Alberta Honda - Service Centre

I HAVE GONE THERE AND DONE BUSINESS WITH THEM FOR OVER A DECADE. TOOK MY VEHICLE TO GET MY TIRES SWAPPED TO WINTER. I NOTICED THAT ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WERE NO LONGER WORKING THERE. DECADE. TOOK MY VEHICLE TO GET MY TIRES SWAPPED TO WINTER. I NOTICED THAT ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WERE NO LONGER WORKING THERE. THEN I NOTICED THE SALES PEOPLE WERE ALMOST ALL NEW. THEY BROUGHT IN ALL NEW PEOPLE. IT SEEMED SUSPICIOUS. WHILE WAITING FOR MY VEHICLE, I WATCHED A SALESMAN LITERALLY SCREW OVER A CUSTOMER WHO HAD JUST BOUGHT A NEW VEHICLE. AFTER WAITING OVER 2 HOURS (A LONG TIME TO CHANGE TIRES SINCE I HAD AN APPOINTMENT) THE SERVICE GUY COMES OVER AND SAYS THAT THEY INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS SO BAD THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THEY ALSO SAID THE SUSPENSION BUSHINGS, THE BELTS AND OTHER ITEMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND AN ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED. THE BILL FOR PARTS AND LABOUR WOULD BE ALMOST $2500! WHAT THIS DUMB-xxx DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT I HAD JUST RECENTLY SWAPPED OUT THE DRIVE-TRAIN WITH A NEW ONE WITH ALL NEW BELTS SO I WAS ON TO HIM. I DECLINED THE SERVICE, HE GOES AWAY AND COMES BACK IN A FEW MINUTES AND SAYS THAT A SECOND MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE BALL-JOINTS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE IN EVEN WORSE CONDITION THAN THE FIRST MECHANIC AND REALLY PUSHED FOR ME TO GET IT DONE ON THE SPOT. THE BILL FOR JUST ONE BALL-JOINT AND NECESSARY ALIGNMENT AFTER WOULD BE ONLY $600. I DECLINED AGAIN AND SAID TO JUST GIVE ME BACK MY VEHICLE. THEY GAVE ME THE BILL FOR THE TIRE SWAP AND INCLUDED STATEMENTS OF HAVING ADVISED THE OTHER SERVICE WAS NECESSARY BUT REFUSED BY THE CUSTOMER, TO ABSOLVE THEM OF LIABILITY IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AS AN ADDITIONAL SCARE TACTIC. UNBEKNOWNST TO THEM, I USED TO WORK AS A MECHANIC AT A DEALERSHIP LONG AGO. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO IS A FRIEND, WE WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE SUSPENSION AND FOUND THAT ALL THE BALL-JOINTS WERE IN PERFECT CONDITION. THE BUSHINGS WERE PERFECT AS WELL WITH NO PLAY (LOOSENESS) BUT WERE IN NEED OF A GREASING. NONE OF THE WORK THAT THEY WERE INSISTING TO BE DONE WAS REQUIRED! THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT CRIMINAL FRAUD. THIS DEALERSHIP GOT RID OF THE REGULAR STAFF, BROUGHT IN ALL NEW PEOPLE AND THEY ARE USING HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS ON THEIR CUSTOMERS AND LIE TO THEM TO PERPETRATE FRAUD AND THEFT FOR SALES, PARTS AND SERVICE. I FEEL BAD FOR THE CUSTOMERS WHO RELY ON THEM TO BE HONEST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO KNOW BETTER. I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS GONE THERE AND ADVISED THAT WORK IS NEEDED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR A SECOND OPINION FIRST. DO NOT GO TO ALBERTA HONDA. YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM. I HAD DONE BUSINESS THERE FOR OVER A DECADE. AFTER THIS, I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM OR GO BACK TO THEM AGAIN. IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO BUILD A REPUTATION, BUT ONLY ONE STUPID ACT TO DESTROY IT. More