Complaint Review: Mopac Auto Service

On June 27, 2006 I was driving in to work at 9:00 a.m. on the feeder road of S Mopac when I got a flat tire. I pulled over to the nearest auto shop and it was Mopac Auto Service. I pull into their driveway and parked. I was on the phone calling my boss to let her know that I got a flat and I was at an auto place.

One of the mechanics was waiving his hands at me, "come one", he didn't say "can I help you", which would be good customer service practice. I told him to hold on and he did not respond and turned his back in a rude manner. Another mechanic comes up to me and they take my tire off to look at it to see if it can be repaired. They said they found a nail and it could not be repaired and that they have one tire they could sell me for $75 and $10 to put it on.

I told him to give me a minute and he proceeds by saying "You're not going to find a better deal do you want the tire!" very forceful and I once again asked him to give me a minute and he impatiently said okay. After one or two quick phone calls, I approach the same man and ask how long would it take to put on the new tire, he said "I'm waiting on you!", I said again, "How long to put on tire?" He said about fifteen minutes.

At this time my boss had arrived and was waiting in the parking lot for me to take me in to work. I told my boss that they would be about fifteen minutes and that I would see her at the office. She left and I went to ask the same mechanic "Do you have any used tires?" He said "No!". I said "How much would you charge to put on my spare?" He said "$5.00", I said "Okay can you please just put on my spare." I hear a different mechanic taking off and putting on my tires and I could hear the lug nut remover flipping over the lug nut, like it sounded like it was not being done correctly. They finish and I am standing there ready to pay and the same mechanic I had been talking to said "No charge." I said "Thank you for your help and your patience." Then I went in to work.

At lunch I go to Discount Tire to discover that I have insurance on my tires, so I ask them to replace the tire. Two hours later I return to Discount Tire and they said that the earlier mechanics that had worked on my car had stripped one of the studs and damaged/ruined one of lug nuts. They were not able to take off my spare tire and so they put my new tire in my trunk and said I would have to go to another mechanic to repair and replace the damaged parts.

I return to Mopac Auto Service and ask to speak to the owner, Ahmed Hemeida. I told him one of his guys stripped one of my studs and ruined a lug nut and it is fused together and I am not able to take it off to put the new tire on. He said we are not going to repair, we charge $40 an hour and we spent a half an hour with you and did not charge you anything, and refused to repair/replace the damaged parts.

That is when I called the police and Officer Tripp came and took our statements and gave me a case number. This isn't just a matter of bad business practice, bad customer service, but taking advantage of someone, damaging their property at this point I almost believe it was intentful because I decided not to buy the $75 tire.

Dara
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.