ComplaintsforMurphy's Small Engine Repair

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a BRAND NEW champion rototiller from ********** in April of 2023. Upon using it for the very first time, new out of the box, it wouldn't work. I contacted *********** because it was still under warranty. They told me I needed to go to Murphy's power equipment (they handle product warranties for **********) to diagnose the problem and fix it. On 05/24/2023, I dropped my rototiller off at Murphy's power equipment. After I dropped it off, I had not received a phone call of any kind from the business until 11 MONTHS LATER, on 4/25/2024. They called to tell me that my machine was ready and that I owed them $206.00 for repairs to my rototiller that they created by having it sit in their shop for 11 months. I called back asking why it took 11 months for them to call me back and they had no answer, besides that they were waiting for a part on back order since June of 2023. I asked why I had to pay if it was covered under warranty and they told me the carburetor was not covered under warranty and the carborator was bad due to old gas sitting in the carborator and fuel lines. The gas went bad from SITTING IN THEIR GARAGE FOR ALMOST A YEAR!!!!! After going back and forth with one of the owners and them placing the blame on the customer they said they would just charge me $75 for a new carborator. I am not going to pay for something they broke while they should have been fixing my machine. I wouldn't have needed a new carborater if they didn't take 11 months to fix the original problem. They are extremely unprofessional, and their business is being poorly run. Trying to scam people out of money.

  Customer response

  05/06/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  Business response

  05/09/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to give our side of the story to this confusing complaint. First off we are very proud of our A+ rating with the BBB. It is only every 5 or 6 years unfortunately that we fail to make every customer happy and have a complaint like this. This complaint by *********************** is first and fore most a scam on her part. I use that term because that is what she said about us. She would like a refund of $75.oo However, her husband picked up the machine at NO CHARGE. Again the customers machine was completely ************************ and she was charged absolutely nothing out of pocket. Quick back story, we are a small engine repair shop that s family owned. We are not a dealer nor do we sell any equipment at all. She purchased this machine from a local *********** We did not make a ***** off of the sale of this unit nor did we solicit her to come into our shop. When her machine stopped working, ************** Equipment sent her to us as we are the only authorized warranty service center in her area. She dropped off the machine without a sales receipt which she did not have. We diagnosed and repaired her machine. She had 2 issues. The first was an ignition problem that we were able to cover under the manufacture warranty. The 2nd was a carburetor issue which the manufacture does not cover. No manufactures cover fuel or service related issues. Some cover carburetors within the first 30 days but again without her providing proof of date of purchase we attempted to charge her for the work that was not covered that was replacing her carburetor that was not working properly. When we called her to pick up her machine she claimed that we lied and said on the first two occasions her voicemail was full. Well she said that her voicemail is never full and we were lying. I can only say that either way we have no reason to make that up as we were trying to get her to pick up her machine and pay for her portion of the repair. Anyways when she finally did call us back she flat out refused to pay for anything claiming that she shouldn't have to pay based on how long the repairs took. I tried to explain that the part had been on factory backorder and we have no control over those delays. I broke down what was covered and what was not and again she said she wouldn't pay. Her husband showed up and also refused to pay and in fact threatening me with calling the BBB and Yelp and whoever else he could bash us with a bad review. At that point the little bit of money she owed us is far less important than our stellar reputation and A+ rating and I had the husband sign off that he picked up the machine repaired at NO CHARGE OUT OF POCKET! So she is in fact trying to pull a scam if she is claiming wanting a refund as I have documentation he signed that she did not pay us a ***** for all of the work we did. I hope that helps to clarify what actually happened. WE clearly try to help everyone to the absolute best of our ability that show we have been able to be open for 56 years, unfortunately sometimes there will just be that one person you can not satisfy even if you give them the service they need FREE OF CHARGE.

  Customer response

  05/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]

   

  first off, I do not feel as this company was civil and professional in their response. Also, I did show up with proof of purchase and showed it to the gentleman that handled my service. Whether he decided to do with it after the fact I have no control over. I should also note that I also did not receive any form or service receipt or service order when dropping off my machine. I also didnt go there in my own choosing. Like the employee said due to the warranty from champion power equipment I was forced to go to a repair shop that champion dealt with. Murphys being the only shop in my area. I also would like to note the carburetor should have never been and issue if it wasnt for the neglect of the repair shop taking 11 months to fix a small problem.  There response is rediculous. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  Business response

  05/24/2024

  In brief response to ************************* rebuttal.  I would first like to say that the complaint was sent asking for a refund of $75.00. We tried to make it very clear that customer was not charged and got the machine back repaired at no charge. So obviously asking for a "refund" when no money was paid to us was completely unacceptable. I would very much like to apologize if she thought my response was unprofessional, it most certainly was not meant to be. We are a small family business that has been around since 1968 in the same location and we have only survived that long through our excellent reputation, especially with institutions like the BBB who we have had an A+ rating with as long as I can remember. When responding to the complaint, I was simply trying to touch on the points that I thought were important. So again I apologize to *********************. Thank you for the opportunity to respond and apologize. 

  Customer response

  06/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  The companys apology would go a lot further if they actually apologized to me directly instead of through the BBB. Id also like to note that the company does not have a good reputation. If you look on Yelp a majority of the companies reviews were the exact same problem I had. The company holding people machines for as long as they want with no communication and then telling them they cant pick their machine up unless paying at least $50. Also, none of the reviews on there are from me personally. Although, due to my warranty through ********** and being forced to go to ********, I really wish I read the reviews beforehand. I then would have notified ********** the type of company they are working with. 
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

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