We are no longer customers of Saturn of Greenville. Unfortunately, I don't think they care either.
Let me explain.
Those of you who know me know that I can't stand being ripped off. It makes my blood boil. Wanna know what I can't stand even more? When the person admits to ripping me off. That really gets me going. So, Jeni's Saturn had a problem and I had it towed in. I've said I was never going back there before, but decided to this time anyway because the issue was similar to my last 3 repairs and I was hoping they might warranty the work since they've been trying to fix this issue unsuccessfully for the last 2 years. Not so much. Not only did they not give me any discount on the work or the part, when I challenged the fact that they were way overcharging for the part, the service manager said, yes they were. He said that they just keep raising the prices and that I could have gotten one for half the price with a lifetime warranty. Instead, they were charging me double and it only had a 12 month warranty. Like it matters, they will just lie about what's wrong next time too so they don't have to give me the warranty. Wouldn't be the first or the second time that I've caught them in that lie. Anyway, so I made the comment that I should go somewhere else next time and the service manager said 'Yes'. I was somewhat comforted by the fact that I didn't have a choice to have it repaired there as it was already there and wouldn't start, until Jeni was looking over the bill. The bill indicated that the car would start fine when they looked at it. That really made me mad then because had I been told that in the morning, I'd have never had it repaired there.
But wait, there's more. Lots more. I should add here, that during the initial diagnosis call, he also mentioned that it was low on oil and that the timing chain was rattling. I told him not to worry about the timing chain for now because I have several thousand more miles before the recommended change of it and knew he was just trying to drum up business. They always try this. I've driven the car quite a bit over the last week and knew the timing belt wasn't rattling audibly. However, on the drive back from Saturn of Greenville, it was. That's right, they made it rattle. I wasn't sure the car was going to make it the 5 miles back to work it sounded so bad. So I called them, they said that they forgot to put oil in it and that's why the timing chain sounded so bad. What!?! Those systems aren't even connected!! They tell me stuff like this because they treat all their customers like complete idiots.
So I took it back down there so they could put 2 quarts of oil in it.
So, while the hood was up and someone was putting oil in it, I asked the service guy there if they reimbursed customers for repair costs to fix their mistakes. Only seems fair to me, I have to take it to a mechanic to fix what they broke, they should help pay for that cost. I took it in for a bad starter, and now my timing chain is rattling and I'm leaking oil. So, anyway, at that point, he started beginning his sentences with "Sir". But not just the word Sir, he also said it in that tone. Guys know what I'm talking about. That condescending tone that implies you are being irrational and have no clue what's going on. The tone that had this been a movie and not real life would have gotten him punched in the face. Because honestly, it almost got him punched in the face in real life. He accused me of "always" blaming them for my car's problems and accusing them of making mistakes. It's not every time, it's twice, and its because both times the car left in worst condition than it arrived. Never the goal. NEVER. Argument ensued. I told him I'd never be back and he said "Good". So we are done. No more Saturn of Greenville for us. That was the straw that broke the camel's back that should have been broken two visits ago. You can't say I didn't give them a chance.
After driving it some more, the timing chain is not rattling as much, but its still WAY louder than it was before I took it in and I'm having to take it to a mechanic tonight. Never good when you get your car back from the shop and have to take it in to a different mechanic because something else is obviously wrong with it. Thanks for nothing Saturn. And if you live around here, AVOID Saturn of Greenville like the plague. I hope this post finds its way to Google and saves someone some hardship along the way.
