I guess according to the “Fool me once/twice” aphorism it should be “Shame on me.” I could say that my relationship with Meineke would be analogous to the slow painful discovery of a wife’s unfaithfulness.\r
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Initially the local Meineke in Bourbonnais (under previous ownership) performed honest and very satisfactory service for a reasonable/competitive fee. Even after new ownership assumed the Bourbonnais Meineke service outlet, there appeared to be a demonstration of good faith toward who I thought we were—valued and loyal customers: On a few occasions they fixed a loose hanger and mudguard and even plugged a tire free of charge.\r
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Recently (06/17/14), though, I brought in my Honda Civic for an AC problem which ended up, I learned subsequently, costing us many hundred$ more than what would have been charged by more than one operate-in-good-faith mechanic. And I had to take the car back twice more to have fixed, problems that were a direct result of their shoddy service. When I first brought the car in and because of a forthcoming planned long trip, I had stressed to them the importance of fixing the car right the first time. Apparently they didn’t assume the same importance for the repair because I was not able to use the car for the trip.\r
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Sustained money loss and inconvenience notwithstanding, this Meineke has also and more importantly demonstrated an indefensible disregard for safety—the safety of my daughter, son-in-law, and two-year-old granddaughter. Even more recently (08/14/14) I took their car to be serviced for a brake problem. Not only did their slapstick “service” cost hundred$ more than what it should have, it resulted in a dangerously unstable car to drive—inordinately spongy brakes and a pulling of the car to one direction. We wound up taking the car to another Meineke—apparently the only Meineke you can trust in the whole Chicago-land area in the Sauganash neighborhood on North Cicero Avenue—to have repaired (and covered) what we paid the Bourbonnais Meineke to do.\r
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As a side note, after the unfixed repair, the Bourbonnais Meineke manager told us that the vehicle also needed struts all around. I subsequently learned from several reliable service sources that not only was the price that they quoted $750-$800 above what was fair, but the car didn’t need struts at all! Trust Meineke? I don’t think so! With rare exceptions, like the one cited above, expect slapstick service and an unwelcome trip to the cleaners.\r
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