One of the most expensive services you pay for is the auto mechanic. You also have to ensure your trust with them since a car is one of the most expensive investments you can make.

I’ve been using the Pep Boys location in Piscataway NJ as my mechanic of choice for the past little while since moving to Edison because of their convenient hours and the coupons I get in the mail. However, I think it’s time to say goodbye.

Ever since management changed in the service department, it seems like my customer service experience has been lacking. I’m not talking about huge crimes against humanity, but it’s enough where I’m just over taking my car there.

For one, I don’t have the trusted mechanic relationship that I had with my old mechanic on Long Island. The only thing I’ve been told is that I always bring my Kindle in to read while waiting for my car to get done. That’s their way of knowing me. Even though they do show me the parts and what they’ll fix, I’ve never felt the trust. I feel like I get cheated out of money every time I go and they always try to oversell me on services that might not exactly be necessary.

Also, there have been several smaller things in the last few visits that have ticked me off. I was told 2-3 hours for my car to be finished and it took 4. I also got a flat tire recently and was told that I didn’t have road hazard coverage. Maybe if it was offered to me, I would have taken it and saved $200.

The biggest thing is the horrific conditions of the bathroom. Here are a couple of photos of the bathroom as it was the last time I was there, which is the same as it was a few months ago.

There’s no toilet seat attached! How is it possible for a place where people wait AND spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars, does NOT have a toilet seat in the bathroom? Is this really the representation that you want to give customers who wait for their car to be fixed?

On top of that, the sink and entire bathroom, including the seatless toilet, is grimy at best. I know it’s a mechanic and I know that it’s not known to be the cleanest place on Earth, but it’s also a store.

You would think that a chain like Pep Boys would be cleaner. I guess it doesn’t come as a shock that it’s not. However, these photos were taken early in the morning, when I assume the bathroom would have been cleaned before the store was closed.

Or at least the toilet seat would be reattached.

In conclusion, I’ve given up on this Pep Boys. My fiancée goes to Quality Auto and I’ve taken my car there before also. I’ve received good service, but the hours were never convenient and that’s why I stopped. I think I’m going to start going there again.

What was your experience at the Piscataway NJ Pep Boys or at your local Pep Boys? Let me know in the comments below!