THORNTON, Colo. — The itemized receipt for Christina Cimino's brake repair shows it cost $867, but her debit card was charged five times that.
She took her car in for a brake check and oil change at a Midas location in Thornton on May 15.
"I looked at the receipt, and my eyes popped out of my head," said Cimino. "And the guy was like, 'Oh, it was a typo.' He said he was going to reverse the transaction immediately."
But more than two weeks later, the money — more than $4,500 — was still missing from her account. So, she called the Midas shop.
"They claimed they reversed the money, and I should have it back," Cimino said. "So I said 'No, no, no.' I sent them screenshots of my bank account and everything."
Eventually, a Midas manager sent her a statement confirming the debit had been voided, but indicated that the process takes time. The message states the fastest way for her to get her money back is to dispute the charge with her bank. She did, but it came back unsuccessful.
Emails from her bank, Credit Karma, state, "Midas must agree to the dispute. Their email indicates that they will however when we contact them they do the opposite."
Cimino said the $4,500 loss has forced her to borrow money from friends and family to make ends meet, as the fight has dragged on for almost two months.
"I'm disgusted. I mean, that literally has caused so much financial strain on us," she said. "I file a police report now at this point."
In a statement to Contact Denver7, Credit Karma confirmed that Midas had not initiated a refund, stating that if Cimino provides additional documentation, "we would be happy to look into this matter again."
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for TBC Corporation, which owns Midas, sent a statement that said it is working with the franchisee and Cimino.
"We were made aware of the situation today, and we’re corresponding directly with both the Midas franchisee and customer to collect details and evaluate the situation. Midas is one of our franchise businesses, and the stores are independently owned and operated. We can provide more information once we've complete our review process and due diligence. Thanks again for reaching out. We are working to resolve this for the customer asap."
Cimino said she received a phone call on Tuesday from a Midas manager requesting her documentation and suggested that they may send a check by the end of the week to resolve the issue.
"It really feels better when you have other people backing you up with this," Cimino said. "And for my wife and I, we're eternally grateful for you guys because like I said, this is a large chunk of money and it's really frustrating."
Editor's note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need we can address or have a story idea for our consumer investigates team to pursue, please email us at contact7@denver7.com or or call (303) 832-7777. Find more Contact Denver7 stories here. You can also use the form below to request help from Jaclyn Allen and the Contact Denver7 Team.
