GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s a day all car owners know will happen at some point. Gena Hunter jumped in her car one morning to drive to work, and something wasn’t right.
“I was hearing a little noise,” Hunter said.
She popped into a repair shop to see what the issue was.
“They told me they looked at the car and checked it out and I needed wheel bearings (on one side),” Hunter said.
At that point, Hunter didn’t have time to have the work done, so she looked for another shop to get the work done later. She took it to a shop a bit more convenient to have the job done.
“I left the car. I guess about 40 minutes later, they called me back and tell me not only did I need left wheel bearings, but I also needed a right wheel bearing," Hunter said.
The other shop didn’t mention anything about the other side, but Hunter agreed to the repairs and authorized the work to be done. A few days later, the shop called and the car was ready for pickup.
“When I went to the counter to pay, the other owner told me (they noticed) an axle broke and had to put a new axle on the car,” Hunter said.
Hunter was not only a bit confused, but she was upset. The other shop didn’t notice an issue with one of the wheel bearings or the axle. While she signed off on both wheel bearings, she never knew about the axle issue.
“Without my permission (they replaced it). I had no idea, they did not call, I had no idea,” Hunter said.
This is where it gets tricky. Many shops have contracts or estimates that allow them to make additional repairs if found. While the shop could call if it is not required. The shop is also allowed to hold your car if you refuse to pay.
“I was taken aback, how could somebody do that,” Hunter said.
Hunter reached out to us to see if there was anything we could do. After talking with the repair shop, it did agree to write off the charge for the axle as a favor since Hunter wasn’t notified.
“I just want to say how grateful and thankful I am,” Hunter said.
If you take your car to a repair shop it’s best to ask and get it in writing that only the designated repairs be done with your permission.