Kevin B.

So this has to be broken down into parts so that I can be as clear as possible in warning other people who might find themselves in a similar situation that I was in.

To set things up, my check engine light came on and my vehicle started a slight shudder which got progressively worse as I searched for a mechanic to run a diagnostic under the hood. This was on a Saturday at about 3 o'clock. Pep Boys was the only place who still had techs on hand to do what I needed; this is about the only good thing I can say from this entire experience. It was all downhill from there.

They stated it could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours to figure out the problem so they told me I could wait or they would call me a lift. I opted for the ride as I stated earlier this visit was born out of desperation not any sense of trust or faith. I saw what they did to my dad when he got his inspection done two years back and $2,000 later. And that says nothing compared to the poor woman who had been in the waiting area at the same time as us back then, crying on her phone to someone who had to pick her up

I got back to my house and it was at this point my wife and I started playing the waiting game. Waiting for some kind of news as to how the coming week would play out with our commute to our jobs. Many of you will probably be able to relate to that sense of dread as you have only one car between you. Even if you have two it is still a drastic upset to the routine as you now have to alter your time to carpool. Well our news came about three hours later to the tune of $1,200. One ignition coil and gasket, plus all six spark plugs needed to be replaced they told me. When asked for a breakdown they informed me that the single coil would be upwards of $145 plus another $29 for the gasket alone. Lord knows what they thought 6 spark plugs should cost.

Now that I knew what they thought the problem was, I can say I made these exact repairs not two years previous. It's an easy to moderate job even for a DIY'er like me. And the parts can be found online (all six coils and plugs) for less than a hundred. So of course my question is where did they get the other $1,100 from? Nice try Pep boys. Think about how many people they do this to and you start to get the idea how they became a billion dollar company as of the late 90's.

I have since ordered the parts myself and paid those crooks their $95 for just a heap of bad news, in every sense of the word. Might take me three or four hours but it will be so much more worth it than being unable to feed my family. "The work needs to be done," was all they kept saying without an ounce of a conscience, as if I was holding out on them with their protection money'. How do they expect people to pay this when they simply do not have it? Why apply for their credit card of course so they can charge you even more in interest. I have a better idea now what that poor woman must have been going through. Now even if the parts I ordered don't last quite as long as their solid gold spark plugs there is no way it's worth 12x what I picked them up for.

Now if your vehicle is under warrantee, great! But otherwise save yourselves the trouble and find a small outfit where you can actually get to know the owner and the mechanic's. Use the routine oil change/tire rotations as the opportunities to find one. It will allow you to make the most educated decisions when it comes to the care of your vehicle. They offer guarantees just like the big guys but they have to look you in the eye when they deal with you. You don't know how many people are taking advantage of you when it comes to a large outfit like Pep Boys. And we never will. Don't be a piece of their profits, enough said.