Newsgroups: rec.autos
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!wupost!cs.utexas.edu!hermes.chpc.utexas.edu!cfi.org!posms!rick
From: rick@posms.aus.tx.us (Rick Kirchhof)
Subject: Re: A/C Service Rip-off
References: <1993Apr23.155215.2838@chpc.utexas.edu>
Organization: Department of Redundancy Dept.
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 00:32:01 GMT
Message-ID: <C62EtE.1D2@posms.aus.tx.us>
Summary: That's the law in Austin
Lines: 28

In article <1993Apr23.155215.2838@chpc.utexas.edu> ivab015@chpc.utexas.edu (Albert Wu) writes:
>I went to a place called American Car Care Centers to check my car for A/C
>leak.  After "checking", I was told that there is a leak in the compressor
>seal.  At the end, in addition to the labor for the check, I was charged 12
>dollars for a pound of freon, although they evacuated my A/C afterwards
>because of the leak.  First, is it fair for him to charge me for a pound of
>freon ($12 plus tax) ?  Second, what can I do about this if this is unfair ?
>
>-- Albert Wu.

For the information of those not "lucky" enough to live in the city of
Austin, TX, if an auto a/c system is checked and found to have leaks,
it must be repaired at that time, or evacuated.  This is an ordinance
unique (I think) to the city of Austin.

Freon is subject to increasing taxes, but $12 is about 2X cost here.
Recovered freon is not required to be "purchased" from the car it is
withdrawn from.  As a matter of practice, some shops here are charging 
a recycling fee that is less than the cost of the freon removed if it 
is reintroduced to the system.

Just another quality service from an _Enviornmentally Conscious_ city.

-- 
Rick Kirchhof   Austin, Texas                   | Experience is what you
Domain: rick@posms.aus.tx.us                    | get when you don't
Bang path: .....!cfi.org!posms!rick             | get what you want.            
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