Whoever gives money up front would be a lunatic lol. If people did more due diligence they would bring their car somewhere they trust or where their friends go! These people will learn (later in life) not to trust anyone, I bet they trust their government and got the v*x , too!
I work as a machinist (I make parts) I own around $1200 in tools and equipment, and that is low. Especially for a mechanic, they could easily have $2000+ in tools. A Judge trying to stop employees from removing their own tools could get into a lot of trouble.
@@Gilhelmi ... $2000? I EASILY own over $10K in tools. Mechanics pay for most of their own tools. The shop doesn't. One of the reasons it cracks me up why people complain about the cost for repairs. Dealerships are forced to pay MILLIONS of dollars in special tooling by the manufacturer.
An advise from a real Auto tech to consumers, DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL WORK IS FINISH, if you pay ahead the incentive to get pay is gone and most dishonest repair shops will do exactly what this report shows...... hope that suckers end up in jail and fined as much as quadruple for being a crook......
I am a long time mechanic have my own shop, any major job I will ask about half up front or what my costs will be it stinks to do a good job and have an abandoned car to show for it, it happens I just had 2 towed out by the PD
as a mechanic myself, im so glad i know how to fix my own crap so i dont have to deal with other mechanics. we get so many people coming in who previously went to a dealership or other repair place that said they needed thousands in repairs and all it needed was a minor repair. even yesterday 2007 dodge charger, dealership said it needed the fuel pump replaced due to faulty gas gauge... it was a bad gauge cluster, way way cheaper
K M Not that hard in general. Its the tools that kill. I do my own work and im not a mechanic. However when i need to do major things like my 4x4 position sensor/trans work, i tae it somewhere i know i can trust. The guy hasnt svrewed me yet and is quite quick. Usually i go in telling him whats wrong with the parts and within a couple hours or so its fixed... Sucks not having a lift as then i could do it all myself.
Plus you can DIY with you tube tutorials.. I've fixed the caliper Boot and done my mechanics works like changing the torque converter in an automatic transmission its always one bolt that's hard as long as you degrease it then wait ,3 minutes then spray oil it, swear at it a few times ..then it will budge.. I time the turn's, to make sure the converter lines up with the transmission, its simple the more times you do it..before you know it ..you have rebuilt your car enough to make it road worthy , you can then maintain your vehicle and save thousands of dollars in the long term thus making yourself esteem skyrocket. Peace out
A shop tried that with my mom once told her the head's wher gone in her car and they where only going to charge her 500 to fix and she would get the car back the same day if she brought it in that morning. Her car wasn't smoking no milkey oil on the oil cap or dipstick no overheating problems or anything like that only a tapping in one cylinder the car ran smoothly otherwise a mechanic around the corner check the car for her and boom a loose spark plug all it cost was a convo and a hug.
As a Professional Mechanic. Your story dont make sense. You say you fix everything on your own. But you took your 07 Charger to the dealership. Then you say tnhey were wrong and it was the cluster you replaced it. There is alot more then just putti g in a new cluster. It has to be reprogrammed other wise it wont start it has the anti vechicle theft set. No backyard mechanic is gonna have some 3,4,5, grand computer reprogram. I Call you out on Bull Shit. New transmissions some have no torque converters they are far more advanced then a turbo 350. Nice Try BATMAN
I worked in the automotive industry for 17 years, many of those years I managed service departments. NEVER did I request ANY customer to pay for any services up front, no matter the estimated repair bill
I get a deposit on most jobs, it is always bad when you find out they can not afford it after the job is done, if you get 50% up front at least you have something
yes with dogs in the car I agree but as a mechanic I sometimes need to drive a car a lot to duplicate a problem or verify that it is repaired, I always pick up the phone and let the car owner know what I am doing and why
never pay up front. if a shop says you have to, move on. if it's a local doing it out of his garage and you know him, front him the money for the cost of parts and settle up the labor bill when the job is done. don't bicker and bargain about it when it's time to pay up. chances are he's done a better job than a local shop at a lesser hourly rate.
