the Midas touch

How can Midas install brakes for $39.95 and guarantee them for life?
There has to be a catch, some snag, like with the Monkey's Paw theory.
Anyone know what the catch is?
Thanks
Scout

 

Low paid workers.

Cheap parts from Taiwan.

You pay for 'extra' parts.

They bet the average driver is leasing the car, thus only needs brakes
once in the time they own it...

 

Don't forget that they do an "inspection" and look for other work when you
come back in for your "free" pad replacement....+ they charge for hardware,
etc...

As a former Midas tech....I am telling you...stay away...

Either find a decent neighbourhood mechanic, or fork out the dough for the
dealer....I am all for the former...

R.

 

thanks - good advice is always appreciated!
Scout

 

THe $39.95 is for parts or labor only. Forget which but watch the ad again.
It's perfectly feasable given that. Generally when I have work I hate doing
(like exhaust) I go there myself.
Larry

 

1. They expect that most people won't keep the car long enough for them to
have to replace the pads, the guarantee is not "for life" it's for as long
as you own the car.

2. They use very low end parts, that don't cost them much, and they pay
their employees very little.

3. The $39.95 almost certainly does not include turning the rotors, they
will likely charge at least $20 per rotor to turn them.

4. They are counting on selling you new rotors, either at the time of
service, or time of replacement.

5. They are counting on selling you calipers, either at the time of service,
or the time of warramty pad replacement.

6. On most cars, replacement of pads or shoes is a very quick job, no more
than an hour. So with a parts cost of about $3-5, the $35 for an hour of
shop time isn't a big loss for them.

7. They are hoping to sell you shocks, struts, a muffler, a catalytic
converter, tires, etc.

8. They will try to sell you upgraded pads for a higher price.

9. They will try to sell you anti-squeal devices or goop.

In general, an offer of a lifetime warranty from any vendor of parts or
services is a good way to know that you should avoid that vendor.

 

Comments below.

Bob

The Midas radio commercials in my area (Chicago, IL) advertise the lifetime
warranty is transferrable to whoever purchases your vehicle so this is not
as you state. (I've never used Midas and do them myself so don't know what
the catch is either...)

No comment as no experience.

I agree. Or more if they need to replace them as will likely be the case.

yes, seems likely this is the stratgy

Again, yes, I agree

I don't know how you estimated $3-5 cost for brake pads. I pay about $80
for my ceramic pads whihc list at close to $100 and even the cheapest pads
are priced in the $50 range at the local auto parts store. I seriously
doubt the $3-5 cost is an accurate estimate. I'd estimate that even the
cheapest pads Midas could find would cost $20-$25.

Yes, yes!

No experience so can't comment.

I do not agree. It just means you need to do your homework and be aware of
how they will try to "upscope" you while you are there!

 

Easy. I'm pretty sure the tv ad says in white writing that installation is
extra.

 

The Midas web site has the $39.95 deal, but it explicitly states that it's
for "as long as you own your car."
http://www.midas.com/promotions/coupon-39brakes-thru1113.html

So obviously the Chicago franchises have a different deal. The offer also
states "plus installation." Does the offer in Chicago include installation?
$39.95 can buy some pretty good brake pads. Installation is likely to be at
least $75 without rotor turning.

I do have the experience, unfortunately, though not with brake pads.

A real mechanic will likely save you money. First, he'll use better pads, at
a higher initial cost. Second, he'll be more willing to resurface good
rotors instead of just selling you new ones (on most cars, the rotors are
thick enough to be resurfaced at least once, and usually more times than
that, though early Saturns had very thin rotors that could not be resurfaced
even once). Third, he'll be less likely to tell you to change the brakes
before they need changing. Fourth, he'll be less likely to try to sell you
unneeded parts, such as calipers and other bits and pieces. Fifth, he'll do
the job right the first time.

The lifetime warranty for the Midas brake job is only on parts. Every time
the parts need changing you have to pay. So poorer quality parts mean more
frequent parts changes.

It isn't just on brakes that lifetime warranties are usually a rip-off. Look
at alternators. They warranty the part, but not the labor, and not the
inconvenience of being stranded. The parts are very poor. If you can change
it yourself then it may not be so bad, but if you're paying a mechanic to
change it, it is usually a bad deal.

JC Penney did have a lifetime warranty on car batteries to the original
owner. JC Penney still honors this warranty, more than two decades after the
product was no longer offered, and despite the fact that JC Penney no longer
even has auto service or sells auto parts. I guess since JC Penney is still
in business, the warranty continues, and JC Penney has decided to reimburse
Firestone car care centers (who bought the car repair business from J.C.
Penney) to provide warranty replacement (rather than have people haul old
car batteries into the department store). People that put these batteries
into their classic cars are still reaping the rewards.

I did know a guy with a 1963 Cadillac who got replacement transmissions
every few years from Aamco. But most of these lifetime warranties have a
clause where they are allowed to give you back the money from the initial
purchase, rather than fix it.

 

On the flip side, Tektronix no longer honors their 'lifetime' warrenty
on oscilloscope transformers, even though there's plenty of 400 and 500
series scopes out there. They claim that the products are 'beyond their
useful lives' even though they work just ducky. I motherfucking hate
them for that - I'll NEVER buy a Tek scope (not like the new ones are
any good)

BTW, Snap-On really DOES mean lifetime on their handtools - my dad's
replaced 30+ year old stuff that's broken...

 

Unfortunately, you're stuck with Tek scopes, the competition is much
worse. I used to have Tektronix as a customer when I worked at my
previous semiconductor company, and they were pretty good to work
with. One of their concerns was always how long a specific part would
be manufactured, because they tended to not make major changes in the
products.