On Sun, 29 Jul 2018 08:33:18 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:



Then I paid Sears to do the alignment, and when I got home, I looked and
not a bolt was touched. I took it back to Sears and they tested it and
found out the guy didn't even do it. He said his charts only went back 10
years and so he didn't have the numbers. And yet they charged me. I as
livid, but in those days, I didn't scream bloody further. Nowadays I'd have
told them to give it to me for free or I would go to the prosecutor (or at
least the home office).


Same thing happened to me at a Firestone shop. I bought a '66 F100 and it was pulling a
little to the left. I dropped it off for new front tires and an alignment. When I picked
it up from their parking lot, first thing I did was crawl under it. Same grunge on the tie
rod ends. Went back in and asked the desk guy why they didn't do the alignment.
He shouted to the mech and the mech shouted back. "We can't do twin I-beam."
I had him refund the charge. Pretty close to your experience.

Can you believe that they just didn't do it, and didn't give a ****?


Sure can.

snip

Again, don't even get me started on AAMCO. We old men have too many stories
of how we were screwed when we were young and innocent.


I heard the stories, so did some looking around when the trans went out on my '67 Skylark.
AAMCO wanted $700 - hell, I only paid $475 for the car.
Went to the used car dealer I bought it from and he told me what trans shop he used.
They rebuilt the trans for $125.

I taught my kids that very many are crooks (AAMCO is the worst, IMHO).
Sigh.

Just avoid the franchise operations. Still have to deal with finding a competent mechanic,
but when you do, you're set. Until they retire or die on you.