The Pep Boys

In November of 2009, I had a Bosch battery installed in my 2002 Pontiac Montana. The installation was done at the Pep Boys, located at 1910 George Dieter, El Paso, Texas.
On the morning on September 09, 2010, my vehicle was totally dead and wouldn't start. I figured it was the battery. Prior to this, I had not had any battery or starter problems.
Because I knew that Pep Boys would probably give me grief upon attempting to return the battery, I decided to have the battery checked first at another location. I took the battery to an Auto Zone. The manager there stated that is showed that that the battery was "bad, " but that it showed 12.7 voltage. The manager of this Auto Zone attributed the problem to a bad cell.
Armed with this information, I took the battery to the Pep Boys. An employee checked the battery and I was told that it was good. I then asked to speak to a manager. The assistant manager responded and checked the battery. He too said that it good. I told the asst. manager that it had been checked at the Auto Zone and that it showed it to be bad due to a bad cell. The asst. manager insisted that his machine did not make mistakes.
I told the asst. manager that the reason that I had taken the battery to Auto Zone first was because Pep Boys had reputation for bad customer service. He then got upset and told me that he always helped on prior occassions in securing my Pep Boys card number, when I didn't have it. I told him that he was doing my any favors as I am the customer and I am spending money at the store. I then asked for his boss.
I met with the store manager. Once again, we went through the same arguments. I told her that Pep Boys was one of the most customer, unfriendly organizations around and that was not just my opinion, as I've known a lot of people that would agree with me. She insisted that her maching was fool proof and that the battery was good.
I left the store in utter disgust. Because I needed to get my van back on the road, a.s.a.p., I was going to buy a battery at Auto Zone. Prior to doing so, I met with a mechanic friend of mine who very competent when it comes to cars.
My mechanic friend asked me if Pep Boys had "load" tested it. I really didn't know what he was talking about so we both decided to go back to the Pep Boys.
The store manager was gone so we met with the asst. manager. Once again, the asst. manager tested the battery with his machine and we were told that the battery was good. My mechanic friend began to use mechanic jargon on him and the asst. manager advised that he would have the battery checked with equipment in the service area.
We went to the service and watched as a Pep Boys mechanic hooked up the battery. Within seconds, the mechanic stated that the batter was NO GOOD! The asst. manager looked as he had just seen the devil.
We returned to the counter area and the asst. manager proceeded to return the battery. He looked visually shaken and could not even print up my receipt. He gave me knew battery and I told him that I would return for the receipt later. I also asked for him to tell the store manager to call me, a.s.a.p..
About forty-five minutes later, the store manager called me on my cell phone. She seemed extremely upset and told me that the battery should have never been checked in the service area. When I explained to her that what she was saying was direlect of her duties as a manager in providing full service to her customers, she continued to insist that her machine (tester) was just two months old and that the machine in the service area was much older. I told her that it wasn't in issue of the newness/oldness of the equipment. It had to do with conducting the correct checks for the validity of the battery. She continued to insist that her battery was not defective. She offerred a half hearted apology, which I did not accept.
I short time later, I returned to the Pep Boys store and met with the store manager . She gave me my receipt and she furnished her name, asst. manager name, mechanic name, and her supervisor name.
I went home and installed the battery in my van. And guees what? THE VAN STARTED IMMEDIATELY! Let's just say that a lot of Pep Boys executives are going to hear this complaint.