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Weight Watchers Narrator
This is the new Weight watchers built for real life and real results no matter what mode you're in. Maddie went all in for her big day and lost 33 pounds. Emily lost 85 pounds and hit her goal while still living her life.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Weight watchers gave me the tools and I feel amazing.
Weight Watchers Narrator
Join the millions of members and lose weight with the number one doctor recommended weight loss program. Lose more at weight watchers.com@6months Participants in
Weight Watchers Clinical Trial Voice
a clinical trial of weight watchers program lost an average of £12.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
The Birch show the reporter we had, it was Wendy Saltzman from CBS Atlanta who was in here yesterday and she told us about this report that they were going to air last night where they hid these tiny little cameras in cars and the cars were healthy, fine and took them into different garages and mechanics and you know, like quick oil change places and said can you take a look at this and tell me what it needs?
Co-Host or Commentator
Well, actually it wasn't. She was going in, they said we just need an oil change and they wanted to see what the mechanic was going to come back with. Yeah, because the car one didn't need an oil change and didn't need anything and they wanted to see what the mechanics were going to come back with and what they're going to try to sell them and whether you can trust your mechanic or not.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
We have to pick up Joe on the voice disguiser. Joe is a mechanic and before we play this audio, I haven't heard the audio yet. Josh has heard the CBS Atlanta audio from last night and says it's pretty interesting and a little bit disturbing if you have to take your car in for work. Joe is a mechanic. Hey, Joe.
Joe the Mechanic
Hey, how's it going? Burcho.
Caller Davis
Good morning.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Good, you're on the voice disguiser.
Joe the Mechanic
Okay, good. I just had a comment. I work for a well known mechanic shop and our owner says there's always three things wrong with a car whether there is or not. You just have to find it and sell it.
Co-Host or Commentator
Really?
Caller or Commentator
Always three things. So what's the most typical three things that you would say?
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
What's an easy one?
Joe the Mechanic
An easy one is windshield wipers, brakes, coolant, flush.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
So you will even if somebody's wipers are perfectly fine or could just be made good with just being wiped off, you'll say, well, you gotta replace your wipers because that's your boss's mandate.
Joe the Mechanic
Yeah, yeah. Even if they're fine.
Weight Watchers Clinical Trial Voice
Wow.
Joe the Mechanic
Brakes. Brakes, too. If you're getting four tires, they always tell you to try to sell brakes.
Co-Host or Commentator
Yeah. Because, I mean, we talked about this yesterday. Most people don't know even how their car works. They know that you put the key in the ignition and that's all you do. And so somebody said that my coolant needs flushing. I'll be like, oh, really? Okay. You know, sure.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Do you have.
Co-Host or Commentator
Charge me.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Do you have either something that you've done or something that you've witnessed? What would be the biggest discrepancy? Like somebody coming into the garage for a $40 service. Whatever. Whatever needs to be done. And they walked out spending thousands. Have you witnessed anything that significant?
Joe the Mechanic
Well, I've witnessed someone coming in for a 1999 oil change and leaving with about $800 worth of transmission service and radiator flushes, brakes.
Caller or Commentator
And that was all. Yeah, unneeded.
Joe the Mechanic
Yeah, unneeded.
Co-Host or Commentator
Wow, that's awesome.
Joe the Mechanic
See, the way the mechanics work is it doesn't show up because they said they get paid by the hour, but whatever mechanic sells the most service parts, they get bonuses.
Caller or Commentator
Do you not feel bad for doing that to somebody?
Joe the Mechanic
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I have to keep a job.
Caller or Commentator
If you don't do that, will you be fired?
Joe the Mechanic
Oh, yeah. If you don't put up numbers, you lose your job.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Wow. Thanks for the call, Joe.
Co-Host or Commentator
Wow. So you get a commission on the services you sell.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hey, Emily. Welcome to the show.
Caller Emily
Yeah, I went to car mechanic on Lenox Road about a month and a half ago for a routine oil change. Was told that I needed to replace all four tires, which I had just replaced a month before. Was told I needed a complete brake system for $3,000, which had been done six months before. Was told I needed a coolant and radiator flush. And the kicker was I was told I needed to replace my front and back windshield wipers, which then I started to laugh at the guy because I
Caller Susanna
don't have back windshield wipers.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
That's funny.
Caller Emily
And There was about 10 people in the waiting room, and I said to the guy, you know, you would have gotten any girl who walked in the door today with all that until you told her she needed back windshield wipers, and then you just lost the sale.
Caller or Commentator
So did you tell all the people in the waiting room?
Caller Emily
I said it in front of all them. One guy stood up and started clapping. For me.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
That's awesome.
