I took my chevelle in to get aligned months ago. I called them the next day and they said it wouldnt start (starter wasnt shimmed right). I said, does it have to be running to align it (i know it doesnt) and they said no but they werent going to waste their time pushing it into the bay... well, sorry to trouble them for something so hard! They then say they can take a look at the starter and why the brakes are sticking (no extra charge to look at it). I say go ahead. SO a few days later they say the brakes are fixed, the dist hold down clamp was fixed (it wasnt gripping enough) and they couldnt start it without changing the starter because the gear was litterally sheared in half. I saw it. So, i took it home on tow truck and when i looked at it I noticed the dist. still was loose AND the brakes still rubbed. I went back in and asked them if they fixed the brakes, they said yes, they had to remove the MC and Booster to adjust the push rod (BS, i can do that under the dash, which BTW was not adjusted because i had painted it black, so clean threads would have shown. THen they started getting all hostile with me while i was asking these questions and demanded i pay them $150 for the work done. The work was NOT done. It was a big waste of my time. Since then i have been getting notices of past due on the bill. BUT< i dont feel like anything was done to deserve payment! I had to do all they said MYSELF. Should i just not pay them? Can they go to collections with just my name? DOnt they need a SS# for somthing like that?
I will NEVER go to a shop again. Wether theyre crooks or just trying to get mjore money out of you...I just wanted a f-ing alignment!!!!! THe one thing they WOULDNT do.. Which, by the way, they had to push the car into the bay for that..
WHat do i do?

Could you take a picture of the master cyclinder area, then take that down, and show them.

I would most definitely go down and talk to them.

I would talk it over man to man, no phone calls, you might be able to work it out.

At least with a picture you have something to work with.

Rob

Could you take a picture of the master cyclinder area, then take that down, and show them.

I would most definitely go down and talk to them.

I would talk it over man to man, no phone calls, you might be able to work it out.

At least with a picture you have something to work with.

Rob

i sold the car a while back... Got no 'proof'. I just want to say to hell with them but i dont know what kind of trouble i could get into (collections, credit, etc..)

I've owned an Auto repair shop for almost 10 years now, so this is what I feel is right.
It sounds like you were dealing with a service adviser, or shop foreman. At this point, I would make an appointment with the owner of the business. If he is concerned at all about the relationship with customers, and high quality repairs going out of his shop, he will forget the bill. You may even end up being friends, and have a shop you can trust. (If he's a real man and straightens out his employees!!!)

If it was the owner you're dealing with, and he's being nasty........tell him to forget it. Without a signed work order he has nothing to prove you authorized any work at all.

In my shop, customer relationships are far more important than getting big bucks out of every car that comes through the door. There are so many cars out there right now, if a shop honestly does the needed maintenance and repairs, there will be plenty of money coming in. Besides, happy customers bring in all there friends. : )

Chris I would recommend that you pay the bill. If it's only $150 that's a pretty small amount when compared to the cost to defend the claim. It's now your word against theirs and since the car is gone you can't prove your case. I know it's mostly the principal, but I say pay it and get the grief out of your life. Since I'm in the area please PM me and let me know who this business is.

Chris I would recommend that you pay the bill. If it's only $150 that's a pretty small amount when compared to the cost to defend the claim. It's now your word against theirs and since the car is gone you can't prove your case. I know it's mostly the principal, but I say pay it and get the grief out of your life. Since I'm in the area please PM me and let me know who this business is.

Your kidding right? If not, I'll PM you with my addy so you can send me a check for that muffler bearning I changed in your car last week. It was difficult; I had to remove the flux capacitor to get to the bearing.


Don't pay.... throw a fit... That's only me though. I don't pay for work that ins't done, and I don't pay for work that isn't done correctly. I'd expect the same in reverse.

Go down there and tell them you didnt authorize any repairs outside of an actual wheel alignment. Although its been months ago now, you really have to deal with these things right away or it gets more difficult to fight back for what they did or didnt do since so much time has past.

Chris I worked as a mechanic for years and I hate to hear these stories about shops like this. There are a couple of things at play here that you need to deal with. I have a lot of experience with cases like this because in another life I managed a hard core collection agency. This is the issue, if you are recieving past due notices, you need to find out if they are purely coming from the shop itself or if they utilze an outside agency. Also get a copy of the orig work order for signature verification. Check your local laws in regard to auto repair authorization via phone because that is perfectly legal in some areas once the orig authorization form is signed. If they do utilize an outside billing agency you need to pay close attention to where they are in the process and what steps they will take to collect the debt, if they report to credit agency's, I cannot urge you strongly enough, pay the bill while you fight it to try and get recompensated. I know that it is a principal thing but do not let your principals affect your credit standing based on a $150.00 bill. And I know that it sucks but don't allow an a-hole of a shop screw ya twice.

This is my take:

You verbally authorized the shop to look into the starter and brakes. When they said the brakes and hold down clamp were fixed you should have brought it to their attention they you only authorized them to LOOK at the problems not FIX the problems. At this point it's your word against theirs. I'd talk to the owner of the shop and see if you can settle this right away. If it comes down to paying $150, then so be it. Just be sure you get in writing that the bill has been paid (especially if you use cash to pay the $150). It'll cost you a lot more money and time to take this guy to small claims to relieve the debt. I know it sucks, and I'd be ticked off as well, but $150 to get this shop out of your life is money well spent.

i whole heartily agree, do not let this affect your credit. i had something like this happen, shop did not do work agreed upon, i went to the owner with no satisfaction. i made it clear to him that i was long standing in this community and nobody i knew, would ever do business with him. i still remember the smirk on his face when i left. his shop lasted less than 6 months before he folded.

i never bad mouthed the business, i just pointed out the work to anybody who was in the vicinity, and remarked it was substandard (which was obvious to the naked eye), and when asked where it took place i gave them a card from that business.

i know $150 isn't chicken feed to most, and there wasn't an agreement to do the work, but in this case, i'd pay it, then go to the b.b.b., chamber of commerce, and make sure anybody in ear shot knows your disatisfation. this of course after having a conversation with management or owner, and making sure they know you stance, and what your willing to do, to get satisfaction.

i few years back there was a similar situation in our area, and the guy would literally wear a billboard in front of the business every chance he got. they were soon out of business.....

i would send a register letter to the owner and tell him you are willing to pay for the work that was actually performed

I agree with the above, immedietely go talk to the owner and try to resolve it one last time. If that doesn't work, pay the bill. You may have authorized work over the phone, and without the car in your possession, you won't win in court. Letting your credit rating get stomped for $150 bill that you think is unfair is ridiculous. If you think the bill is unfair, wait until they send it to a credit reporting agency and you try to get a loan or a new credit card or anything else, then you will realize what unfair is.

My opinion is you waited entirely too long to do anything but pay the bill at this point now. The car is sold and you have nothing but your word against their word the work wasn't done properly. Unless the shop is willing to relive the bill (which it seems to me they are not) you have nothing on your side to win this battle.

Jeff

In NY, I do not know what state you are in or the rules there, you must sign to authorize work. If you do not sign you do not have to pay. If the shop gives you problems, write a letter to the department that licenses auto repair shops in your state and that will be the end of it. (Repair shop owner)