For more Anti-Saturn reading: (at least I'm not alone)
Saturn Service Complaints
http://dontbuysaturn.blogspot.com
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Saturn of Greenville - her take
Although I was lucky enough to have Phil deal w/ all of the issues & UTTER & COMPLETE LACK of customer service there are a few things I want to expand on
(back story: my car died in Bi-lo's parking lot on Sunday & AAA had to tow it to Saturn. Our friend Casey took me to Bi-lo to get Phil's car keys & then to work where Phil's car was so that I could drive back to Saturn to pick him up - Thanks Casey!) Monday morning Saturn calls & tells us that the starter is bad & just for example sake let's say they said it was going to be 200 (they didn't it was more). So phil gave them the green flag to fix it. When they called they also said that the timing belt was bad ($700 to replace) and that the oil filter need a solution (bought at your local auto store for about $10) that would cost $150. Phil said no to both of those. When he went to Saturn to get the car w/ it's newly installed over-priced starter they informed him that it was actually going to more than they quoted on the phone (they can apparently legally do this as long as it's not 10% more than the original quote). A discussion w/ the manager that happened to be standing there lead to him admitting that they overcharge for their parts. On drive back to work it seemed that the timing belt was now making noise & it hadn't last time we drove it on Sunday. P got back to work & called Saturn only to be told that they may not have filled up the oil like they told him they were going to & that the reason it was making that noise was because of the belt not working, or it was because the car was low on oil, or the belt, or the oil (you get the idea). they offered to fill up the oil if he brought the car back. While they were filling the oil, the mechanic was sure to tell P that you just can't run a car this low on oil, it's not good for the car - umm yeah that's why we told you to fill up the oil- Since you can't, apparently, run your car w/ a bad belt either we will be taking it in this weekend (NOT TO SATURN) to get looked at. Donations can be made to either Phil or myself towards the purchase of a new belt - or maybe a new car since the Saturn isn't worth much more than 2K at this point. oh & one more thing. I was looking over the invoice after all of this had happened & they noted on there that the Saturn started fine for them Monday a.m. had we known that we would have driven it elsewhere.
UPDATED : phil & i cross-posted on this at the same time so there will be repeats in my post vs. his
(back story: my car died in Bi-lo's parking lot on Sunday & AAA had to tow it to Saturn. Our friend Casey took me to Bi-lo to get Phil's car keys & then to work where Phil's car was so that I could drive back to Saturn to pick him up - Thanks Casey!) Monday morning Saturn calls & tells us that the starter is bad & just for example sake let's say they said it was going to be 200 (they didn't it was more). So phil gave them the green flag to fix it. When they called they also said that the timing belt was bad ($700 to replace) and that the oil filter need a solution (bought at your local auto store for about $10) that would cost $150. Phil said no to both of those. When he went to Saturn to get the car w/ it's newly installed over-priced starter they informed him that it was actually going to more than they quoted on the phone (they can apparently legally do this as long as it's not 10% more than the original quote). A discussion w/ the manager that happened to be standing there lead to him admitting that they overcharge for their parts. On drive back to work it seemed that the timing belt was now making noise & it hadn't last time we drove it on Sunday. P got back to work & called Saturn only to be told that they may not have filled up the oil like they told him they were going to & that the reason it was making that noise was because of the belt not working, or it was because the car was low on oil, or the belt, or the oil (you get the idea). they offered to fill up the oil if he brought the car back. While they were filling the oil, the mechanic was sure to tell P that you just can't run a car this low on oil, it's not good for the car - umm yeah that's why we told you to fill up the oil- Since you can't, apparently, run your car w/ a bad belt either we will be taking it in this weekend (NOT TO SATURN) to get looked at. Donations can be made to either Phil or myself towards the purchase of a new belt - or maybe a new car since the Saturn isn't worth much more than 2K at this point. oh & one more thing. I was looking over the invoice after all of this had happened & they noted on there that the Saturn started fine for them Monday a.m. had we known that we would have driven it elsewhere.
UPDATED : phil & i cross-posted on this at the same time so there will be repeats in my post vs. his
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Random Tuesday Thoughts
-I need to stop drinking my hot chocolate so quickly in the morning. I end up warmed up for a minute with a burnt tongue that lasts all day
- We will NEVER go back to Saturn of Greenville again. (more on that later)
-I like jolly ranchers - only the watermelon flavor. I like how the wrapper slides right off.
-LOST is starting to get on my nerves. I can't follow the story line anymore. I don't anticipate
the next week's show like I used to.
-SO glad that bright, warm Spring days are here
-I really need to start working out again
-I thought I had more random stuff that would make this post interesting to the 2.5 people that read here
- We will NEVER go back to Saturn of Greenville again. (more on that later)
-I like jolly ranchers - only the watermelon flavor. I like how the wrapper slides right off.
