The Pep Boys review: ripoff
I was driving my truck and teenage daughter from Temecula CA to Las Cruces NM for a car dealer friend to restore it for her. I'd replaced, repaired and checked out everything I could before leaving to assure a troublefree trip, but a new thermostat and heater hose problem overheated the engine and I pulled off the road in Yuma at about 7:30pm. The Shell station had a mobile mechanic's card I called on and when AAA showed up for the tow into Yuma, the driver offered that Pep Boys was open 'till 9, so I had him tow me there instead of taking a chance on a ripoff. Arriving in plenty of time at about 8pm to find 10 unoccupied bays out of 11, I asked them to get on it but they wouldn't. The tow truck driver drove us across the street to a Ramada Inn. Pep Boys opened at 8 and I walked over at 8:30 to find they'd done nothing but pulled my truck into a bay. It took them hours to confirm the problem and do 20 minutes' work changing the heater hose and replacing the thermostat. They presented me with a $260 bill that was finaled out at $253.98 and I paid it out of desperation to get going and get the hell out of there. In the end, it was Pep Boys I should have been wary of, not the mobile mechanic who I apologized to. I was an old Pep Boys fan but not anymore. They took advantage of this 71 year old traveler and his teenage daughter. Their marketing claims about being reasonable are lies, and I will never darken their door again. They are but one more story of greed and disregard for the public out there.
Pep Boys has since refunded 50% of the bill in cash and I am satisfied with that. However, that being said, be wary of emergency repairs anywhere. Don't panic and agree to just anything. Talk to locals when you can look for business cards left around like gas stations but better yet, use the internet if you can. Be sure to pack a AAA card in any case.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
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