There is literally no way to get financial compensation for the victims in a situation like this. A lawsuit will cost a fortune and the shop owner isn't going to pay up even if the judgement goes against him. He can also file bankruptcy to weasel his way out of it. Your only recourse in this situation is street justice. And by street justice I don't mean attacking the owner in a physical manner, that's just going to get you prison time. I mean finding out FOR SURE where he lives, waiting till the dead of night and going there with a few buddies and a stack of bricks (that you NEVER touch without gloves) and putting them through all of his home's windows and trashing the fuck out of his car. Put a few bricks through his shop windows too. You have to be smart about this of course because if you get caught on camera you are done for, but with so many disgruntled customers, without proof the cops won't be able to figure out who did it. I also wanted to mention that this piece of shit is pulling the old John Hennessey trick. After you steal tens or even HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars from customers, move your shop to a different address and change the name of the business. Hennessey did this several times over the years, and that worthless piece of shit is still in business to this day, getting free advertisement with articles in car magazines and having his cars shown off by various channels on TH-cam. So you can bet the crook in this story will be back in business robbing customers blind within a few weeks in a new location and with a new business name. Disgusting...
Debts are not always dismissed, especially when creditors show up and demonstrate fraudulent intent. Prison would be a good bet for this guy - you lose money, and he loses his freedom (and maybe his life).
here is a tip, if you want a good repair shop you go to where dealerships send their warranty repairs. if youre in arkansas around the scott area call investor cars and talk to drew tell him brandon with the lifted explorer sent you. i was looking at around 5 grand for a transmission and drew hooked me up for 2300. for a person who does all his work on his trucks i coudnt do the transmission. i literally cried when i got my truck and everything worked as it should. nothing out of place, nothing extra done that wasnt needed. i wasnt charged for anything but a transmission and labor. its hard to let your vehicle go to a stranger because the threat of theft is always there and very real. sorry to say that i cried when i got my truck but i did. ive never had good experiences with mechanic shops and everyone i know gets taken advantage of when they use them. it was a real breath of fresh air to know that these guys had my back and only did what I wanted them to do. no outstanding charges for ghost work. if youre in arkansas and need a great shop call investor cars in scott AR and talk to drew.
Auto repair shops like this makes me sick as hell taking advantage of hard working people I hope all of you people get your cars fixed and god bless you all
I'm a retired master mechanic and I'm disappointed in the automotive industry in the U.S.. I'm proud I never screwed a customer over in the 25 plus years I twisted a wrench!
Sometimes it's just better to pay more at get your work done at a reputable place. I know not everyone is in a position to pay more, but I prefer peace of mind.
My mechanic is also a family friend. Been going to him for 3 years now. I went to him after being upsold wipers and an air filter I didn't need. The great thing is my mechanic used to race cars. He knows his way around cars, and he has been very gracious in the past. I lost my job, and I didn't have enough money at the time to pay for my repair bill. So, my mechanic took off the labor, and only charged me for parts. He's a very sweet person, and I plan to continue to go to his shop until he retires.
People, no reputable shop is going to charge you upfront for work they haven't done yet. If they ask for it up front find another shop. I could understand needing a specialty part for an exotic or classic car. That's going to cost an arm and a leg but those are rare situations.
I'm in the process of suing my mechanic, it's been almost 3 months without my car, he made some repairs shortly after a part broke that he didn't tighten properly causing my tire to lock up (I almost ended up in the ditch) there's now $1400 in damages and he's refusing to fix it because I had went to pennzoil after for an oil change, and he blames them for tampering with the brakes, which is totally false as I'm partnered with them for my line of work. I should be suing for more with my case, but all I'm asking for is my towing fee be paid and to have my car fixed to how it was supposed to be done, now he's suing me for storage costs, but he has my car locked inside his shop and won't let me take it, but I paid for the brake work to be done. I don't think you can completely trust any repair shop.
At 4:45,You don't have to pay up front, if some place tells you that, run the other way. I have experience from working in car dealers and they don't do it that way.
I have done half up front when the repair gets too close to the value of the car in case I get stuck with it and have to lien it, but yes for the most part you usually pay upon completion.
Transmissions are expensive to replace or repair regardless of the year, however seeing someone driving your car and finding out they have put at least 1400 miles in it since the day it dropped off, yea that would get me irritated.
I'm so happy I don't have to deal with this. I work on my own car. My uncles are mechanics my mom is a mechanic and electrician and I've been around cars all my life I was working at my Uncle shop from the age of 6 until 18 so thank God I learned everything so I don't deal with those problems
SMALL CLAIMS COURT CAN'T HELP THESE PEOPLE. Since the owner of the shop is who they're after, he's the one who writes all the checks. He might get a judgement against him, but that doesn't mean he'll pay.
