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From article <1992Nov5.182530.1248@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, by bench@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (daniel.benscher):
> DON'T USE MULLANEY'S TIRE AND SERVICE CENTER IN ABERDEEN, NJ!  
> I recently had my car serviced there and have one minor complaint
> and one major one.
> 
> (1) They left the window open during a rain storm
> 
> (2) They deliberately (I claim) sabotaged my car
>     (i.e., damaged a spark plug) so that I would
>     have to bring the car back for more service.

I don't know anything about Mullaney's, but I've had similar
experiences in other places in various parts of the country.

I think there are basically two kinds of auto repair shops, the good
ones and the crooks.  If they're good, they don't have to be crooks.

Where the mechanics know what they're doing, they do the job right the
first time, make lots of money because they take less time than the
book says, and have to turn away business because so many of their
customers recommend them to their friends and relatives.

Where the mechanics don't know what they're doing, they can't fix the
problems you bring in, so the only way they can make any money is by
fixing problems they create themselves.

I'm sure there are shops in between these extremes, but these are the
basic types.

As for Mullaney's, I don't know anything about them.  The damage could
have been caused by a clumsy apprentice.  Of course, I've seen more
than one good shop ruined because they got more business than they
could handle and took on less skilled mechanics when they expanded.
But I won't say anything about Mullaney's.

							Marty
marty@hoqaa.att.com		hoqaa!marty
Martin B. Brilliant		(Winnertech Corporation)	

In article <1992Nov5.182530.1248@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> bench@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (daniel.benscher) writes:
> DON'T USE MULLANEY'S TIRE AND SERVICE CENTER IN ABERDEEN, NJ!  
> I recently had my car serviced there and have one minor complaint
> and one major one.
> 
>     [description deleted]

On the other hand, I was very pleased with them.  In changing a flat I
managed to snap off one of the bolts.  I was able to get the car to
them on the remaining three bolts, and expected a big charge for
replacing some complicated wheel assembly.  Instead, it was about $25
including fixing the wheel, fixing the flat, and changing the tire.

I suspect the standard deviation may be high.

Evelyn C. Leeper  |  +1 908 957 2070  |  att!mtgzy!ecl or  ecl@mtgzy.att.com
--
"God does not play dice with the universe."  --Alfred Einstein
"Not only does God play dice with the universe, but sometimes
        He throws them where they cannot be seen."  --Stephen Hawking

bench@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (daniel.benscher) writes:

>(2) They deliberately (I claim) sabotaged my car
>    (i.e., damaged a spark plug) so that I would
>    have to bring the car back for more service.
>    (The car was in perfect running order and I had
>    recently checked the spark plug gaps.)

I've had gaps drift on brand-new spark plugs, and I'm sure no one
sabotaged anything because I did the work myself. (Don't buy Champion
plugs!) Ceramic insulators have also been known to fracture without
any human aid. I'd say your claim wouldn't hold water in court, unless
you actually saw their mechanic pull the plug without your permission.

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In article <1992Nov7.023336.2684@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) writes:

> In article <1992Nov5.182530.1248@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> bench@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (daniel.benscher) writes:
> > DON'T USE MULLANEY'S TIRE AND SERVICE CENTER IN ABERDEEN, NJ!  
> > I recently had my car serviced there and have one minor complaint
> > and one major one.
> On the other hand, I was very pleased with them.  In changing a flat I
> managed to snap off one of the bolts.  I was able to get the car to
> them on the remaining three bolts, and expected a big charge for
> replacing some complicated wheel assembly.  Instead, it was about $25
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If they charged you only $25 for the whole thing, this was undoubtedly
something they vaguely described to you as complicated - it was
probably more like they had to replace a valve stem or such.

> including fixing the wheel, fixing the flat, and changing the tire.
> I suspect the standard deviation may be high.
> Evelyn C. Leeper  |  +1 908 957 2070  |  att!mtgzy!ecl or  ecl@mtgzy.att.com

I suspect that for something relatively simple like you describe, they
could hardly rip you off - most folks would certainly balk at having
to pay more than $25 for what you describe - fixing a flat shouldn't
be more than 10 bucks tops, changing the tire another 5 or so,
balancing the tire is another 5 or so, tax, and the remainder to the
*complicated wheel assembly do-hickey*. 

On the other hand, if your car is already there for some mechanical
problem, then they have reason to put your car on a lift or pop the
hood and *find* something else wrong with it etc..... This has
happened to me a few times with various ripoff chains. In my opinion,
there are 2 kinds of auto-service places - sleazy and outright
crooked. It's kinda like this past Presidential election..... the
choice was which of the evils do you want to pick.  



Mark

Clarification: Mullaney's never mentioned a "complicated wheel assembly."
*I* thought this might be involved.  Now maybe they attributed to be
more knowledge about car wheels than I have, but they could just as easily
have claimed it was complicated to see if they could get away with it.

Evelyn C. Leeper  |  +1 908 957 2070  |  att!mtgzy!ecl or  ecl@mtgzy.att.com
--
"God does not play dice with the universe."  --Alfred Einstein
"Not only does God play dice with the universe, but sometimes
        He throws them where they cannot be seen."  --Stephen Hawking

Hum....I've been there twice since moving into
that area of Matawan and was just starting to like them....
I thought they did a good job with reasonable prices.
And they had chances to "take me to the cleaners"
The first time I went was for my NJ State Inspection
(I decided the $$$ to them was better than waiting in line
at the DOT in Eatontown).  They could of said lots of things
were wrong and needed fixing to pass but ....A clean bill of
health.  My car is 4+ years old and probably is a good
candidate for "things needing repair".
The other time I took my car in was for a 60K mile checkup
including replacing the timing belt.  Much cheaper than the dealer
(not like that says alot, the dealer is Schartz and Sons Madza)
and they didn't find anything "wrong" to repair other than
the timing belt.  My bill for the 60K checkup was almost
half of my husband'd (who went to the dealer).

Ofcourse, once you have a bad expeirnce, no one will
change your mind.  I seemed to have lots of problems
with Herbie's in Lincroft when I first moved here 6 yrs ago.
Seems like everyone else liked them.  After a spark plug
problem, which I had another mechanic check out, I went
back there, told them what the other mechanic said, requested
they fix it and after a 10 minute scalding about the other
mechanic's inexperience/inability was told 
never to come there again.  So I didn't.

--C. Mount
hogpa!cjsm