Mr. Tire

I've been visiting the location in Canton, Ohio, on Fulton Drive for over 6 years. I come here for all my service, from brakes, oil changes, to more complicated jobs and never had a complaint. Staff was always transparent and friendly, never doing unnecessary work, even talking me out of doing things that weren't necessary. I love this place. However, today's experience, on January 11, 2024, at around 11:30 am, really changed my perspective. I called asking if they'd put on a thermostat for me, since the heat in my car wasn't working and the temperature gauge barely moves. I told them I'm pretty sure that's what it was. They take my car in, and I go home. They call a bit later to inform me I purchased the wrong thermostat, which is no problem, I gave them the ok to get the right one. So, another hour goes by and they call me to pick up my vehicle. When I arrive, the woman at the counter asks me if my problem was "heat related", and I said yes, since I had mentioned it. She told me it didn't fix the problem, and that I'd have to take my car to the "dealership". I drive a '94 Tracer, I didn't buy it from a dealership. I was baffled that they told me they can't help me. I was even more baffled that they put the thermostat on, charged me nearly $500 without even confirming that was the issue, without calling me to tell me the problem wasn't fixed, or telling me I didn't need that repair done at all. I'm greatly upset by the lack of communication, transparency and professionalism. I feel like I was ripped off. I didn't know what to say to them, so I paid and left. I didn't need a thermostat, and I'm assuming they could have told me that before doing the repair. I think this was just a money grab. I would like some kind of compensation, but honestly, I don't know if I'll get it. I've lost a lot of faith in this brand and won't recommend them anymore.