Central Automotive Repair Chad Harness (Owner); Herb Bender (GM)
Complaint 165584 Details

Car was running very rough..."chugging" if you will, like it would die at any moment. I took it to Central Automotive Repair in Delaware, Ohio. I spoke with Herb Bender the GM and explained exactly how it was sounding and he said they'd take a look at it for me. Later that afternoon I received a phone call from Herb stating that my car was in dire need of a tune-up and that this was probably the reason it ran so rough. I received no other calls and drove an hour from my home to Delaware to pick up the car. When I arrived he told me that only three of the four pistons were firing and that was what the problem was. I was really upset hearing this, even with my limited knowledge of the inter-workings of cars, I knew this mean't a new car or a new engine. I paid him, not looking at the receipt or really paying much attention to much that was said. I just didn't know what I was going to do. I had no money to pay for a new engine or even a down payment on a car. About a month later, I went to see Chad to ask him about why he would do a tune up, let alone a $300.00 tune up on a car that was not firing all pistons. He apologized and told me he did not charge me for labor. I was still not too happy but nevertheless thanked him and told him I appreciated that but had not payed too much attention to my receipt and had not realised that. I found my receipt today, in black and white there was a labor charge for $95.00 and nothing noting a discount for any wrong doings. I called him immediately and told him I had the receipt in my hand and there was a labor charge. He denied saying that he did not charge me "any" labor charge and told me he said he had not charged me for "full" labor. I am a single mother of two boys and had been laid-off from my job. I had just been working part-time at a restaurant and this needless expense kept me up nights worried about how I was going to pay bills. The only thing I want is for Central Automotive to do the right thing.