PepBoys has taken more than 50 days and is yet to know if it can actually fix my car. However has happily taken my $s. I have sent out an email to various people in the company, with no response. Pasted below is the email, with my personal info filtered. I refer to a PDF in the email, which is also pasted below.
As of today - June 25 (4.30 PM CST), no one has called me yet.
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXX [mailto: [email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, June 23 3:30 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Cc: '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'
Subject: Frustrated & helpless customer
June 23
Michael Odell
CEO, Pep Boys
3111 West Allegheny Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19132
Dear Michael Odell,
Subject: Frustrated & helpless customer
I have been a happy and repeated customer to the Pep Boys stores, with no less than about 15 different transactions, spanning across three different stores of yours in Chicago. I am an active blogger and a social media enthusiast. I always trusted Pep Boys to do the right things to my cars and never had to worry about the problem any more. The trust I had on your stores can be best explained by this statement I made to my wife 2 months back - -I will take the car to Pep Boys, have them fix all problems and it should be perfect for at least the next one year-. However a recent and long running episode with one of your stores slashes all the confidence and trust I had on your chain and the staff.
In interest of your valuable time, I will keep my story short; however have attached a PDF which gives a much detailed look in to my frustration. On 5/6/10, I took my car to store #820 (Order #2076825, Transaction #016498) to inspect and fix my check engine light, knocking sound and driving in a very low power added with engine vibrations. Service advisor Pedro Lopez attended my order and performed a full drivability diagnostic. He reported a big list of things to be done, with a broken gasket seal as a main problem. I agreed to do everything he wanted me to do (pay for) except for a new battery and tie-rod replacement, which were not real problems I was facing. He promised me that, by doing all the repairs I agreed to, the knocking sound, low power drive and check engine light would go off - and is protected by the warranty. I also got my brakes serviced. The total of this bill was $732.36. There was also an attempt to extract some more $s from, which is detailed in the PDF.
However it has been 48 days, car in the store for 16 nights, 11 visits to the store, 2 day offs from work, at least 30 phone calls - but the car is not fixed yet! Car is still in the store. I live (in a suburb) and work about 10 miles away from the store, you can imagine the financial toll it takes on a common man to pick up/drop the car 7 times. To pick up or drop the car, eventually one way of the trip becomes a cab ride. For complete days the car is in the store, I need to rent a car. All of these frustrations and problems have been explained to the store manager (Israel) on 6/17/10.in spite of all these financial losses I am incurring each and every day, I even requested the manager to just return my $732.36, even though I have already shelled out more than thrice of it (days off, cab rides, rental cars) - but that has not happened. The most basic request I had was, to at the least promptly call me and update about my car, rather than me trying to hunt him or his staff - that is also not happening. On 6/17/10, he told me that, he is taking the car to a dealer to get it fixed and I would receive a call not later than 6/21/10, but no call until this moment.in all of these 48 days, I have received just 1 call from the store. I did also insist upon my interest to get in touch with the corporate office.
Through out this frustrating episode, I have dealt with the manager and other staff with utmost patience and respect. However, it seems like people with patience and respect, will be taken advantage of. I have been blatantly lied to, as described in the PDF.
Given the huge establishment your company is and the good reputation it has in general, I believe this is just a stray incident, which can be fixed. I hope that you or your staff can intervene and help me out, and would compensate me in a fair way. I am just not able to handle this financially. I can be contacted by email at XXXXXXX @gmail.com or by phone at 312- XXX-XXXX.
Thank you,
Xxxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx
Contents of the attached PDF:
May 6 - Date of original and first trip to the store to fix my check engine light, knocking sound and driving in a very low power added with engine vibrations.
May 7 - While driving, I feel a hiccup in the engine, check engine light comes back. I take to the store right away, after a full diagnostic - I am told that it could just be some dust in the fuel line. Technician tells to drive at least for 10 days and then come back.
However on my way back, it again happens. Gradually every day, the engine becomes worse (worse than before).
May 27 - I return to the store, after 30 minutes wait, I am told that there is no technician, and I should come earlier in the day. Also, an advisor insists, that with the long weekend coming up, weekend would be busy, so Friday is better.
May 28 (Friday) - I take a day off, as the car is in a very bad shape. After 2 hrs wait, I am told that computer used to scan the car is not working since morning. However, it is already 1pm, why I should be made wait 2hrs, if the computer was not working since morning? I am told to come back on Tuesday, since Monday is still long weekend and the computer won-t be fixed.
Jun 2 - A diagnostic is done for the 3rd time. A different advisor, who is not aware that I would claim warranty, tells that I need to replace both induction coils and catalytic converter. If was not aware of warranty, a few more $-s would have been shelled out.
Upon claiming warranty, manager comes - now the whole diagnostic procedure changes.
Manager wants to have the car for a night, to thoroughly check. Promises to car will be fixed for the problem and the check engine light.
Jun 4 (Friday) - Picked up the car, was told that the gasket seal which was installed, was not properly seated! So, had I not claimed warranty, I would paid for new induction coils and catalytic converters, while the gasket was leaking (for the past two diagnostics).
Weekend no driving
Jun 7 Mon - I drive to work, and the problem repeats. I immediately call and report it. I am told to again drop the car.
Jun 8 Tu - Dropped the car.
Jun 10 Th - Picked up the car, this time, cables which were installed as a part of the tune up and other procedures were filled with oil - thus causing misfire. Again, technicians fault.
Jun 11 Fri - Problem repeats and dropped the car in the morning.
Jun 12 Sat - Morning, I call and talk to the manager, who is unaware that I picked up the car on Thursday evening and returned it on Friday. I quote his words - -I have been daily testing and driving your car, even today morning, there is absolutely no problem. Not even the check engine light-. I am just confused and again call him in a few minutes to ask, -How could you have been testing daily, did you even know that I took it on Thursday and returned on Friday, with the same problems. It is there right now with the check engine light on-. Manager now pretends innocent and gives the phone to technician after a 20 minutes hold. Technician, acknowledges to me that, there is indeed a problem and he will work on it.
Jun 16 - After several days of trying to reach the manager or the advisor over phone, I am finally told to come take my car. It takes exactly 2 mins of driving and boom, check engine light is back and all the problems. I return to the store in less than 5 minutes and return. Manager not in store.
Jun 17 - I again go in person to remind all of these and insist that, he just return my money. He says that it would not possible now, but he would take it to a dealer to fix my car. I insist to him that I will contact corporate office, he tells not to do it, as it would not help me. I tell him that, it is financially taking a toll on me, but he says, that is how cars are. He promises that I would get a car on or before June 21 (Monday) from the service advisor.
Today is June 23, no call or nothing. I just need to here stress that, in this full process; I have got only one call (in 48 days).
End of attached pdf &
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