So i call them today because my brake line going to the rear busted and was leakin real bad. I simpily asked them how much it would be and they estimated that it would be like $50 plus a $15 checkup charge that would be taken out if i did get it fixed there. I'm like hell yeah i'll be right there. I bring the car there with funky brakes that pull to one side hard. I get there drop it off and tell them that my wheel lock remover was gone and i dont know where it went. Then i went bye bye..
A few hours later i get a call saying,"we can't get the wheel locks off your car bla bla". I'm pissed and drive 15 mins there again and get the wheel locks off with... pliers.., that i brought myself... A bit rediculous IMO. I then leave again.
More hours pass and i get a call from them again saying, "ok, we did the check on your car and got the total to be about $250." I'm like WTF! they claim that they had "required maintenence" to do on it if they wanted to fix it. So, cleaning the sliders, changing front brake hoses and something else small came to be way too much for what i wanted to pay. I go back to the damned store for the third time and tell them that i get a quote for around $50 earlier and they then explain that they had required maintenence to do on it.
BULLS***. I requested to not have to pay the $15 because i believe that they lied to me aand they regretfuly said ok. Now i have no ride to school tomorrow..
Thats why i want to learn how to do my own stuff.

Um, to kinda play "Devil'* Advocate" here, you're not going to get that kind of work done at any reliable shop for $50. Expecially when they're working on something as important as you're brakes, they are going to do everything by the book. And the book say brake work is expensive. A simple "brake job" may not be too pricey, but when they gotta replace lines and such, it'* gonna bite you in the wallet.

You can probably find some place cheaper than Sears, tho. Especially since for the job you mentioned, no reputable shop should be willing to give you a quote over the phone. A good shop that really knows brakes should tell you that they'd need to see it first.

I really am on your side, though. Don't misunderstand the meaning of this post. I hope you can get the work done soon at a good price.

Yeah but i just asked them to simpily replace the line in between the fron and back of the car. I was not aware of "required maintenence".

did you speak with the manager in a non-pissed-off mood

Someplace like Sears will want to do that for several reasons. First, its $$$, second its CYA in case you leave and get in an accident, most of that monkey is off thier back. Third, Sears works by the book and brake work is expensive, Fourth, they might actually be bound by law to not fix things in substandard manner.

OKLAHOMA used to have yearly safety inspections, the muffler shop that did mine warned me that my exhaust system was on its last year due to rot and he would not let me drive it away. He offered to tow it back to the house but stated it was dangerous because of the carbon monoxide, and didnt want me or my infant daughter (at the time) to get poisened. One look at the pipe showed he was right LOL.

So it could be a case of they just don't want to send out unsafe work.

Worked at one part time a couple years. They do good work. They do it all by the book. That said, Sears is a commission based employer, they have poor monetary ethics, and drive people to get all the cash they can.

I understand that they do good work. It sure looked like it but i just couldn't understand why they wouldn't just do what i asked them and no more is all..
Its alright though, the car is at a shop that my family has known for years and we trust. It just takes a while because he is a one man crew.

Personally, I feel those are the best shops to use, if you can. No mjor overhead, so the prices are generally more reasonable. No major BS if you have to go back for any reason. And, they get to know your car, or at least you, so the service is generally better than a place that wants to just knock out the repair so they can move on to the next money pit, I mean car....

It'* better you had to deal with it than me.... Heads would have rolled....