Bad Customer Care & Unprofessional Customer Relations

My SUV had CV joint problems and I took my vehicle to Econo CV Joint Engineering in Church Street, Rustenburg for repairs, Frank the owner told me he will order the CV joints (inner & outer) including the CV rubber boots, I asked him is the part quality, he assured me it is good quality parts.

It was about September 2023 the part arrived at Econo CV joints and the owner called me to bring my vehicle, subsequently I took my vehicle for the repair, costing me R9900.00

When receiving my vehicle after the repair, it was fine for about a month, then I felt the CV having a bounce effect when accelerating, took it to the owner and explained the issue to him, went for a test drive and he assured me nothing is wrong, he told his employee the CV Joint fitment mechanic to check under the car, he can see oil / grease leaking at left outer CV boot at the clip section, the owner reluctantly told his employee to removed pack grease again and clip (cable tie).

After leaving the car was fine for about a month and I felt a vibration at one of the CV joints, took the vehicle to Econo CV Joints again to inspect the problem, the owner was getting rude telling me there is nothing wrong with the CV Joints, I then left not having them not diagnosing the problem.

Driving the vehicle for 2 months with the problem (above-mentioned) persisting and worsening, I took the vehicle back to Econo CV Joints to check, the owner again very rude reluctantly told his employee to inspect the CV joints whether he can see any problems. The CV mechanic said the right-side CV Inner and outer rubber boots were having openings in it and dirt was entering the CV joints and damage to the expensive long shaft inner & outer CV joints. The CV mechanic explained to me the owner purchased low quality rubber boots that was the cause of cracking open when repaired in September 2023.

The owner then told me the damaged rubber is not his fault and it is something that does happen and it is not a guarantee fault job, he will have to repair the right (expensive) CV joints again (due to dirt damage from crack rubber boots), and that he will replace it this time with a higher quality more durable rubber boots which will last longer & costing more (contradicting what he said above with the low-quality boots). He said in addition to the right-side CV joints to be replaced he suggests we change the left CV rubber boots with the quality ones too and he will do it for a special price of R3200.00, and he will first have to order the parts and assured me to drive for week with the broken CV boots until the spares arrive. (Proof of the invoices & Electronic Card payment slips in my possession)

I then took my car for the second repair in January 2024 (in less than 6 Months), I left the vehicle there for 3 days, because there were other vehicles to work on. The owner having only 1 CV mechanic doing all the work with no PPE in the parking area in front of the store, having no car lift, only a hydraulic jack replacing car CV joints, sometimes with no trestles to support car when jacked, he also has to do the reception / till / quotes whist the owner is at home and majority of the time not at the Econo CV Joint shop. (The CV mechanic work very unsafe / difficult no PPE & exploited by the owner doing 3 peoples work at the CV shop). Hazardous waste contaminated parking floors, rags & spots and debris, wires etc bad housekeeping.

My vehicle was repaired and I drove it for about a month again feeling the bounce at one of the CV joints again when accelerating my vehicle, took it back to Econo CV Joints and the owner very rude again, reluctantly checking it, telling I’m wasting his time there is nothing wrong.

I then drove the vehicle anther month still with the CV joint bounce still persisting, took it to the CV shop again (this week - 7 May 2024), and the owner was not at the shop as usual and the CV mechanic told me to phone the owner. I then phoned the owner telling him I want the mechanic to check the problem, he started shouting at me, telling me I am an annoying customer, imagining there is a CV problem, that I know nothing about CV joints and he does not like me, etc, etc. etc. I asked him to stop shouting and that I am a customer he should not talk to me like that and he told me I am hard of hearing and I should leave he shop.

The owner was very unprofessional, also making his employee work unsafe, no car lift, no PPE and doing much more work than 1 person should (exploiting too) I want people to avoid making use of Econo CV Joint services, due to comebacks and rude customer care.