Always do research on a mechanic before you go there. Call around and get quotes, look at reviews, and make sure they are on the up and up. Once you find them, stick with them and build a relationship with them.
"No one hands over the key of their car thinking they are gonna get ripped off..." What do you mean lady?? This is all I expect whenever I take my car to the shop
I worked at an Audi dealer in the Seattle area. One day a car owner was riding the shuttle van on his way to work. As they were passing the local Mc Donalds, the customer noticed an Audi in the drive-up line. He pointed out a car and said " I have one just like that, Hey, that's my license plate-THAT'S MY CAR!" It happens, even at reputable new car shops. I suggest noting the mileage when you drop your car off for service, and rechecking it when you pick it up. Of course, if the car needs to be test-driven to help diagnose a problem, that is a different situation.
I am a mechanic and I do have to drive your car to duplicate a problem or verify a repair so if I have someplace to go I see no problem, if I need to drive far I will make a call and let them know, but test driving a car to Mcdonalds I see no problem with that
Yeah I had a mechanic shop work on my transmission. They told me it would be about $800 and about eight days 26 days later they said it was $2,100. They broke my heater core, causing $750 damage, they broke my speedometer by installing the cable backwards, they killed a brand new battery I put in three weeks earlier $130. Of course I didn't know about all this damage when I went to pick the car up. The guy at the shop started screaming at me if I don't pay the $2,100 he owns my car, I said I'll pay the $800 you told me it was going to be, he cussed and swore at me and told me he wasn't going 2 give me my key. so I told him if you wanted to own my car he'd have to sue me for it, walked out got up my spare key and drove away. of course that's when I started discovering all the damage which has it turns out was about the same amount of money I owed them. Oh and by the way I never heard from them.
@@jayasmrmore3687 it wasn't enough money to bother with that. I did make a complaint with the state agency. It turned out that they were under criminal investigation and we're out of business up and in jail about 6 months later. Apparently they had strong-armed the business owner and stole his business.
I took my vehicle to a trans shop. Did research on line and found little pro or con about the shop. It had been in business for over a decade. The shop was clean inside. The only thing in his favor that made up my mind was that the city/police pool used him to service their vehicle transmissions. When the "4 day" turn around turned into 3 weeks I started making calls. The guy refused to return my calls. When I cornered him he told me that parts for my trans were "rare" because Rangers, Explorers and Aerostars are super rare vehicles, right? I brought 3 friends with me to get my vehicle back after almost a month and the guy was high at noon on a weekday. Many physical indicators of inebriation. I towed it to a shop where they told me the guy is well known for having a drug habit and taking way too much time to get work done. They actuallly knew him and had MANY stories about previous customers coming in to his shop. I had an elderly customer with a 2005 Lincoln LS and the guy charged her $5000 + dollars to rebuild her trans. She was not a rich lady. In short, no reviews doesn't equal okay. Lesson learned.
always ask a car guy, I am a 63 year old mechanic still do some jobs but can not do them all, but I will never leave you hanging, I know who can do what, and who can not
Hey my friend from work is a uber driver. Picked up lil wayne and his entourage one night from a show and took them to eat. Sooo- conundrum; Celebrity uber driver. Lol
Time to call the cops and have the lady arrested for theft. She then in turn tells the cops how she became in possession of the car, go to employer and arrest him as well for theft. The woman’s charge becomes an accomplice. Let’s see how long his employees stick around and protect him then. They know they could be next for driving other clients cars for their personal use.
B.s sue , win suit , guy files bankruptcy , court orders no contact order , you lose again! Lesson , get work done , test drive to verify work , leave and never pay. Two can play this game!
Show me the new torque converter. we all have old parts lying around. All i am saying is #1 , we all have spare keys and #2 If mechanics werent trying to rip people off , there wouldnt be these videos and people expressing their opinions on the matter. I own and operate a honest , licensed , fully insured company and dishonest people make everyone leery so we all have to pay for others being dishonest.
Like i said , we all have to pay because of shady people. In my work we take before durring and after photos of all work done to prtect both sides and act as a record of work and timeline!
