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View Full Version : Crooked State Inspection Stations



wchain
04-20-2005, 02:33 PM
So I took my company car (2005 Yukon XL) to a Local Goodyear station to get a state inspection today (it came from our Louisiana Office and I needed to get Texas Plates, and a Texas Registration).

This truck has 8500 miles on it. I pulled up and asked "Habib" (a middle eastern man)if he could do an inspection. He stated no problem. So he took my keys and insurance card, and handed it to "Jerry" to do the inspection. Then he told me it was $39.50, pass or fail.

Jerry came in and told me that my truck broke the machine, and I asked him what he meant. I went outside and the PC that does the inspection had overheated, and needed to rebooted. So while he rebooted, he started to talk to me about this and that. I stood there and Wathced Jerry (the caucasian guy with his name ON THE SHIRT) do my inspection.

He inspected everything, and then tested the Gas Cap, and he told me it failed. He tested it twice and told me it failed. So I told him ok, how much is a new gas cap.

Jerry : "A new gas cap is $29.00, and its expensive because its the OE Design...."
:nono:
Me: "Bull ***** Sir. You take that gas cap, and keep it. You fail me, and keep the $39.50. I'll take it somewhere else. I will NOT pay 29 dollars for a freakin gas cap" (turning red and making a scene in the Goodyear).

Jerry: OKay sir.

I take the truck to the GMC Dealer and ask them to inspect it, and check the cap since it failed.

The truck passed with no problem. The tech did the inspection in front of me and he goes.
"Yeah we get that a lot. There's an adapter you are supposed to use for the new style caps, but rather than use it, they just fail you and get you for a new gas cap. If you don't want the hassle, just buy a new gas cap before you get inspected, and return it after it passes, unless you need to use it."

Which was a good tip, but it was under warranty anyway. Oh and yes, the dealer price of a gas cap? $9.00....Autozone? $5.47.

So I take my 'fail' paperwork and call the Texas Dept. of Transportation Office, Inspection Complaint Department.

I inform the lady of what happened, and she goes on to tell me that "Jerry" is not a licensed inspector. On top of that, the inspection paperwork said that the Texas State Licensed inspectors Name was Habib Gheewala. Which was obviously NOT Jerry. Which is a big :nono: in Texas. You must be licensed to operate the State Inspection Machine.

She took a statement from me and then is coming to the office for an interview regarding this shady bunch. As well as my $39.50 refund..... Meanwhile, there were two DPS officers over there about 20 minutes ago with crow bars prying off the Texas State Inspection Placards off the side of the building! :rofl:

That was my day...LOL

HwyCruiser
04-20-2005, 02:52 PM
State vehicle inspections was one of the big reasons I moved across the state line from Missouri to Kansas. When they're not ripping you off they're tearing something up. What a scam.

BillyGman
04-20-2005, 02:52 PM
WOW!!! Way to go Wes......but there's something I don't understand here....if that place wasn't Licensed by the state, then where did you get their name and address from, and why did you go there? In my homestate, the MVD gives you a list of the places that you can go to. isn't that what they do in Texas?

wchain
04-20-2005, 03:08 PM
WOW!!! Way to go Wes......but there's something I don't understand here....if that place wasn't Licensed by the state, then where did you get their name and address from, and why did you go there? In my homestate, the MVD gives you a list of the places that you can go to. isn't that what they do in Texas?


The place was licensed, The inspector, Jerry, was NOT. He shouldnt be operating the machine.

BillyGman
04-20-2005, 03:12 PM
The place was licensed, The inspector, Jerry, was NOT. He shouldnt be operating the machine.AAAAHHHH..I got it....but that's pretty weak.....I mean what are you suppposed to do? Ask everyone who operates the machine when you go there if they're "Licensed" to operate it? That's so lame, because what's to stop them from simply telling you that they are even if they're not? Are you supposed to demand to see their License? They would probably find a way to fail you after that just for giving them a hard time. So it sounds to me that you can't win either way. What a rip-off.:rolleyes:

STLThunder
04-20-2005, 03:17 PM
State vehicle inspections was one of the big reasons I moved across the state line from Missouri to Kansas. When they're not ripping you off they're tearing something up. What a scam.

