What is with these auto repair shops (Goodyear & Firestone) trying to rip people off ?

Question

What kind of commision do these guys make? For example I go in for an oil change and they want to charge me up yo $500 for misc. flushes and such. (ten dollars to change a light bulb that I can change in 1 minute!) Had a flat tire and they want to sell me a $180 rim that I don't need or suspect is bent !

Answer 1

Goodyear, Firestone, Jiffy Lube, and others...what do you expect?
Corporately owned stores (Firestone) are the worst...the management is under pressure from corporate. Sometimes, they'll sabotage a vehicle. Sometimes they'll try to cover up a mistake. I guess other shops are like this too. I've seen it all.
http://www.firestone-kills.com/
Quick lubes franchises are bad too. Their employees are the least experienced - usually clueless people who walked in off the street after walking or driving by the store. The quick lubes have inflated prices and love to upsell.

Find an honest local independent mechanic, even for oil changes. Go to a different tire shop. Some franchised shops are ok (but not quick lubes).

It's not just because of the commission ... it's also because of the way they were trained by their trainers and supervisors. It's the culture of the business to upsell.

Answer 2

Write a letter to the home or regional office head of operations with your complaint, tell them they've lost your business and just don' t go there....if people take the time to complain in writing, they'll sit up and take notice. Usually, management knows for every complaint they get to hear, there's 10 more that won't complain and won't go back. These places make their money by upselling---they advertise price leaders and when you go in, they've got their chance to make money because every car needs something.

Answer 3

capitalism n : an economic system based on private ownership of capital