All states allow a shop to have a possessory lien on the vehicle for work done. That means once you agree to the estimate of the work order and leave the car, you have just placed a lien on your car to the shop that is not released until you pay the billing you agreed to. A shop at this point can get a court order to repossess the vehicle, even if it's been sold thereafter it still can be repossessed (and you the car owner will probably get sued by the buyer) . If that doesn't work they can just sell your account to a collection agency, and they will trash your personal credit, possibly toss a judgment against you and order garnishments.
clintzx10. And that would be called theft of services! Sounds like you've done that before. Learn how to repair your own car or truck it's not rocket science.
This is very excessive but when ever you have a car problematic car it’s very standard practice for a shop to put on a couple hundred miles on the customers car to make sure it is repaired properly. I have driven the customers cars home many times, the reason we do this is only if the car has a big problem that was repaired to ensure it was fixed or to try to fix a very intermittent problem the customer is having. I don’t even want to drive a customers car home but it’s only to save them money. If I had to drive a customers car during working hours I would have to charge the customer which is about $100 an hour plus fuel. If it took me 4 hours of driving to find a problem that’s $400 bucks plus fuel or as a courtesy I can drive it home for a couple days and only charge fuel. Obviously this shop is just a bunch of scam artist
Looking for white privilege you don’t know what your talking about. Are you a professional auto tech? Do you own a shop? In new york every car has to be inspected every year. If the engine light is on the problem has to get fixed then the car needs to be driven to re set the computer in the car because we have to connect the car to the state computer. Some times it only takes 30 miles to re set the computer and some times it can take a few hundred. Some times a customer has an issue that is very intermittent and you need to drive the car a lot. I’m not saying this guy is right for doing what he did but I am saying it is very normal for cars to be driven up to a few hundred miles but when this happens the customer is informed. And for what it’s worth I have absolutely no desire to drive a customers car specially if it’s an expensive new car I don’t want that liability. I am much more comfortable driving my own cars. I only drive the customers cars as a courtesy.
Henry McDaniel if we need to drive a car a lot for an issue it has the customer is given a choice. We can drive it home at night and around town to get parts as a courtesy but if they don’t want us to do that then we have to charge them $100 per hour plus gas to drive it on company time. Like I told the other person on here it’s generally to re set the cars computer so we can run a New York State inspection, it’s a pain in the butt for us but New York State makes us do this. We also drive the cars if they have an intermittent problem but again it’s totally up to the customer and I don’t want to drive a customers car it’s a liability for the shop but we are here to help the customers.
I live in Germany and guys, if you can find a Polish or Czech mechanic in the states, give them a shot. They reapir the car fast, properly and not expansive. That's how your company get a good reputation.
I noticed changes in my car when I would take it to a dealership. Radio would on to a station that I didn't listen to and I had NOT turned the radio on in the first place. People would change the seats or the position on the outside rear-view mirrors. I once got into my car and it took a few seconds to realize that somebody had "TRIED" to smoke in my car. Unless they had their own lighter or matches, THAT DID NOT WORK. I had removed the cigarette lighter almost immediately when I bought the car. Tell the shop that they must NOT tamper with anything.
I've offerd to pay my mechanic up front and they refused saying its not appropriate and no honest mechanic would ever ask for that. At most they may ask for the cost of parts up front but definitely not Labour.
That is a hell of a lot of money. I paid $1600 for a rebuilt trans on my jeep a few years back. I did not pay until I inspected the jeep after install was done. I would have shopped around until I found a reputable mechanic who doesnt demand payment up front. Never pay full price up front for a job like this if they demand it go elsewhere.
Why are people paying money, thousands of dollars, BEFORE the work is completed? In my 26 years of retail auto repair I never had a customer pay more than a small deposit, usually 10% of the parts, if the parts were going to be more than $1,000. This would cover the restocking fee if the customer later changed their mind and I had to return their part(s). If a shop is asking for thousands of dollars before your car is finished, go elsewhere. This is a sure sign they are in financial trouble and are unable to cover their debts with their suppliers. And why on earth would a shop keep a car for months. If repairs involve keeping the car for several days, the shop should be keeping in touch with the customer on a regular basis. A customer should never have to keep calling to check on their car. I learned long ago that calling my customers before they had to call me lets them know their car is as important to me as it is to them. Driving a customers car for personal errands is a no-no. It’s okay to road test a car to verify their complaint or verify my repairs. Always document the time of the drive and the distance and write it on their repair order. Never ever touch their personal belongings or adjust their radio, mirrors or seats. It is their car, not mine.
