I'm thinking mis communication here. But since Cap hung up on them, there's no coming back from that.

 

Ditto. It's far more likely that he meant that was the ballpark for a heater core replacement than it is that they were quoting you $400-500 to see if you needed one. That just doesn't compute on any level.

If you had asked "What's the cost for the test" and he said "the cost for the test is $400-500", OK. I think there's a good chance you're giving them a bum rap.

 

NAPA: Well it may be something else. We need to run a test to make sure.
Me: What's the cost?
NAPA: $400-500

No miscommunication there.

 

One more time: I think "It's far more likely that he meant that was the ballpark for a heater core replacement [and that's what he thought you were asking about when you asked 'what's the cost'] than it is that they were quoting you $400-500 to see if you needed one. That [still] just doesn't compute on any level".

You asking "What's the cost?", as opposed to "what's the cost of the test?" introduces the possiblity of miscommunication, despite your apparent inclination to assume the worst about their integrity.

 

I couldn't agree more with John D and Zman...

 

Lol, not really but ok. So I had my GF call and ask them about both, the heater core and ways to tell what it is. As I said before, they told her they needed to test it to see. She then asked the "price of the test". Price quote was around $400. Then she asked about heater core replacement, price was quoted at $700.

As for my assumption of there integrity, no. I've looked at there reviews, talked to people that use them. Talk to mechanics that actually have people that come into to get work done after they have been to the NAPA All Pro Centers. The old saying, "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch" is applied here.

I'll actually have someone else call in a week to see what is said again.

 

We get people coming in all of the time telling us what they need us to replace. I don't question it. It's their money. If they are wrong, then I tell them they can pay me to diagnose it. It may sound wrong, but it happens so often that I don't have time to explain to them all that their Internet forum buddies may be wrong lol.

 

When I did the service writer thing at the chevy dealership, this was all to common..... Folks would come in and tell me what the problem was. When I asked them why they though it was a problem, it was generally: "Well, a friend of a friend of a friend had the same symptoms on his *different brand/year* car.... so, that's what I want done...... I always suggested that we simply tell the mechanic what the car/truck was doing, and let HIM suggest what may be wrong.... Most times, the customer would agree, the times that they simply insisted....... I would have a mechanic come up, change out whatever it was the customer wanted changed, while they watched, and send them on their way. They would invariably be back in a couple hours, with the same complaint, and a rather sheepish look. At that point, the mechanic would get paid diagnosis time, and then fix it right.

 

Even if there is no mis communication , it's makes no sense that diagnosing a heater core leak would cost 400 bucks. Unless of course, they are removing the dash and heater box to confirm. There's 400 right there. Then add parts, another 300(list price plus mark up). Now we have 700.