Review of Mike's Car Service, Old Town Maine. Dont Use Them...

[synthetic corners]

I dropped off my 00 Impreza at 8:15am at Mikes Car Service in Old Town, Maine. I told them they could have the car for the day, they were to rr the passenger rear wheel bearing. I asked that since they were pulling the knuckle to do the wheel bearing rr if they could install a new backing plate for my drum brakes, and since they were taking all my existing brake hardware off could they install new hardware that I had in the front of the car. This consisted of new drum, hardware, shoes, wheel cylinders and backing plate. They agreed and I left. Let me tell you I had already had all the bolts free and removed, put anti seize back on, then installed. I couldn't get the CV out of the hub, no air tools on hand. I was getting tired of dealing with it so I decided to go to a shop.

I ran by at 12:15 and the car hadn’t moved from the spot I parked it. At 2:00pm they called and told me the car was ready. The charge was $209.10, mind you the hourly rate is $45 an hour. The car didn’t move from 8:15am to 12:15pm. So it had to have gone in after that and been out by 2pm. That is only 1 hour and 45 minutes of total work time. I highly doubt two guys were working on one wheel bearing…

That means labor is 45 * 1.75 = $78.75. Ok what’s up? When I arrived I noticed they hadn’t installed any of the new hardware except the backing plate, and the drum. No new pads, wheel cylinder, hardware.

Now every mechanic knows that if something is coming off and you have the money to rr it then you may as well do it. My hardware is totally shit, I've seen it. It's rusted and just nasty. The new stuff is sitting less then 5 feet away. I gave them all new stuff but they still put the old stuff back on.

I told them I wasn’t please that now I have to go back in and do my own brake job even though I paid him to do it. I also have to rebleed that side, which I paid him to do.

So the mechanic and I had words and he said to me, “if you don’t like it go somewhere else.” He then turned his back on me and stalked away while I was still standing there.

Moral of the story don’t use Mikes Car Service in Old Town, Maine. They aren’t worth the hassle…

 

[Chris]

I hate to say it, but you probably pissed them off by bringing in your own parts. That's one of the sure fire ways to get on the bad side of a shop really quickly. Did they do a good job with the wheel bearing?

 

[synthetic corners]

Well I haven't had a chance to get underneath the car yet. The bearing isn't humming or anything, so that is good. Besides that how would I tell?

Yeah the whole parts thing is typical BS though. I only go to a mechanic when I can't get something done. That usually means I've alredy got parts for the job.

If they don't like it they can piss up a rope.

Also 209 for a bearing isn't even that bad. Just makes me mad that all they had to do was follow directions and I would have one side of my drums totally new. Instead I have to go back to frig with it. Plus I'll double check everything becuase I'm not stoked on their work. I also have to put on a new CV nut because they didn't replace it, and there isn't any metal left to properly peen it.

 

[Chris]

Well I haven't had a chance to get underneath the car yet. The bearing isn't humming or anything, so that is good. Besides that how would I tell?

Yeah the whole parts thing is typical BS though. I only go to a mechanic when I can't get something done. That usually means I've alredy got parts for the job.

If they don't like it they can piss up a rope.

Sounds like that's exactly what they did. You have to see it from their side. If they use parts you supply, and the brakes stop working in 3 days. How can they guarantee that work? Since the parts didn't come from their supplier, they can't just call up and say defective part, sent another one. They'd have to go talk to rockauto or someone, basically it would be a total waste of their time trying to fix something that broke that you supplied. Now they're stuck in a weird place.

So shops don't like it, especially with brake parts and whatnot. Not wanting to be an ass, but having worked in a shop, I know where they're coming from.

The mechanic is some underpaid dude who doesn't give a damn and is just trying to make ends meet. A shop that charges $45 an hour is paying their mechanics crap. Ask me how I know...

 

[IBratmanI]

If they don't like it they can piss up a rope.

This. Shit happens, if the shop isn't willing to work with you, and do as the paying customer asks, then they aren't worth ever dealing with again. I have dealt with Mike on here, and a few others outside of this forum, and they all are willing to work with people, and have no issues using parts that the customer supplies. That should never be an issue.

 

[Chris]

It's different working with the indy guys like Mike. He works for himself, and his reputation is what keeps him going.

A bigger shop with employees, parts suppliers, etc. Is gonna have different rules.

That's why people like independent mechanics like Mike, Sergei when he was still here, etc. They're cheaper, do better, faster work, and will bend over backwards to make sure it works out for you.

 

[IBratmanI]

Yes, but it sounds like this is a smaller shop as well. If they are any issues with bringing parts, then they will normally state that they can't guarantee a part of the job, depending on the job. With this situation, he only supplied the parts, because he had all the intentions of doing the job himself, but found that he couldn't. This was explained to the shop ahead of time, before the job was completed, and they didn't do as the customer asked. That's not right. If there was an issue, then I'm sure they could have called the customer and explained.

 

[synthetic corners]

Yeah I'm basically upset by the fact that I (customer) asked for a particular thing and it wasn't done. Now if they had charged me the same and done it I would have been tickled about it. Probably would have given them a tip actually.

I don't mind spending money on a service but it's gotta be worth it.

