🚀 go-pugleaf

***DISCLAIMER:  MY OWN HUMBLE EXPERIENCE-BASED OPINION ONLY,
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING - ANYTHING - ELSE

betsys@cs.umb.edu, jharring@banner.prime.com, monty%roscom@think.com each wrote something like:
>I've heard ok things about Lexington but AVOID WATERTOWN! THey are
>sleazy!

I got it more than once and for the rest of my driver's life:
do _NOT_ go to a car dealer unless you absolutely _MUST_ go
(warranty implications, etc).

The way dealerships treat us is: they rip us off assuming that
we are coming once only (and in most cases we do), and they 
sometimes may give us a nice little opportunity to come back 
soon for some other reason - in case we are not bright enough to
realize that dealerships are not doing very well on sales now
and this is the way to offset potential (or real) loss of
profit margin.

It is really hard to put dealership on its place even if you are
absolutely right from any position, common sence and legal being 
included.  It would consume so much time to win - the victory would
become the one of Pirrus.

IMHO the best way to treat your car properly - to find a good mechanic,
to be a regular customer and to state that explicitly.  The way I have
found my mechanic was as follows:  I just moved to West Newton in 1989, having
been ripped of by the Ford dealership in Waltham.  I approached the 
manager at the gas station (I had good references about this station)
and told him that I lived couple blocks down the road and intend to be
a regular customer if he does not give me a reason not to.  I heard a 
reply that all cars serviced there are treated equally thoroughly and
- amazing - this turned out to be true.  I had my Tempo serviced there
and was happy.  After I had my transaxle crushed on rocks one day, 
(by that time I had been with them for about y year, and I do drive
a lot, having to have at leas the oil change every month), the manager 
(who supervises _every_ car being fixed) called me at work and said:
The job may be done by 3 pm and cost $400.00 (I also had to change
brakes and some other stuff done), but the muffler will go any day 
and it's gonna cost you too. The car is 5 years and 160K miles old.
Unless you are do not want another car you probably should not invest
in this one. 
**** I was _astounded_ to hear that kind of advice so much - I
followed it.  We have 2 cars serviced an fixed there, including
the new one - I never had a single trouble with them(knock on the
wood).  In fact, now I live in Chestnut Hill, and it is good 20 min
one-way-drive to them - I am not going to go other places.

I have posted their address before, I will do it now.
I am not affiliated with them in any way.  The brand name of the gas
station is Texaco, the service station name is Regan's Service,
they are on Commonwealth Ave in West Newton at the Lexington Street
intersection (there are Mobil and Shell(?) stations also - I do not
know them.  Their phone number is 527-3990, the manager is
John, the owner (always there, BTW) - Steve Reagan

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               <alexm@cipr-server.mgh.harvard.edu>

Alex M. Milshteyn MD     Center For Imaging And Pharmaceutical Research,
617/726-7834 Voice       Massachusetts General Hospital - East
617/726-7830 Fax         149 13th Street
617/724-9507 Direct      Charlestown, MA 02129
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