Greg Kaiser At Lee Myles Transmissions Classic BAIT and SWITCH Auto Repair RIPOFF. Bait pricing for Jetta clutch installed was $455. after removal new price $814. plus tax Phoenix Arizona
This is a classic BAIT and SWITCH auto repair scheme. Call for a price quote on a new clutch for a 1995 VW Jetta and receive $455. includes tax, turning flywheel, new OEM Clutch "kit" and everything out the door. He states that his mechanic hears a noise in the tranny and offers that as long as the clutch is disconnected from the transmission he could "service" it for additional $68. which we agree to.
That afternoon we drop the car off, he says he will call when he gets to the car. Greg calls the next morning with a new and improved (for him) price. $816. plus tax. I protest asking what happened to the original quote. I ask for a breakdown of the pricing. His quoted $255. labor charge stays the same but the parts (quoted at between $150-$200) are going to be $404. (plus tax), and he sends the flywheel out to be turned (he never mentioned this at all) at $89. plus the transmission service at $68. and we are now at: $816. plus tax. A far cry from $455.
I go on the internet and find the exact OEM clutch kit for $132. INCLUDING shipping and call him back. Greg grumbles that he already bought the parts and they cost him $208. I order the parts and bring them in, he tries to tell me that these aren't OEM parts (they were) and would not work (even though his mechanic wouldn't back him up on that) but agrees to install the parts and we'd workout an agreeable price.
I tell him my supplier will sell the same parts to him for under $100. and he tells me to buy the parts and he will install (with NO GUARANTEE) for $485. LABOR plus the $68. tranny service rounded down to $542. CASH ONLY. My "other" option is to pick it up and have it towed somewhere else but still pay him $255. labor for tearing it down.
After installation he says that "it doesn't work", I ask what doesn't work? He says "the parts you bought don't work". He will have to break the car down AGAIN at his OWN EXPENSE to find the problem. I ask him if it could possibly be his installation causing the problem, he says that there's only one way to install the parts. The next day, it's done, everything works fine. I ask what changed in one day? He tells me that some obscure tech bulletin they read gave them the needed fix to MY problem.
Now to the new pricing...I protest, he says that he records all phone conversations and videos all customers (for obvious reasons...a real honest professional here) I assume because he gets so many others complaining about his tactics. This is CLASSIC BAIT and SWITCH - STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!
Stephen
Scottsdale, Arizona
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Greg A Kaiser - Lee Myles Transmissons
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Responding to Steven Holt using after market parts not OEM parts
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, February 19, 2004
I do not appreciate the libelous statements that this customer is sayint, and this man is incorrect thier friend called for an estimate or a quote, wich is really a estimate. The $455 price was the price with no tax, no flywheel. We never give a total price out the door on the phone. We are smarter than that. The original price ws just an estimate on the phone. I called Steven Holt on 10/24/03 and i explained to him that it would cost $255 to remove and inspect the clutch and he agreed. I have approximately 30% return customers right now and that is excellent for and auto shop. The $255 was for labor the retail price for just the new clutch parts were $404.50 and $89 to turn the flywheel is normal. The $68 to service his transmission, which he agreed to. Sometimes it costs more to do the work then trying to guess onthe phone, this is why we need the car inthe shop to properly diagnose it. Yes. Sometimes the customer can buy after market parts on the internet. The clutch the customer supplied us is not an new OEM clutch. Its is a after market clutch it doesnt match perfectly. A copy of hte check is enclosed which yes, i bought a new clutch. Mr. Holt grumles, complains, and is irate about the pricing, when the retail price for a new not after market clutch is $814.50 which includes tax. Servicing the flywheel and service the transmission Mr. Holt states that he wants to go and buy the parts and we will install them. I said yes with no guarantee which was never asked on the initial phone call well no one guarantees labor, if customer supplies the parts. You can not take your steak into Black Angus that you bought at Frys Market for $3.50 and sya i want your potatos and beans and if i get sick you must cover my medical bills. You can not take you power stering rack into Pep Boys and sya intall it for me and then ask for a warranty, this in not normal. Yes his option was to pay $542 cash only because the customer supplied the parts, or he coul pay $255 and tow his car else where thatr is fair! Yes i told Mr. Holt that it did not work and we had a problem because they are after market parts, and we had a problem with the hydraulics bleeding, but we fixed that and hten it was fine the next day. It was not an obsurde text bulletin, it really exists about intstalling this after market clutch and hydraulics for obvious reasons. Mr. Holt got a price from Thriftys for $687 the he got a price form the Clutch Shop for $651 and i offered him a price of $645 and he refused. I tape conversations and videotape people like Mr. Holt who forgets what we talked about , and tries to stop payments on checks or credit cards. There are theifs out there every day. When Mr. Holt assumeshe makes a out of you and me, it is not a claissic bait & switch. We beat the competition and install thier parts wow! what a nice guy i am, wow! what a great shop, wow! we beat everyones price this is why we are #1 in Phoenix after allof this the lowest price i let him bring in his own parts and he is still not happy not once did he mention that his car works good and he has no complaints on the work completed. Only the pricing which i offered to beat any ones price. I am sorry i cant make this man happy but Wallmart has over 230 unhappy customers each day, and Lund Caddy has over 11 complaints a day. I tried my best sorry.
Sincerely,