Complaint Review: JUST BRAKES PETE LEAL Center Manager

On Saturday Feb 23,2002 I took my 92 Nissan Pathfinder into Just brakes In Killeen, Tx for squeaking brakes and my brake light stayed because I was having to fill the reservior up every week or week and a half. I took my truck in for the $99.88 deal that was being advertised on the radio and I wanted to get my old parts. This was all noted on my inspection sheet. About 30 minutes of waiting I was called into the bay by Pete Leal, Center Manager to see all of my tires off and he began to tell me all the things that was wrong on my wheels and that was 12 out of 23 items on their inspection sheet.

He didn't look under the hood of my truck with me. I asked him how much was all of this going to cost me and he said he needed to make some calls. About 10-15 minutes later my bill will be $858.07 way more than I had expected to pay. I then asked if there were some things that could wait to be done and he said everything that was wrong needed to be repaired right away and I asked was this going to fix my problem that I had brought it in for.

Oh yea I A WOMAN. He said that it would. So I okayed the work to be done at his word being the COMPANY OF BRAKE SPECIALISTS. About 8 hours later my truck was finished so I go to pick it up and low and behold they don't have a payment plan you have to pay all fees at once. So I did 5 days later on Thursday my brake light is flashing on and off again. I need brake fluid by Sunday the lights stays on. March 5, 10 days later I take my truck back in Pete Leal, Center Manager looks under the hood and said it's probably a sensor that needs to be ajusted and that he could look at it so I agreed to wait since they close at 6 pm and it was just before 5 pm. No he won't have time to do it today if I leave it he can check it in the morning. So I asked can I just bring it back tomorrow morning and he said that would be fine. I asked if the truck was safe for me and my 9 yr old to be driving around town and he assured me that we were fine again taking THE BRAKE SPECIALIST at his word.

The next morning I took my truck in Pete is a no show. So David another mechanic opens the hood and tells me that I have a master cylinder leak and I was out of brake fluid. Now Josh, Service Rep is there and he examine the truck and I explained my situation to him and he said that I should not have been sent out yesterday with my truck that way. I asked David if this meant that I'll owe more money and his reply was yes. Well I'm heating but I needed to go to work before they got busy. David cleaned around the master cylinder filled the reservior and drove me to work in my truck.

Well after work I go to get my truck and I'm told by Pete Leal, Center Manager that to fix the master cylinder it's going to cost $250 plus and $45 for labor. Well I starting to steam on the down low. Up until this point we were all smiles and very customer friendly.

But now when I remind Pete that he told me that HE was fixing the problem that I had brought my truck in for or I wasn't going to get all the repairs that he said I needed. NOW Pete's getting upset we're going no where talking about him RIPPING ME OFF I need to talk to some over you. So I get the 800 number and tell him that I need to think about the repairs because I had paid him to fix my problem and it's not fixed. So Pete Leal, Center Manager fills out my inspection sheet. Master cylinder leaks may cause brake failure, and customer decline replacement. Turns the paper over to me so I write my statement on he days mentioned above Feb 23, March 5 and 6th, 2002.

He reads it SNATCH THE PAPER and in bold letters write VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE TOWED FROM SHOP. Pete Leal, Center manager told me that he knew what I wanted I wanted him to fix my truck for free what a laugh when He had already ripped me off almost $700 more when I had expected to pay no more than $200 I asked for my keys he told me they were in the truck and I drove off. March 7, I called Customer SVC spoke to a male who said his name is Jim Ship explained my situation and you know the story I check into it and get back in touch with you.

Well, Just Brakes have my work, cell and home number I haven't heard from him again. On March 12 I left a urgent message on Bob Marshall's voice mail and you know he won't be back until Tuesday. As I talk to more and more people about Just Brakes I find out that I not the only one that went in for the $99.88 deal and came out HUNDREDSSSSSSSSSS of DOLLARS more than expected.

This reporting on the internet is good but why not let your neighbors in your area know how you've been treated by your local business, like in your local paper there's a section called the editorials it's free make your reports known, there's poster board in stores cheap make neon posters put them on you cars it's cheap park your car near the entrance go shopping in near by stores do your own advertising, there's also the Better Business Bureau.

The cost of my repairs could have been done by my Nissan Dealer and been cheaper. This is a military town Fort Hood with husbands leaving all the time to think of how many of us may have been RIPPED OFF.

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