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I... er... WOW. Solved!
Feb. 18th, 2025 08:30 am Yesterday, I was feeling brave. After a quick consult with Shawn to make sure we agreed on what we would and would not accept, I picked up the phone and called back Tim from Turbo Tim's.
Tim sounded my age. I'm not sure why I felt this, but immediately I got the sense we were both young in the 1980s.
I initially thought things were going to not go well because, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tim started in on this long description of why rear wheel bearings are different from front wheel bearings. And, I thought, oh no. He's going to try to mansplain his way out of this. I listened (actually to keep myself from rudely cutting him off, I held the phone away from my ear) and when he wound down I asked, "Okay. I do actually have some knowledge of how cars work, but I appreciate your explanation. Is that all you are offering?"
He wanted to know if I would come back, ever, and accept some store credit and I said "absolutely not. I am not interested in store credit." We talked a little bit about trust at this point and I told him, "Tim, we are working back towards trust. If I am going to have any trust in you, it will depend on what you are willing to do to make this right."
At this point he wanted to know what he could do. What did I want? I told him that he could offer me a refund for the front wheel bearings. I wanted half the cost of the work. That was all I needed. $600.00.
For some reason he decided to argue with me? But what he argued was, "No, I think you deserve much more."
I will admit: this proposal stunned me into silence for a good half minute.
I managed to gather my wits and said, "Well, then offer me what you think I deserve." He then offered to refund the ENTIRE JOB. All $1,200.00 of it.
I accepted.
We kept talking (and by "we" at this point, I mean "he,") and I was a little confused by this. But, it dawned on me that what he really, sincerely seemed to want was some kind of assurance that I would remain his customer. I told him that was going to be difficult, but that he had really impressed me with the full refund. I also told him, several times, that Midway Turbo Tim's is a block and a half from my house, which is why I started going there. I also explained that I am a lesbian and so I appreciated his political stance on LGBTQIA+ "friendliness." I also like cats! But, it was going to take some time before I felt ready to go back, but, if it was important to him, I could tell him that it was POSSIBLE I might return for small jobs? It really is convenient, but it's also insanely unlikely: they done me wrong. REALLY WRONG. I didn't say that last bit out loud, so he seemed satisfied. (The extent to which this felt like an ex-boyfriend saying "just give me one more chance!!" was HIGH and also did not actually ingratiate me the way I think Tim intended. Like what woman hasn't had that One Guy who really, really needed assurances that he was still loved, even after he was a complete knucklehead or worse?)
Tim then really wanted to explain wheel bearings again, so I let him, and then he assured me that Sean at Midway Tim's would be calling with details about the refund.
Sean did NOT call. But, Sean did text the information to me. (I do not think Sean feels nearly the same desire to keep me as a customer. Tim in his long ramble did let slip that the Midway mechanic, foreman, and front desk all got "written up" over this fiasco. So, yeah, Tim, I think me going back to Midway Tim's would be met some MASSIVE hostility. They are not big fans of me right now over there.)
At least it seems as though things are resolved and a repayment is in process.
I am not closing out my BBB case file, however until the money is literally back in the bank.
So, I guess that's it.
Y'all, the Better Business Bureau for the win. I do not believe I could have gotten any action without the threat of a bad mark in the BBB. It makes some sense if Tim is my age (or near) because *I* thought of the Better Business Bureau immediately for recourse. I am still somewhat unconvinced that anyone younger than me even knows what the BBB is, exactly, or what they do and what it means to have a bad Better Business Bureau rating. But, in this case, it worked.
What are my brain cells supposed to do now? I've been obsessing and thinking about this for WEEKS!
Tim sounded my age. I'm not sure why I felt this, but immediately I got the sense we were both young in the 1980s.
I initially thought things were going to not go well because, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tim started in on this long description of why rear wheel bearings are different from front wheel bearings. And, I thought, oh no. He's going to try to mansplain his way out of this. I listened (actually to keep myself from rudely cutting him off, I held the phone away from my ear) and when he wound down I asked, "Okay. I do actually have some knowledge of how cars work, but I appreciate your explanation. Is that all you are offering?"
He wanted to know if I would come back, ever, and accept some store credit and I said "absolutely not. I am not interested in store credit." We talked a little bit about trust at this point and I told him, "Tim, we are working back towards trust. If I am going to have any trust in you, it will depend on what you are willing to do to make this right."
At this point he wanted to know what he could do. What did I want? I told him that he could offer me a refund for the front wheel bearings. I wanted half the cost of the work. That was all I needed. $600.00.
For some reason he decided to argue with me? But what he argued was, "No, I think you deserve much more."
I will admit: this proposal stunned me into silence for a good half minute.
I managed to gather my wits and said, "Well, then offer me what you think I deserve." He then offered to refund the ENTIRE JOB. All $1,200.00 of it.
I accepted.
We kept talking (and by "we" at this point, I mean "he,") and I was a little confused by this. But, it dawned on me that what he really, sincerely seemed to want was some kind of assurance that I would remain his customer. I told him that was going to be difficult, but that he had really impressed me with the full refund. I also told him, several times, that Midway Turbo Tim's is a block and a half from my house, which is why I started going there. I also explained that I am a lesbian and so I appreciated his political stance on LGBTQIA+ "friendliness." I also like cats! But, it was going to take some time before I felt ready to go back, but, if it was important to him, I could tell him that it was POSSIBLE I might return for small jobs? It really is convenient, but it's also insanely unlikely: they done me wrong. REALLY WRONG. I didn't say that last bit out loud, so he seemed satisfied. (The extent to which this felt like an ex-boyfriend saying "just give me one more chance!!" was HIGH and also did not actually ingratiate me the way I think Tim intended. Like what woman hasn't had that One Guy who really, really needed assurances that he was still loved, even after he was a complete knucklehead or worse?)
Tim then really wanted to explain wheel bearings again, so I let him, and then he assured me that Sean at Midway Tim's would be calling with details about the refund.
Sean did NOT call. But, Sean did text the information to me. (I do not think Sean feels nearly the same desire to keep me as a customer. Tim in his long ramble did let slip that the Midway mechanic, foreman, and front desk all got "written up" over this fiasco. So, yeah, Tim, I think me going back to Midway Tim's would be met some MASSIVE hostility. They are not big fans of me right now over there.)
At least it seems as though things are resolved and a repayment is in process.
I am not closing out my BBB case file, however until the money is literally back in the bank.
So, I guess that's it.
Y'all, the Better Business Bureau for the win. I do not believe I could have gotten any action without the threat of a bad mark in the BBB. It makes some sense if Tim is my age (or near) because *I* thought of the Better Business Bureau immediately for recourse. I am still somewhat unconvinced that anyone younger than me even knows what the BBB is, exactly, or what they do and what it means to have a bad Better Business Bureau rating. But, in this case, it worked.
What are my brain cells supposed to do now? I've been obsessing and thinking about this for WEEKS!