Co-Host or Commentator
Good for you.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Random applause is always good. So this is. These are some clips from CBS Atlanta last night. This is Wendy's report. So, Wendy, we'll just. I haven't heard these yet, so let's just play them in order. The first one is 52 Express Lube.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
CBS Atlanta News took this car to be inspected by our station mechanic at WT Stander. Then we rigged the car with three hidden cameras before we put it back on the road. We mounted one here in the front, one here underneath the bumper in back. The final one was hidden here in the hood up front. Our producers then took the car into 10 repair shops to get an oil change.
Weight Watchers Narrator
What's really necessary today?
Weight Watchers Testimonial
And we were upsold at five of the ten stores we visited. Everything is necessary at Express Lube. En ponce, we were sold an air filter, power steering flush and a coolant flush that our mechanic said we didn't need. And a rear differential service that Express Lube said was needed based on mileage. The differential is the set of gears that transfers the power from the transmission to the tires. The total bill was $275.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
So actually, technically, I'm trying to save you as much money as I can.
Caller Emma
Wow.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
They can upsell you to like 400 bucks and then chop $100 off it and make it seem like you're getting a great deal. Number 53.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Our next stop, Express Lube and Dunwoody. They sold us a rear and front differential and a transfer case. Service fluids need to be changed down.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Okay. Drained and improved.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
They should have been able to inspect the rear differential fluid to see that it was clean. We had it changed at their Atlanta store the day before. And they never did some of the work they charged us for. Our cameras showed they never flushed the rear differential. All the technician did was fill it with more fluid until it overflowed. And in the front.
Caller Alex
It just looks dirty.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Our hidden cameras and an inspection by our mechanic showed Express Lube never flushed it. They left dirty fluid in the front differential. Our total charge was $135.
Co-Host or Commentator
You know, it's funny. That just reminds me that Katie had an experience one time where she had gone to get service, and then when she went, she went to a separate place to get the next service. And they explained to her that the past service had not been done.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
So, like, she went for an oil change.
Co-Host or Commentator
Yeah, things look much worse than they should based on the mileage you say you've put on these fluids. And so. Yeah, and I totally forgot about that
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
again, I gotta get.
Caller Davis
Hey, David Davis.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Yes, we're gonna. What's your name?
Caller Davis
Davis. D, A, V, I, S. Oh, Davis.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hang on the line. Okay, don't hang up. Cause I want to get to your call. But we're gonna play a couple more clips, all right?
Caller Davis
All right.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
I'm assuming you're a mechanic, right? All right, hold on. The jiffy lube indicator.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
The jiffy lube indicator. We were again sold a rear differential service as well as a transmission service and a radiator fluid.
Caller Alex
Exc.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
And our mechanic's advice, well, that's where it looks new.
Caller Alex
And then I'll say we don't need services.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Remember, our fluid was clean and had already been serviced twice. And again, like express lube, they didn't do a flush like they said they would. They just added more fluid and charged us for work that was never done back at our mechanic. So this was an upsell.
Caller or Commentator
Yeah, it was upsell.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
The mechanic could have also inspected the coolant, which was flush the day before. But they upsold us on that service, too, for another $89.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
This is not going well. No way for these guys would you even know going in. Like, I don't know what the difference is.
Co-Host or Commentator
I know. And that's why they're able to do it, is because nobody knows. I don't know my car. I don't know what it does. And so I think. I mean. And they take full advantage of knowing that everybody's ignorant, that they come in.
Caller or Commentator
I wonder, how do you protect yourself, you know, except for going to mechanic school yourself.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
I remember. Or finding, like she suggested yesterday, you just find one person that you like.
Co-Host or Commentator
But how do you find them and not. And know without putting cameras on your own car and seeing what they're doing? You know, the.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
I remember when I was a kid, like, my dad used to change his own oil. Like he was able to fix things. But I think what. What happened was one car service got less expensive, you know, Like, I think it doesn't cost as much to take.
Co-Host or Commentator
You're not thinking cars are more complicated
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
and cars now have computers and this and that. And I have clueless.
Caller or Commentator
Well, it seems to me like if you go to one of these chain, like chain stores, then you're having the problem. But there's no mom and pop clips on here. Like, if you go to a mom and pop mechanic, apparently they're doing the job.
That's what my dad does. He's always gone to the same mechanic he's known for, you know, 20, 30 years or whatever it is, and they're buddies, and they've known each other a long time, and that's who he trusts, and it's the only one he'll go to.
Co-Host or Commentator
Remember when we talked for everything. When we talked to Wendy yesterday and I asked about dealerships, you know, because part of their. Their investigation did not include, you know, brand dealerships where there are still reports of. That goes on. So I think it goes on. I think it's based on the people, not just the fact that if their mom and pop are chain, you know.
Joe the Mechanic
Right.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Let's play the last clip. This is from the Decatur Goodyear.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Decatur Goodyear off Claremont was our most expensive stock with recommended repairs totaling more than $1,100.
