PRESENTING THE "SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL" AWARDS

[jingle_jangle]

The first one goes out to Midas Muffler on Van Ness here in SF.

My Miata blew the flange gasket connecting the catalytic converter to the tailpipe, on the way to the office this morning. So, being the attentive owner that I am, I hied on over to Midas on S. Van Ness, thinking that, although it was a small job, I might as well get an oil change, too.

I drove in and they insisted on giving me an "estimate". I waited a half hour. I looked quickly at the estimate...$27.65...that's a bit high, I thought, for a 50¢ bolt and nut and a $5.00 gasket, but what the heck...it's the convenience.

Then I looked closer...$27.65 was the TAX!!!

These bandits wanted $181.35 to replace $5.50 worth of parts and 5 minutes (literally!) of labor!

[cjj]

Oh come on, those bolts were probably rusted on so it'd take hours to get 'em off. Then of course, the replacement bolts now are required by California law to be made of unobtanium, so they cost WAY more than 50 cents...

[clearblue]

Typical. Consumer gouging to line the CEO's pockets. Furthermore, corporations continue to charge more for less just to stay in business.

[cjj]

OK, I'll add one too, not quite the same, but I hope these guys end up with your award too.

Last year we hired a local ag services place (big company, does several million dollars a year) to come out and spray a field of barley for other weeds, about a $500 job. The field would have produced somewhere around $15k of crop, except they screwed up and sprayed Roundup (kills just about everything).

They figured a good resolution was to not charge us for the spraying...

After months of fighting, we got just about what it cost to plant the crop, $2500. You see, we couldn't prove we'd actually be able to harvest it since it hadn't matured yet...

[admin]

Paul: After all this you must be exhausted.

[jingle_jangle]

[Scastles]

I drove in and they insisted on giving me an "estimate". I waited a half hour. I looked quickly at the estimate...$27.65...that's a bit high, I thought, for a 50¢ bolt and nut and a $5.00 gasket, but what the heck...it's the convenience.

Then I looked closer...$27.65 was the TAX!!!

These bandits wanted $181.35 to replace $5.50 worth of parts and 5 minutes (literally!) of labor!

Good thing they insisted on an estimate. If you'd just gone ahead and had the work done, they would have insisted on you paying them $181.35.

[jingle_jangle]

Or there's the third, old-school, scenario--run it up on the hoist, slip a bolt and gasket in there (and it's the single most common two-bolt exhaust gasket made), hit it with an air wrench, and less than five minutes later, pocket the ten-spot I would slip him.

Then, the fourth scenario--sell me the gasket so I can do it myself at home, later. When I asked them to do this, I was told it was "out of stock". The CS rep told me it was a "$5.00 part". Why, I asked, were they proposing charging me $22.75 for it? "Because I'll have to order it," the CS rep said.

Huh?

The fifth scenario, which was to give me the gasket, gratis, as a good-will gesture (which did work), as the Midas guy in Marin County did the last time I needed it replaced.

So, I basically left it open, and was blindsided by the Worst of All Possible Outcomes.

Hence the award.

[doctorwho]

Also it might have been a good thing not to get the oil change there. The Midas shop on Edinger in Tustin destroyed the engine in my '97 Grand Am by botching an oil change.

My nominee for A Special Place In Hell Award goes to: all the computer hackers that create PC viruses/worms/trojans to 'get back at Bill Gates' ... and cause a billion people to waste hours of their lives combating and fixing the damage done by their 'creations'.

[winston]

My nominee for A Special Place In Hell Award goes to: all the computer hackers that create PC viruses/worms/trojans to 'get back at Bill Gates' ... and cause a billion people to waste hours of their lives combating and fixing the damage done by their 'creations'.

I'll second that motion Gary.

[robbo63]

I once owned a Merkur with rear drum brakes. I was an old hand at doing disc brakes myself, but didn't want to bother with drums, so I took it to Merchants' Tire and Auto. I wasn't having specific problems with the brakes, but the car was second-hand and I'd put quite a lot of mileage on it without having the rears checked.

They gave me an estimate over $1000 - told me absolutely everything needed replacing. When I refused to authorize work, they insisted I sign a waiver before releasing the car to me, stating the car was unsafe to drive.

I took the car literally across the street to NTW (now NTB) and they adjusted the rear brakes, replaced the wheel cylinders, and it cost me a fraction of the Merchants estimate. And I drove it for years after that with no problems.

Just thinking of it now, signing that bogus waiver, makes me nominate Merchants for their special place in hell.

[jingle_jangle]

Update.

Until I moved to the Bay Area, I'd always had a "play shop" which I kept equipped with machinery, and which I used for my automotive projects. Then, with my relocation to Brasil and subsequent move back to NoCal, my machinery stayed in Brasil, as my focus shifted; space here is at a premium and much more costly than it was in SoCal. Now, minor repair tasks mean jacking the car up in my garage or driveway and working there.

So, last night I put a couple of filets on the gas grille and walked downhill to my garage, where I jacked up the rear of the Miata and put it on jackstands. I crawled under the car and found, to my surprise, that the leak in question was caused by one bolt that had come loose. There were no parts missing, and in fact the previous gasket was still in place.

Before I knew this, however, I'd purchased a new, heavier-duty gasket and two new bolts. So, I went back upstairs and turned the steaks, and came back down, replaced the gasket, put in both new bolts, cleaned up, and lowered the car.

Then I went back up to the patio and enjoyed dinner with my family.

Total elapsed time: about 12 minutes. There were NO parts required, although I replaced them all at my own option. Those guys were going to charge me over $180.00--to tighten one nut.

Midas corporate will be getting a letter.

[leftybass]

Paul: After all this you must be exhausted.

Alright, pipe down you two...

[admin]

Sorry, John. I guess I have been couped up too long.

[jps]

Sorry, John. I guess I have been couped up too long.

Is your snow gone, yet?