From experience, let me tell you this: humanity is the same everywhere concerning poor client service, and most of all, there are very few people that love what they do and so they do it right.

In Costa Rica there are a lot of empiric, working for the money, unexperienced, unknowledgeable and intelligence insulting mechanics.

But there are also very few intelligent, experienced, caring mechanics that take a a lot of time thinking and researching through a problem before laying a hand over your vehicle.

As in everywhere, you should take your time to go through the work of the mechanics you don't know (even staying with them during the process) until you find someone you trust and even one you can become a friend with.

After three years of searching, I was lucky enough to find a mechanic I can even leave my Vanagon when he is not in, and then later on I will tell him what the problem is by phone.

It is worth it.

-----Original Message-----
From: andrewbell [mailto:andrewbell@QWEST.NET]
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 9:26 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Sears disaster- LONG

My GOD! Where the hell are we? Does this happen in other countries? I'm dying to know...
AB
'84 Van GL
'71 Bug
'99 Jetta GLX
'69 Mustang
JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
reminds me of when i took my ex- '86 vanagon (Some of you may remember this
story - "oil change monkeys") to sears to the Jiffy Lube for a tranny fluid
change.
they drove the van up on the platform lift, raised it up, and proceeded to
tell me "we cant change the ATF, that's a dealer only job" so the kid lowers
the van down. i notice that the back of the van is lowering with the rest of
the platform lift, but the left front of the van is still up in the
air...matter of fact the left front tire is off the platform...
go around to the drivers side, and see that the entire front of my van is
being held up by the drivers door!!!   the idiot lowered my van with the
driver's door open, and it got caught on the steel railing...   and all the
front weight of the van is resting on the drivers door/hinges...     so he
raises the lift back up, and goes to shut the door...
wont shut. duh..     the hinges are bent..and the bottom of the door where
it got caught on the railing is bent..   so i had to fill out this official
Jiffy Lube damage report.. the manager says "i can do bodywork" and proceeds
to take the drivers door off and bang the hinges straight with a hammer, and
offers me a free jiffy Lube oil change coupon if i dont file a claim....
chris