I live in Missouri and have had my cars inspected at the same dealership for 25 yrs. Never a problem.

wchain
04-20-2005, 03:27 PM
AAAAHHHH..I got it....but that's pretty weak.....I mean what are you suppposed to do? Ask everyone who operates the machine when you go there if they're "Licensed" to operate it? That's so lame, because what's to stop them from simply telling you that they are even if they're not? Are you supposed to demand to see their License? They would probably find a way to fail you after that just for giving them a hard time. So it sounds to me that you can't win either way. What a rip-off.:rolleyes:


Well, he's not an inspector. He happens to be an oil change jockey that knows how to use the machine. I guess the way they see it, is you must be trained to know what to look for. What if he inspected a car with 4 bald tires, and went out and hydroplaned, killing someone. Who's liable? THe station for stating the car was fit for road operation? Or the state for letting some idiot put a sticker on it....Anyway, ita rip off racket....THere are places here that make money doig only Inspections, i.e. QUicker Sticker and places like that.

jgc61sr2002
04-20-2005, 03:37 PM
Wes - Nice job, way to go. :up:

DEFYANT
04-20-2005, 04:11 PM
In Md you get it safety inspected when you buy the car, thats it. Even then they try to dick with you.

My ole pick up was a joke. I know the game they play so I figured, I need tires anyway so I bought 4 new all terrain tires for $500, thinking "ok now there should not be any BS". Alas this would not be. They gave me a hard time about the exhaust system on the truck. Tried to fail me they did. But when I produced a receipt from the previous owner detailing the job they did on the exhaust the year before, they happily passed it.

All I do now is let all my friends know about this shoddy biz and steer as much work away that I can.

twolow
04-20-2005, 04:17 PM
Sounds like a shop Boss Hogg and Rosco would be running ;)

Petrograde
04-20-2005, 05:39 PM
Thats awesome Wes! :up: lousy bastages! I hope Habib gets his crooked ass deported.

Donny Carlson
04-20-2005, 06:15 PM
With No State In-spec-tion Fees
Cause We Don't have No Inspection here
POS's far as you can see

No E-Missions
No testing for you or me

Cause I Come from Alabammy
with no state in-spec-tion fees!

HwyCruiser
04-20-2005, 06:41 PM
With No State In-spec-tion Fees
Cause We Don't have No Inspection here
POS's far as you can see

No E-Missions
No testing for you or me

Cause I Come from Alabammy
with no state in-spec-tion fees!

Same in Kansas. The hwy patrol just checks that the VINs match when you register for the first time and then it's mail-in renewals after that. :up:

Rob1559
04-20-2005, 07:44 PM
State inspections are nothing more than REVENUE GENERATORS for the state. We are lucky in Ohio that there is no inspection. In Cincinnati they steal money by requiring E-Check for emissions. The E-Check stations can be paid off with a bribe to "pass" if need be.

MENINBLK
04-20-2005, 08:29 PM
For the first TWO YEARS, Safety and Emissions inspections are GUARANTEED by your vehicle manufacturer.
You shouldn't be taking it anywhere else.
If they find something wrong, its under warranty ANYWAY !!!
Your total cost = $39.50 whether it passes or fails, and you don't get it back until its fixed...

dwasson
04-20-2005, 09:12 PM
When I lived in Nebraska we said that the inspection sticker was $10 with an inspection and $20 without.

rayjay
04-20-2005, 09:28 PM
Well, he's not an inspector. He happens to be an oil change jockey that knows how to use the machine. I guess the way they see it, is you must be trained to know what to look for. What if he inspected a car with 4 bald tires, and went out and hydroplaned, killing someone. Who's liable? THe station for stating the car was fit for road operation? Or the state for letting some idiot put a sticker on it.
The manager of a chain muffler/brake/suspension shop in our county was put before a grand jury and indicted, because a car he had inspected and certified safe ran over and killed a 7 year old little girl getting off a school bus at her home. Supposedly the brakes failed. The car was inspected less than a week before the accident. There is alot more too it than that, but thats the reason safety inspections are important.

Now , emissions inspections are a whole other BS, mongolian cluster **** with stars and acorns. I want to know when someone is going to come out here and inspect the local farmer that just sprayed who knows how many tons of liquid manure on his fields. Maybe our esteemed law makers should come out here and take a good wiff of that.

LordVader
04-21-2005, 09:06 AM
:cool: Good kill Wes! There are a lot of stations like this all across Texas. They have the placard outside and the guy licensed to do the inspections is busy or off, and the oil change jockey knows how to run the machine and he's the one who gives you the thumbs up or down. I had one tell me one time my old Mercedes wouldn't rev high enough (rev limiter) to give a good reading.

Ross
04-22-2005, 02:19 PM
I remember the old days when they used to check your headlight aim. Even if the car was perfect, you were guaranteed to have to pay a couple of bucks to have your headlight aim adjusted.