"Come on in" specials

[ThosL]

My sister thought she needed an oil change today; I carefully explain to her that because she does not usually drive more than 20 miles on any given day, that the three month recommendation is overly conservative on her Subaru.  She was determined to get it done.  She has been used to spending around $50 each time, which is highway robbery for someone on a fixed income.  So I said she could go to "Splash" a car wash/oil change place in Norwalk.  Last time they charged me around $21, tax included; or Monro, which has a little better treatment, I told her to just have the minimum done.  What I wasn't thinking was how Monro gets people in the door with the oil change special of around $25, then sells them on everything else that they say needs to be done.  They would give me staggering estimates on potential repairs at another shop which I always rejected.    So they got her for a "loose pipe" and a radiator flush!  I am really angry that they pushed this on her.  How do you help ignorant family members not get ripped off by outfits like "Monro"?

[TKFlight]

Do the oil change yourself? There's a video on youtube of Jiffy Lube doing this, a news team had hidden cameras as the unsuspecting Jiffy Lube workers told an actor what their car need. When it never needed it. Ranged from injector cleaner, radiator flushing, and other nonsense things.

Never heard of Monro around here. I also never go to these supposedly "Professionals", I know more than everyone in those places combined. Offer to do it yourself family members bite on it since its going to be free of charge.

[ThosL]

$20 for filter and oil is worth having a shop doing, vs. getting the filter and oil, getting dirty with oil and needing to dispose of it.  Not worth it when change places usually do it cheap.

 

Her charges:

 

Oil:  $15

Filter: $15

Lower radiator hose: $92

Coolant flush/fill: $101

Valv. Cooling system:  $23

Shop supply fee:  $25

Total: $278

[G_Mossman]

$21 is a good price for an oil change. I normally pay $25 for the oil and filter when I do it myself. At least thats the price around here, unless theres a special going on. And that means no laying on the ground and no getting dirty. 

 

But as for the erroneous repair needs that these pirates try to convince people of. I would suggest convincing your family to run everything by you first. Sadly though sometimes the best way for them to learn is to let them make the mistake. 

 

TKFlight is right about doing things yourself. And I'm a big fan of trading work for food. They buy me dinner/lunch and I help them. Especially if its a 10 min job like changing oil. 

[TKFlight]

Lower radiator hose: $92

 

What?

 

 

Coolant flush/fill: $101

 

What???

 

 

Valv. Cooling system:  $23

 

Don't even know what that is, but What????

 

Now I sound like Stone Cold Steve Austin, but that's beside the point. I'd let my mechanic change my oil but not places like Monro or Jiffy Lube. Jiffy Lube has a contest with all their locations on who can change oil the fastest. They don't even let all the oil out of the pan. When it comes to a slow pour they shove the plug back in, swap the filter and fill it up. When I seen that video it cemented the reputation I have with them. Which isn't good. Fastest oil change was like 3minutes I believe.

 

I understand the costs, but I'm one of those DIY guys at least I know the job is done right.

[ThosL]

As long as they can intimidate unknowledgeable and unsavvy people with what might happen if x, y, and z happen simultaneously and use complicated terms like "master cylinder", they will be able to sell people a bill of goods they can't afford.  I have never had an insurance salesmen try to offer meteor or terrorism insurance, hey you never know....

[G_Mossman]

I would agree that these businesses use scummy tactics to make their money. However, I think that there are plenty of trustworthy businesses out there. Usually local small businesses. 

 

As for your sister, I think oil changes and other common maintain items are something everyone should learn how to do. Try teaching her. Especially since subarus are pretty easy. I could change my oil without even putting my car on ramps. Theres no pulling tires blindly reaching for hidden filters.

[ThosL]

I used to do it, but not in the housing complex she lives at; against the rules.  More power to you if you own your own property and are in temperate parts of the country.  

[golucky66]

I think of it this way, if you're getting an oil change for less then 50$ think about the quality of oil and the filter they are using on your car. I'm a mechanic at an independent shop (not one of these monro or juffy lubes) and we get a good rate on quality oil and filter, and we can't even buy the oil + filter for less then 30$ on most cars. 

So they can buy the oil AND pay for an employee and all the management and upkeep on the business for with your 25$ on an oil change.

 

Short version:

Think about the quality of oil they are putting in your car. Plus the skill level and care of said minimum paid mechanic.

[1 Lucky Texan]

I have very low usage and do oil changes twice a year. April and October, and i KNOW I could go longer - but, I save a little doing the work myself.

 

show her those rip-off videos mentioned above. Encourage her to continue taking care of her car, but explain that some strictly mechanical items like air filters and spark plugs just won't really go bad with TIME. I dunno what kind of car she has, might not be unusual for a 10-12 year old hose to look/feel questionable, rubber DOES degrade with time, but, if she's gonna continue to insist on the schedule she's been using, find an independent shop that is HONEST. Thos quik-lube places offer oil changes as 'loss leaders' and LIVE on upselling often unneeded services.

