VIP Discount Auto - NH State Inspection

VIP Discount Auto - NH State Inspection

September 8, 2005

VIP Discount Auto

Route 1

Portsmouth, NH RE: NH State Inspection I visited the above VIP Discount Auto location in July. In the past, I've had very good service in the store, and questionable service when I brought my vehicle last year for a State Inspection (my car was ready around 10am and I had to call around 4-5pm for a status because nobody ever called to say it was ready). This most recent time was a different story. I brought my car in for a state inspection, and the service mgr called me later that day to say I needed extensive repairs, to include a new front axle, rear shocks, an alignment, a new headlamp assembly, and 4 new tires, totaling approx $1,000. I was shocked of course, but believed them. So I set up an appointment for that Friday to bring it in at 6:30am. At end of day Friday, I hadn't received a call back. So I called, and was told it wouldn't be ready until the next day. No big deal. By end of day Saturday, I still hadn't received a call back, so I called at 4:30pm to be told by the service mgr that the headlamp they ordered was the wrong one, and that he basically saw my car and didn't agree with the mechanic doing the inspection, so I was told, "What I'm saying is, I think it will pass if you bring it somewhere else." Great. Here it is, Saturday July 9th (the car's inspection month is June, so I'm into my 10-day grace period, my fault of course for waiting so long), and I go to pick up my car and after two full days, all I have is 4 new tires and no sticker. To be honest, I was concerned with bringing it somewhere else, in fear of finding out even more inspection-failing items. So I decided to just get the work done to get a sticker and get it back on the road. I waited until Tuesday (the next time the service dept was open), and called to say I just wanted the work done. After some resistance from the service mgr asking, "Are you sure?", I brought it in. While I was leaving very discouraged, I was convinced by my friend giving me a ride home that maybe I should try a second opinion. There happens to be a Meineke directly across the street so I gave in, got my keys back and brought it over there without telling them the story. They had an opening in fifteen minutes. Meineke called me an hour later to tell me my car's "all set." When telling them the whole story, they said, "There are a few items that will probably need to be looked at in the near future, but they certainly weren't failing items." What I'm wondering is, I thought all State Inspections were conducted in the same way, with the same passing and failing terms. How could there be a $750, multiple-item difference between two Official NH State Inspection stations, directly across the street from each other? It's a bittersweet circumstance in that, if the service mgr at VIP was never honest with me, I would've spent $750 in unnecessary repairs. I commend him (his name was Dan, I believe) for his honesty, and believe that the mechanic conducting the inspection at this location should go back to school. It is because of this mechanic that I will never return to VIP for any reason in fear of dishonest service. Thank you,

Mandy

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