ComplaintsforLenzi Service Station Inc

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This shady business refuses to release my vehicle. It avers I owe it $79.50 for something. I never authorized or requested it to do any work in my car. AAA towed my car to Lenzi's by mistake. Nevertheless, I tried to pay them with my debit card but they said they want cash because they think I will dispute the charges. I am 85 years old and in failing health which this business is jeopardizing by holding me car. I have been forced to cancel several doctor"s appointments because of this business's questionable conduct. It's reputation in my area is very derogatory. I desperately need my car as another repair shop has been waiting for it for more than three weeks now. The public needs to be warned about the deceptive and corrupt practices of Lenzi Service Station, 149 W Main Street, Monongahela PA 15063 . Phone: 724-258-8531. Please have my car returned to, my failing medical condition depends on it. Thank you.

  Business response

  06/19/2023

  This vehicle was towed to our property via AAA the week of 5-15-23 for no power, engine light issue, noise in engine. On 5-22-23 we scanned & diagnosed the vehicle & found a transmission issue. I called the customer immediately to let them know the issue & gave them a transmission shop phone number for the repairs. We did not hear from the customer again for 3 weeks. At this time, a woman called saying AAA will tow the vehicle off of our property- she did not understand why she had to pay a diagnostic fee. They called AAA anyways, without paying. We let AAA know there was an outstanding bill- at this point the owner of the vehicle called me & yelled at me, telling me we are the worst business he's ever dealt with, and so on. For being a very sickly man, like he states, you wouldn't think he would have the energy to scream & yell! I told him because of the way he spoke to me, it was my discretion to accept cash only as payment for our diagnostic fee. Our field rep from AAA called questioning the situation & agreed with our decision. **** also called the Monongahela Police Department- from there we explained the situation & they also agreed with our decision & let **** know that it is our discretion, the police also informed him that we would start charging daily storage fees for the vehicle sitting on our property. ****s response to the officer was " I don't mind paying storage fees but I am not paying a diagnostic fee." This confused everyone. The vehicle is still on our property- waiting for payment. Today, 6-19-23 the diag fee with storage is totaling $ 185.50- cash only. It will continue to increase daily. 

  As always, we stand behind any of our repairs or diagnostics & we set a high standard for our business, which is why we have the great reputation that we do. Unfortunately, when working with the public, you will come across people like this that expect your time & services for free & would rather fight & argue than pay what is owed. 

  Customer response

  06/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  

  As we expected, this business has provided to you false and inaccurate information in it's response to our complaint.  Accordingly, we respond said response as follows:

  Our vehicle was towed by AAA to Lenzi Service Station by mistake; we never requested AAA to tow our car to that questionable business; we never requested Lenzi to perform anything on our vehicle and by doing so on their own, they violated our right of privacy; we do not believe this business ever scanned & diagnosed our vehicle and found a transmission issue, in fact prior to our car being towed to Lenzi, we had a scan performed on it and no such transmission was ever noted; as for Lenzi giving us the phone number of a transmission shop for repairs we became suspicious because our scan of the vehicle never noted any transmission issue and considered Lenzi's so-called referral nothing more than a scam; as for Lenzi not hearing from us for 3 weeks, they were informed that Mr. ****** had been in the hospital for spinal examination and treatment; as for a woman who called saying AAA would tow the vehicle off Lenzi's property and that that  woman did not understand why she had to pay a diagnostic fee, that's because that woman never authorized any diagnostic service to be performed; as for someone at Lenzi's calling AAA, we don't believe anyone at Lenzi's ever called AAA, AAA never told us that someone at Lenzi's had called them; as for the owner calling and yelling (at me??) this is an outright LIE, the owner never called and yelled at anyone at Lenzi's; as for the writer of Lenzi's fabricated response, we offered to pay a $79.50 unauthorized scam fee with our Federal Credit Union debit card but a clerk at Lenzi's demanded cash even though that business clearly advertises it accepts a Visa card; as for Lenzi's AAA field rep agreeing with Lenzi's decision?? (demanding cash), that is another blatant lie, we talked with 7 AAA agents and everyone of them told us how terrible Lenzi was treating us and that they dib not understand why Lenzi was doing so; as for **** calling the Monongahela Police  Department, he did do that and was shocked to learn that Lenzi had a relative serving in that police force--so you know how far **** got with that; as for Lenzi and it's so-called discretion, it's nothing more than
  another deceptive business practice scheme being utilized by this questionable business; as for charging storage fees, we aver that such fees are illegal and another deceptive scheme to cheat the public.  We never asked for our car to be towed to this crooked business and aver that we owe it absolutely nothing; as for Lenzi setting a high standard and having a great reputation, whomever wrote that must be joking, all you need do to learn what kind of reputation Lenzi has is to go to the YELP website and see what it's prior dissatisfied customers have to say about their business; as for coming across people like **** ******, the writer of Lenzi's response might be surprised to learn that **** ****** holds Master's Degree in Business Management and operated his own transportation business for 30 years.  And there are no negative reviews on Yelp about him or his business either.
  
  In conclusion, we aver that Lenzi's response to the BBB is fraudulent, untrue and frivolous and must be construed as such by this Honorable BBB.  
  
