- Report: #86414
Complaint Review: John Hine Pontiac Mazda Dodge - San Diego California
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John Hine Pontiac Mazda Dodge
1545 Camino Del Rio S San Diego, 92108 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
619-291-3244
Web:
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John Hine Pontiac, Mazda, Dodge John Hine Automotive Repair Diagnosis Ripoff Forced to get work done & Timing San Diego California
1. I arrived at 7:20AM March 30th, 2004 for my service appointment at John Hine Pontiac, Mazda, Dodge. No one looked at my car until 2:30pm that day. They could not provide an estimate until the following morning. After agreed in the morning, it was not complete as promised that evening. They kept my vehicle 3 days in order to complete a 2 hour service.
2. I was charged a lot of money for nothing. I came to the John Hine dealership because I needed two recalls on my vehicle performed and I had two further issues with my vehicle. The recalls had previously been performed which I was unaware, as I have only recently purchased the car. The first issue was a grinding noise upon release of the parking brake. They could not fix this problem but I was charged $39 for looking into it. I still have the grinding noise.
The second issue is that my gas gauge is showing a higher reading then there is actual gas in the tank. I already knew what the problem was and explained this clearly to the representative. I was charged $76 anyway for looking into this problem. Together I was charged $115 for no service performed.
I have been to several service centers with my vehicles in the past and I have never been charged $115 for nothing. The service of "looking at an issue" that I explain in detail is not something that should be charged, particularly at this very high rate. I have only been charged once at any garage or dealership that I have been to in the past (for a brake examination) at a set cost of $30. Because I was charged $115 I was forced to get work done at this location. I had no choice.
In order to recoup the $76 wasted to find a problem that I already knew about and explained I had to put that towards repairs. If I had walked away at this point, I would have spent $115 on nothing and then paid someone else approximately $225 to fix the problem (an estimated normal cost to fix the fuel unit). Since I fell into this trap, I was forced to pay a total of $336 to fix something that should have cost me $225.
Before the gas gauge was fixed I explained this to the manager "Will." I asked him to refund the $115 so I could get my car back as it was going into the 3rd day and nothing had been fixed. He refused stating that he was keeping the money because they spent time on diagnosis. I asked him to explain what exactly $115 was for - for something I already explained, for the gas gage I already had diagnosed by another mechanic.
I don't understand how this automotive repair facility can just charge arbitrary amounts for looking at your car. Is there no regulation in this industry? I was without my car for 3 days and I was forced to get the work done there because I would have lost the $115 with nothing fixed.
Chelsea
San Diego, California
U.S.A.
2. I was charged a lot of money for nothing. I came to the John Hine dealership because I needed two recalls on my vehicle performed and I had two further issues with my vehicle. The recalls had previously been performed which I was unaware, as I have only recently purchased the car. The first issue was a grinding noise upon release of the parking brake. They could not fix this problem but I was charged $39 for looking into it. I still have the grinding noise.
The second issue is that my gas gauge is showing a higher reading then there is actual gas in the tank. I already knew what the problem was and explained this clearly to the representative. I was charged $76 anyway for looking into this problem. Together I was charged $115 for no service performed.
I have been to several service centers with my vehicles in the past and I have never been charged $115 for nothing. The service of "looking at an issue" that I explain in detail is not something that should be charged, particularly at this very high rate. I have only been charged once at any garage or dealership that I have been to in the past (for a brake examination) at a set cost of $30. Because I was charged $115 I was forced to get work done at this location. I had no choice.
In order to recoup the $76 wasted to find a problem that I already knew about and explained I had to put that towards repairs. If I had walked away at this point, I would have spent $115 on nothing and then paid someone else approximately $225 to fix the problem (an estimated normal cost to fix the fuel unit). Since I fell into this trap, I was forced to pay a total of $336 to fix something that should have cost me $225.
Before the gas gauge was fixed I explained this to the manager "Will." I asked him to refund the $115 so I could get my car back as it was going into the 3rd day and nothing had been fixed. He refused stating that he was keeping the money because they spent time on diagnosis. I asked him to explain what exactly $115 was for - for something I already explained, for the gas gage I already had diagnosed by another mechanic.
I don't understand how this automotive repair facility can just charge arbitrary amounts for looking at your car. Is there no regulation in this industry? I was without my car for 3 days and I was forced to get the work done there because I would have lost the $115 with nothing fixed.
Chelsea
San Diego, California
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Suzanne
San Diego,California,
U.S.A.
John Hine Pontiac Mazda Dodge Resolution Update ...The BBB is of no use-John Hine Jr. on BOARD OF DIRECTORS!
#2Author of original report
Fri, June 18, 2004
Regarding the previous complaint about John Hine Pontiac Mazda Dodge, we received our $115 back. We contacted the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) in California which is responsible for giving auto repair licenses in the state. They contacted John Hine and John Hine agreed to refund the $115 overcharge. It took just over a month but we received the check. The BAR came through for us and we are very appreciative of them. The BBB on the other hand is of no use. John Hine Jr. of John Hine Pontiac Mazda Dodge is on their BOARD OF DIRECTORS!