When I was 12, my parents had a Mercedes picked up from our home by one of the dealerships "trust worthy, retired" workers for some maintanace. My mother & I went out to a store in another vehicle that afternoon & found the guy taking a nap in our Mercedes not far from our home.
The good thing about the place where I took my truck is that they told me that I would pay when the job is done. So when you look for shops like that tell them that you will pay when the job is done
Never EVER pay upfront in full! Always pay half if they refuse to accept only half they are shady! My Grandpa owned a repair shop back then people paid all and he did it right but we are not there anymore (plus I come from a small town where everyone trusts everyone because we would be bumping into our mechanic veterinarian etc. at the store) my Grandpa taught me when I left for college in the city always pay half if you are working with a mechanic plumber contractor etc.
I went to pick up my car from a garage and the mechanic came screaming down the road revving the hell out of it. Driving it home it was running rough with a blown head gasket.
I'm a mechanic and used to race cars. When I handed out resume's with racing references the employer thought I would abuse customer's cars. That never happened because I am a grown up person.
as a long time mechanic yes I will drive customers cars on errands, gotta drive it anyhow, but if it will take more than a few days to duplicate the complaint I will always call them let them know where I am going and if it is a trip I had to take anyhow no time charges would apply, but this is a bit over the top, dogs in the car? and they never even fixed it
Took my truck into Blossom Chevrolet Indianapolis. Had 70 gallons of gas in it. Got it back empty after 3 months in their shop. Found out they were using it to pick-up parts for the Dealership.
This guy makes me sick. I know pretty much nothing about cars. I would love to learn how to work on cars. I would love to learn how to change oil in a car. I think the gratification of helping someone that you get after you help someone is awesome. I think this guy gets after helping no one is what seems like away with it but I don't know the entire story. This guy really should be sued by everyone.
You Should always check the better business bureau site before you do any extensive car repairs with a shop Or by any major engine or transmission parts online also check the address and see if there is any nearby businesses that can give you some kind of idea what they’re like
I just bought a brand new Harley from the dealership with 7 miles on it. When it was delivered it had 14 miles on it. So between my buying it and being loaded on the trailer someone went for a little ride. Only 7 miles but still not cool.
I was a service manager for two new car dealerships and one aftermarket shop. Everything they did was unethical and I was not going to be any part of it.
I had a similar problem, I had a friend of the family take my car to the dealership for repairs and claimed that they where working on it . And I wanted to check how to use the gps and to my surprise my car was on the Highway. A lot more to my story. But this is rare
Once I took my car in for timing belt change, brought it in on Friday, and picked up next Wednesday with more than 250 miles on the odometer. Those thing happen often.
I don't know about you guys but this seems to me to be a situation that calls for a trip to the local sporting goods store to pick up a few Louisville Sluggers.
![Chevy Ripped Me Off: Undercover Investigation [TRUTH REVEALED]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5R-KDCfm3qo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Chevy Ripped Me Off: Undercover Investigation [TRUTH REVEALED]](/img/tr.png)
did I really just see someone pay UPFRONT $3200 for a transmission on a $1200 20 year old jeep????????
i think he bought the transmission elsewhere and just let them install it.
If the Jeep had sentimental value then why not?
@@dperry19661 ok my bad, but my point remains
@@NickyNightShine Get your head out of your sentimental ass. It's only a car. That's idiotic to spend that when you can buy another vehicle.
I like cars
And where exactly is the district attorney? This is grand theft, plain and simple. He needs some jail time.
Whoever gives money up front would be a lunatic lol. If people did more due diligence they would bring their car somewhere they trust or where their friends go! These people will learn (later in life) not to trust anyone, I bet they trust their government and got the v*x , too!
Why didn't the judge put a freeze on the business and not let him take any of his tools to start else where
A good number of those who work in these shops own their own tools, could be hard to say who owns what.
I work as a machinist (I make parts)
I own around $1200 in tools and equipment, and that is low. Especially for a mechanic, they could easily have $2000+ in tools.
A Judge trying to stop employees from removing their own tools could get into a lot of trouble.