[jmoss5723]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

 

This is the mentality I have with my sister. I give her advice on taking care of her car, but when she goes a full year without changing her oil or checking her tire pressure and something expensive happens, I just hope she learns from it.

 

Give good advice, but don't beat yourself up if she doesn't take it. At least she is just wasting money on stuff she doesn't need. She could be putting off a brake job for so long that both front brakes are metal-on-metal (this is just my most recent real-life nightmare).

[TKFlight]

This is the mentality I have with my sister. I give her advice on

taking care of her car, but when she goes a full year without changing

her oil or checking her tire pressure and something expensive happens, I

just hope she learns from it.

 

I go through this all the time, I just tell them and hope they learn. My family runs cars with no anti-freeze, oil, one time in the winter my aunts motor froze because she put water in with no anti-freeze. Once humans reach a certain age they are usually stuck in their ways, if they don't take care of their cars when they are 30 they are never going to change.

Edited November 20, 2014 by TKFlight

[ThosL]

Actually she spends too much on her Subaru considering its actual needs, how little she drives it, the fact it is a 1990s 2.2 motor.  The problem is that she did not really hear me when I told her she could get a cheap oil change at Splash or Monro, to stick to the $25 or less deal, not get the "high mileage" car package which runs twice as much.  

 

I will take it up with Monro later, will try to get a reduction in the $275 bill.  No, she would never learn and I could give you a half dozen reasons why.

[AdventureSubaru]

 

http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/13/37244/investigation-7-out-of-11-jiffy-lubes-scam-custome/

 

Couple videos of how it works. Both were targeting a small number of shops but this is an industry wide norm. There are of course plenty of exceptions to it. PLenty of good honest and decent mechanics out there. But when your customer base is generally so completely ignorant to the machines they depend on daily, yet very loyal to those machines, it's just so easy to take advantage of them.

 

I tell friends and family to operate under the assumption that everything their mechanic/tech is telling them is a lie and operate accordingly. Follow manufacturers guideline, accept no upsells, get second opinions (I commonly will verify things for them)

 

The last time I allowed a shop to do any work to one of my vehicles (Toyota truck with manual locking hubs with rusty acorn nuts) they told me I needed new pads and rotors. I told them that was funny as the rotors were less than a year old and the pads had been changed 3 weeks prior. That shut down that sales line. Then they billed me for 2 hours labor when the truck had been there less than an hour. When I confronted them on it, they explained that because the computer said it was an estimated 2 hour job, that's what they billed me for. It took a good 5 minutes of back and forth and ranting/raving etc. for them to finally drop the extra hour of labor charged. (At $80. an hour.)

 

That experience is what made me vow to never use an outside source to fix my vehicles unless in emergency. If I lack the tools or knowledge, I'll get them and do it myself. No way that I want to keep people like that in business.

[Rooster2]

I swear all those oil change joints operate the same way with up sells on anything they can think of. It is not often that I go to one, but when the weather is just too cold, or too much snow, then I will go to one. Otherwise, I change my own oil and filter. You just have to remember to say NO  NO  NO to all their up sells. Sometimes, I will even say that I am trading in the car on a new one, so don't want any of their extra services,  just to shut them up.

 

They are worse with women, telling them lies about the car being unsafe unless repairs or services are performed. Got to be a special place in hell for those scammers.

[TKFlight]

They are worse with women, telling them lies about the car being

unsafe unless repairs or services are performed. Got to be a special

place in hell for those scammers.

 

Yes they are, this is why I feel bad for single mothers who are forced to go to these places.

[jmoss5723]

 

Yes they are, this is why I feel bad for single mothers who are forced to go to these places.

 

My church does a really cool thing once a month where the deacons do a car wash, oil change, or other really basic stuff for single moms and widows. Like church/religion or not, you gotta admit that is way better than letting them get scammed at Shady-Lube.

[TKFlight]

My church does a really cool thing once a month where the deacons do a

car wash, oil change, or other really basic stuff for single moms and

widows. Like church/religion or not, you gotta admit that is way better

than letting them get scammed at Shady-Lube.

 

I wish there was more of that going on, to many people are getting ripped off by these guys. They provide a good service to people who have little automotive knowledge, but they instead rip these people off with other nonsense services and that is where it angers me. There is really nothing you can do to stop it though they are always going to fool, lets say, an older person with selling them fuel system cleaners.

 

Why are these places doing radiator flushes anyway? It makes me wonder if they are using what the manufacturers say to use, or if they are dumping in some extended life dex cool that isn't for all cooling systems. How do they even know if the coolant needs to be changed? Its not like it changes colors. These places just never stop amazing me.

Edited November 20, 2014 by TKFlight

[ThosL]

It looks like this establishment does not have many positive reviews:

 

 

Horrible customer experience. They employ employees that can't understand English. Asked a employee to fix a flat for free as it states on the coupon, he later wanted 20 dollars for a 10 min work and I could of just taken it to curries tires for 10 dollars. among with alot of other crazy experiences I done had with them, Avoid like the Black plague if your looking for a customer friendly zone.

