My wife's vehicle was swaying/pulling at highway speeds, and we assumed an alignment might be needed. I called to set up an appointment and was given a reasonable price for a potential 4-wheel alignment. The $19.99 cost of an alignment check would be included if an alignment was indeed needed. A couple of hours after dropping the vehicle off, I received an email with an attached 6-page printout of a "courtesy inspection" followed up quickly by a call. A technician had taken less than a 2-mile drive and put the car on a lift for a brake inspection. The primary issue identified was a left caliper that was dragging/seizing up. Yet, a recommendation was given for a complete front-end brake job that included replacement of calipers, pads, and rotors, under the assumption that heat damage had likely caused damage to all parts, even though there was no evidence of this. Repair cost = $1121.47. I was also given 7 other recommendations for repairs that included everything from cleaning and adjusting rear brakes ($125) to cleaning battery terminals ($62.50) to replacing air filters ($250.48). In total, a nearly $2000 total set of repairs was suggested. I refused all these recommendations and was charged $73.50 for the "courtesy inspection" when I picked up the vehicle. I then went to another local shop the next day where the technician took the vehicle out on the highway and monitored the temperature on the brakes to see if there was a serious heating issue. There was none. He then replaced the front left brake caliper and hose ($280 for parts and labor). He also replaced tail light bulbs (for $6.22 versus $71.49 at Legacy) and two wiper blades (for $35.99 versus $86.75 at Legacy). My takeaway from this experience is that Legacy has a business model that seeks to maximize profit via unwarranted assumptions and recommendations, charges inflated prices, and minimizes the essential needs/interests of customers. This is unfortunate but mirrors the strategies of many in the industry. I would give Legacy Auto-Tech zero stars if I could.
Hi Wayne! I attempted to contact you regarding this issue, but unfortunately was unsuccessful. Please reach out so we can resolve this issue as we consider our client's satisfaction the highest priority. I'd like to sort out some things regarding you visit: -You were sent here by you regular repair shop because the told you that you needed an alignment for the issue you were experiencing. A 4-wheel alignment costs $155.00 but we didn't want to do that alignment until we were sure that was going to solve your issue. It was good that we did not waste your $155.00 because we found that the alignment was NOT the issue as your regular mechanic suggested. It was actually a brake malfunction that was causing your vehicle to pull to one direction. We charged you $73.50 to find out what the REAL cause was instead of the $155.00 for the alignment that wouldn't have solved the problem. The thorough courtesy inspection was free. So, we actually SAVED you $82.00 and you found out what the real cause was. If we did what your regular mechanic said without questioning it, the $155.00 would have been a total loss and you still wouldn't have known what the real cause was. You decided not to have the brakes done here because your normal mechanic, who sent you here for the alignment, had recently done them recently from what I understand. You decided to go back to him to have them done under a possible warranty. Totally understandable. As far as our prices go, we understand that it's not inexpensive to come to us, but there is value in what we charge. Afterall, you were sent here because we have the equipment that your normal shop isn't equipped with. We have ALL of the latest high tech equipment needed to service today's extremely high-tech vehicles, which is very expensive to own and maintain. BUT MOST OF ALL, we have the Technicians and Advisors who possess the latest knowledge, integrity, and experience to make sure you're getting what you and your vehicle needs. Those technicians and Advisors rightfully demand a good living wage, benefits, working conditions, and care from us. I'm more than happy to pay them what they're worth (which is a lot), so that I can have them here to get you what you need at a FAIR price and represent what we stand for which is thorough service at a FAIR price, not a LOW one. The fact that you had to come here from somewhere else to get the knowledge/expertise shows that we have what it takes....and that's not cheap. Not to mention, we stand by EVERYTHING we do with a 3-Year/36,000 mile warranty on all of our repairs. We charge what we charge because it's absolutely necessary to get it done right by the right people. If low price is the main determining factor in where you bring your vehicle, we're probably not the right fit for you, and that's okay. I hope we can talk in order to resolve this issue for you. Thanks! -Andy Pollina (Owner) Edit: I'm glad we could finally speak and I could learn from your experience with us and make the necessary changes. My advisor agrees that some changes are necessary with the communication process. Thanks for your input and consider the changes done!
- Legacy Auto-Tech