Complaint Review: Jack Williams Tire - Hummels Wharf Pennsylvania

During my last visit to JWT, the experience was to say the least very disappointing.

Location: Hummels Wharf (Selinsgrove), PA

The order of events that follows below describes what happened:

1) On this day (5/12), my wife had to bring the car in to have a brake noise checked.  Also wanted to have inspection done for state compliance, which was due at end of this month (May).

2) Sometime during the morning (after 10) I got a call from Store to talk to Derek.

3) When talking to him, he began explaining about a caliper that was bad on the front left tire.

4) Additionally, in order to pass inspection, I would need components related to the steering repaired or replaced.

5) I asked him the price tag on what he had stated.  He mentioned it as about $1400.

6)  Then, he told me that in order to complete the maintenance due for a car with the kind of mileage I had (almost 230K), it would all amount to a total of $4500 repair.

7)  I was flabbergasted and explained that my car was not worth that much in Kelly Blue Book and that it will not be worth my while to spend this kind of money.

8)  I spoke to my wife and she asked Rick (Mgr.) to get involved to see if the diagnostic that Derek had given her was accurate.

9)  After speaking with Rick, he looked at the issue, told my wife that the brake caliper was in fact leaking and needed attention (to be replaced), but that it was not going to be $4500 to get it back on the road.  He said that it would be about $1200.

10) I called my usual shop in Mifflinburg.  They had replaced the caliper less than 6 months ago.  I requested them to address the issue under warranty.

11) The owners and techs at the mifflinburg shop are super “customer service” oriented and towed my car late in the afternoon at zero expense to me.  Since they had not enough room for my wife and 2 sons in the tow truck, this left my wife and 2 boys without transportation for the rest of the day and I had to pick them up after I got home from work (which was late in the evening).

12) The next day, my usual shop techs inspected the caliper and the diagnostic was that it was not fine.  There was no sign of any leaking!

13) Their 30-year Toyota Shop veteran mechanic confirmed it and yet another experienced mechanic looked at it and had the same to say: Nothing wrong with the any of the calipers.

14) So, I asked them to inspect the car for State compliance and the result was that it passed inspection without an issue!  There was nothing to replace!  This was very different from what JWT's Derek and Rick told my wife in person and me over the phone.

15) My total bill came to be under $30.  This included the cost of State Inspection compliance.  My thankfulness and loyalty for true honesty and integrity with my usual shop is strengthened.  I cannot say the same about JWT.

I am so very extremely disappointed in the deceptive approach that the Jack Williams Tire team at Hummels Wharf (Selinsgrove) had towards my wife.  It appears that they desired to take advantage of a lady who appeared to be a perfect target.  I can see that if the "general worker or tech" had a misdiagnosis of the issues.  However, Rick went to confirm and stated that repairs were needed.  This is premeditation to rip someone off!!

The practices witnessed by my wife and myself (over the phone) gives us no sense of confidence in JWT as a business practicing of ethics!  So much for the Williams Way!

On their website, they say:

"The Williams Way: is Our Commitment to go above and beyond our customers' expectations and to provide the greatest value possible. This commitment means that we conduct our business with honesty and integrity, while providing friendly and professional service"

Honesty and Integrity are hardly the characteristics that I would use in the same sentence to describe JWT's team (RICK AND DEREK) at this shop.

That shop was very unethical, and extremely shady!!!