-LOST is starting to get on my nerves. I can't follow the story line anymore. I don't anticipate
the next week's show like I used to.
-SO glad that bright, warm Spring days are here
-I really need to start working out again
-I thought I had more random stuff that would make this post interesting to the 2.5 people that read here
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Curly Brackets
Real quick FYI, one of the software packages we use at work is from across the pond. I called today and got a guy with a real thick British accent. Have you ever heard someone from England say the phrase "Curly Brackets" several times in few sentences. I almost laughed out loud on the phone. Hilarious.
Monday, April 21, 2008
City Review: Nashville
I recently spent 5 days in Nashville for work. Apparantly, they are marketing it now as Nash-Vegas. What happens in Nashville, stays in Nashville. My manager didn't agree though, and still wanted a full report of everything I worked on and how it went.
Previous visits: I'd been through there before about 15 years ago (back was Opryland was a theme park and not a mall) and I've been through there and shopped at Opryland Mills twice before when staying near Nashville and spent one night there for work before. (although with my job, that means I got there, worked until the wee hours of the night, slept 4-5 hours, drove back).
Downtown and Dining: I was very impressed by my downtown dining options every night of the week. With few exceptions, most downtown areas in a city that size or larger are ghost towns by 7 pm. At the end of a 4 block walk in most large cities, you'll be forced to give 32 people money, forced to purchase drugs, be mugged 3 times, pick pocketed, punched in the face, threatened within inches of your life, and have all your drugs taken from you at gunpoint. And that's just 4 blocks. And no stores or restaraunts would have been open. Nashville was quite the opposite. There were several blocks worth that were hopping every night of the week. Most restaraunts were of a bar and grill type format, several with musicians performing every night. And it was crowded. Downtown is the place to be it seemed like. I never had to wait long for a table, but at the same time felt safety in numbers.
That said, I really enjoyed Demo's Steak and Spaghetti House. Rotiers was a hole in the wall near Vanderbilt that was excellent (try the cheeseburger and fried zucchini). Also, Big River Grille and Brewing Works was so good, I went two nights. The homemade root beer was great, so was the Chicken Fried Chicken. All in all, I was impressed that they were able to keep the downtown area clean and safe.
Music: Like I said before, if you like live music, Nashville is the place to be. Walking down 2nd Ave and Broadway on Saturday and Sunday night looking for a place to eat, I'd say every other establishment had someone performing. Also, I saw two music videos being shot and one band playing on the sidewalk outside the smallest record store I've ever seen.
Navigation: One of the important aspects of any city to me is how well I can get around. Nashville was laid out pretty well and lots of one-way streets helped keep traffic flowing. Aside from parking being a bit of a problem, I'd say getting around in, as well as in and out of the downtown area was pretty good.
Overall, Nashville was a nice city. I could see going back there, but I'm not sure that there would be much to do if you didn't like live music (especially country music) or eating. Those seemed to be the two main attractions.
Previous visits: I'd been through there before about 15 years ago (back was Opryland was a theme park and not a mall) and I've been through there and shopped at Opryland Mills twice before when staying near Nashville and spent one night there for work before. (although with my job, that means I got there, worked until the wee hours of the night, slept 4-5 hours, drove back).
Downtown and Dining: I was very impressed by my downtown dining options every night of the week. With few exceptions, most downtown areas in a city that size or larger are ghost towns by 7 pm. At the end of a 4 block walk in most large cities, you'll be forced to give 32 people money, forced to purchase drugs, be mugged 3 times, pick pocketed, punched in the face, threatened within inches of your life, and have all your drugs taken from you at gunpoint. And that's just 4 blocks. And no stores or restaraunts would have been open. Nashville was quite the opposite. There were several blocks worth that were hopping every night of the week. Most restaraunts were of a bar and grill type format, several with musicians performing every night. And it was crowded. Downtown is the place to be it seemed like. I never had to wait long for a table, but at the same time felt safety in numbers.
That said, I really enjoyed Demo's Steak and Spaghetti House. Rotiers was a hole in the wall near Vanderbilt that was excellent (try the cheeseburger and fried zucchini). Also, Big River Grille and Brewing Works was so good, I went two nights. The homemade root beer was great, so was the Chicken Fried Chicken. All in all, I was impressed that they were able to keep the downtown area clean and safe.
