"I'm never shopping THERE again!" Share your story!

[geordicat]

And yet another Jiffy Lube ex customer.  They tried to get me with the air filter, too.  The last time, I even took it out of the car before going there, just to see what they'd say.  Sure'nuf  "You know your air filter needs replacing, see look.  It's pretty dirty."

"Interesting as that's not even the right size for my car, and here is the filter that was in there just five minutes ago!" and I took it out of my purse.   I told them to stop what they were doing, I did NOT want them doing any more work.    I never went back.

[savingc]

Jiffy Lube. In 2002, I took my car there for an oil change after moving cross country from GA to Seattle. High pressure salesman saw my GA tag and said I most definitely needed a transmission flush..after much avoiding the subject I gave in.

2 weeks later going down the road, I heard something hit underneath the car like a rock. Car slowly stops accelerating. DH at the time, assumed the transmission was shot (he is the smartest man I know just NO common sense) so the car sat for 2 weeks and this was our only car.I even asked if the plug could be the issue, no couldn't be that simple. He commuted via bike/ferry/bus so he was not too worried. And we lived only a few blocks from Safeway. Finally neighbor asked about said car and DH told him the story and he asked if we checked for the transmission fluid plug? Um no didn't think about it. Yep it was gone. So the next day I called JL and was not too friendly about it. They sent a technician too my house with a new plug and fluid. He did his thing, and the car was just fine. Luckily since I didn't go far it did not ruin anything. But he did say they would have replaced my transmission had it needed it since it was their fault. But I still will not go back. I can change my own oil now.

[artk2002]

There's a Toyota dealership near me that I will never visit again.  Call them LBD.

Many (many, many) years ago, I owned a 1986 Toyota Supra.  I took it into LBD for service.  Pretty major service including a full lube and a check of the timing chain.  Got the car home.  A couple of days later I had some reason or another to look under the hood.  To find several screws sitting on top of the engine and the timing chain cover loose.  So I took it back, told the service manager that this wasn't acceptable and had them fix it.  No problem.

About 3 weeks later, I was driving back from Burbank airport with my then BIL.  He'd been on a road trip with friends and got involved in a pretty serious auto accident.  He was fine, but it had been rough on him, so he was a bit sensitive to car problems.  Suddenly, my car starts grinding in the back and slowing down.  I manage to pull into a service station and find a phone (pre-cell phone.)  Got it towed to a Toyota dealership in Burbank that I had dealt with in the past and liked.  They looked at it and told me that the differential was completely dry.  LBD had failed to torque down the drain plug when they changed the fluid.  We were lucky it hadn't seized entirely at freeway speeds.

LBD insisted on fixing the problem, although I wanted the Burbank one to do it.  Fortunately, they did get the repair right and I drove that car for many, many years.

Some years later, my then-wife was in the market for a Camry.  She went to LBD and had some of the usual go-around with the salesman.  She told him, clearly, that she was buying this for herself and it was entirely her decision -- she didn't need to have her husband there.  When she was ready to make a deal, though, she did want to call me and tell me about it.  Not to get permission, but just to inform me.  The salesman had a fit about this.  "You told me you didn't need his permission... " yadda yadda.  She walked out of there at that moment.  Bought her car at another dealership where she got great service.

[weeblewobble]

I hate Best Buy, for experiences not so different from those described here. I am the techie person in my family. DH can't even work the DVD player. I am proficient with computers, scanners, printers, cameras, entertainment systems, etc. My Dad LOVES Best Buy and tends to get us gift certificates there for all occasions, despite our frequent reminders that we hate our local store. Too many times, we'll go into the store and the sales people will FLOCK to DH to serve his every whim, while ignoring my existence. The last time we were there, last year, DH finally said, "Look, I have no clue what you're talking about.  If you want to make any sale at all today, you have to talk to my wife. I don't appreciate the fact that you're ignoring her very clear request for what we want."

[Kaora]

Once have I got treated as an oh so dumb female.  Guy thought I was friend's gf and made a comment along the lines of I won't be ruining his play experience, right?

I've gamed longer than friend, and thankfully, that experience was a one off.

Is it ehell approved to carry my CompTIA A+ cert around to show all those salespeople that I do indeedy know what I'm talking about with computers, and love to build them?  Usually get hassled when I need to buy a new dvd drive intown.  YES, I KNOW HOW TO INSTALL IT

[Shiraz_Much?]

