At Pepboys on Carrollton Ave in New Orleans they have a VERY rude Assistant Manager. He replaced my alternators three times, but not until after I had to have the car towed three times back to pepboys where he fought me and insisted I needed to replace the battery each time. His own mechanic told me I should be very upset and that he had told this manager that it wasnt the battery and that instead the kept selling me bad alternators. I am now on my third battery and three alternators later and my car is once again at Pepboys. I am a single woman and had to ask my brother to come with me because the assistant manager who sold me all three alternators refused to take responsiblity for the alternator draining the brand new batteries. This Assistant Manager refused to provide me with the actual Managers contact information and told me that I could not prove that the alternator drained the battery. Thankfully AAA had a print out showing that my battery was fine when they tested it before they towed it.

I am out 150 in towing fees and lost the money for three perfectly good batteries. Any woman WILL be taken advantage of at this Pepboy. Try FireStone across the street. They are trust worthy and respectful of their customers.

The problems within this organization are too numerous to list here, but I'll give it my best shot. Most recently gave 2 weeks notice and was informed at the bank where I cashed my check that their payroll accounts were "hugely" overdrawn. Manager was disappointed that I elected to take my PTO instead of choosing to take the pay (after 1 year of working my a** off there, I needed to breathe before beginning my new job), after reading some of the complaints on various boards, good choice, they chop your hours by 50% upon request for reimbursement.

Manager was overheard to call customers, "F***ing loser", "F***ing crook", throwing the keys at the customer, etc. This manager has also been led out of the store in shiny stainless steel bracelets on charges of DV, in front of staff and customers, g/f and he broke out the glass to the front door of the store. Corporate turns blind eye to the truly significant issues going on in their establishments. More to come, this is just the start. This organization needs to face several class-action lawsuits, their employees and their customers

Please allow this correspondence to serve as a complaint against PEPBOYS store #106, Marietta, GA. Below is a letter sent to the PEPBOYS Corporation in Philadelphia, PA.

'Let Us Install It For You! Service Department->>>’ (en Espanola todos) states a sign hanging in the retail area at PEPBOYS store #106. In the Service Dept. a sign states 'Installation, Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed'. While Scott Hendrick (Service Manager), was out on vacation, a 1.5-hour installation of a backup camera sold in this store for my 2007 VW Passat became a 12-day nightmare that continues.

• $120 in groceries discarded at location after waiting 5 hours;
• Dirty & greasy leather, dashboard, & carpet due to Service Technicians inept;
• Car taken to a VW service center for repair to the electronic relay system and mechanical deficiencies from PEPBOYS ASE Certified Technicians dis-repair;
• Camera, to date, is not installed and advised by PEPBOYS that they have discontinued service of installation to the camera backup system;
• Car is at the body shop for repairs due to physical damages incurred including dents/scratches/scrapes to body and a screw hole in dashboard while at PEPBOYS property #106.

I have been in PEPBOYS #106 on 5 of the past 12 days. I have witnessed numerous other clients’ complaints, anger and frustration over the lack of customer service & ineptitude of the service department. Several of us have asked this question, ‘If they (the Service Technicians) didn’t know what they were doing, they shouldn’t have started the work.’

The damages to my 2007 VW Passat include dents and dings to the body and a screw hole in the dashboard. Store management at all levels, in both the retail and service areas, including the Area Manager of the Orlando, FL district (Frank) assigned to the #106 store for approx. two weeks, and Service Techs admitted to and apologized for all damages. Damages to both the body and to the electrical system as a result of malfeasance.

Godfrey (Assistant Retail Manager), Al Jaramillo (Assistant Service Manager), Bill Purdy (Retail Manager), Scott (not Hendricks), Paul, and Omar all apologized for the damages and the lengthy installation time. All stated that it was the PEPBOYS policy to make things right and that the project would not be complete until I was satisfied. Bill Purdy and Frank (Area Manager), delivered the car to Jim Ellis VW and scheduled service with David Kreafle (Jim Ellis VW Service Advisor), stating, 'we will make this right. Take care of this car.'

When Scott Hendrick became involved with this incident, he refused to start a claim for the damages. Scott Hendrick refused to obtain property damage estimates for the damage caused by his Service Technicians. He demanded I drive all over town for three estimates. I advised that pursuant to the Georgia Department of Insurance one estimate is sufficient and legally prescribed. I requested from Scott the name and number of PEPBOYS insurance company. He refused to give it to me stating that was not PEPBOYS policy. I made numerous phone calls to PEPBOYS corporate offices and opened the claim as a direct result of my research.

I have been without a car for 12 days and counting. I requested a rental Friday, 09/11/2009. Scott Hendrick refused to give any information on whom to call nor to authorize a rental. After many phone calls to PEPBOYS Customer Service Center, I was given the name of a Claims Representative (Rebecca). I called Rebecca, 215-430-9095 ext. 9692, as she is now assigned to my claim (#27395). To date, she has not returned my calls nor those of Robert Sims, Claims Supervisor, GEICO Insurance Company. Please note, GEICO represents my auto policy coverage.

