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les snob tires. Oh boy, I can smell a law suit coming..
I have spent several thousand dollars at my local les snob in the past year or so. I have three cars sitting in my driveway at this moment and all of them have brand new tires and custom rims on them.
When I drive in there, they should be huffing and puffing to help me out, I would think. My experience with them has been quite the opposite. This wasn’t always the case though, this local store was once under different management and it was an excellent place. That manager (I think) has transfered to the Red Bluff store. Good guy, bald man! I don’t remember his name, but he had always remembered mine.
First off, the prices are far too high!
My wife mentioned to me that the brakes on the truck were starting to make a raspy noise the other day. I was thinking “oh no”, I hope the rotors are okay. When you start hearing that raspy sound it’s time to replace the pads, if not then the rotors will go next (that’s more expensive).
She took it in to snob tires and I received a phone call that morning.
I refuse to quote them to protect my own butt, it went something similar to this…
THEM: It’s going to run you around $1500.00 sir.
ME: HUH? For a brake job? 1500?
THEM: You need all new pads, all new rotors, new calipers, and all new ball joints.
ME: WTF? Don’t do anything, put it back together and park it out front. I’ll pick it up.
Well I was already too late, the wife had already approved the brake job on the front. I’m not trying to make my wife sound dumb. She, like most females, has minimal knowledge of working on cars. They had replaced the calipers, the rotors, and the pads.
Total cost for “front” brake job… $420.00
Did the rotors and calipers really need replaced? I seriously doubt it.
The pads needed replaced, the rotors likely needed spun, 15.00 at Napa auto parts. I’m not going to continue ranting.. let me just say this. I believe that they just ‘might’ take advantage of females sometimes.
I did the rear brake job myself last night.
My wifes truck “Ford F150 4×4 5.4 triton V8″ has disk brakes all around, this means that the front brakes and assembly are the same as the rear.
I found that the calipers and the right rear rotor were in fine shape. The pads were obviously in need of replacement, and the left rear rotor was pretty rough. I could have taken it to Napa this morning and had it spun for $15.00, but instead, since I was in a hurry, I decided to just buy a new one from Kragen Auto, so I did! $50.00. I also bought new pads for the rear, $24.00. The job took me 45 minutes.
My total for the rear brake job….. less then $85.00
Les Snob’s total for the front brake job…. $420.00
I’m not claiming to know all there is to know about brake jobs. I’m an ‘Industrial Mechanic’, not an ‘auto Mechanic’.
I’m not a ‘veterinarian’ either.. but I know a horses A$$ when I smell one.
I know, I’m being a crybaby. It just seems to me that they are over pricing parts and worse yet replacing them unnecessarily, thus taking advantage of people.. but maybe not!
I have several other les snob stories that I could mention right about now, but I will refrain from doing so because I want this blog to focus more on the positive things in life and less on the negative.
-John
John,
Scott Stewart was the previous manager of Lester Schwabster.
- David
Less Schwab. More Bob. Shop @ Bob’s Tires.
I couldn’t agree more.
So how does it feel to get screwed in public, and forced to pay for it? Hope Jen learned her lesson.
I’m not giving her the blame for it. I hope that it didn’t come out sounding that way.
John
Pricing for auto shop parts:
under $100 X 2.75
$100 – $200 x 2.25
over $200 X 2
This isn’t the standard for all shops but for the one I worked at…
You guys just need somthing to bitch about so you find the little tiny thing to piss you off any you blow it out proportion les schwab is a good company and they fix what they mess up. i bet you all bitch because of gas prices to, maybe you should start bitching about the cost of food next, and the way cars cost so much
theyre usually trying to squeeze things out of you when you need a “brake job” or something similar its never JUST a break job, i couldnt agree more with you.
Cheers,
Al
well when your brakes go bad in 100 miles on I-5 take it back to napa and tell em your brakes are bad now. And I believe it’s called turning the rotors. I know that and I’m in marketing, I’m also not a penny pincher and had a full brake job done on my truck.
Anthony, your father won’t be proud!
First, I put more trust in my own work performed on my car then work done by someone else. Then again, If I were in marketing, I might not.
Second, It’s called turning, but in the process, the roters are actually spun.
Third, If you chose to pay $420 for a $85 brake job then you are either stupid or you work for Schwab….. Or BOTH!
Les Snob as you put it, is truly nothing but a bunch of rip off’s !!! I have had my Explorer in there three times for flat repair on the same tire, within the same week! So finally last night we paid for a new tire, but guesse what? – Its flat too!!!!! So now my husband and I did not go hunting this morning, because once again Les snob has screwed us over with shoddy workmaship and lousy work ethic! I live the central oregon area and still have this horrible service so I can only imagine what it is like for folks who are , so to speak, out of the corporate line of sight. I know this kind of service is not what Les intended, but unfortunately its what we get. So thanks for NOTHING!!!!!!!
You most likely didn’t need the calipers. Les Schwab’s corporate policy is to always replace brake calipers with a brake job. I work for a leasing company approving repairs to company vehicles, and I deal with different Les Schwab locations on a daily basis. Every vehicle that goes to a Les Schwab for brakes gets calipers, whether they’re needed or not.
The shop will tell you they’re doing a ‘full’ brake job & that the caliper replacement is necessary to prevent a pull when braking after the job – but I’m also an ASE-certified master automotive tech, and know that a properly-trained mechanic can clean and lubricate the caliper pins to prevent the pull – it’s part of a typical brake service at any other shop. Only very rarely do calipers fail and need replacement.