These stories are horrific and yet I can't stop reading them!!!!   
Oh...and FYI - - the guys that work at Jiffy Lube are NOT mechanics.  Anyone can work there.  That is probably why they are so horrible.  My friend's ex used to work there and he is definitely not a mechanic.
At least Monro uses real mechanics.

[jais]

Apple   Bees.  

I have had many bad experiences in this chain restaurant.  I also know dozens of people who have had their own bad experiences.  And the food is not even that good.  It is mediocre at best.

just two of the problems encountered:

-Never served.  We left after an hour wait.  Our drink orders were taken, there was only a few other tables, at least five different people came over to check on us and ask us what our order was and said it was on our way.  But nothing materialized.  Not even the drinks.  Finally we decided to leave.  

-Someone in our party left something in the bathroom during dinner.  She went to get it and it was gone.  She reported the loss to the hostess and waiter and they said they would not look for it, nor would they take her name in case it was found because "if it isn't there we JUST DON'T have it".  They also forgot parts of our meal.

Oh, Applebees. Two visits, two lousy experiences, two thousand miles apart:

In CT, with my mom who ordered senior version of X meal. Apparently served regular version, which we discovered when the bill came. Huge argument with waitress, then with manager, who insisted that we "should have known" mom was served the regular meal, and alerted our waitress "immediately". Umm, excuse me, you're assuming we're regulars and we know how large your portions are? Sorry. Got bill corrected, left no tip.

In AZ, with SO. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks order taken, and 55 minutes to get our meal order taken. Another hour later, SO is in anaphylactic shock and using the epi-pen because apparently, "I checked with the chef and he said it was fine" is Applebee code-speak for "WHAT.EVERRRR " Adding insult to injury, I was keeping one eye on SO while looking for a cc to pay the check and asked the waitress where the nearest ER was, and she said, "well, you can call 911, are you going to be leaving, I need the table?"

That's the only place (out of all the places SO has been ambushed by) that I really wished he had pursued it legally.

I stopped reading here , I was too angry. You honestly penalized your waitress for restaurant policy?

[Elfmama]

Is Comp USA still in business anywhere?  Had a really annoying experience when I needed to buy a printer.

I had two manuscripts that I needed to print after making the changes that the editor called for.  And of course, the ancient dot-matrix printer that I had then died 5 or 6 pages into the first one.  Off to the nearest computer store, Comp USA.  I explained to the young salesman that I wanted an ink-jet printer and I did not care if it did color.  I didn't want color, because I was printing manuscripts.  I wanted a machine that would let me replace the little dinky black/color ink cartridges with a single big black ink cartridge.

So what did he do?  Trotted right over to the most expensive printer there and showed me what beautiful color it produced. (This was back in the days when color printers were just coming on the market, and they were several hundred dollars.) "That one is too expensive, and I don't care about the color.  I only want it for manuscripts."

"Oh.  Well, this one $50 less and it has really nice color too --"

Lather, rinse, repeat.  After the third one, I got fed up and said, "Young man, do you speak English? Do you understand the word 'manuscript?'  I. Do. Not. Want. Color.  If you show me another printer and talk about how it prints color, I am walking out of here.  And on the way, I will find a manager and tell him that you did not want to sell me the kind of printer that I was looking for."

He shut up and let me look all on my own after that.  The lower-mid-range printer that I got -- which did exactly what I wanted it to do --  did print color, kind of.  I think DD printed off 3 or 4 pages in color for some school project and the cartridge was left to dry up after that.  I hated it when that printer died.  It would take a big stack of paper, twice the size of the one I have now.  It's a pain in the butt when you have to put more paper in every few minutes.

[blueberrypancakes]

Apple   Bees.  

I have had many bad experiences in this chain restaurant.  I also know dozens of people who have had their own bad experiences.  And the food is not even that good.  It is mediocre at best.

just two of the problems encountered:

-Never served.  We left after an hour wait.  Our drink orders were taken, there was only a few other tables, at least five different people came over to check on us and ask us what our order was and said it was on our way.  But nothing materialized.  Not even the drinks.  Finally we decided to leave.  

-Someone in our party left something in the bathroom during dinner.  She went to get it and it was gone.  She reported the loss to the hostess and waiter and they said they would not look for it, nor would they take her name in case it was found because "if it isn't there we JUST DON'T have it".  They also forgot parts of our meal.