I've used a lot of indy mechanics, I always clear that parts are coming (if they are) ahead of time. Most haven't had an issue with it. I would be totally respectful if they said can't do it.

I don't want to say they are bad people or anything, I just won't be taking my stuff there and I don't think other people should either after how they reacted.

I also don't want to sound like I'm whining, just putting my opinion out there. I also appreciate the replys with different points of view!

 

[C-Rolla]

If you need a place in OT go see Peewee at Jackson's. Best service you'll ever get.

Sent from my SCH-R760 using Tapatalk 2

 

[HR radness]

Something as simple as "sorry but we cant install the parts you brought" when you first brought the car in would have been sufficient. They did agree to do what you asked them right? It doesn't matter that a shop wants you to buy parts off of them. He ASKED them first if they could do it. a lot of businesses in Maine don't know their asshole from their earhole when it comes to customer service.

 

[skipow]

wow that's some BS. sorry to hear they hassled you like that.

why is it so hard to find a reputable shop and mechanic these days that isn't stupid expensive?

where is jacksons in OT?

 

[synthetic corners]

Jacksons is Right on Main St, just down the road from this shop actually.

And I agree with HR Radness, I find most businesses in Maine severely lacking in customer service.

 

[C-Rolla]

And I agree with HR Radness, I find most businesses in Maine severely lacking in customer service.

While I agree with you guys to a certain extent, I will say this about my interactions when working in a local service industry(in Maine);

MOST customers are moron's. Most don't tell you what they actually want, or want you to bend/break laws/policies. In Maine especially, people are generally less fortunate then outside of the state, and as such, are forced to be cheap and manipulative. Coming from the other side of the counter, that shit get's old fast, and your tolerance for customers will diminish quickly.

Personally, I feel like maybe your service was unprofessional and incomplete, but I also feel like you put yourself in that position.

I would NEVER go to a shop to have any service done, with my own parts (unless it was something you couldn't get locally.) I really don't bring my vehicles anywhere, but if I wanted someone to do something for me, I wouldn't go in with my own parts. I'm quite positive, that whoever you were dealing with there, immediately stereotyped you as a cheap prick(See first paragraph), and stopped caring about the level of service, and attention to detail you received. Christ, he probably wanted to discourage you from ever going there again.

On a lighter note; You may want to delete this post, as Mike's is owned by the Greek Mafia, which has ties with the local law enforcement community (See Kosta's, Angelo's Etc...) You may find yourself swimmin' with da fishes if you know what I mean!

 

[Chris]

On a lighter note; You may want to delete this post, as Mike's is owned by the Greek Mafia, which has ties with the local law enforcement community (See Kosta's, Angelo's Etc...) You may find yourself swimmin' with da fishes if you know what I mean!

Seriously? Wow.

Also, I'm glad someone agrees with my point of view on this of a customer bringing their own parts in for service. You have to work on the service end of the counter being paid in peanuts to understand how much that one sucks.

 

[synthetic corners]

Yeah well he accomplished one goal, I won't ever go there again.

I appreciate your opinions about the parts but if what you're both saying is true then it's just total bullshit.

If you work at a ski shop and someone brings in skis they didn't buy there you don't say, "no man I can't mount those like you want them". You mount the damned skis and you're happy that the customer is paying you to do it instead of some guy down the road.

If a mechanic doesn't like that there are plenty of them out there. If they don't like what they are being paid they should up their $ / hour. Since they are overcharging anyway they might as well. If they charged $90 an hour like the dealership and actually charged me for the 2 hours they worked on the car it would have been the same price. Instead they say they charge $45 and tell you they worked on tour car for 4 + hours when really they worked on it for 2.

I would also have been understanding if they said $60/hour with customer supplied parts. If they had done that up front no problem. Instead they just overcharged me and still didn't do what I asked. So F them, and honestly if you think that is ok you're wrong.

Also if I had let them put their parts on I would have ended up with shitty Advanced Auto wheel bearings. I looked into it, they don't even supply the correct seals for the rear. So I wanted the right stuff put on, def should not be a deal breaker.

Not saying I know everything about mechanics but I've run retail sales floors for over a decade and I wouldn't treat customers like this.

 

[C-Rolla]

I picked up a little tone in your post sir, and felt compelled to reply again. First of all, retail and the auto service industry are like comparing apples and dog shit.

Also, the amount of time they ACTUALLY spent working on your vehicle is completely irrelevant. The job books for 4 hours, you get billed for four hours. If you have an idiot mechanic who can't make straight time, then you don't pay for the 6 hours he took. You pay for 4.

And honestly, those mechanics could care less who makes the part they are throwing in your car. It's whichever is cheapest and/or has the best warranty that fit's the bill. (Or has the best margin.)

I'm not defending them by any means, and maybe they were unprofessional, but slandering them on the internet won't get your car in any better shape.

I generally prefer the old way of thought, that if you want it done right....

 

[synthetic corners]

I was reviewing a shop. I don't feel like I was slandering anyone.

Nothing I said was untrue.

Either way I've done what I wanted to do, which is let people know my story. I'm all set from here.

 

[Chris]

Yea, you gave factual experience. I see nothing wrong there.