So here's the story:
I had an appointment at 1pm today at Meineke Car Care Center in Carboro for an oil change. I had planned on stopping by the bank on the way there, but left late and wasn't able to. I get to the place, give him my keys and start to head out the door when I realize I left my wallet at home. Thinking out loud, I said that I just remembered I had cash in the car that I would pay with. I then got in my girlfriends car and headed to lunch. About an hour later I came back and went to get the money out of the door pocket of my car, and realized $40 was missing. I just sold a tablet a few days ago, and had gotten paid a couple hundred dollars (all in 20s). Before I left my apartment in the morning I actually got out the money and recounted it to make sure it was all there (who doesn't like counting big wads of cash) and put it in a little pocket thing folds out of the drivers side door (it closes into the door, so they had to open it to even see the money). 100% sure it was there when I left, and I didn't open it again until I went to get out the money for the oilchange.

I confronted the manager about it. He checked the cameras, but was unable to determine anything. They called the owner, who said to give me $40 out of the register. They did so, apologized, and sent me on my way.

Now I know it was stupid to leave money in the car, even though it was out of sight. And it was dumb to tell the manager i had cash in my car that i was obliviously leaving there. And I did get my money back after waiting around for almost an hour.

My question, what would you do from here? Do I just forget about it? Call corporate office, or slam them online in reviews? Naturally I'm still ticked off. What would you do if you were me?

7/24/2012 5:02:03 PM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/24/2012 5:07:22 PM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/24/2012 5:09:48 PM

Is Meineke sketchy? I have never heard much about them, but I took my car there for an oil change and tire rotation last year. They told me they'd rotated my tires for free (charging me for the lower tier of oil change that doesn't include it) and I later realized they didn't actually rotate them. Since I hadn't actually paid for it I wasn't too terribly pissed but said I wasn't going to go back there.

7/24/2012 5:10:38 PM

What he said. If I'm the manager, I tell you to fuck off. Pray they didn't piss in your gas tank.

7/24/2012 5:10:41 PM

Dude gave you $40 that you can't prove you ever had and you're complaining? What the hell man.

7/24/2012 5:12:35 PM

They gave you your money back and apologized with little to no proof other than your word. I mean they have to guard against people just coming in looking for a payout with a sob story about "missing" money that never was. Why would you want to slam them in an online review or pursue it further? They probably did more than they should have already.

7/24/2012 5:12:48 PM

Who leaves cash in their car? That's just asking for a crackhead to break in and root around, trying to steal $5.

7/24/2012 5:35:40 PM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/24/2012 5:37:08 PM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/24/2012 5:46:43 PM

Quote :

"My question, what would you do from here? Do I just forget about it? Call corporate office, or slam them online in reviews? Naturally I'm still ticked off. What would you do if you were me? "

What????? You're lucky you got your $ back. It was your fault for leaving it in there in the first place. Don't act like there aren't signs posted...plus it just boils down to common sense at some point.

Leave it alone.


also:

7/24/2012 6:15:57 PM

If anything I give them a good review for giving the money back on good faith

if it was stolen, I don't know what a bad review would really solve, one guy took the money and it's not like he represents the company as a whole

7/24/2012 6:19:43 PM

When you realize that you spent $40 on something and forgot about it will you drive back up there and give them their money back?

7/24/2012 6:47:37 PM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/24/2012 6:51:55 PM

did you get to see the footage?

i am always wary about this when i get my oil changed. items not so much, because it would be very easy to bust the culprit, but you can bet any actual money is coming with me.

the owner probably thought the 40 dollars was worth somebody not causing a stink, whether be believed you or not. or, maybe this isn't the first complaint.

7/24/2012 7:28:18 PM

Quote :

"Dude gave you $40 that you can't prove you ever had and you're complaining? What the hell man."

7/24/2012 7:33:21 PM

It's only $40. Just let it be.

7/24/2012 7:45:37 PM

did he let you see the video?

7/24/2012 7:48:33 PM

^ I, too, am interested in this. No way the owner forked over $40 unless he was pretty damn sure you were telling the truth.

He has either received complaints about this employee in the past or he caught the guy red handed on camera and covered for him. Easier to pay $40 and discretely fire the guy tomorrow than to have the police visit his place of business and arrest an employee in front of other customers.

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 7:50 PM. Reason : s]

7/24/2012 7:49:24 PM

No I didn't see the video

7/24/2012 7:55:57 PM

if they hadn't given it to me then i'd probably have been up their asses about it, but they did so just move on and never go back there ever again. maybe write a bad review about them somewhere. or a nasty e-mail to corporate just to get it all out of your system. whatever.

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 8:23 PM. Reason : ]

7/24/2012 8:23:46 PM

If this was in Chit Chat I'd be sure it was a troll attempt.

7/24/2012 8:25:46 PM

Quote :

"Dude gave you $40 that you can't prove you ever had and you're complaining? What the hell man."

and I'm with ^^^^. I expect that he's handling shit on his end. What more do you want? This is, like, pretty close to the best possible outcome for the situation.

7/24/2012 8:41:50 PM

if he didn't let you see the video, that changes everything imo.

7/24/2012 9:00:54 PM

Quote :

"This is, like, pretty close to the best possible outcome for the situation."