Oh, Applebees. Two visits, two lousy experiences, two thousand miles apart:

In CT, with my mom who ordered senior version of X meal. Apparently served regular version, which we discovered when the bill came. Huge argument with waitress, then with manager, who insisted that we "should have known" mom was served the regular meal, and alerted our waitress "immediately". Umm, excuse me, you're assuming we're regulars and we know how large your portions are? Sorry. Got bill corrected, left no tip.

In AZ, with SO. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks order taken, and 55 minutes to get our meal order taken. Another hour later, SO is in anaphylactic shock and using the epi-pen because apparently, "I checked with the chef and he said it was fine" is Applebee code-speak for "WHAT.EVERRRR " Adding insult to injury, I was keeping one eye on SO while looking for a cc to pay the check and asked the waitress where the nearest ER was, and she said, "well, you can call 911, are you going to be leaving, I need the table?"

That's the only place (out of all the places SO has been ambushed by) that I really wished he had pursued it legally.

I stopped reading here , I was too angry. You honestly penalized your waitress for restaurant policy?

Restaurant policy is to tell a Guest in anaphylactic shock because of food THEY served him to call 911 themselves, and that they need to turn the table?  I don't think so. I've called 911 several times due to guest issues.  I wouldn't have tipped either.

[Kaymyth]

Is Comp USA still in business anywhere? 

Nah, they're defunct.  One of the first store chains to fall after the market crashed.

[jais]

So wrong!!!

[PaintingPastelPrincess]

Apple   Bees.  

I have had many bad experiences in this chain restaurant.  I also know dozens of people who have had their own bad experiences.  And the food is not even that good.  It is mediocre at best.

just two of the problems encountered:

-Never served.  We left after an hour wait.  Our drink orders were taken, there was only a few other tables, at least five different people came over to check on us and ask us what our order was and said it was on our way.  But nothing materialized.  Not even the drinks.  Finally we decided to leave.  

-Someone in our party left something in the bathroom during dinner.  She went to get it and it was gone.  She reported the loss to the hostess and waiter and they said they would not look for it, nor would they take her name in case it was found because "if it isn't there we JUST DON'T have it".  They also forgot parts of our meal.

Oh, Applebees. Two visits, two lousy experiences, two thousand miles apart:

In CT, with my mom who ordered senior version of X meal. Apparently served regular version, which we discovered when the bill came. Huge argument with waitress, then with manager, who insisted that we "should have known" mom was served the regular meal, and alerted our waitress "immediately". Umm, excuse me, you're assuming we're regulars and we know how large your portions are? Sorry. Got bill corrected, left no tip.

In AZ, with SO. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks order taken, and 55 minutes to get our meal order taken. Another hour later, SO is in anaphylactic shock and using the epi-pen because apparently, "I checked with the chef and he said it was fine" is Applebee code-speak for "WHAT.EVERRRR " Adding insult to injury, I was keeping one eye on SO while looking for a cc to pay the check and asked the waitress where the nearest ER was, and she said, "well, you can call 911, are you going to be leaving, I need the table?"

That's the only place (out of all the places SO has been ambushed by) that I really wished he had pursued it legally.

I stopped reading here , I was too angry. You honestly penalized your waitress for restaurant policy?

Restaurant policy is to tell a Guest in anaphylactic shock because of food THEY served him to call 911 themselves, and that they need to turn the table?  I don't think so. I've called 911 several times due to guest issues.  I wouldn't have tipped either.

I think the CT one was the issue.  I wouldn't have tipped the 2nd waitress either, but I'm not sure how I feel on the first one.  If it had just been the manager who threw a fit, I would have cut the waitress a break and at least left 10-15% (I typically do 20%).  But, the waitress is the one who took the order (i.e. knew for sure that it was a senior portion), and she also argued with the table.  So, IDK.

[Rosey]

Apple   Bees.  

I have had many bad experiences in this chain restaurant.  I also know dozens of people who have had their own bad experiences.  And the food is not even that good.  It is mediocre at best.

just two of the problems encountered:

-Never served.  We left after an hour wait.  Our drink orders were taken, there was only a few other tables, at least five different people came over to check on us and ask us what our order was and said it was on our way.  But nothing materialized.  Not even the drinks.  Finally we decided to leave.  

