This post is going to do two things hopefully...

To all of us who live in North VA or the DC metro area we have heard the comercials for Koons with Krystal Koons telling you how she is going to "wow" you. Well I certainly got 'wow'-d this week. (Stop get a drink and sit back and read if you have a few minutes)

I dropped my car off on sunday night because of a bad weird electrical problems that kept it from starting and almost got my killed on the way back from deep sea fishing. (For more info read here: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...707&forum_id=1 ) Well after a few hours on Monday I get a call saying "well uhhhh your starters bad and I am getting some information on how much it would be to replace it." So I asked well how about my car drinking all of the juice out of my electrical system and making it stall out at highway speeds, or how about the TCS, ABS and active handling lights. His response was ohhh yeah sorry I forgot to tell him about it.<---- That's why I wrote a one page summary for the mechanic so nothing would be forgotten... Well another hour passes and he says well your starter is messed up the lead going into the starter is loose and we can't just tighten it because it's internal. Thats going to be 913 dollars to replace. Now you can imagine my reaction to a 913 dollar bill for a starter. So I tell them forget it I will push start my car again and figure out what is wrong with it. So I get out there and they charge me 107 dollars to put it in the air for 10 minutes.

I give Phil97SVT a call and tell him what is going on and he was like WTF bring it down to me. Well I pay the shady stealership and get on my way, I drive the car down to Phil97SVT's place. He takes it in and says he will take car of it. Well I get a PM yesterday saying he tightened the lead that was loose and everything looks great. Then he drove it around for a while and made sure everything is looking great with no problems. So he tightened this mysterious untighten-able bolt, and now my car is like new drives fine got me to work fine this morning. Just suffice to say I paid no where near 913 to get my car fixed.

So this lengthy post draws to a close with two final thoughts. Dealerships exist in for one reason MONEY. This is very valid reason we live free capitalist society, I like to make money so do they but they (specifically Koons) likes to lie to make money. The other thing I learned is Phil really knows his stuff he goes the extra mile every damn time with out fail. If anyone doesn't know him and you want any work done go his way. He lives 45 minutes away from me and I will take my car to him 10 times out of 10.

 

Nice story, nothing new, glad you did not get screwed. Just for the hell of it, drive down to the stealership and ask why they lied? Then ask for your 100 bucks back or you'll make a big deal about it.

Its worth a shot, IMHO

 

Do it right, contact your local tv station, all the ones around here would love a nice juicy story about a ripoff dealership, and all have consumer affairs reporters who specialize in this kind of stuff.

 

$913 what a laugh, 2 minutes with a 24" extension, 3/8" swivel and a 13mm socket took care of it.
Phil

 

Sorry 'bout your troubles. Most mechs are really honest people, but there are some real a-hoes out there.

BUT!!! with a name like Koons... ?
Where I come from, that sounds almost slanderous. Public relations would warn you not to name a successful business like that. Even if it is your last name.

 

I read the other thread and was amazed. I would think you have a case for fraud here, even to get your $107 dollars back, but you would probably need an affadavit from Phil for what he did. Go on Judge Judy! that would be She might even get them to pay for Phil.
Glad you got it fixed and yes, an honest tech is worth his weight in gold.
BTW, did Phil leave any rubber on your rears?

 

Isn't that the dealer that someone was picketing and had their car in front of for months? I seem to remember other really bad stuff about this dealer.

 

Glad it worked out but I should warn you I paid Phil a lot more than that.


Of course I got H/C/gears/SD Tune/Ported 90/90/etc/etc/etc.

I had to have my car towed 70 miles to get it to Phil. Worth every penny! (I got it back from AAA anyways)

Tired of me yet Phil?

 

I live in Stafford VA. Am I close to Phil's shop?

 

thats the value of finding someone that you can trust. In certain areas we are lucky to have Great Vette Shops that support our needs.

I feel sorry for the guys that have only the dealer to do to...

 

Have Phil write up a step by step instructions.'

Take it back to the stealership and present these new instructions on how to fix the problem


and attach an invoice for





$913

 

You done good my man! These kinds of horror stories have always chapped me too.

 

I take mine to Koon's Chevrolet in Whitemarsh, MD. when needed.
Herb is the designated and dedicated Vette guy. They won't let anyone else touch the Vettes there.
When I had the dreaded column lock the car was towed in and they told me Herb was extremely booked and it would be the next day before he could look at it. 3 hours later it was fixed. Herb put the others aside and fixed it right away. No charge and towing was paid for by the dealership.

 

Tony's Corvette Shop in Gaithersburg. It is one of the premier shops on the East Coast. They do everything there from restoration to engine building and tuning. I would go check them out for future reference.

 

That is the funniest thing I have heard today.

 

I am gonna call Koons today and lay it all out for them.

 

I would also contact the better business bureau and report them. hopefully you got a written estimate from koons.

koons in tysons has a gent Joe Malo who is very honest and will take good care of you!!! He used to work @ Pohanka and I would go out of the way to let him work on my cars.

very nice and a straight shooter. when some of the disreputable individuals @ Pohanka got in the middle and started the "stealer" tactics joe moved on and surprise, so did his customers.

not sure which shop you went to, but 913 is robbery to tighten a bolt or to replace the starter!!!

 

 

You keep mis-spelling that word! Its STEALERSHIP! If you cant get it right, we will make you go there untill it hurts!!

 

I have been to too many dealerships who have lousy overpriced "service". Places where "we couldn't duplicate the problem", or "we need to re-schedule you as the parts need to be ordered", or "the parts we ordered came in, but they were the wrong ones", and mis-diagnosis, damages to my cars, etc. I am very happy now though, as I've found a dealership who actually has excellent service, and where I now take both my '01 C5 coupe and '02 customized Suburban. Dell Chevrolet in Paoli, PA. Request Joe to service your Corvette as that's all he works on. My car is out-of-warranty, and he only fixes what I need, and also tries to discount some of the services where he can. My car also looks as good when I pick it up, as it did when I brought it to them for service. Fortunately, there are a few good ones out there.