Sticker Shock

A few weeks ago I was cleaning house and vacuuming when I started to smell that rubber on fire, smoking smell that it makes when the belt is shot. I'm sure y'all have smelled it at one time or another! Well the last time it happened I took it over to the repair shop across the street from the house and the nice man looked at it, and replaced the belt at no charge. Different story this time. Not only did it need a new belt but the dog got a hold of my washable filter and ate it while I was cleaning it! I figured I would just go buy a new one and be done with it. Not as easy as I thought it would be, that shop closed down so I had to find a new shop.

I go through the phone book and find the nearest one and I take the stupid thing along with me just in case, drive the 15 minutes to get there (with all 3 kids mind you) and lug it into the shop. The young kid greets me and is very friendly. He helps me out as well as he can (didn't know crap) and offers me a filter that isn't even the right one, but "it will work". He also offers to replace the belt for me. I'm thinking, ok this isn't too bad and then he gives me the price quote. I almost choked on my tongue and my eyeballs about exploded from my skull. $75.00!!! I didn't even pay that much for the freakin vacuum!!! I politely tell him no thanks, I can change the belt on my own and I would rather find the correct filter if I'm going to pay that price (it cost $32.00). I told him that I would just buy the 3 pack of belts and be gone. Ummm they charged me $21.00 for the belts!!!!!!!!!!!!! I headed home fuming and feeling really ripped off and you know what, I was right. The hubby and I went to Lowes awhile later and I found the belts for $1.25 each and the CORRECT filter for $12.00. I. was. pissed. It took me 5 minutes to change the belt and I could have spent less on all of it if I had just gone to Lowes in the first place.

As we were driving home from Lowes I started to call that rip off shop to complain and the hubby told me to let it go. I didn't even get to attempt to get my money back. So the moral of the story is........stay the hell away from repair shops unless absolutely necessary.