Pep Boys Auto Parts & Service

Reviews 3

ST

Steve Berchtold

Ripped Off At Pep Boys Moffett Rd. Mobile, AL! We were visiting family in Mobile, Al in August when I needed my A/C repaired in our car. I didnt know any good repair shops so I took it to Pep Boys since I remembered them from CA. BIG MISTAKE! I was there for 3 plus hours and shared with the manager "Brian" that I had been an A/C mechanic for over 2 decades. After having me there waiting and watching several mechanics congregate around my vehicle, I asked when he thought they would be done. He said that they found the leak, but were just going over it to make sure there were no other leaks. I said OK. After another 20-30 minutes, Brian the manager came back in and said to follow him out in the shop to my car. The mechanic showed me where he thought the leak was and said that he tried to take the liquid line valve out, but thought if he tried to torque it any harder, he might break it off. I said thank you for alerting me. I then said, "If its leaking at the valve, why cant we just change out the "valve core?" They both looked at me and said, "Yeah, we can do that!" So, they proceeded to order the part that I told them to replace. (Which was a fraction of the price of removing and replacing the valve and line.) I waited for them to get the valve and for the additional time it took to install the little valve core. I then paid the $115.33 and drove off... Before I even made the 20 minute drive back to my daughters house, the A/C was blowing hot again! I was disappointed and frustrated because I thought it was fixed. After all the time and experiencing the amateurish attempt to solve my problem, I decided NOT to go back and go through that again. I started looking again for a shop in the immediate area. I found a shop that was not only closer, but much more professional and with experienced mechanics. After explaining my frustration and aggrevation with the last "repair," that got my car in and had a good mechanic check it over. They told me there was NO charge and to drive it and bring it back in a couple days. They put dye in the refrigerant system and would then locate the leak. I brought it back at the appointment time and waited for a few hours. They gave me the car back, showed me the leaking bad part they replaced and only charged me $215 for everything! I called the Pep Boys shop on Moffett Rd., Mobile, AL and the manager "Brian Pettis" said he would give me a refund if I brought proof that I had it repaired at a reliable and professional shop. I said, "fair enough..." The next day I drove the 20 minute drive to Pep Boys Moffett Rd location. I waited for him to wait on two other customers and then he finally said, "Lets see what you have..." I handed the paperwork to him and he looked it over. He said, "OK, so what do you want?" I said "I want a full refund for the repair that wasnt done." he said, "well I cant refund the amount for the Freon." I said, "OK, so can you refund the amount for the rest?" "Let me see the invoice again..." I put the papers in front of him again and he said, "WELL, DONT THROW THEM AT ME..." I said, "I didnt throw them at you, I set them in front of you..." He said, "Im not giving you any refund now...." Dumbfounded I said, "Are you saying that you wont refund the money after telling me you would if I provided proof that the repair you made was faulty?" he said, "Thats right. I told him that Ill be sure to let everyone I know about the kind of manager and shop he runs here in Mobile, AL. and I left.

A

A Private User

I absolutely dread giving this Pepboys business. I keep giving them chances to redeem themselves but im almost always disappointed. They spend a lot of money marketing what the deals and sales are but in the end theres always some other charge they get you for that negates any kind of possible savings. The work is never done in a timely matter, even with simple and easy tasks. I brought in my flat tire that needed a repair, a service they said would be free for rewards members. Which it was, what they dont tell you that you still need to pay $15 for the tire balance. After dropping off the tired and being told it would take an hour to fix, I had to call the shop myself an hour and half later to check the status. They told me they were done with the repair and didnt have time to install the tire for me; I could take just the tire and install it myself or I could come back in the morning. I elected to come back since I wanted to get my tired rotated. I came back the following morning and waited another hour to have my tires rotated. I stood in the waiting room watching the mechanic walk around talk to random people who passed by and basically waste both our times. With the resources he had available, the tire rotation should have taken 15 mins max. Jump to a few days later when I actually have a chance to drive my car on the highway, my steering wheel is a shaky mess. I can only imagine that my tire did not even get balanced correctly. When I called the store to explain what happened, the person on the phone, "Bill" told me to bring in my vehicle so I may pay to have the rest of my tires balanced as well; because some how its my fault. My vehicle drove fine even with the spare before doing business with them. As a side note, Bradleys Tire charge only $7.50 for a tire balance.

MA

Matt Umstead

I have been taking my vehicle to Pepboys in Pottstown since I moved to the area several years ago. My overall experience has been okay for general maintenance and upkeep (Oil changes, filters, brakes, tire rotation, etc.). I have also had several major repairs done at the store including new tires and a starter installation complete with battery. I would not recommend this store for these repairs.I had issues with the tires I purchased and had installed by Pepboys. 4 new tires with a 65,000 mi warranty, barely made it to 35,000 miles and I was forced to pay for new tires. The product was under warranty and I paid full price. How??? The starter I had installed lasted barely a year, was still under warranty. Pepboys forced me to pay for the inflation of price in the part and labor to install the new starter even though it was still covered by warranty. If the product they chose to sell and install in my vehicle did not fulfill the warranty the cost difference and labor charges should be the responsibility of the seller, not the customer. Recently, after having the new starter installed (for a second time) the check engine light came on in the parking lot before I put the car in drive. I went back in and asked what the problem may be. The gentlemen at the service desk told me that nothing they did would affect the engine. Note the engine light was not on when the vehicle was dropped off. I was told I could set up an appointment and pay for someone to look at the error codes. Currently looking for a new mechanic shop.