[car] Fresh Pond Mobil lied about work needed.

[darxus]

(google maps)

They said I had "play in [my] left inner tie rod".

I took it to the mechanic I bought it from, and trust, he jacked the wheel off the ground and shook it, and it looked nice and solid. And he's the one I'd pay to fix it. And he didn't charge me to look at it.

Comments

[zzbottom.livejournal.com]

You know, since starting my own business and dealing personally with the people who are now putting money directly into my pockets, I've spent a lot more time thinking about ethics in business dealings. It astounds me how some business people see their customers as so disposable and worthless that they're willing to rip them off once and just never see them again as opposed to dealing with them honestly, giving a fair deal, and getting repeat customers.

When I had my VW, I was continually impressed that for seven years and two mechanics who specialized in nothing but after-warranty VWs and Audis (as many as two simply because of a relocation), I never once had to take my car back somewhere and have them "re-fix" a repair that they'd previously perform. Additionally, every time I brought my car in to have it looked at, they handed me two neat estimates: "This should be done" and "This needs to be done". I was usually able to move some should into the repair column when I had the cash, but they never tried to foist phony needs off on me.

I miss my VW.

[beowabbit]

Good for you for not taking their word about it. I love my mechanics (ABJ Automotive on Marshall St. in I-don't-remember-whether-it's-Cambridge-or-Somerville-there) for exactly this reason; it's not at all uncommon for me to pick my car up with no charge when they look at it and say nothing needed to be done.

[dabunny.livejournal.com]

If you look that place up on Google maps all the comments are:

a: negative
b: really similar to your experience

I occasionally get my inspection done there, but only if I know nothing's wrong beforehand.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Commenting there made me feel better.

[ironfinch.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you need something like this to remind you how good it is to have a mechanic you can and do trust. I have two near me (5 miles away) and depending on their schedules, they are the only guys I use.

Just remember, not everybody is out for the quick buck but some are.

[pixel.livejournal.com]

Your link is broken, it should be:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=fresh+pond+mobil+ma&ie=UTF8&ll=55.998381,-67.148437&spn=21.923313,59.765625&z=4&iwloc=A&iwd=1&cid=42385461,-71141225,16536395617054001604&dtab=2&om=0

Dishonest shops drive me up the wall. There was a shop down the street from where I grew up, we had all our cars serviced there for about 15 years. Then they screwed myself and a friend over on two successive repairs. I have never returned, and have warned people away ever since. So a 15 year and many thousand dollar customer, pissed away to make a couple extra bucks, or not bother to do the work right.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The problem was hitting the title field size without noticing.

Yeah, that sucks.