Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/07/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I came in to this auto center for a simple slow air leak on a tire. After inspection, I was told they couldn't find the slow air leak, but that they would replace the valve stem on the tire and that it would cost $** and take 30 minutes. After 30 minutes of waiting, I was then told that they broke a wheel lug stud while removing the tire and was given an initial bill of over $*** bill to fix the issue.
  
  I'm shocked why a customer should be held liable for a technician's mistake. ****** **** * ********* ***** * ********** ** ********* **** *** ************ ******** *** ****** *** ******* *** ******** ******* *********** *** *** *****. Does it make sense at all to hold the customer accountable for the company's mistake?
  
  A true and responsible business takes ownership of their mistakes, not put them on the shoulders of a customer. I had a weird vibe something negative like this would happen upon walking in to this auto center, and now I fully understand **** **** ** *** ***** ********* ** ****** ******* *** ********* ** **** **** *** **** ******* *** ****** ***** *** ********* ********  
  Their own mission statement and code of ethics hanging in front of their window states the following:
  
  -Ensure our entire staff is qualified, properly equipped and provided ongoing training.
  -Act with professionalism, honesty, and integrity at all times.
  -Respect our customer's time and property.
  
  **** *** ***** ******* ***** **** ***** **** ** ***** *** *********** *************

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2023

  Good day Quinn,
  
  We are sorry you feel this way about your service. We just
  wanted to clarify a couple of things. Once the vehicle entered the shop, it was
  only 10 minutes to determine the leak and you were notified that we would have
  to un-install the tire, replace the valve stem, clean the rim and reseal-mount
  and balance your tire.  Upon removing the tire, 1 stud was so seized and
  corroded that when the technician removed it, the stud snapped. You were
  immediately notified of this and we advised that a new stud had to be replaced,
  and a nut considering the stud broke off inside.  As explained, it was not
  a fault of your own or ours, and this was clearly explained to you. Just like
  an oil change, there are steps to maintaining a vehicle. Servicing your hub,
  brakes, studs and re-checking the torque specs on the lug nuts are part of
  maintenance which clearly was neglected. There are also several reasons why a
  stud can snap during service and removal. 
  
  Since we have never seen this vehicle before, the stud could
  have been improperly installed, the lug nut over-tightened, or even
  under-tightened which can cause a stud to fail during operation, or when
  removed to service a tire. Breaking a wheel stud is commonly not caused
  by the way you’re removing them, or the tool you’re using. Lug nuts are
  supposed to go onto a stud smoothly, and come off just as smooth and require
  maintenance for future services.  What usually causes a stud to
  break is that the lug nut has been cross-threaded when the tire was last
  removed and reinstalled (using the wrong tool or socket). It can also happen
  due to rusted wheel studs and seizing inside the lug nut. As this is of no fault
  of Arvalet Auto Center, it also needs to be addressed since this happened.
  There is a standard industry labor time on your vehicle of 1 hour to replace
  one stud, and a cost associated for that 1 hour labor as well as the cost of
  parts.  As we understand your side, and as you should understand ours, we
  also discounted your repair order labor to only half hour (50%) and discounted
  the cost of parts, and your tire repair was also given to you at no cost! 
  These were neglected to be mentioned in your review.  Together with your
  tire repair, this repair would be over $*** to which you were only charged
  $***** with taxes.  We highly respected your as our customer, we always
  take measures to respect someone’s property and we understood your side and we
  also understand jobs can take unwanted turns and new developments happen when
  servicing vehicles. We were professional in advising you at ever step of the
  service on what happened and needed to be done. This is why we value our
  company standard in integrity and honesty.
  
  We can see us being liable if a lug nut was over-torqued,
  the stud snapped while servicing the tire or while driving the stud snapped or
  lug nuts came off. We would gladly “own” the mistake and also own the repair.
  But in this case, we cannot be held liable for a stud that snapped during the
  removal process. Especially when the proper tools were used to do the job.
  Proper tool, proper socket, and proper procedure. We hope this clarifies any
  concerns or doubts in our honesty, integrity, respect and professionalism
  (which we stand for).
  
  
  Best Regards,
  
  PATRICK *****
  Manager
  ******* **** ******
  * *** ****** *****
  ********** **
  *** ***
  
  ***************
  *** **********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2023

   
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  You are not taking ownership for damaging my vehicle and then charging me for the repair. **** **** ******* **** **** ***** ****** **** ******* ******* **** ******* **** ****** *** **** **** **** ********* ** ** ******* ***** ******* ***** **** **** ******* ** *** 
  
  The tire that you were removing to replace the valve stem on was a brand-new tire that was installed by a professional tire business, and now you're using the excuse that the stud could have been improperly installed, the lug nut over-tightened, or under-tightened. *** *** **** *** *** ********** ********* ** **** ****** *** * ****** ***** **** *** ** *** **** ******* *** ********* **** ******* ********* ** *** ******* **** ********* ** ***** ***** ************ ** ************* * *** **** *** **** ** ***** ******* *** ********** ******* *** **** **** *** ** ****** ** ****** *** ** ** ***** **** *** ******* 
  
  *** ***** *** **** ** * ********* *** ***** **** **** ** **** **** *** ********* *** ** *** ******* *** **** **** ** *** *** ***** **** ****** *** ******* ************* ** *** ********* ********* ** **** *** *** *******

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Quinn *********

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2023

  Given that the complainant does not have a history of servicing the vehicle with us, his first time at Arvalet, and we have no idea what condition this vehicle was in previously with any repairs (tires removed, potential cross threaded studs, seized lug nuts due to neglecting vehicle maintenance) There is no reason why we should be liable because a stud snapped during removal. This could have happened to any shop it was brought to. If we had a history of repairs and maintenance as a returning customer, we would absolutely own this repair. 

  The complainant said this happened to him at ******** **** previously and ******** **** did the repair free of charge. They did so because it was a choice to make the customer happy, not due to any fault of their own. I've contacted the service managers of ******** ****** and they all agree it is not a fault of the garage when a stud breaks during removal. It's not policy to replace those parts free of charge, its a choice in business.  We at Arvalet explained this clearly to this customer that it's not his fault, or our fault, and when a stud seizes in the nut, a stud can break during removal.  As this repair for the stud replacement and nut would be 1 hour labor @ $***, cost of the parts (stud and nut) $** plus tax, adding in the tire repair of $** would be over $**** The customer was billed $***** with taxes which is over 50% discount of what the bill would be. Plus we did not charge him for the tire repair!  We are happy with this decision and if the customer truly had an issue with paying, it would have been address at the moment of being billed. The customer verbally agreed to this amount with the service manager at the front counter. It now sounds like the customer is going back on the verbal agreement made at the time of billing. We will stand with our decision, the discount already given along with details on why and the verbal agreement at time of billing.