Date:         Wed, 15 Jan 2003 23:26:30 -0600
Reply-To:     Sean Solowiej <sean@ORIGINALIDIOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sean Solowiej <sean@ORIGINALIDIOT.COM>
Subject:      good shop / bad shop website?
In-Reply-To:  <000501c2bcef$b9edcbd0$e0c84b43@hewlett2ih5nie>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

It's seldom this black and white, but has anyone talked about making a
web-page where people can leave feedback on their experiences with specific
mechanics?  It sort of follows our contact list discussion and all these
issues with problematic repair shops.  It should not be too complex to
create a site organized by state (and country), with input lines for:

* name and location of repair shop
* positive / negative experience overall
* specific comments
* date of experience

That said, would anyone (else) volunteer to create this, or consider it a
worthwhile activity?

Sean



on 1/15/03 5:42 PM, Loren A. Busch   at lbusch@IX.NETCOM.COM wrote:

> You can have problems with even the best run and most honest shops.
> After I acquired my '90 Westy a year ago and just before a long trip, I
> took my van to a very trusted (and good personal friend) for the basics
> (tune up, flush and re-fill all fluids, etc) and had his shop put on a
> new set of shocks. The tune-up included new plugs, cap, rotor, air
> filter and general very careful goingover.  They did find a leak in one
> component of the cooling system and replaced it, topped off and bled
> with approved coolant.  Everything else checkd out fine.  Just for
> kicks, I picked up a K&N air filter and a set of the multi-pronged Bosch
> plugs, took them along on the trip, and planned on installing them about
> half way through the trip to see if there was any improvement in gas
> mileage one the return trip.  When I went to install the plugs, I found
> one was only finger tight, had not been tightened by the tech.  In his
> checkout of the engine compartment, he had missed the fact that the
> crankcase breather hose was rotted through and crumbling, even though it
> is right on top of the engine.  In addition, the air filter housing was
> not installed properly, was rattling and not sealed.
> I corrected all these problems (with $1.00 worth of hose from the local
> FLAPS for the crankcase vent) and went on my merry way.  BTW, mileage
> did not change with the K&N or 'special' plugs.  They are still in and
> serving well, but no miracles.  When I got home I stopped by my friends
> shop and politely told him about the slightly sloppy work.  I had
> noticed that the tech that did the work was no loner there even though
> he had been with Karl for several years.  He had been a very reliable
> employee for a long time, but for unknown reasons had grown sloppy over
> a period of about two months (other problems more serious than mine) and
> he had been fired.
> I only tell this rather long tale to point out that even the best shops
> can have occasional problems.  It's how they handle them that counts.