-Someone in our party left something in the bathroom during dinner.  She went to get it and it was gone.  She reported the loss to the hostess and waiter and they said they would not look for it, nor would they take her name in case it was found because "if it isn't there we JUST DON'T have it".  They also forgot parts of our meal.

Oh, Applebees. Two visits, two lousy experiences, two thousand miles apart:

In CT, with my mom who ordered senior version of X meal. Apparently served regular version, which we discovered when the bill came. Huge argument with waitress, then with manager, who insisted that we "should have known" mom was served the regular meal, and alerted our waitress "immediately". Umm, excuse me, you're assuming we're regulars and we know how large your portions are? Sorry. Got bill corrected, left no tip.

In AZ, with SO. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks order taken, and 55 minutes to get our meal order taken. Another hour later, SO is in anaphylactic shock and using the epi-pen because apparently, "I checked with the chef and he said it was fine" is Applebee code-speak for "WHAT.EVERRRR " Adding insult to injury, I was keeping one eye on SO while looking for a cc to pay the check and asked the waitress where the nearest ER was, and she said, "well, you can call 911, are you going to be leaving, I need the table?"

That's the only place (out of all the places SO has been ambushed by) that I really wished he had pursued it legally.

I stopped reading here , I was too angry. You honestly penalized your waitress for restaurant policy?

Restaurant policy is to tell a Guest in anaphylactic shock because of food THEY served him to call 911 themselves, and that they need to turn the table?  I don't think so. I've called 911 several times due to guest issues.  I wouldn't have tipped either.

I thought she was talking about the first story, not the second. Clarification, Jais?

[blueberrypancakes]

Apple   Bees.  

I have had many bad experiences in this chain restaurant.  I also know dozens of people who have had their own bad experiences.  And the food is not even that good.  It is mediocre at best.

just two of the problems encountered:

-Never served.  We left after an hour wait.  Our drink orders were taken, there was only a few other tables, at least five different people came over to check on us and ask us what our order was and said it was on our way.  But nothing materialized.  Not even the drinks.  Finally we decided to leave.  

-Someone in our party left something in the bathroom during dinner.  She went to get it and it was gone.  She reported the loss to the hostess and waiter and they said they would not look for it, nor would they take her name in case it was found because "if it isn't there we JUST DON'T have it".  They also forgot parts of our meal.

Oh, Applebees. Two visits, two lousy experiences, two thousand miles apart:

In CT, with my mom who ordered senior version of X meal. Apparently served regular version, which we discovered when the bill came. Huge argument with waitress, then with manager, who insisted that we "should have known" mom was served the regular meal, and alerted our waitress "immediately". Umm, excuse me, you're assuming we're regulars and we know how large your portions are? Sorry. Got bill corrected, left no tip.

In AZ, with SO. Took 25 minutes to get our drinks order taken, and 55 minutes to get our meal order taken. Another hour later, SO is in anaphylactic shock and using the epi-pen because apparently, "I checked with the chef and he said it was fine" is Applebee code-speak for "WHAT.EVERRRR " Adding insult to injury, I was keeping one eye on SO while looking for a cc to pay the check and asked the waitress where the nearest ER was, and she said, "well, you can call 911, are you going to be leaving, I need the table?"

That's the only place (out of all the places SO has been ambushed by) that I really wished he had pursued it legally.

I stopped reading here , I was too angry. You honestly penalized your waitress for restaurant policy?

Restaurant policy is to tell a Guest in anaphylactic shock because of food THEY served him to call 911 themselves, and that they need to turn the table?  I don't think so. I've called 911 several times due to guest issues.  I wouldn't have tipped either.

I thought she was talking about the first story, not the second. Clarification, Jais?

Wow, that's my bad, I just looked at the bottom story. I'm sorry. But I wouldn't have tipped much in the CT one though, as the waitress screwed up their order and then argued about it.

[artk2002]

Is Comp USA still in business anywhere?  

Nah, they're defunct.  One of the first store chains to fall after the market crashed.

They were actually failing long before the market crashed.  Their problem was an inability to compete with Best Buy, and with places like Office Depot and Staples that were getting into the electronics market.

The name does, however, continue to exist.  compusa.com is active -- owned by Tiger Direct a long-time e-tailer.  They do list a few brick-and-mortar locations.