PEPBOYS now refuses to install a working backup camera. I informed PEPBOYS of the necessity and severity for purchase and installation of a rear backup camera. I selected PEPBOYS for this product and installation based on my previous experience with PEPBOYS products/service.

The gravity for this purchase is as such from an experience my wife encountered. She was physically assailed in the parking garage where she works as an Intensive Care Surgical Nurse. The assailant was crouched low behind the car. She didn’t see him and he attacked her as she exited the car. With a rear camera, she will see an assailant before exiting the vehicle providing her with some sense of reliance for her safety/security. As a Retired/Disabled Federal Law Enforcement Officer, I am concerned for future attacks and was hopeful for some peace of mind.

I selected PEPBOYS to purchase this device including hope for quality installation as provided in the past and noted throughout their signage in the retail and service areas.

This vehicle was detailed the day before I entrusted service installation by PEPBOYS with a PEPBOYS product. Now, this car is dirty, greasy, damaged and still without a rear camera. I do not have a car to drive.

Where is the integrity? Where is the customer service?

Purchased 4 tires 6 months ago for Volvo v70 Cross Country. Noticed a bad vibration over 65 mph, went back to have tires balanced, was told both front shocks had blown out, they gave me an estimate of $950 to replace them. I opted to go to Branford to a mechanic who worked on my MG's and other foreign cars. They road tested the car then put it on the lift. shocks were perfectly fine, a sway bar linkage was broken, $57 for the part plus$85 labor. Big difference from $950... These idiots at Pep Boys are either incompetant or sleazy rip off artists, or both...

The following letter was sent to Pepboys Corporate WITHOUT response:
===========================================

February 8, 2009

PepBoys
3111 West Allegheny Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19132

To Whom It May Concern:

On January 30, 2009, I brought my 2000 Chevrolet Blazer into your Pompano Beach location to have my vehicle inspected. I advised the shop manager that I did not have any heat in my vehicle.

After 2 hours of diagnosing, it was advised that my thermostat needed to be replaced. I was then quoted to replace that item with some additional services which I declined because I thought it was priced too high.

2 days later, I had replaced this item myself (due to the simplicity of this task) and then proceeded my trip to Connecticut (of which I advised the shop manager – this was the reason I originally brought it in).

I was travelling through Georgia when it began to get chilly and I turned on the heat – but alas, I did not feel any heat even having it turned up hot to the maximum. I turned it off and continued my trip so I can at least make it South Carolina, but could no longer continue the trip due to diminishing weather temperatures.

I pulled off of I-95 to an establishment called Carolina Cars located in Florence, SC and the mechanic, Joey Miles, diagnosed the problem – my heater core needed to be replaced.
If I had known this prior to travelling, I would have had it replaced at that time, but your mechanic, Jerry Peermal, diagnosed my problem as the thermostat.

I paid a total of $80.09 for a 2-hour diagnosis that wasn’t even CLOSE to what the actual problem was. If I had just replaced the thermostat (which I did) and just kept travelling, I could have destroyed my engine.

Adding to this issue, I brought my same vehicle in to have my oil changed on January 5, 2009 which was fine, but while that was occurring, I bought 2 wiper blades in your store and had asked Nick to have the mechanic put them on for me while he was doing the oil change.

I got back to work and noticed that the wiper blades were not replaced – I then had to take time from work again and have them put them on. Later on in that week, I noticed that there was a shop rag tucked under my hood very close to the motor (I was checking my windshield washer fluid at the time). Could you imagine what would have happened if that rag flew into my motor?!

So let’s recap the events – The oil change involved me returning to your shop to have new wiper blades replaced and if I didn’t look under the hood of my truck, I would have never noticed the shop rag near the motor that your mechanic neglected to remove before he closed the hood.

Secondly, I paid for 2 hours of diagnosing a “no-heat” issue for my truck which was a thermostat replacement only to find out in South Carolina that it was my heater core. If this had not been replaced, my vehicle motor would have eventually been destroyed based up the fact I was travelling 1, 400 miles.

This is UNACCEPTABLE under any terms of your establishment! The incompetency of your mechanics could cost customers thousands of dollars in repairs due to incorrectly diagnosing critical issues such as mine.

Here is what I proposing…

The cost to replace the heater core was $568.29 (find copy of invoice attached). I am seeking restitution along with $500 for my grief, aggravation, YOUR incompetency and frustration that I was counting on your company to provide me an accurate diagnosis which was never delivered – this is almost comparable to a Doctor who diagnosed his patient incorrectly and the patient suffered for it – this is called a lawsuit.

This is not a direct threat in any way or fashion, but merely a way for me to inform you that you are held responsible for your employees actions. So the total settlement I am seeking is $1, 068.29.

If you choose to decline, I will seek legal council advise, advise the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs and possible media/newspaper publications. There will be no exchange of phone calls. All correspondence will be letter sent as legal documentation.