went in with a coupon for a tire rotation and oil change.. I'm new to this side of town, and don't have a favorite oil change/tire place yet.. they said it'd take an hour.. whatever, walked down the street for a sandwich.. which was fantastic.\r
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I ate.. went to Office Depot.. Michael's.. Pep Boys.. finally they called me to tell me they were done checking out the car (??? no wonder my oil change took over an hour).. They wanted to install a new master cylinder, replace u-joints, flush and replace every fluid in the car.. I kept saying ""no"" as he rattled down the list.. the whole time thinking this was just the price I was paying for using a coupon. The cost for all their recommended services would have been more than $1,100..\r
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Then the zinger.. which was the cheapest item on his list, but annoyed me the most.. he said the oil cap was stripped..\r
""You mean the little plastic cap on top of the engine?""\r
-- 'Yes, it's stripped and needs to be replaced. It's $10'\r
""Actually, I'm at PepBoys across the street, they're $5 here.. should I pick one up?""\r
-- 'No, our guys can get it.. it's $10'\r
""Hm, no thanks.. please put the old one back on""\r
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I picked up my car.. popped the hood.. nothing wrong with the oil cap.\r
I'm sure some of the recommended services might help my beater with $200k miles live a little longer.. but the hard sell is really annoying. Definitely will not return.. even with a coupon.\r
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I still take my car out to Ed Little Auto Service in Culver City.. one of the most honest and reliable mechanic shops I've come across.. that's the type of loyal customer I am.. and these guys blew it with the hard sell.
Pros: coupons available online..
Cons: the hard upsell..
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