What a day yesterday

[modette]

So it starts off with me going to buy an oil filter so I can change the oil in my car after my long trip. I get the filter and get in my car and get out of the parking lot onto the main road and guess what I can not shift. I get up to my turn by coasting and I mess with it for 3-4 minutes and I notice it is in a very high gear (maybe 4th, maybe 5th) so I slip the clutch and am able to go, but now I got to go up a hill...so I slip it all the way home...not all that far maybe 2 miles away if that.

So I called the mechanic in town that changed my clutch before the trip and left a message. He called me back, and seeing as I have AAA and never used it I called them and had it towed to the mechanics shop. Over the phone he said it was probably one of the linkages for the shifter came loose...okay that still does not make me happy as they had worked on it and probably took that all apart. They do have a 100% satisfaction guarantee...but I'm not a dick to ask for my whole $650 for labor back...but do feel I should get something, I had to use my AAA, be out time, and put un-needed wear on my new Exceedy clutch. What do you all think?

He did call late last night, said it was ready in his message. I'll report back when I call in 10 minutes.

Next I had to take my wife to her dental surgery appointment right after AAA picked up my car. That was uneventful but we came out to a ton of snow and roads covered in ICE. I25 was shut down so we took back roads home which had traffic and it moved really slow. Plus any incline cars were spinning out, and RWD trucks. One hill was so littered with vehicles we had to zig zag around them....man I love AWD. But even with AWD and going slow I and do to the weird angle of the corner/hill I slide across luckily the one car continued so I did not side swipe him, and the guy behind him stayed stopped...I got to say the Michelin tires on this new Ford Edge suck compared to the Bridgestones on our previous one. I hope these last longer...the Bridgestones would where out in 20K-25K miles but at least they gripped the ICE really well.

Then once home I notice a jug of Rotella Synthetic developed a leak on the corner and now the garage had a pool of oil.


Today I woke up and drove the wife to work, she does not work far away like 5-7 miles. Roads are still very very bad. The car said it is -3 degrees outside...and I believe it I had to come in from shoveling the driveway as I was frozen to the point of pain.

Well I better call and see about my car...so what was the problem and when I can pick it up. Wife gets out at 7pm tonight...and has an odd work schedule tomorrow 10am-2pm...as she puts it not even worth going in....LOL

[Joe]

With out knowing how the linkage in your trany is configured it could be just as he said, if its internal he may not have even seen it, shifting forks also wear out causing the same problem which means tearing in to the trany. Seeing as how he called back so soon and said it's ready I would believe external linkage and a forgotten cotter pin, if he's fixing it free of charge then I would chalk it up to shit happens.

[modette]

Okay just called the mechanic...he said the satisfaction is to correct the problem. I mentioned about how Thank God it did not happen in KS. I told him how about giving me a few bucks back on the labor as this should have never happened. Nope they DON'T do that he said.

I guess I'll be changing my Google rating of his business to a lower star rating and a nastier review.

You think he just be like how about a few oil changes or something...NOPE. I might call him back or email him before changing my 5 star review to a 1 star. Actually I'll wait till I go get the car tonight and confront him tomorrow about this again.

You know damn well if I broke down in KS and had expenses that I be asking him for hundreds of dollars back...possibly suing him as it was due to them not tightening bolts enough or using loctite. I guess he fails to understand he could of been out a lot more money here. Also I used my AAA account which I pay for, and my time and gas to go down due to their admitted mistake which he openly said "we did not tighten a few bolts". So yeah the more I think about it the more mad I get.

This is why I hate dealing with people and mechanics.

[modette]

Originally Posted by Joe

With out knowing how the linkage in your trany is configured it could be just as he said, if its internal he may not have even seen it, shifting forks also wear out causing the same problem which means tearing in to the trany. Seeing as how he called back so soon and said it's ready I would believe external linkage and a forgotten cotter pin, if he's fixing it free of charge then I would chalk it up to shit happens.

Oh I would not be so nasty but how much did my clutch wear in a mile? How much life is taken out of it.

I also would not be nasty except the pickup of the vehicle was an experience I was going to post here about but chalked it up to SHIT HAPPENS. Car was to be ready in an hour, had a friend drop me off from our hike and 5 hours later I was able to get it. It seems the mechanic that worked on it forgot to put a bolt back that he could not otherwise get too...so they had to remove the whole thing again to tighten one bolt...thus the delay. I mean that ticked me off as I was stuck there so they had to finish it or give me a ride home.

So yeah I already was a little pissed off...this just pissed me off more and makes me wonder what else they screwed up on. I just don't see asking for maybe $100 back on a $650 job as asking for much...SHIT happens in business and I already had used them before so they have made money off me...this is a small shop and he knows I drive from Monument to Downtown springs passing by hundreds of shops...so next time...I'll give one of those others a try....you think he keep me happy. I'm one of those customers that don't mind driving down, I have the money to spend on repairs too (he is in a shady part of town so I'm sure his customers typically can not come up with payment).

Its just not how I ran a business, not even my father in-law would be that cheap not to offer money back. I guess pleasing people is no longer the norm.

