have talk to up to now.  I am not sure you know the history behind our repairs, conversations, and initial complaint.  I am sorry for that. To address you question, I do not understand why the Auto Shop would expect us to bring our car back to you if you had had for 51 days and could not diagnose the problem and then make the repairs in a timely manner.  You didn't do what we ask, so this is why we chose a different route.  Next, you ask for paperwork from the Mercedes shop to see what they did replace?  We told you in the beginning we thought it was an electrical problem in the key switch. That information is exactly what we told them and they diagnosed the problem in an hr. and fixed it the very next day.  That's all you need to know.   We are not going to continue to argue back and forth with the "he said she said"   You did not fix our car. You had it 51 days, charged us $900 for a part that did not need replaced, and charged us $2020.76 as the total repair bill.     ****** and I. *****, had a conversation, and I mention to him that I know every business can't do everything perfect all the time.  Said sometimes business have to take a hit and move forward.  We have no bad feelings toward you and your business, we just want some of our money returned, because we did not get the product we paid for.  It's that simple.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** & ***** ******

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