We service all make and models, foreign and domestic, cars and trucks.
We provide comprehensive auto care such as brake service, heating and cooling, muffler repair, transmission flush, engine rebuilding, wheel alignment, tire rotation, oil change, preventive maintenance, and much more.
We service all make and models, foreign and domestic, cars and trucks.
We provide comprehensive auto care such as brake service, heating and cooling, muffler repair, transmission flush, engine rebuilding, wheel alignment, tire rotation, oil change, preventive maintenance, and much more.
The story: My alternator went out so I had the car towed to the nearest garage, Tuffy. They replaced both the alternator and battery, which was toast. They charged 388.99 for a new alternator and 151.49 for an MT-35 Interstate battery. The next day I started making calls. First called Swinson, and the manager said that Tuffy is well-known for overcharging its customers. Eyeopener, he said, "most of the auto places are crooked. I used to be too until I got religion and changed the way I do business." Next, I called O'Reilly Autoparts and asked about the cost of the battery and alternator. They said the battery is $140 and the alternator...wait for it... is $229. So the battery price is reasonable with a 9%-ish markup. However the markup on the alternator was 70%. The person at O'Reilly said that I was definitely overcharged. I then called Tuffy and they said they have to mark up the price to pay for electricity, etc. I said, not 70%, and I asked for a partial refund, which they refused to do. I admit that I lost my temper and called them a bunch of crooks. It turns out that parts markups range from 25% to 50% according to mechanicsadvisor.com. So 70% is definitely unreasonable and on that basis alone I am more than justified in my conclusion that they are crooked.
Also, when I picked up the car I asked for the alternator core, but they refused at first then said it would cost me $65 since that's how much they get for remanufacture. They claimed they had reduced my bill by $65 (which I figured was a baldfaced lie), so I would have to pay that to get it back, which I declined. Turned out to be more B.S. O'Reilly said they only get $10 for sending in the alternator core. Swinson also said that was ridiculous.
The bottom line is that Tuffy way overcharged for the alternator and they were perfectly willing to lie to my face. My advice is stay away. Swinson charges much less and has a lifetime warranty on alternators. Better yet, buy your own alternator and get a lifetime warranty on the part from O'Reilly. Clark's prices are also low, and the two brothers have excellent rapport with customers.