And a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee legal means if I want all the labor back, he needs to do it which I'm not even asking for. I've read and seen that ruled against mechanics many times....if your not satisfied your not satisfied....LOL

[Joe]

So your out the money you feel is owed you and your drug down now from being pissed off, so how was this a win for you? Shit happens people screw up and don't always back it up like they should, move on.

[blurr]

there will be no where in a mile, it takes a great deal to really hack up your clutch.
On your older pre hydrolic clutches it was not uncommon to have to adjust them a couple of times after initial instilation.
I really dont blame you on wanting something in Return since they offered a satisfaction guarentee. Hell like you said, an oil change even would go a long ways.
With that said it sounds like you got a pretty cheap job done.

[modette]

What do you mean cheap? It was like $650 for labor and cost me like $530 for the clutch with flywheel and throw out bearing. Hardly cheap... I spent like $300 on a complete fluid flush a month ago at this shop...so not like I am a one time customer.

But yeah an oil change or something be nice especially considering the poor experience I received prior and I did not ask for anything off which I usually do if something is not done on time.

Yep I will move on like I said too many shops around. I'll email the shop tomorrow, and see what happens maybe he will offer something then...maybe when I get the car around 8pm tonight (he is leaving the keys in it for me) he thought about it during the day and does the honorable thing...if not I did what I could and will leave a review to update my experience on Google....seeing as that works best to say "hey maybe you should change your ways". He can take it or leave it then *shrug* No loose to me as like I said there are 100 shops from here to there...I used him because my sister in-law had a good experience...and I like to support the little guy.

I am a very loyal customer when I find a shop. I used one guy exclusively back in MI...I would even drive the hour...combine it with family, we had a very good business relationship he loved working on my cars as I always kept them clean. Steve (my old mechanic in MI) would never of just left me hanging...he would have done the right thing from the start...and made things right because in the long run I am a cash cow for a shop...I got the money, and I am loyal.

I now some of you say move on...well that is what I am doing. It just amazes me businesses lack the common sense in todays world to know how to keep good customers. Me the customer should not have to ask a shop to do the right thing....oh well.

***Sorry I edited this as I am home now...typing on a smartphone stinks.

[blurr]

OHHHH sowee thought the the entire thing was 650, jesus that is a pile of Labor, how much are they charging an Hour? its not like a clutch is that big of a project with the right tool, price for parts is probably about right however.

And I wouldnt even bother giving them a chance, If a business is unable to deal on the spot then fuck em, they should have offered something before hand, least I would have.

I hate to say it, but Mechanics are some of the biggest rip off assholes no the planet, which is why I do anything I can on my own.

[modette]

Originally Posted by blurr

OHHHH sowee thought the the entire thing was 650, jesus that is a pile of Labor, how much are they charging an Hour? its not like a clutch is that big of a project with the right tool, price for parts is probably about right however.

And I wouldnt even bother giving them a chance, If a business is unable to deal on the spot then fuck em, they should have offered something before hand, least I would have.

I hate to say it, but Mechanics are some of the biggest rip off assholes no the planet, which is why I do anything I can on my own.

Yeah the brother in-law was willing to do the job...but being more then what I have ask of him I did not want him to screw up and then have bad blood between us...plus I would have paid him something (I paid him $100 for my clutch cylinder when he replaced that)...Maybe next time I'll let him do the work as he can use the extra cash...after all being FAA certified mechanic (AP) I know he would not of forgot to tighten a bolt...LOL

Yeah I know the parts are right as I bought them from focussport.com LOL It was $425 for the Excedy Clutch & Flywheel plus $79.97 for the Throw Out Bearing...not related but I also bought a cold air intake for $180 as my Focus had the sealed Ford unit and the dealers charge like $500...and with all my dirt road driving I knew the factory sealed unit was DIRTY.

I'm not sure where my latest paperwork is for the clutch install...but the real total was like $717.50 but I had a coupon for like 15% off. This is on par what people on the Focus forum have paid in my research....so not a deal, but not a dealer crazy price either.

I'm glad I have a good wife. She told me to just go buy a new car (Taurus SHO is in my eye, so is a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon)...but I just don't want the payments...its nice owning the vehicle.

I hope I can truest the work Metric Motors in Colorado Springs did installing the clutch. Yep next time I'll just pay the bro...hate to do business with family but I know he would not screw me either and I know the work be done right and plus I could watch and learn how to do it myself.

Yep, I was at the dealer with the Ford Edge as I took the wife to work today. $34.95 for normal oil change and $15 for rotation...yep that is why I typically do my own oil changed with a top notch filter for $10 and a gallon of Mobil One oil fully synthetic for $34...they wanted $84.95 for fully synthetic oil...to which I laughed. Yep, this is why I do my own oil changes and my own brake jobs...and I also typically rotate the tires myself...I was just being lazy.

[blurr]

I dont blame you for not wanting to deal with family, although if you keep it at a busines level that is what it should stay, I have had most of my friends work for me at one time or another, but I refuse to rent to them, just some thing should not be done IMO.

You might be able to just have an Atty fire them off a letter and get your money back, after all, it is their Guarentee.