Pep Boys Gave My Car Away

So I am writing this post so I can get my feelings out via my blog instead of exploding!!!!!!

My cars check engine light came on a few weeks ago in California. The car started idling rough so I knew I needed to get it looked at some time soon, but nothing where I couldn't drive it for another week or two until I had time to take it in. I forgot my registration was due by the end of June, so realizing that today was the last day of June, I took my car to the local Pep Boys which is about 1/2 a mile or more away. The gentleman who greeted me was very friendly and eager to help. They did a few repairs and called me around 2 pm to let me know the car was finished.

I waited for Chris to get home from some meetings tonight and then we loaded up the three girls in two strollers and headed off to walk to get the car.

AND THEN....................................................

As we pulled up, we saw the van still in the bay, but Chris was furious that they put a sticker on the back of our car. He couldn't figure out why they did that. We both looked at the van like something wasn't quite right.

There was a new service manager behind the desk that greeted me and he was definitely not as friendly as the first guy. I reviewed the ticket with him and there was an additional charge or two on there that shouldn't have been. He took them off for me and walked me and my ticket up to the other front desk so I could pay. As I looked at the board that had all the customers keys on it, I never saw mine. This should have been my first clue. I payed for the car and then the employee handed me a key that wasn't mine.

I went back to the service manager and told him that I still didn't have my keys, but that it could be because my car was still in the bay. He asked one of his employees to move the car out of the bay for us. As he pulled it around, I took a look at the van and told the guy it wasn't ours. It was a Mazda MPV van, and it was gold just like ours, but it was in horrible shape and a few years older. I looked around the parking lot and our van was NOWHERE TO BE SEEN!!!! Yep, they had given our nice van to the customer that owns the crappy one! I immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach. Someone would know right away that the car wasn't theirs. I just figured whoever had taken it, had taken ours for good and left us with this run down one.

I went back inside with the service manager (this is all happening while my girls who are up way past their bedtime are screaming and wanting to get out of the strollers)and he calls the lady who owns the van. Her father and mother had picked it up for her and they had never been in her van so they didn't realize it wasn't hers. That made me feel much better, but still furious about this happening. I hear the service manager apologize numerous times to the gentleman customer on the phone and he tells the man that he will work with him to make this up to him.

I tell the service manager I am going to walk back home with my husband and girls and will come back for the van. He said he would call me once the customer had arrived (this is around 8:30 pm and they close at 9 pm). I walk back home and turn directly around and walk back to Pep Boys because I want to be there to inspect my van immediately when it arrives to make sure nothing was taken or scratched, etc. I made it back just in time as the customer pulled up. It was a nice middle aged man and woman who seemed very nice. It made me feel much better about who had my car half the day after meeting them.

BUT THEN THIS IS WHERE I EXPLODED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I walk back inside (by now it is 9:15 pm) and look at the service manager waiting for an apology from him, since I expected something would come out of his mouth. NOPE. HE JUST LOOKED AT ME WAITING FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING! This is our conversation....

Me: Aren't you going to compensate me for what happened today?
Him: What are you wanting to be compensated for? I only inconvenienced you 15 or 20 minutes.

(This is when I got livid)

Me: What do you mean you only inconvenienced me 15 or 20 minutes? What about the fact that you gave MY CAR to an absolute stranger who has been driving it for half the day, putting mileage on it, using my gas, and could have crashed it, taken stuff out of it, etc.

Him: It is what it is Ma'am. (Yep, those are his exact words)

Me: IT IS WHAT IT IS?!?!? I can't believe you aren't going to help compensate me for what occurred today.

Him: I don't know what you want me to do. You tell me what you want and I'll try to see what I can do for you. You have your car back and you got it back within an hours time.

Me: I know what I want you to do. I want you to act like this is a big deal because it is. You are acting like this happens every day and that I'm overreacting. I want my bill compensated and the name of your manager.

Him: I am the service manager here, and I have to have the district manager approve any refunds.

Me: Well, then I want your district managers name and phone number.

Him: I won't give it to you. I am the manager here and I will work with you tomorrow after I talk with him. There is nothing more I can do for you tonight.

Me: So what happens when I walk out of here tonight and you call tomorrow and tell me that there is nothing you can do. What am I to do then?

Him: Ma'am, all registers are closed and there is nothing I can do. I will call you tomorrow.

I left outraged. I went straight home and got the corporate office customer relations department and left them a voice-mail as well.

I thought Pep Boys did such a great job fixing my car. I am just FURIOUS at the fact that this gentleman who is supposed to be the head manager of the service department acted the entire time as though I was the one at fault. The fact that he had the nerve to say the things he said and not apologize one bit to me. He apologized like crazy to the man who took my car, but not one apology to me.

UGH!!! I'll wait and see what happens tomorrow after I hopefully receive a phone call from the worst service manager I've ever met.