VERIFY SERVICES ARE COMPLETE BEFORE YOU MAKE THE PAYMENT

February 21, 2008 By Tisha (Kulak) Tolar

After having our car serviced at the service department of a large, well-known store, we happened to look at the receipt for the work that was supposedly done. When we first dropped the car at the service center, we had decided to go with an advertised special that included tire rotation, an oil change, and the standard refill of low fluids. We thought we were getting a deal. However, returning to the store, we were told the tread on our tires was too low and therefore they could not rotate our tires, which was part of the special deal. But, we still had to pay the full price for the special. Because of that, we took a closer look at the receipt and discovered there were quite a few things amiss. Even though some were minor things, it was still appalling to think they could conduct business in this manner.

One of the first things we noted involved the special service deal. Some of the items that appeared to be included in the special were in fact, not included at all and we were changed separately for parts. The receipt also claimed that several services had been performed but in reality, they were not. For example, when we arrived home, we noticed a rear brake light was out on the car. According to the receipt, the service technician checked all of the lights. We also noticed that the complimentary vacuum service we usually received was noted on the receipt as being declined by the customer, which was not the case. There were other things that were just wrong. We are not the complaining type but we took issue with the manager because so much seemed to be incorrect.

While the manager listened, in the end he did nothing more than pull a technician from a job in progress to have him vacuum the front floor of the car. Not only was it unnecessary, it was really embarrassing and we left still unsatisfied with a normally pleasant experience. When we have had our vehicles serviced at the same location in the past, we never thought twice to look at the receipt and make certain everything we paid for was completed. Now, we wonder about all the times in the past. Was it a case of one shotty employee to lazy to do the job right or it is the norm to just breeze through a computer service record?

Sadly, when we feel comfortable with a person or a place, we tend to let our guard down and that’s when we get taken advantage of. Regardless how much your respect the company or the person, you should always make it a point to protect yourself. Don’t get too comfortable and take for granted that things are always on the up and up. Just check to be sure everything is right before you leave and double check whenever you still have unanswered questions.

Posted in autos, business, cars, money, personal finance, personal finance basics, personal finance perspectives, rip-offs, services

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