Return-Path: Received: from CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 9 Oct 84 12:02:38 EDT Date: 9 Oct 1984 11:36:51-EDT From: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS To: bovik@a here are the responses i got to my post requesting peoples experiences with sears auto center. if they went to all the trouble to warn me, the least i can do is pass on the warning to others. Received: from CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 3 Oct 84 19:16:13 EDT Date: 3 Oct 1984 19:19-EST From: Jon.Webb@CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Message-Id: <465693599/webb@CMU-CS-IUS2> In-Reply-To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS's bboard message of 03-Oct-84 16:02 Well, I had a friend (Marc Donner) who took his car there, they fixed the brakes, did it wrong, and later he lost brakes while driving on the highway. I don't think it's a good idea. I go to Lee Himmel Servicenter, which I don't know if its cheaper, but I think at least it's more reliable. Jon Received: from CMU-CS-A.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 3 Oct 84 18:29:39 EDT Date: 3 Oct 84 18:21:55 EDT From: Jim Crowley@CMU-CS-A Subject: Boycott Sears Auto Center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Michael, In 1978, when I was a poor graduate student, I took my 71 Pinto to the Sears Auto Center in East Liberty to have a new battery installed. The mechanic decided to tighten my alternator, and in the process broke the bolts mounting it to the engine block! When I tried to drive the car, the alternator made a terrible noise. I immediately (in their parking lot) opened the hood, found the problem, and asked them to fix it. They would not touch it: 1) They do not do such work, 2) The car must have been broken before I brought it in, they claimed. I wasted 3 days going through the various management trying to get them to at least pay for the cost of repair. No way. I had to have the car er, that is I drove the car without an alternator to a nearby rent-a-lift where I drilled the bolts out and installed new ones: The moral is: Their workers are not mechanics. They know only one kind of job. The management will not stand behind the workers, or their work. They can not be trusted for anything. If your car is American, check out Molognes Auto/body on Braddock Ave. If you do, tell Dick Mologne I sent you. He is an old friend. Jim Received: from CMU-CS-GANDALF.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 3 Oct 84 18:02:03 EDT Date: Wednesday, 3 October 1984 18:05:07 EDT From: Robert.White@cmu-cs-gandalf.arpa To: peshkin@cmu-ri-fas.arpa Subject: BEWARE of Sears Message-ID: <1984.10.3.21.53.22.Robert.White@cmu-cs-gandalf.arpa> Several years (3 or 4) ago I took my Pinto to the same Sears for a $14 front-end alignment special. They told me it would be impossible to do it because my tie-rod end was absolutely shot, they could believe I could still be driving it...it was so bad. I had a feeling (my vibration was not that bad), so I took it home (VIRGINIA was home then). And I took it to a front end shop. I specifically asked them to check out the tie rod end. They did and they said there is nothing wrong with it. They recommend that if I was feeling vibrations and it wasn't the alignment (which they said looked fine also) that it was probable that the tires need -ed balanced. So instead of $45 dollars for a tie-rod end, instead of $14 for an alignment, I paid $8 to have the front tires re-balanced -- one of which WAS grossly out of balance. And my vibration disappeared. I have noticed that the same guy who told me that my tie-rod end was bad still works there. So I buy things like oil, spark plugs, etc...but I have learned to do my own maintainance. When it is over my head (I replaced a master cylinder last weekend) I have gone to American Auto on Liberty near West Penn Hosp. I hope I caught you before returning to Sears. They are Rapists, and most people don't argue about there cars. Robert White Received: from CMU-CS-UNH.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 3 Oct 84 16:23:19 EDT Date: 3 Oct 1984 16:18-EST From: Hank.Walker@CMU-CS-UNH.ARPA Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Message-Id: <465682728/dmw@CMU-CS-UNH> In-Reply-To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS's bboard message of 03-Oct-84 15:57 I buy batteries from them. For car repair, they've been slow, but the work was okay. After N bad repairmen in my life, I look for quality, regardless of the price, which can be found at Lee Himmel Servicenter on Penn near Atlantic. Received: from CMU-CS-A.