7/24/2012 9:16:01 PM

If I got cash back, that I couldn't prove I'd left in the first place - I'd be thanking my lucky stars that someone was kind enough to 'do the right thing' and refund it.

The need to create any drama past that point in senseless.
Move on....

7/24/2012 9:26:34 PM

Where you able to overhear the conversation between the manager and the owner?

I would think that if the manager viewed something sketchy on the security cameras, he would say something to the owner about it.

If you were not able to view the security footage and not able to overhear the conversation between the manager and the owner, then the manager probably did view something sketchy on the camera

[Edited on July 24, 2012 at 9:27 PM. Reason : f]

7/24/2012 9:27:08 PM

you kid stole it. face it.

7/24/2012 9:40:54 PM

if he did see one of his employees taking the money, it's in his best interest to handle it internally instead of putting his business at risk. He took care of it on your end (gave you the money no questions asked) and most likely disciplined the employee on his own. (assuming he saw the money being taken)

if he DIDN'T see anything, then they are giving you the benefit of the doubt and offering excellent customer service. either way, i don't see any benefit to you in pushing the issue.

7/24/2012 10:24:08 PM

Agree with most of the other comments here. It does sound like the owner saw something sketchy and handled it internally. If not, he gave you the benefit of the doubt. Either way you should be glad with the way it turned out, far from posting a bad review or calling corporate. Yes, you had to wait around while they looked into it, but consider that your cost of leaving the $ in the car while in the care of strangers.

7/24/2012 11:32:32 PM

you should be lucky the owner even gave you the $40 back since you had no proof

7/25/2012 12:16:59 AM

I was 90% sure a guy at Just Tires took my really nice pair of sun glasses, then I got home and found them on my table.

But, it is slightly odd he didn't seem to put up much resistance to giving you money.

I agree with others, this is your best outcome.

7/25/2012 1:10:19 AM

Money stolen and returned at Oil Change

7/25/2012 1:13:35 AM

As far as leaving reviews...you were lucky and should be grateful that the issue was solved so easily. You should commend management for that. HOWEVER, what people have failed to mention is that there is obviously at least one shady mother fucker working there. I would see nothing wrong with leaving a review about that, as long as you tell the full story.

7/25/2012 2:20:35 AM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.


never return there either, they don't forget.

7/25/2012 6:43:40 AM

i had a coworker in an auto shop that would steal half of any drugs he found in the car. nobody ever complained to the manager

7/25/2012 7:29:29 AM

^ hah, i commend that guy

7/25/2012 8:54:47 AM

Quote :

"If this was in Chit Chat I'd be sure it was a troll attempt."

7/25/2012 9:54:04 AM

Notice how the OP has yet to retort. My money's on him writing a stern letter to the BBB then posting it here for us to laud his intuitiveness and guile.

7/25/2012 10:02:49 AM

What I wouldn't have done was post this on TWW.

7/25/2012 10:06:34 AM

Be happy you got your money back. My sunglasses got stolen in a store while I was trying stuff on and the manager wouldn't even talk with me. I was the only customer in the store.

7/25/2012 10:06:58 AM

Quote :

"never return there either, they don't forget."

Good advice. Consider your dealings there closed and get serviced elsewhere in the future.

7/25/2012 10:07:23 AM

I say set them up with a hidden webcam. Leave a stack of 20's in plain sight and catch them in the act Chris Hansen style.

[Edited on July 25, 2012 at 11:52 AM. Reason : Oh wait...this isn't Chit Chat. n/m, Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.]

7/25/2012 11:50:47 AM

Quote :

"What I wouldn't have done was post this on TWW."

7/25/2012 12:18:01 PM

What's wrong with posting this on TWW. Its not like they don't already have all my info.

No I didnt see the video the manager was looking over. When the manager called the owner, he stepped into the back room where he was watching the camera, so I couldn't hear what was going on. However the conversation didn't last more than 30 seconds.

And no, I haven't done anything since I posted this. I realize that I was very lucky and applaud the management for handling it. However, as someone stated before, that means there is an employee there who will go through your car and steal something if he wants it. And if he did it to me there is no way that this is the first time he has done it, just maybe the first time he's been caught.

7/25/2012 1:24:22 PM

I'd call this time to learn to change your own oil.

Nobody touches my car. Not for anything, save tires and inspections. And shit gets locked down. I trust nobody. I have a hard time trusting my good friends who are gearheads. Yes, I'm a control freak.

7/25/2012 10:22:54 PM

Quote :

"And if he did it to me there is no way that this is the first time he has done it, just maybe the first time he's been caught."

Yeah...he probably does it to the other dumbasses that leave cash in their cars in situations like this. And every single other auto-shop will have employees that do the same thing. Don't leave cash in your car when you get it serviced.

7/25/2012 10:26:03 PM

Quote :

"No I didnt see the video the manager was looking over. When the manager called the owner, he stepped into the back room where he was watching the camera, so I couldn't hear what was going on. However the conversation didn't last more than 30 seconds."

If thats the case then the manager probably did see something shady on the security footage.

7/26/2012 9:58:27 AM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/26/2012 11:25:56 AM

Forget about it and be happy that you got your money back.

7/26/2012 11:29:43 AM