Thomas Hydle

a year ago

Unfathomable how terrible their customer service is. I called and scheduled an appointment for an oil change. Upon asking for a price, I got the most long-winded and uncertain answer I’ve ever heard. THEY ADVERTISE $21.99 OIL CHANGES! How hard is it to say, “$21.99 for conventional motor oil”?
I take the car in, on time, and wait….and wait….and wait. I waited an hour and my vehicle STILL wasn’t in the garage. No dialogue, no explanation, nothing! What the hell is the point of scheduling an appointment?! The customer service desk attendant would also disappear for 10 minutes at a time. To make matters worse, the attendant put another woman’s car in the garage before mine because she told them her brakes might need to be replaced. I arrived at least 15 minutes before she did! The attendant simply put the more profitable car in first.
This place is the worst establishment on earth. Stay away.

A Google User

2 years ago

I went in for an oil change on my recently bought Toyota Avalon. After a few days, the engine was not working well. I took it to the Toyota dealer. After working on my car for many they found a small plastic part inside the oil filter that is usually used to replace the filter and should never be left inside it. I spoke with the local manager and then with the person responsible for CT. The local manager got upset at me for having taken my car to the Toyota leader and tot back to them. The CT supervisor was nice but less than helpful. After many phone calls and hours of work missed their insurance only covered what I had to pay to the Toyota dealer. I am so unhappy about the way the process was handled. Needless to say, I will never go there again.

A Google User

5 years ago

I blew out a tire and needed a replacement. The guy insisted that I needed a complete set and that I needed the top-of-line tires for my old clunker that will not live the life of the tires he tried to sell me. I tried to argue this and ask for a cheaper tire only to have him tell me that tires in this size are hard to find at most places. Without asking, he printed out an invoice, complete with extras (warranty, alignment) that he assumed I'd want without even asking. I went down the street a 1/4 mile where they had the correct size in multiple grades. I got what I wanted and saved considerably, without the pushy guy behind the counter. In addition, I was able to get an alignment for a cheaper price down the road.

A Google User

3 years ago

Went in for a simple oil change. Aside from waiting over an hour to complete this task, they were pushy and wanted to replace numerous parts that didn't require work. Wanted to replace the belts for $350, didn't need it. Wanted $75 to replace an air filter! I bought one at Walmart for $18 and slid it in myself.

Lastly, and the worst of all is that after I left my engine started leaking oil. I was told by another mechanic that whomever last changed the oil stripped the drain plug. Needed to retap and replace drain plug and seal. Needless to say I won't be going back to Monro in Norwalk.

A Google User

3 years ago

Fantastic. Walter is great. I was nervous due to previous reviews, but they got me in quickly, did a good job, and stood by their work. Will definitely come back.

A Google User

6 years ago

I had one regular oil change service here. I also had the transmission oil changed as the request of the store owner.

Right after the service, there are strange sound in my car's rear right tire. I have it rechecked at the store, the owner said my brake was broken and asked me to replace the system, another $300. I refused and later found it had no problem.

Three months later, when I have oil change service at another store, I was shown the transmission oil was pitch black, which I paid $100 at this Monro store.

A Google User

2 years ago

Been going here for years. The guys are great especially for the routine maintenance. Glad I found them!

A Google User

2 years ago

Very friendly staff... my first time coming and I wont ever go anywhere else. https://www.google.com/search?q=MONRO+NORWALK+CT&rlz=1C1ASUT_enUS541US541&oq=monro+&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j69i60l3j69i59j0.12973j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x89e81c404f9a15cd:0xf92a330e4e57cfe7,1

[ThosL]

I went in to the shop today to try to get the bill reduced.  I was clear with the manager that the way they get customers in with "specials" and then try to sell them on profitable jobs is a con.  The manager took some offense at the remark, he did not admit any fault saying there was nothing he did wrong, that the radiator flush needed to be done because the fluid was old.  I doubt that it would have affected performance.  And on the $100 charge for the hose, I seriously questioned that as well, and he said she had OK'd it.  So I asked for the corporate number so I could appeal the issue to them, and he gave me the number of the district manager in NY who I called.  He said that if I found a lower price for any of the work that was done they would match it.  That looks like a losing proposition as how are you going to find other garages that do the same work and go through that whole process and then come back to them asking them for a reduction?  I know that when I was doing contracting I would do everything possible not to have unhappy customers.   I will be doing a report with the state consumers affairs department connected to the state attorney general.  They have gotten results for me in the past.

Edited November 22, 2014 by ThosL

[G_Mossman]

Just ask golucky66 to give you a quote 

[ThosL]

I actually went back yesterday to get an oil change on my Suburu as I was way overdue, and Valvoline was closed.  $27 and the guy recognized me and the threat I had made to report his shop to the state consumer affairs department.  People don't have to boycott businesses if you or a family member was ripped off.