  Respectfully submitted by,
  **** ** ******

   

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was quoted one price and I needed more money to get my vehicle back which they have had for 3 weeks.

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  The customer approved all repairs with prices, as we went over them several times because the customer kept adding more repairs to have done. The vehicle sat at our location after repairs were made because the customer had a church pay for most of the repairs- we had to receive the check before releasing the vehicle, as any business would do. The church paid $748.00 towards repairs- the customer owed $95.76- which they were told. There should not be any confusion or question. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  yesterday lenzi towing came onto private property and towed away a card saying it’s junk because I had no plate on it. The car was parked in my dead end street driveway that has only 2 other houses in the street the car was not ripped apart I am must waiting for the new papers to come for it. I called lenzi and the driver hung up on me and said he can do what he wants bc it’s “illegally parked”

  Business response

  12/05/2022

  This vehicle was impounded by the Monongahela Police Department due to the vehicle being tagged as a "junk" vehicle. The owner did not have the vehicle moved or inspected in the timeframe that the police department gave. The police were on scene when the vehicle was towed by our facility.  If the owner of the vehicle has any other questions, he can contact the police department.

  Thanks,

  Erica 

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 3, 2022, my wife got a tow from L**** Service Station. The first driver who picked her up called another driver to take her home when he realized it was farther than he wanted to go. When the second driver was driving her home, she suspected he was drunk, as he sped, never used a turn signal, and swerved. When the driver dropped her off, he stumbled over a hose on his truck, spilling a huge amount of hydraulic oil, and ruining a 6 x 8 ft. patch of our yard. I contacted Erica L****, who asked me to email her photos of the damage and a quote for remediation before she would supply her insurance information. I sent her photos, and she replied that she still needed the quote. The company I found quoted me $1889. After forwarding my correspondence with the remediation company to Erica, she stopped responding to my emails.

  Business response

  07/05/2022

  ******

   I do apologize for the late response, as I was out of the office, today is my first day back. I appreciate you sending the photos/ estimate however, we will not be turning this into our insurance. We can offer $50 mailed to you for dirt & grass seed to replant, if you wish, as this area is not maintained. It looks as if you already have a mound of dirt behind the spill area. As for our drivers personally, the first driver to arrive on scene was our first dispatcher. It was overlapping with his shift to our second shift driver & because the vehicle was being towed quite a distance, our second night-turn driver decided to complete the tow for him. Our driver was not drunk, we have GPS with speed trackers in each one of our trucks, along with dash cameras. This information was also not shared in your original emails- which I would think was a very important detail to be mentioned when filing a complaint. We have a contract with state police for turnpike towing & our local police. Our drivers have been with us over 30 years combined. As for the fluid lost, it was 1.5 gallons of hydraulic oil which is non toxic, non hazardous. The line was not "tripped" over as that would be impossible unless the truck is upside down. I have attached a photo of the line & the placement of the line under the flatbed. 

  We will close this on our end. 

  Thank you,

  Erica L****

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Was quoted a price on replacing a water pump and serpentine belt of 270 and a tow to the shop of 125. I called to find out what was going on with my vehicle at around 2:00 pm and when I’d be getting it back and Ericka said she’d find out and get back to me. Never heard anything back so I called at 3:59 and she said my car was now back there. I called again at 4:47 to see when my car would be done because I knew they would be closing. Ericka said “ I said I would call you when it’s done” she was progressively getting rude each time I called. She called me back at 5:02 said my car was done and she could take payment over the phone. I gave her my card information figuring she would only be taking the $270 + $125 tow and tax which would of been $419.00, because she never mentioned a difference in price from what was originally quoted. I go to pick up my car and the bill inside my car shows 484.42. I never agreed to this amount at ALL. My friends were with me when Ericka gave me the quote so I have witnesses to the price quote. I was charged 12 dollars which was included in the 270 dollar quote. I had coolant checked and there was no coolant in the reservoir . I called lenzi yesterday 4/3/2022 to resolve the issue with being overcharged and a woman who is filling in told me Ericka was going to be out till Monday. I asked to talk to Gary lenzi or a manager and she said She would have someone call me today, I didn’t receive a phone call so I called again around 4:20 on 4/4 and the woman said “she can’t work the computer and that she’d have Ericka call Monday” I said “no I’d like to please talk to Gary to get this resolved” she said “ Gary can’t work the computers” I’m looking to get a refund of the 65 dollar over charge from what was quoted and 12 dollars for coolant that was never put in.

