There is no category for small engine repair that I could find, so motorcycle was the closest I could come.
This concerns a chainsaw "repair" by Franklin Kubota.
They are a Stihl chainsaw dealer, but are located very close to my home, so I took a Homelite chainsaw there for repair. The pull cord was hanging out of the casing and would not retract. I told them to see if they could get it started, and left the saw.
4 days later I received a call stating the saw was ready. I went to pick it up and was presented a bill for $132.00. This was for a saw I maybe could have sold for $50.00 when running. More like $25.00 when not running. They put a new pull cord assembly on it. They also sharpened the blade, and "repaired the brake" (neither of which I asked for). I also NEVER received a call informing me of the cost of the repair.included in the $132.00 bill was a "checkout charge" of $35.00, and a "shop supplies/misc." charge for $25.00. I was never informed about these things when I left the saw there.
When I asked why I wasn't called with a price quote I was told "well we should have called you." You're damn right you should have called me! I could have and would have purchased a brand new saw FROM THEM for $189.00. When I asked why the cost of the repair was so high for a $50.00 (maybe) saw, I was told "well, we don't sell this brand, and we had to make a profit". When I asked about the $25.00 shop supplies/misc. I was told "that money goes straight to the EPA".
Really? Do I really look that retarded? I know they don't send $25.00 to the *#%^@# EPA every time they repair a chainsaw!
With basically no options I paid the exorbitant bill and took the saw home. I used it the VERY NEXT DAY for about 40 minutes cutting up a tree that had fallen in my yard. After 40 minutes I took it into the garage with plans to finish cutting the tree up the following day. The next day, which happened to be a Sunday, I went back to finish the job. The pull cord would not budge. I had to wait until Monday to return it as Franklin Kubota is closed on Sunday.
So I went back on my lunch break Monday and left the saw again, DEMANDING no "checkout charge" or "shop supplies". They called me Tuesday and said to repair the saw would cost an additional $350.00 to $400.00. He told me "well, you ran it hot". He then, after refusing to refund my money, and refusing to apply the original repair bill toward the purchase of a new chainsaw, insulted my intelligence even further by offering me a 10% discount on a new saw.
I bought a new saw, but certainly not from there. I, of course, will never again darken the doors of Franklin Kubota, and will make sure everyone I know or even hear about that is looking to buy or repair a chainsaw, tractor, weedeater, whatever, stay far away from that ripoff place.
0 comments