[BIG A]

a useful bit of advice

Meineke discount mufflers broke the wheel stud off my camry, didn't tell me about it and tried to hide it. Now the company refuses to fix what they broke.
They actually told me after they test drove it that the vibration, a vibration my car never had before I brought it in, caused by the wheel stud they just broke, was a tire going bad on that wheel!
The reason Meineke is a little cheaper than the other brake places is because they will hire just about anybody to work on cars and pay them lower wages. Their mechanics are not required to have any formal training or certification. I've been repeatedly lied to by their incompetent mechanics.
Just one more thing, I learned this the hard way, after a repair job and they test drive your vehicle and tell you all is fine, don't take their word for it, test drive it yourself before you pay them. Pay them wth a credit card too, that way you can stop payment if you find out the repair was done incorrectly or they caused damage to your vehcle while working on it.

 

[Admiral]

thank you. now ppl will beleive me when i say they suck ass, cuz you can back me up.

welcome to tn

 

[trypsix]

Have you complained to Meineke HQ?
Have you complained to the BBB?
Have you pissed on the door handle to their shop after business hours?

 

[BIG A]

I reported the entire incident in detail to the regional manager, I'm not sure if that's his title but he's located in the same city as me and his name and number are on my Meineke receipt. On the phone he refuted everything I told him, argued with me then put me off repeatedly for every stupid excuse imaginable (I called him four times in three days). He never called me back once.
I tried to contact what I believe to be the Meineke headquarters located in Charlotte, North Carolina. I tried calling that number 6 or 8 times. Each time a recorded message tells me to hold for the next available customer service person but after 2 minutes of holding it tells me to leave a recorded message at the tone. I left my name and number asking someone to please contact me at least 4 times over the past 3 days but still nobody has called me.

 

[Admiral]

its kinda hard to fight such a large corporation and its too minor to bring lawyers in to it. id have to go with trypsix on this and piss on the door handles.:lol: j/k good luck with it. how much they rip you off for

 

[ian721]

Here's more advice:

ALWAYS pay for major items with a credit card (if you can).

Once you pay cash the only recourse you have is to sue them for your money back. But if you're a customer in good standing, your credit card company will back you up. They'll also be less likely to mess with you if they know you're paying with credit.

Even more advice: If you must pay cash, GET A DETAILED RECEIPT!

 

[BIG A]

Well, I originally took it in for brake pads but even with my "lifetime warranty" it ended up costing me $100.00 (they actually came down on the labor $10.00 when I complained on the price).
The original brake pads cost me $120.00 total. Two years later they charged me (with brake warranty) $60.00 total so they've went up on labor and made me get my brake rotors machined for $30.00 which they never required before. They told me if I don't get my rotors machined my brake warranty will be void.
I know I can always file a small claims suit against the shop that caused the damage but right now I'm still open to trying to find a quicker (and less involed) solution to the matter through somebody with the Meineke corporation. Another problem is that the car isn't really drivable right now because of the vibration that starts around 50 mph. I need to drive at least 55 or 60 mph to work because I have a long commute to work. So I have to drive a car that isnt 100% safe until i can get it fixed.
I'm not sure, but I have a feeling this is not going to be cheap to fix. One place I called said the wheel hub may have to be removed and sent out to have the remaining part of the stud "pressed out".
Like I say, "it's always good when you leave the repair shop with LESS car problems than you went in with."