Overcharged Car Repairs!
You pay to have your car repaired, but what happens when it breaks down less than 24 hours after you paid the bill? You Call for Action.
Doris Breton was on I-95, alone, in the middle of morning rush hour traffic when her car suddenly stops dead.
Doris Breton
I was all by myself in the middle of 95, it was very scarey.
Doris eventually has her car towed to a local auto shop. Hours later she gets a call that they have diagnosed the problem, the ignition cap and wires needed to be changed.
Doris
They fixed my car and charged me $279 and some change.
Off she goes, relieved her car is fixed. Unfortunately, the temporary joy is just that...temporary.
Doris
The next day, Tuesday morning I was driving to work and my car just stopped in the middle of the road.
Once again, Doris has the car towed back to the same auto shop..and this time they find a different problem.
Doris
When I got there they said it wasn't the diagnosis they told me the first time, it was something else! I said, ok, go ahead and fix it!
Apparently, Doris's car didn't need the ignition cap and wires changed after all, apparently it was the distributor cap that needed to be replaced.
Doris
When I went to pick up my car, they charged me $260.
Doris assumed the auto shop would credit her for the first bill, since they admitted they misdiagnosed the problem...but they said since they did the work anyway, they had to charge her.
Susan
So you actually gave them almost $500!
Doris
Almost $600 altogether.
That's when Doris Called for Action. And we called the auto shop and reminded them that they had a responsibility to fix her car right the first time.
Doris
They apologized and said 'you don't have to call Channel 12! Just come to me, the manager and I would have helped you!' (laugh) I really appreciate it.
Not only did the auto repair shop agree to credit Doris for the first bill of $270, they even paid her towing charges. Our problem solvers are waiting to hear from you, they are here Monday thru Thursday from 11 until 1. Our hotline number is 228-1850. I'm problem solver Susan Hogan eyewitness news.
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