I took my Mazda to Sansone's RT 1 Automall, NJ to check the alternator last week. Having a business trip on 7/30, I wanted to make sure my car was ok. Although I am not a mechanic, I sensed the alternator was going. A simple test is to start the car and then disconnect the battery cables while the engine idles. If the car engine stops, your charging system is bad. If the car keeps running, your battery is bad. Anyway, I dropped my car off on 7/19/07. On 7/23 they told me that I needed a new battery which they put in for $128. I asked again if they checked the alternator before accepting the charges, and they assured me it was ok. On 7/29 my car died WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT (dangerous, and proves it wasn't my battery's fault). I had to recharge the battery for 30 minutes in order to get it home. I also needed to rent a car to go on my trip on 7/30, costing me $79 (Thanks enterprise!). Today after recharging the battery, I dropped it off again at my dealership. They told me that indeed it was my alternator that was bad (something I told them TWICE beforea week ago). When I asked for a reimbursement on the 7/23 original bill, the service manager told an employee to tell me that I won't be fully reimbursed, since ""The battery would've died anyway with a bad alternator"". The manager didnt even have the decency to talk to me directly. I never would've gotten a new battery unless they had INSISTED that it was at fault and that I needed a new one. I think I'm entitled to being reimbursed the original $128 and $79 especially since I knew the battery was ok. I also have to wait until tomorrow to pick up the car because the alternator is not in stock. Beware- They made me buy a battery when they knew the alternator was at fault and I'd be back in a week, especially since my alternator is under warrantee and I do not need to pay for it to get changed. This is horrible customer service. The mechanic working on my car was actually very helpful, but his manager is a scrooge!
Cons: this con is against the service/ auto repair department, not the salespeople
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