So I took my car into a firestone to get an alignment - I usually take it to a trusted mechanic and he is very good about doing an honest job, but I was in a hurry, and he was backed up so I took it to firestone to get in and out quickly...
Its a 2001 Forester
Anyway... I took it in for an alignment - they took the car in told me it would cost $50 I was like ok... gave them the keys and sat down...
Ten minues later he comes back with a list... he told me that he neeeded to remove the front axle, change the struts, change the shocks, change this and that (a list of like 25 repairs)... and that the alignment would be useless unless he did the job... he also told me that the car would fail if he did not do said repairs...
So he handed me a bill for a grand total of $2100...
I got so pissed that I was like %26quot;this is bullshit%26quot; and told him to take the car down and give me the keys... I was yelling and cussing up and down...
Do you think they were trying to rip me off? I absolutely think they were lying...
Was I justified in getting mad?
If they gave you a list that you are not sure of then take it to your usual mechanic and see if they were accurate with the estimate. But all those things you listed will give a bad alignment if not repaired. I know that not being able to tell if he is lying is frustrating but not everyone is out to rip you off. But you are not wrong for not doing the work if you aren't sure it is legit, but nobody here can tell you if it was or wasn't. Just take the estimate to your regular mechanic to see what they say and then decide if you want to do it or not.
Was I justified in getting mad?
well unless he performed the work, he did nothing wrong--if i understand
and if he did without your permission, he should go to jail
Do you have to ask? Of course they're trying to rip you off. They need your money to live on.
He was probably being honest with you, I think that was wrong of you. Try taking it to another place, and see if they say the same? :( I'm dissapointed in you.
Getting mad doesn't help anything. I used to be a car mechanic and I can tell you that cars have so many things wrong with them that we didn't have to make things up.
It is true that if your car has bad parts , it won't do any good to try to do an alignment.
Get someone else to check it out too. Then compare what they each tell you.
You know, an 8 year old car may need a replacement, you may have wished you hadn't done that when you are halfway through a highway in the middle of nowhere when your axle splits off and your tires flatten, and there's no cell phone service!!! X_X
Yes you were justified in getting angry. Don't be so quick to assume that though.
Next time, even if you're sure you're getting the raw end of the deal, ask him legitimate questions until it's obvious you know he's trying to rip you off.
That way you come off as nice and mild tempered, and you get to smile at his face when he realizes you know whats up.
so you didnt go for the pitch so what/miles and what the tires look like would be a good indicator of what was wrong/ However thats not the point/you have flown off the handle for what? all of this type of avoidable stress is no good for you/ a calmer approach is necessary to keep your composure/ i would have just laughed and said O-really/well i dont have time right now and i would have had a hard time to keep a straight face/ but every time you get aggravated takes a little of you with it and thats no good. good luck
They may or may not have been accurate or honest - the only way to find out is to take the laundry list that they created and head for another shop, or two or three.... and get multiple opinions and estimates.
And never give any of the other shops any of the previous shops information - keep that to yourself, simply ask for a %26quot;Safety Inspection%26quot; because you think your car might be wandering a bit more recently ... this will prompt them to carefully inspect the steering and front suspension components and report any worn or damaged components.
When in doubt always get Estimates
On any major repair I recommend that you get 3 or 4 estimates from local service facilities unless you are lucky enough to have a shop with an absolutely stellar reputation available. Compare the estimates and choose one of the middle estimates. My reasoning for this is the low estimate either left something out or worse is deliberately giving a low ball estimate to get you in and then when your car is all torn apart they find all sorts of critically important things wrong with it which run your bill through the roof. Do the leg work and be an informed car owner. No reliable technician or shop will give an estimate for repair site unseen except as a budgetary estimate which will be a range from the middle average to the unusual high end possible.