Caller Davis
Oh, my gosh.
Weight Watchers Narrator
Nothing urgent that needs to be.
Caller Alex
I mean, all of this urgent again.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
We were recommended to do a front and rear differential service and a transmission flush and spark plugs.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Definitely start getting some of it done before you have a catastrophe.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
And when we returned to confirm we absolutely needed the repairs, Goodyear tacked on another recommendation. A brake fluid flush on top of the transmission flush.
Caller or Commentator
Transmission is the one that concerns me the most. I mean, dirty transmission fluid is supposed to be like a red fluid, and this is almost black.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Oh, okay.
Caller or Commentator
And brake fluid. Same way brake fluid's supposed to be clear, and it's almost black again.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Our mechanic said it was completely unnecessary.
Caller or Commentator
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Okay, Fluid's clear.
Caller or Commentator
It is clear.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
If I worked, by the way, at CBS Atlanta, I would make a lot of fun of Wendy for saying my fluids clear a lot like that could be ringtones and stuff.
Caller or Commentator
I can't wait till she approaches these people tonight.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Tonight.
Caller or Commentator
It's gonna be awesome.
Co-Host or Commentator
Yeah.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hey, Alex, welcome to the show.
Caller Alex
Hey, thanks. I was just kind of listening to this, and it sounds a little ridiculous at what's going on. I know a guy that's actually been here in Georgia for years and just doesn't know how to get his stuff out there. He's. He kind of does advocate stuff like this. He does a membership fee kind of thing to where he keeps all your records for your cars. If you ever have an issue with your car, you call him up, tell him, hey, I got a knocking that's going on over here. He tells you a couple different reputable shops to take it to people that he knows, not these chain things that have blown up the way that they have just based on ripping people off. His company is called Repair Busters, and that's basically what he does. If you call him up, like I said, mentioning that you have the knock, you tell him what they quoted you at and he'll kind of tell you there's no way that that's an issue with your car because that doesn't have anything to do with that part.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
So you said it's a membership thing or whatever. So you're paying him regardless. So it's not like he makes any money off of saying that it is or is not a problem.
Caller Alex
Correct. It's a one time yearly fee. And so he does that.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
It's actually brilliant, isn't it?
Caller Alex
And his biggest thing is he just doesn't know how to get his name out there. He's got a MySpace page right now. I've tried to tell him about the Facebook and the Twitter and everything. And you know, he's very mechanically inclined. If he could work on cars for people all the time, he would. His biggest thing is he can't stand watching people get ripped off all the time.
Co-Host or Commentator
What's his MySpace, you know, site. What's his MySpace page?
Caller Alex
I think it's repair busters. Let's see if I can. Yeah. MySpace.com repairbusters all right, well, we're gonna
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
put you on hold too and just to confirm that information and we'll have Carl double check it and then that's something we could put up on our website because I think that would be. And you know what, like Jen said,
Co-Host or Commentator
I mean, you know, you feel lost and what do you do to protect yourself?
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hey, David, welcome to the show.
Caller Davis
How are you?
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Or Davis. I'm sorry, this is Davis. How are you?
Caller Davis
Davis? Yes.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Davis the mechanic.
Caller Davis
Yes. This is ridiculous. These places that you already have on here, I mean, they're notorious for charging too much for things that you know aren't even right. I used to work for. One of the places that you actually spoke of is in a different state though. And I just had to leave and start my own business because it's just ridiculous.
Co-Host or Commentator
But most people don't know that.
Caller Emma
Yeah.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Do they encourage you? You said you used to work for them, so you're encouraged by your bosses to upsell and.
Caller Alex
Yes.
Caller Davis
And unfortunately it was actually on a bonus level to. Whereas if you sold so much in a month and you got an extra such amount of money and you know, yeah, the money looked good, but I mean, just sitting there taking people for their money.
Caller or Commentator
Yeah. So you're in sales if you work there, not in mechanics. You're there to sell people on stuff instead of fix their cars.
Caller Davis
Well, I started off in sales. But then I couldn't hang with sales because sitting there lying to the people, to their faces. Unfortunately, I don't have a poker face.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
You know what? If a company is smart, they would advertise, like no bonuses or no commissions. Like when I buy electronics and computers and stuff, if there's a commission free, like, I just feel more like if the dude talking to me doesn't have anything invested in what, how much I spend, I just feel more comfortable with it.
Caller or Commentator
That was all my years with working with the Shane company for jewelry. Their salespeople earn on commission.
Right.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
So you go in there and they don't care if you buy a hundred dollar diamond or a $10,000 diamond.
Caller or Commentator
Right.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hey, Susanna, welcome to the show.
