THE TALE OF PRUDENCE AND THE BROKEN CRUISE CONTROL
This is the tale of when my mum took me, Prudence Car, to C-K Tire And Auto to get my air conditioning fixed. NEVER GO THERE! They did scary things to me Cost Mum $500 for them to put in a new hose kit. That is a $500 bill she is disputing. Here's why.
When Mum dropped me off at the place at 8am on Thursday, July 12th, my cruise was working as it has done since I’ve been with Mum. I know this for a fact, as we had just used it through Greenland. We always do, to prevent any accidental increase in speed. We’ve heard stories about people and their cars getting caught speeding through there, and I don't wish to be one of them.
Anyway, C-K called my mum at a little before 5pm—they close at 5.30—to say I was ready.
So why the hell did I get dropped off at 8am in the morning? Bit too silly-o-clock for me.
Twenty minutes later, she arrived to pick me up and pay the bill. When we left, she went to use my cruise through Greenland, as usual, but it didn't work anymore. So we turned right around and high-tailed it back to C-K. I was not gone 5 minutes, and Mum told me the look on the guy's face when she re-appeared was priceless, as if to say, "Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you back here... so soon."
Anyone would have though he didn’t expect us to use the cruise until it was too late to go back there that day and then he could say it was something Mum did.
Mum asked if maybe someone unplugged something and perhaps forgot to plug back in. He denied this emphatically, and rather rudely in my opinion, saying ‘he’—first lie, HE did not work on me—only worked at the front under my hood, and proceeded to check the engine light thingies on my dash.
"I find nothing wrong," he said.
Liar!
"Well. All I know is that the cruise was working when I dropped her off, and now it is not working.” Mum sounded a little cross. “Between me dropping off the key and then picking up the key, something has happened to it."
"We can do a diagnostic," he said, "but I would have to have it for a whole day. IF it was something WE did, you won't be charged."
IF? Really, dude? I could have told Mum she was dead right about you unplugging something. You lying sack of doo-doo…
Mum told Dad what they had said, and he went in to see them first thing on Monday. They took me, but didn’t drop me off there… PHEW. I'm not sure exactly what was said—Mum and I waited outside, as we were both sick and tired of dealing with these people by then, and I was scared—but Dad said he ‘ripped that manager a new one’. In front of the owner.
So, none of us wishing to have any further dealings with the dishonest and rude C-K Tire And Auto shop, off we went again, trying to find a mechanic that knew something more than the basics about my cruise control.
Mum considered the Greased Pig since they have done work on me before, and they’ve never done me wrong yet. I wished she had taken me there first, however, she said that them being mainly known for oil changes, she didn’t suppose they’d be experts in cruise. We went to Auto Zone for possible suggestions.
They had a quick look at me, and then suggested we try Grease Monkey, over there on Crossover. Mum bought a $20 brake light switch from Auto Zone, since that is, apparently, the most common problem with my cruise, and then went to Grease Monkey, who fitted the new switch and checked my fuses. It was neither of those things, and I could have told them that, if I could only speak human. They were honest enough to admit they had no expert on cruise, so suggested we go elsewhere. In their words, “it took '10 seconds', so no charge”. Actually, it was more like 10 minutes, but hey. I know we all appreciated their honesty.
At a loss, out of options, and in the end not wishing to try another 'new place', especially after what happened at C-K, Mum decided to try the Greased Pig after all... and if they didn't know, maybe they'd have some other suggestions. Made an appointment for last Friday.
Yay. My favorites were going to work on me once again. I couldn’t wait.
Fast forward to Friday.
I was left in their capable hands and picked up two hours later.
The desk guy met my mum at the door. "Mrs. White. To save you a trip inside, our mechanic says there is no charge for what he did."
"Oh, that is very nice.” The broad smile on her face was worth all I’d been through to get here. “What did he do?"
"He plugged the cruise back in... someone had unplugged it."
They should have just asked me. I knew what they did to me, the cads.
"I knew it. I knew that *bleep* was lying to me.” Usually, Mum only swore at other cars and drivers who do something wrong or dangerous. This was a new one. “Can I have that in writing, please?"
He handed her a sheet of paper. On it were the exact words he’d just said. Proof enough that C-K had in fact done things with me they shouldn’t have. Whether by accident or design—I suspected the latter, but I can’t talk, so we can’t prove it—they’d indeed neglected to plug something back in.
Further, Desk Guy told Mum, “The cruise switch on your car is not in an obvious place and is notoriously difficult to get to. In fact, things actually have to be moved out of the way in order to switch it on or off. IF they did this work on the A/C, they would have needed to switch off the cruise to get to that."
If... such a small word, but on this occasion, oh so poignant.
Apparently, the A/C hoses did not look so 'new' to the mechanic. All the more reason for disputing that $500 payment. Not only was it was something that could only have happened at C-K—on their watch, and I can tell you it did— there was now more than a little doubt on whether the ‘new hose kit’ had been installed at all.
I had felt them prodding around under there, and felt lighter and then heavier again—as if something was taken out and then put back. But I can’t really say what that something was. It might have been new equipment and air… or maybe just air. I really couldn’t tell.
So now I have a happy mum again. It is never more pleasing for me than to make her smile. She tells me all the time that she loves me. I know it’s true, because she looks after me so well and is always gentle with me… even when she is angry at other road users… which happens a lot.
She didn't get her money back in the end, (something about a shop having the right to charge for a service, even if that service was flawed or more damage was done by them), but has vowed to tell anyone who will listen about the dodgy practices of C-K... especially if you are female!
Sincerely
Prudence Car