Gilhelmi don't u mean 120k not $1200. My scanners software update costs $1200
@@Gilhelmi ... $2000? I EASILY own over $10K in tools. Mechanics pay for most of their own tools. The shop doesn't. One of the reasons it cracks me up why people complain about the cost for repairs. Dealerships are forced to pay MILLIONS of dollars in special tooling by the manufacturer.
@@steveh7085 No, I don't do any diagnostics or repair. I make new parts so I only have measuring tools (calipers, micrometers, ect).
An advise from a real Auto tech to consumers, DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL WORK IS FINISH, if you pay ahead the incentive to get pay is gone and most dishonest repair shops will do exactly what this report shows...... hope that suckers end up in jail and fined as much as quadruple for being a crook......
And get all belongings and assets, plus every penny seized to the point where he’s on the streets naked.
On the flip side, if you have not paid you could argue the incentive to pay diminishes if you have the work already done
@@jayasmrmore3687 I say paying half before the job is finished and then the other half after is the most fair option.
I am a long time mechanic have my own shop, any major job I will ask about half up front or what my costs will be it stinks to do a good job and have an abandoned car to show for it, it happens I just had 2 towed out by the PD
If I stole a loaf of bread, you can be sure Johnny Law would come crashing down on me and I'd be in jail.
Jim Vetromila Johnny Law? Are we in the 50s lol 😂
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT A LOAF OF BREAD BUT THIS GUY IS FUCKING CREEP NEEDS A ASS BEATING.
as a mechanic myself, im so glad i know how to fix my own crap so i dont have to deal with other mechanics. we get so many people coming in who previously went to a dealership or other repair place that said they needed thousands in repairs and all it needed was a minor repair. even yesterday 2007 dodge charger, dealership said it needed the fuel pump replaced due to faulty gas gauge... it was a bad gauge cluster, way way cheaper
K M Not that hard in general. Its the tools that kill. I do my own work and im not a mechanic. However when i need to do major things like my 4x4 position sensor/trans work, i tae it somewhere i know i can trust. The guy hasnt svrewed me yet and is quite quick. Usually i go in telling him whats wrong with the parts and within a couple hours or so its fixed... Sucks not having a lift as then i could do it all myself.
The dealer tech may have been one of those $10.00 an hour Wyotech graduates those places hire instead of paying for good, experienced mechanics.
Plus you can DIY with you tube tutorials.. I've fixed the caliper Boot and done my mechanics works like changing the torque converter in an automatic transmission its always one bolt that's hard as long as you degrease it then wait ,3 minutes then spray oil it, swear at it a few times ..then it will budge..
I time the turn's, to make sure the converter lines up with the transmission, its simple the more times you do it..before you know it ..you have rebuilt your car enough to make it road worthy , you can then maintain your vehicle and save thousands of dollars in the long term thus making yourself esteem skyrocket.
Peace out
A shop tried that with my mom once told her the head's wher gone in her car and they where only going to charge her 500 to fix and she would get the car back the same day if she brought it in that morning. Her car wasn't smoking no milkey oil on the oil cap or dipstick no overheating problems or anything like that only a tapping in one cylinder the car ran smoothly otherwise a mechanic around the corner check the car for her and boom a loose spark plug all it cost was a convo and a hug.
As a Professional Mechanic. Your story dont make sense. You say you fix everything on your own. But you took your 07 Charger to the dealership. Then you say tnhey were wrong and it was the cluster you replaced it. There is alot more then just putti g in a new cluster. It has to be reprogrammed other wise it wont start it has the anti vechicle theft set. No backyard mechanic is gonna have some 3,4,5, grand computer reprogram. I Call you out on Bull Shit. New transmissions some have no torque converters they are far more advanced then a turbo 350. Nice Try BATMAN
Doesn't anyone do research anymore?
Problem is when caught he will just re open the business with another name and using someone else on paper as the owner.