  Business response

  05/09/2022

  ***** originally called us on 4-29-22 for a quote on a repair that she had diagnosed at another garage. It was for the water pump/ AC charge & labor. She was quoted labor 185.00, water pump 85.00, AC charge 125.00. She scheduled an appointment with us for Monday, 5-2-22. The vehicle was scheduled to be dropped off at 8:00 am on Monday, to ensure it would be completed the same day. ***** called us at 10:00 am stating that the vehicle needed to be towed, she did not want to drive it. We sent a tow truck to her within 45 minutes to get the vehicle to our shop as quickly as possible (even though she was already 2 hours later for her appointment). We started working on the vehicle at 3:00 (we were extremely busy)- knowing we would have to stay after hours of 5:00pm to finish it for the customer, because she needed the vehicle back that day. Within this time, she called a total of 7 times- including having a friend call- (asking for a referral discount) & demanding a time when the car would be completed. I told them each time that I did not have an exact time of completion but ensured that it would be finished that day & they would absolutely receive a phone call when the vehicle was finished with the repairs. One of the times when the customer called, she told me she did not want the AC charge done at that time & was okay with it not working. So we deducted that amount. Because the vehicle was not diagnosed here, we can't give exact estimates- as other problems do come up. As we removed her water pump, we had to also remove the serpentine belt & at that time the mechanic noticed that it was covered in antifreeze & had multiple cracks throughout. The serpentine belt was an additional $50.00 & the antifreeze $12.00. IF we had diagnosed the vehicle, we would have included these extra costs in our repair.  Due to the wear & tear on the original belt, there was no way to re-use it. It would have broke shortly after the repair & then we would have had to tow the vehicle back in to repair something that should have been replaced. Our business is extremely busy all day, especially with people calling several times for an update. Due to our high demand of repairs & traffic through our office each day, our mechanics are not required to update with minor additional repairs, especially because the vehicle would not run without the new serpentine belt. Our mechanic stayed until 5:30pm to complete this job & the paper work & keys were left in the car for the customer to pick up. 

  As for Erica not being in contact, she was off sick for 4 days. The fill-in secretary did call the customer Friday the 6th but *****'s voicemail was full/not set up & was unable to leave a message. Gary does not handle any of the office issues- Erica is the only person to respond & ***** was told Erica would be back in office today, Monday the 9th. 

  Customer response

  05/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

  
  

  This response from Lenzi's is full of false information by the business. I was never given a an appointment time of 8:00 am I was told I " could bring it in anytime after 8:00 am" my car was undrivable on Sunday may 1st. I called them to tell them I needed a tow at 8:27 am because I was trying to get a road side assistance tow at 7:45 am but with my insurance coverage, I found out I did not have roadside assistance. 

  The reply from Lenzi's stated that another mechanic looked at my car and that's true and I was told I needed a water pump and serpentine belt by that mechanic. The only reason I didn't have him do the work was because that mechanic wouldn't have an opening till Tuesday may,3rd. He suggested that I not wait until Tuesday and have it done a.s.a.p because he didn't want to see me break down.i called around to other shops getting quotes on the water pump and serpentine belt replacement and Lenzi's had the soonest availability. The 270 dollar that they quoted me was for the serpentine belt the water pump and coolant, Ericka stated if I wanted an a.c charge it would be 390 I stated I would just want the serpentine belt and water pump only. They never filled my radiator with coolant and the reservoir was empty I had to buy a gallon of coolant and used the entire gallon of coolant to fill both, I attached files from my call log showing my first call was at 8:27 am ( not 10 am as per their response) to them and that's when I called about the tow which also I was told it was 125 for the tow but it's showing 135 on reciept. Also I uploaded a picture of the time on reciept which shows in time at 9:08am as well . The response also states "they stayed till 5:30" but as per the reciept it shows complete at 4:50 pm. Invoiced at 5:03pm when she called to tell me that my car was done and they were closed so she'd need my payment information and they'd leave the keys in the car. I gave my card info believing I was being charged what I was quoted and nothing was stated otherwise. The quote of 270 was for the water pump serpentine belt and coolant. She's now trying to say the extra charge was for the "serpentine belt" and they don't have to notify customers and they can just add on parts and charge you and never tell you about it?? Because if the serpentine belt was not mentioned from the very beginning when I got the quote then why was it never stated they had to replace it when she called to get payment? It wasn't stated because it was part of the 270 quote o originally got from ericka. I aslo uploaded the call in from Ericka on may 2 at 5:03 pm when she called to get payment and said my car was complete. I called right back after we hung up at 5:05 to make sure they were only charging me the quoted amount. But the answering service said they were gone for the day.again I called well before 10am for the tow and as well they didn't work on my car till 5:30 pm as per the uploaded supporting evidence shows. As per my initial claim I supported my phone call times to Ericka and no she never told me" she would absolutely call me when it was done" that never happened. Her job as a secretary is to answer phone calls but yet is complaining about the phone calls? It's a place of business and it's the job of the secretary to answer those calls regardless not to progressively become rude because people especially their customers are calling. As I stated before Id just want the refund of the 65 dollar over charge and the 12 dollars for the coolant that I was charged for but was never put in. Also I uploaded a photo of the coolant I had to purchase because it was never filled but I was charged. as well the last logged phone call from Lenzi's was Wednesday may 4th after the fill in secretary was suppose to call me back since Gary did not, I missed that call and immediately called back at 4:52 pm and the answering service again said they were gone for the day ( uploaded those call log) I was never contacted by them Friday and my voicemail was not full on Friday and it was definitely setup so if they are claiming they called Friday then I'd like to see their call log of it. I'm seeking resolve here with the BBB I don't want to have to take this to the consumer protection agency, if I don't have too. 

*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. ↩