Schmidt & Shaw Ltd.

Unnecessary Repairs I brought my vehicle in for a safety certification. I was surprised to hear that new brake pads were required, given that they had been replaced thre I brought my vehicle in for a safety certification. I was surprised to hear that new brake pads were required, given that they had been replaced three months earlier at another service center. I told them that I would forego the repairs and that I would take the vehicle back to where the pads had been previously replaced. When I did, the owner put my vehicle on the hoist, took the wheels off and called me in to show me that the pads were virtually like new. I called Schmidt and Shaw and told them what I was seeing. After a few minutes on hold, I was told that the contact of the pad on the wheel drum did not meet industry standards. I asked what that standard was and was put back on hold for several minutes. Finally, I was told that the minimum contact was 75%, a figure the manager didn't know, but had to find out. With my car still on the hoist, it was clear that the contact was very close to 100%. When I told the manager that he said he would be happy to take it for a test drive with me. I went back to Schmidt and Shaw, where the manager took the vehicle out with me. At one point, he said he felt a vibration as he was braking hard while travelling at 90km/hr. (no kidding ! ) When we got back to Schmidt and Shaw, he said that because of the vibration and the fact that they always worked to exceed industry standards, he stood firm on the repairs required. He did, however, offer to "work with me" on the price of repairs. I paid the fee for the safety inspection and left. The car was certified three hours later at another location with no repairs required. It was clear to me that the recommended repairs were baseless and only there to generate cost. I wonder if this is an ongoing business practice at Schmidt and Shaw. More