Caller Susanna
Hi. I was just trying to call in because I had a catalytic converter replaced once. And I think I paid around $600, which I think was overpriced. And then I went into a Honda dealership and then they tried saying after I had already got it replaced, tried saying that my total would be around
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
$11 to have the same thing replaced.
Caller Susanna
Yes. Well, no, I did not get it done, but they charged me for the thing that I just got it replaced like a few months ago.
Caller or Commentator
It just.
Co-Host or Commentator
To me. Yeah, it's a shame because I hate that mechanics are getting a commission based on services. So you're punished if you take care of your car. You know what I mean?
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Yeah.
Co-Host or Commentator
Well, it's kind of very much like healthcare where, you know, you should be invested more in making sure your car runs well than, you know, letting it break down and make money off of it.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
You know, I. I am excited to see her tonight. Go back to these guys.
Co-Host or Commentator
Oh my God.
Caller or Commentator
Confrontation and what they have to say for themselves on camera, you know, just ripping people off.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Hey, Emma, you'll be the last call.
Caller Emma
Okay.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
How are you?
Caller Emma
That's fine.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
What's going on?
Caller Emma
Well, I was calling in and let them know that as a female, they always try to get over you because they look at a female and go cha ching. Well, I've cha ching them back. And I found out that if you can go to the store, the auto parts store, get yourself a book about your car and start going up under the hood and finding out about your car. And that's what I started doing. And in doing so, I was able to help a lot of single mothers, they help keep their car up and running to know what kind of. For what kind of little knocks to listen for. So that way when they take it in and they're not sure if they can fix it themselves and take it in to get it done, then that way ripped off. And a lot of times they usually catch them because I caught one McKenna trying to pull that front that he had changed my timing belt. And he didn't. And I literally did not pull off until I'm like, excuse me, but my belt isn't changing. He was like shocked that I knew what the hell I was talking about.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Good for you. Did you just go in?
Caller Susanna
I pulled a good one on him. And I'm like, if you don't change it, guess what?
Caller Emma
That's for free. Cause I'm not paying for.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
Did you go? Did you look? Was it a book that you bought? Or did you just go to the auto parts store and just start asking the guys who work there?
Caller Emma
Yeah, I went to the auto parts store. But I also knew exactly what was going on because my car was sounding funny. And I'm like, okay, it's not turning right. It's doing this little stop, drop, stop. And I said, okay, I need to look up under hood and see what was going on. And found out the belt was loose. And it was like, well, you need to get that change. And I asked the guys at the store first and he was like, yeah, you need to have that change. And I'm like, oh, I can't do that. That's a little heavy duty there. I'm taking down here. And they charged me for it. But then they didn't change the belt.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
That's actually a good plan is to talk to the audio parts guys. Because they don't.
Co-Host or Commentator
Right?
Caller or Commentator
They don't out there fixing it. Yeah.
Show Host (Possibly Birch)
The Birch show.
Weight Watchers Clinical Trial Voice
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Weight Watchers Narrator
This is the new Weight Watchers built for real life and real results no matter what mode you're in. Maddy went all in for her big day and lost 33 pounds. Emily lost 85 pounds and hit her goal while still living her life.
Weight Watchers Testimonial
Weight Watchers gave me the tools and I feel amazing.
Weight Watchers Narrator
Join the millions of members and lose weight with the number one doctor recommended weight loss program. Lose more@weightwatchers.com at six months, participants in
Weight Watchers Clinical Trial Voice
a clinical trial of Weight Watchers program lost an average of £12.
Date: May 11, 2026
Episode Theme: Exposing Questionable Practices in the Auto Repair Industry
This episode investigates the often murky world of car maintenance and repair shops. Prompted by an undercover investigative report from CBS Atlanta, the cast discusses how car owners—especially those without automotive know-how—are frequently targeted for unnecessary upsells by mechanics. Listeners and industry insiders call in to recount firsthand experiences, with segments shedding light on sales tactics, commissions, and how consumers can protect themselves.
On Commission Pressure:
"If you don’t do that, will you be fired?"
"Oh yeah. If you don’t put up numbers, you lose your job." — Joe the Mechanic (03:49–03:52)
On Protecting Yourself:
"You feel lost and what do you do to protect yourself?" — Co-Host (13:09)
On DIY Empowerment:
"I started going up under the hood and finding out about my car. And in doing so, I was able to help a lot of single mothers..." — Emma (16:04)
Female Customer's Clapback:
"You would have gotten any girl who walked in the door today with all that until you told her she needed back windshield wipers, and then you just lost the sale." — Emily (04:38)
This episode pulls back the curtain on car maintenance sales tactics and offers a mix of inside perspective, customer empowerment, and actionable steps to avoid common pitfalls at the mechanic. Engaging, eye-opening, and practical—it's essential listening for anyone who owns a car.