Music: Like I said before, if you like live music, Nashville is the place to be. Walking down 2nd Ave and Broadway on Saturday and Sunday night looking for a place to eat, I'd say every other establishment had someone performing. Also, I saw two music videos being shot and one band playing on the sidewalk outside the smallest record store I've ever seen.
Navigation: One of the important aspects of any city to me is how well I can get around. Nashville was laid out pretty well and lots of one-way streets helped keep traffic flowing. Aside from parking being a bit of a problem, I'd say getting around in, as well as in and out of the downtown area was pretty good.
Overall, Nashville was a nice city. I could see going back there, but I'm not sure that there would be much to do if you didn't like live music (especially country music) or eating. Those seemed to be the two main attractions.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I'm old
Yesterday, I got invited to my 10 year high school reunion. That one stung a little, I knew it was coming up, but the reality sunk in yesterday. 10 years? Has it really been that long since I packed up the "Yellow Dream" and headed off to college? Where has the time gone? I guess I spent half that time in college and the other half working my tail off and wooing the girl of my dreams. I think I still have some work to do, I'm supposed to be halfway to a million by now, according to the plan.
Oh well, its been a fun ride. Thinking back to who I was then, I'm certainly glad that I've changed a lot since those days. Now if I can just find my cane so I can get back to making the benjamins.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Maybe i'm not saying it right
I went out to dinner last night w/my friend Jaygirl Jones on Woodruff Road. After dinner I headed over to a store we'll call "Bircuit Bity" to get a gift card for another friend's birthday. While I was in line I noticed that among the normal looking cards there was one that was a small CD that you could load on your computer & get free tunes. I was looking on the card to see if there was a fee for this & couldn't find it. I hand the card to the check-out girl.
Me - Is there a fee for this since you can download music?
-she looks over the card front & back & then up @ me-
CO Girl - Now what was your question again?
Me - Is there a fee for the card since you can download music?
CO Girl (still looking confused): I'll have to go ask
-She walks away to go & talk to someone. I don't see the interaction but she seems to have a smirk replacing the confused look earlier-
CO Girl - It's a gift card, ma'm, you put money on it to spend in the store
Me - Yes I know that, just put the $ on there
Somehow I walked out feeling like I was the moron in that scenario.
Me - Is there a fee for this since you can download music?
-she looks over the card front & back & then up @ me-
CO Girl - Now what was your question again?
Me - Is there a fee for the card since you can download music?
CO Girl (still looking confused): I'll have to go ask
-She walks away to go & talk to someone. I don't see the interaction but she seems to have a smirk replacing the confused look earlier-
CO Girl - It's a gift card, ma'm, you put money on it to spend in the store
Me - Yes I know that, just put the $ on there
Somehow I walked out feeling like I was the moron in that scenario.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Irregardless and Whelmed
One of my coworkers new favorite word is 'irregardless'. It's driving me crazy? Why? Because its not a real word. How is something irregardless of another. By being in regard to it. It's a double negative. The ir- prefix means not, so the meaning would be 'not regardless.' But that's not how it's being used in context. If statement A that was just uttered has nothing to do with upcoming statement B, the correct word to use is regardless. Otherwise, you would say, 'with regard to' or similar.
What drives me even more crazy is that after sitting in a meeting where the made up word was used like 6-8 times in 90 minutes, I ended up using it later in the day. Twice!!
In other wordplay, lately I've been finding myself overwhelmed. Which makes me wonder, in times when I'm not overwhelmed, am I just whelmed? On vacation, am I underwhelmed? The guy down the hall, he seems pretty underwhelmed by his workload. Oh, to be whelmed more often, I look forward to the day.
What drives me even more crazy is that after sitting in a meeting where the made up word was used like 6-8 times in 90 minutes, I ended up using it later in the day. Twice!!
In other wordplay, lately I've been finding myself overwhelmed. Which makes me wonder, in times when I'm not overwhelmed, am I just whelmed? On vacation, am I underwhelmed? The guy down the hall, he seems pretty underwhelmed by his workload. Oh, to be whelmed more often, I look forward to the day.
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