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 3 Oct 84 23:11:56 EDT Date: 3 Oct 84 23:10:55 EDT From: David Neves@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Look at past messages on net.consumer on usenet. I don't know about inspections but the messages seem to indicate that they will try to get you to get things you may not need. Many people said if they went in to get a battery they would also be told they needed a new alternator. Received: from CMU-CS-SPICE.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 4 Oct 84 10:10:32 EDT Date: 4 Oct 1984 09:58-EST From: James.Diskin@CMU-CS-SPICE.ARPA Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Message-Id: <465746301/jbd@CMU-CS-SPICE> In-Reply-To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS's bboard message of 03-Oct-84 15:51 Sears is real bad. Just shop around a little and I'm sure you will find alot of places to beat that price with a better job. Your best bet is Anlauf Brothers Arco in Penn Hills on Long Road off Beulah Rd. Turn in front of the Churchill Country Club. The two brothers are dedicated mechanics any will beat any price. Received: from CMU-CS-SPICE.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 4 Oct 84 10:49:12 EDT Date: 4 Oct 1984 10:26-EST From: Richard.Lerner@CMU-CS-SPICE.ARPA Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Message-Id: <465747972/lerner@CMU-CS-SPICE> In-Reply-To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS's bboard message of 03-Oct-84 15:51 My only experience with sears auto department (at Century III) was not good. I wanted them to do a simple thing, change from my summer tires to my winter tires. When I got the car back it pulled terribly to one side. Apparently, they put almost no air in the tires (~10 lbs out of 35). When I went to put my summer tires back on I found that they had also nearly recked one of my tires when they took it off by gouging out a piece of rubber along the seal. I don't intend to give them any more auto business. My girlfriend has used the Exxon at Forbes and Shady and was pleased. A friend used Koskoden, on Murray, for his VW and was pleased. Rick. Received: from CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 4 Oct 84 10:50:11 EDT Date: 4 Oct 1984 10:42-EST From: Leonard.Hamey@CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS Message-Id: <465748961/lgh@CMU-CS-IUS2> In-Reply-To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS's bboard message of 03-Oct-84 16:02 Michael, My experience with Sears (East Liberty - is that the same as Penn Mall?) was very bad. They were very critical in their inspection and required me to do a lot of work - I'm sure an ordinary garage would not have been so critical, so I'm not going to Sears this time. Also, they drove me mad when they did (some of) the work for me. First, they installed new shock absorbers. There was a special at the time, but because the price in the advertisement included labour but the price at the shop didn't (no one pointed this out, of course) I ended up with a more expensive shock absorber, and a correspondingly higher bill. Watch out for the sales people - they aren't always interested in your best interests. Also, they require you to leave the car all day for them to inspect it, and I did this on a couple of occasions because they were to incompitent to get things sorted out (There was some problem with my tags, and they weren't very helpful - they didn't even inform me of the problem after the first inspection). Anyhow, I was thoroughly cheesed off with them and would never go to them again for service, except for the shock absorbers which come with a lifetime warrantee - if they ever wear out since I paid for the HD+ ones. The work they did was acceptable - the customer service was not. Leonard Hamey. Received: from CMU-CS-A.ARPA by CMU-RI-FAS.ARPA; 5 Oct 84 14:30:18 EDT Date: 5 Oct 84 14:18:34 EDT From: Daniel Leivant@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: sears auto center To: Michael.Peshkin@CMU-RI-FAS I found Sears @ Penn Mall unhelpful, slow, rude, and poor mechanics. Whatever you do, do not use them for auto repair (as opposed to new batteries or muffler, when they have a sale). I recommend Dynamic Service Center, on Penn Avenue near the Mall. The owber is Bill Dobranski, who works on cars with a friend of his, and does a very professional job for reasonable price. Mention me if you go to him. -- Daniel Leivant