Hogan Tire and Auto Service Centers

Went to Hogan to get a tire checked and repaired or replaced, get lug nuts replaced due to another garage replacing some with the wrong size and my lug wrench (and AAA's) wouldn't fit on the lug nuts, and an oil change. Was given quotes over the phone of $153 to replace the tire (installed) and do the oil change. They got a price on the lug nuts and asked if I wanted all of them replaced because the sizes were odd due to "swelling" - yeah, I had never heard of this either. I asked how much, they told me $50.00 and I said yes.



The lug nuts that were delivered to them were the wrong ones so they let me take the car, I paid for everything in advance and dropped it off again that night so that the next morning they could put the correct lug nuts on first thing. I picked up the car, brought it home and looked over the bill. The lug nuts were $30 more than I was quoted over the phone and everything else - tire and oil change were not exactly what they quoted either - one more and one less. The person that rang me up gave me one discount from them and I had a 5% AAA discount. The total I paid ended up being more than $10 over what the total should have been.



The next day, after they replaced the lug nuts, when I went to pick up the car I spoke to one of the employees there about this. He was nice, but kept coming back with - the lug nuts were the wrong ones and these were more expensive. I kept saying - maybe that's the case, but no one told me about this. I gave the go ahead when it was $50 to replace all of them, not $79.00. He finally understood what I meant and kept going through the bill. He said that he couldn't figure out how the person that rang me up came up with this number, but he could see that they owed me money. He told me that Mike the manager would call me the next day and get this straightened out for me. That was just over 2 weeks ago and I haven't heard a word.



I don't feel like going back and getting into an argument with anyone. Just thought that I would document it so that others are warned that what they verbally quote you may not be what they actually charge you. Make sure you get it in writing.



Usually I get all of my work done at Bill's Auto Repair in Woburn - Bill is INCREDIBLE and is ALWAYS busy - with his lot always filled(he's efficient at getting the work done too, just has a constant flow). I went to Hogan this time only because my tire was flat, I and AAA couldn't get the lug nuts off (even with AAA's 4 ended lug wrench) and they filled the tire with air - but since I didn't know if it was a slow leak or not I didn't think I'd make it to Woburn from Beverly, so figured Hogan was safer. When I dropped the car off, there were only a couple of cars in the lot. When I came back the next night about 45 minutes before they closed the mechanics had already left for the day and the employee that rang me up was just sitting in the waiting area watching tv. When I dropped the car off later that night so that they could start on the lug nuts first thing in the morning - my car was the only one there. The next day only a couple of cars again when I came to pick up mine. So I'm not sure this place has many customers. I guess if you quote a price and then change it later, that could have an effect on people coming back. I understand that we all make mistakes, but this should have been immediately rectified - but it's apparent this isn't important to the manager.



Would have been great to have a local place to go to. Oh well, they lost my business.