Complaint Review: Just Brakes

To: Just Brakes # 76
11237 N. Cave Creek Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602.861.3150

From: Cory Fricke
234 E El Camino Dr
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602.861.2827

Ticket # 76-014028 Service Rep 26

Dear Just Brakes,
After I left your shop on Saturday, I stopped at AutoZone and had the drums measured. The drums measured at 10.285 and 10.290, under the 10.295 stamped on the drums. I went to checker and my drums measured at 10.287 and 10.292. You said they measured at 10.310 and 10.320 or out of tolerance.

I believe you lied about the measurements because you dropped both of the drums when removing them and broke them. This would mean since they are out of tolerance I would need to buy new drums anyways. I have found this to be not true. The drums broke because they were dropped on the concrete when they were removed. I believe you forced them off and broke the self-tensioners on both sides as well. You also charged me for both of those. I adjusted the right rear self-tensioner Saturday morning when I tried to remove the drum.

I know that one of the self-tensioners was working before I brought my truck to you. I brought the truck to you because I could not remove the drum myself. You forced the drums off letting them drop and break, breaking the internal hardware and stretching the springs and then charged me for the damaged equipment. I asked for the replaced parts because I did not trust what you were telling me. After having the drums checked twice at different parts houses confirmed that you did not report the truth to me and charged me for equipment that you damaged. This is not fair to me. You broke the parts, you pay for them.

Heres the deal, refund the money for the drums, self-tensioners, and the springs or I will turn this over to an attorney.

Drums 156.00
Self-tensioners 59.98
Springs 49.98
Tax 18.61
Total = 284.57


CC custserv@justbrakes.com

Subject: (no subject)
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 14:05:29 -0700
From: Cory Fricke
To: custserv@justbrakes.com

I returned a call from Ed and Ed called me a smart mouth. He said the drums may have been within tolerance but could not be machined. This is true. But the choice was not given to the customer and that is me. The drums were busted. This means they are no longer usable. If I chose to not have them machined they are now out of balance and there is a piece missing from the outer lip on both drums. You broke them and made them unusable, you pay for them.

I don't appreciate hearing BS and hemming and hawing. I don't like Ed calling me names. I have talked to several people about my encounter with Just Brakes and you are not well liked.

You pay or instead of small claims I will turn this over to an attorney.
You can call him a smart mouth. You have until next Friday to have a check in my hands.

Subject: RE: (no subject)
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 16:30:22 -0600
From: custserv@justbrakes.com
To:

Mr Fricke:

I have read your original e-mail. I am sorry, but by the
specifications you provided from the other shops the drums won't machine and should be replaced. By your own admission, you could not get the drums off that is why you brought it to us. What causes this problem is the shoes wear a lip into the drum, usually from shoes being installed without machining the drums.
When this happens the shoes hang up in the lip making it next to impossible to remove the drums without damaging the springs.

The drums did have to be pryed off, but that is no fault of ours. We did not make this car. We did not drive this car. We did not break this car. It came to us in the shape that required forced removal of the drums. You were given a price on the work and authorized it by signing. This was your decision. I see no reason to issue any refund. If you have a problem with the work in the future, then you should feel free to take advantage of the
warranty on this work. If you feel like you need to get an attorney, that is definitely your right. We will answer in kind.

Respectfully,

Chris Coomer
Customer Relations

Subject: Last letter, 285 or court
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 10:58:46 -0700
From: Cory Fricke
To: custserv@justbrakes.com
CC: Darren_Connors@vanguard.com, Mark_Chandler@vanguard.com

Please forward to customer service manager.

Backing off the self-tensioners allows the shoes to return to there original position which is where they would have been when the drums were put on. The wearing of the shoe makes the shoe smaller or gives the drum more clearance when the self-tensioners are backed off. This allows the drums to be removed
even though there is a lip on the drum. The self-tensioners were working because the shoes were catching on the lip of the drum. I agree the drums could not be turned and remain within tolerance, but that does not excuse Just Brakes of not giving me the choice.

The drums were destroyed before they were measured to see how much wear had occurred. As you stated, "usually from shoes being installed without machining the drums", which is what I would have asked Just Brakes to do, install the old drums without machining. You reinstalled my front rotors without turning them and they are below tolerance. You certainly could have installed my drums without turning them being they are still within tolerance. You stated the mechanic pried the drums off, and I concur, he let them drop onto concrete which broke out a piece of the outer ring, now out of balance, and cracks.

Larry said they broke when they hit the concrete. He should not have let them drop and break. I would guess, after it was discovered by your mechanic that they were not out of tolerance and they where broken, he lied and put down fictitious measurements.

Further more, the drums could have been used even if they were out of tolerance since you used my rotors that were out of
tolerance, right? You must not have let the rotors drop on the concrete, or did you? I don't have lots of money. Those drums were usable until Just Brakes broke them, making them unusable, out of balance, cracks, etc. I guess anytime there is a difficult situation the customer should be contacted before his property is destroyed. Thank you for your admission of
ignorance and that you did destroy my property and then charged me for it.

This will be helpful to my attorney if by Friday, the 7th, I do not have 285 in my hand. (Wow, did you see a light come on?)

Please feel free to make any comments you would like. Again, Just Brakes broke, Just Brakes pays, for the drums, springs, and internal hardware.

Instead of small claims, which would cost Just Brakes 285 plus my time and the cost of filing, an attorney will cost Just Brakes much more. 285 will seem like a drop in the bucket when he finishes. The reason I have opted for your more expensive route is Ed's name calling. Just Brakes did not address
this in your response. Would Just Brakes like to?

I have looked over the invoice and noticed that Just Brakes reassembled my front brakes with rotors that are under the allowable thickness (out of tolerance). If you look up line 3, "765/767 - below specs", which is Just Brakes measurement, and we know how reliable that is, the specs say 787. See
attached jpeg. If you cannot open jpeg have store 76 read it to you.