Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On July 24th I was charged $302 for a repair service on my lawn mower after being told the service would only cost about $105($75 for the part and $30 for the labor). After dropping my mower off at the shop I waited outside in the parking lot patiently for about 1-2 hours watching as many other customers came and got service on their items. After realizing the store would close in about the next 30 minutes I went back inside the store and asked if my mower repair service was complete. They told me yes its complete and it will cost me $325. After notifying them I was told it would be around $100 they took the price down to $302 and told me they replaced 4 other parts on my mower that I did not request and or need replaced running my total price up. They replaced 2 spindles and 3 blades on my mower. (Only 1 spindle was damaged and my blades cut perfectly fine before, as they were only 1-2 months old). The business told me at first the total price would only be about $100 then I was forced to pay over $300 and it seemed like they didnt care at all. I was never notified of the extra parts they were removing and I was never told about the price change until I arrived for pickup. I really felt like they tricked me into paying them more money just for me to get back home and cut on my mower and see it still had an issue with spinning the blades that I had to get fixed again

  Business response

  08/14/2024

  In response to customer complaint
  The customer arrived at the store on 7/23/24 around 2:30 and was helped by a service writer at 2:34. The service writer and customer discussed the customers mower and issue at hand. The customer stated that his middle blade would not turn and that he believes it needs a spindle. We do not recall if the price of this repair was discussed at this point in time but if it was both service writers as well as the walk-in technician who is about to conduct the repair knows that to change one spindle is an hour of labor, $96, plus the cost of the part. In this case a spindle is $75 plus tax. At this point we did offer to try and help the customer in our walk-in bay and we put his mower in line to be looked at in the while you wait service bay. In the summer months the walk in bay is very busy especially around lunchtime when the customer arrived.
  The customer quizzed the service writer on what had been done to his mower when it was in the shop during past visits as he was under the impression, he had replaced a spindle prior to the visit. After investigating his history, we had not. Another discussion came on how the mower was used as the customer believed his spindle should not have gone out. The customer is using a residential lawn mower for business use causing the mower to wear out at a faster rate.
  After the mower was inspected by the walk-in technician, he found the mower to have 3 issues, a locked up middle spindle, a very wobbly/sloppy left spindle and completely worn-out blades. The walk-in technician asked the service writer if he should perform this repair. The service writer could not find the customer,but he decided to go ahead with the repair as the customer needed it or he would be back in the shop in short order.
  The customer came back to the service counter later on in the day and we informed him what we did to his mower and why. The cost for the repair was $350.88. Which included an hour and half of labor, 3 blades, and 2 spindles.
  After the servicer writer discussed with the customer they both agreed that we had overstepped some but we were trying to look out for him. We should have asked the customer if he wanted the full repair. Because the customer was upset with the repair, we offered to do whatever the customer wanted. We offered to reduce the labor on the repair to the total of $302.88, only charging 1 hour of labor. We offered to remove the left side spindle and blade and reinstall the old ones and only charge him for 1 spindle and hour of labor. The service writer directly asked the customer multiple times what would make him happy. The customer eventually stated that if the mower needed the repair, then he wanted it done. He left and came back the following afternoon to pick up and pay. The customer was given the opportunity to back out of the repair and pick and choose what he wanted done to his mower upon checkout and chose to do the full repair and was given $48 off the repair. 

  Customer response

  08/20/2024

   
  Complaint: 22115973
  
  I am rejecting this response because: i previously called and scheduled a spindle installation with the service writer 1-2 months before this last service. After arriving for pickup I checked my spindle and asked them why it wasnt replaced with a new one and they said they didnt install one because nothing was wrong with the spindle but instead they installed a bolt to fix the problem and charged me about $100 for it. They also tried to charge me for 3 new blades and I told them my blades were already new then they reduced the charges to total about $100 for the installation of a bolt. Now theyre saying not only is one of my spindles bad but 2 of them were and needed to be replaced. Well if you all performed the service the first time I asked instead ignoring my request there wouldnt be a problem with 2 of my spindles. Them being lazy and money hungry is why I had to come back again and pay again for a spindle replacement because they never did it the first time I scheduled them to. Also I dont use my mower for any business and I told the service writer that when I spoke to him at the store that I only use the mower for my parents and aunts yard which are 5-10 miles apart. I guess I must look like someone who uses the mower for business since theyre making that assumption. Each of the last 3 times the mower was serviced by the same technician ***** and yet the problem was not solved. Instead of assuming things about how customers are using their ******************** you all should evaluate your technicians and make sure they know how to properly fix the equipment. You all have provided a poor experience. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  09/04/2024

  ******* AND MYSELF HAVE JUST GOTTEN OF THE PHONE. WE BOTH AIRED OUR CONCERNS AND WE HAVE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT WOULD MAKE HIM HAPPY. 

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