One of those weeks. Looks like I pulled some caca outta my bag this time. One thing that makes me sad. Another thing that pizzes me off.
First the sad thing. My 14 year old dog is sick. That wasn’t supposed to happen. She’s always been a bundle of energy, nerve, and stubbornness. Now she’s just lethargic, not eating or drinking. We’ve been to the vet twice. Geeezz, vets cost almost as much as people doctors. I hate that she won’t eat or drink. 
Today, the vet gave her fluids under her skin. It made her heavier. It also seemed to make her more alert. At least now she looks up when I get up. She hadn’t done that in a week. Ok…enough about her, because talking about it makes me sadder.
Instead, let me get on to the thing that pizzed me off. That’s where I’ll plant my angst. CAR REPAIRS! Grrrr! I am so, so, uh…pissed off…ok there, I said it (I know, I know..tame huh?). The check engine light had been staring at me. My car didn’t pass emissions inspection. The report said I needed an EGR valve. Yesterday, I went to a national chain to get the work done.
I offered up my report. The manager refused it, saying it wasn’t needed. Ok. What do I know? Then he proceeded to tell me they’d have to do a diagnostic and I needed to pay $59 for it. Ok. I paid. Then they checked out my car, came back with an estimate, which almost blew me out the window and into traffic. But I signed the dotted line. Four hours later — I entertained myself with other ‘guests’ sitting in the lobby waiting for their overpriced repairs to be done — my car was ready. The check engine light was out. Manager told me to be sure to drive it about 40 miles for everything to reset. Ok. I also got my breaks done. My bill came to $517.
So today I drove it. The check engine light came back on. I called the shop and they said come back, no charge. I took it back, offered up the report again, was turned down again. I set in the lobby another THREE hours. The manager came out and set next to me. I knew that wasn’t a good sign. He needed an additional $271 to replace a part. Guess which one – the EGR valve. Now see, the day before, when I paid that $517, over $200 was for ‘cleaning’ the EGR valve. Now see, if he had bothered to read the report the emission testing station had given me, he would have had a clue that the darn valve needed replacing. But nooo…instead he hooked up his obviously ineffective diagnostic equipment and FAILED to find what the $10 emission’s test did. And now he wants me to pay another $271? I don’t think so – at least not to his shop. That’s money I could spend on my pooch.
So being the passive aggression type that I am, I came home, took out my laptop, and starting writing. I wrote to the company headquarters and I wrote to the BBB. I can be a persistent, faucet-dripping nag when I need to be. Those are just the first two places I wrote. I’m trying to follow their instructions, so if I get no satisfaction, I will write to the Consumer Protection agency for my state. Then I will talk about this problem and mention names in the forums I belong to.
I mean, really, how you gonna charge me extra for something you should have done in the first place?
And my buddy still won’t eat or drink.
Not a good day.