Ofc not 💀💀💀
I worked in the automotive industry for 17 years, many of those years I managed service departments. NEVER did I request ANY customer to pay for any services up front, no matter the estimated repair bill
I get a deposit on most jobs, it is always bad when you find out they can not afford it after the job is done, if you get 50% up front at least you have something
Test driving the car is ok. But taking it on a trip that’s on a whole new level
It wasn’t even one trip. She used the car as a daily driver.
yes with dogs in the car I agree but as a mechanic I sometimes need to drive a car a lot to duplicate a problem or verify that it is repaired, I always pick up the phone and let the car owner know what I am doing and why
The idiot added 1,400 miles on that test drive...
never pay up front. if a shop says you have to, move on. if it's a local doing it out of his garage and you know him, front him the money for the cost of parts and settle up the labor bill when the job is done. don't bicker and bargain about it when it's time to pay up. chances are he's done a better job than a local shop at a lesser hourly rate.
If you have to pay half up front in order for them to verify you will pay something I suppose that is fine. Agree or disagree?
Disagree, they can't guarantee what they charged you is going to be the total. No reputable shop charges upfront. @@jayasmrmore3687
a 50% deposit is ok, never pay in full until work is done
What kind of idiot pays in full up front
Fuck you dumbfuck. You would never say that to an Americans face twice.
@Mark Zoobkoff Yes they do. You just have to speak slowly and not use words with more than one syllable.
There is red flag never pay full amount until you are satisfied with service
Tim Turner.
@@fivedotsdave9723 En joy your Muslim masters dipshit! I hope they enjoy your woman!
You should never pay for car repairs up front..........I never even heard of that!!
who the hell let's months go by before saying a damn word? if my shit ain't fixed n a few days I'm not leaving you're shop until it's done
LOL Yeah you show up on the third day, oh okay it's not done yet? Oh I can wait. Nonono I have time :)
After two days, I'm living in the office!!!
There is literally no way to get financial compensation for the victims in a situation like this. A lawsuit will cost a fortune and the shop owner isn't going to pay up even if the judgement goes against him. He can also file bankruptcy to weasel his way out of it. Your only recourse in this situation is street justice. And by street justice I don't mean attacking the owner in a physical manner, that's just going to get you prison time. I mean finding out FOR SURE where he lives, waiting till the dead of night and going there with a few buddies and a stack of bricks (that you NEVER touch without gloves) and putting them through all of his home's windows and trashing the fuck out of his car. Put a few bricks through his shop windows too. You have to be smart about this of course because if you get caught on camera you are done for, but with so many disgruntled customers, without proof the cops won't be able to figure out who did it.
I also wanted to mention that this piece of shit is pulling the old John Hennessey trick. After you steal tens or even HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars from customers, move your shop to a different address and change the name of the business. Hennessey did this several times over the years, and that worthless piece of shit is still in business to this day, getting free advertisement with articles in car magazines and having his cars shown off by various channels on TH-cam. So you can bet the crook in this story will be back in business robbing customers blind within a few weeks in a new location and with a new business name. Disgusting...
Debts are not always dismissed, especially when creditors show up and demonstrate fraudulent intent. Prison would be a good bet for this guy - you lose money, and he loses his freedom (and maybe his life).
Alex S or even other local shops who are willing to do the work for no charge.
here is a tip, if you want a good repair shop you go to where dealerships send their warranty repairs. if youre in arkansas around the scott area call investor cars and talk to drew tell him brandon with the lifted explorer sent you. i was looking at around 5 grand for a transmission and drew hooked me up for 2300. for a person who does all his work on his trucks i coudnt do the transmission. i literally cried when i got my truck and everything worked as it should. nothing out of place, nothing extra done that wasnt needed. i wasnt charged for anything but a transmission and labor. its hard to let your vehicle go to a stranger because the threat of theft is always there and very real. sorry to say that i cried when i got my truck but i did. ive never had good experiences with mechanic shops and everyone i know gets taken advantage of when they use them. it was a real breath of fresh air to know that these guys had my back and only did what I wanted them to do. no outstanding charges for ghost work. if youre in arkansas and need a great shop call investor cars in scott AR and talk to drew.
Auto repair shops like this makes me sick as hell taking advantage of hard working people I hope all of you people get your cars fixed and god bless you all
Auto repair in America is scam. 😮
I'm a retired master mechanic and I'm disappointed in the automotive industry in the U.S.. I'm proud I never screwed a customer over in the 25 plus years I twisted a wrench!
It takes a lot of talent and dedication to get an F rating from the Better Business Bureau
Why was that business even prohibited to be open at all?
Sometimes it's just better to pay more at get your work done at a reputable place. I know not everyone is in a position to pay more, but I prefer peace of mind.
When I drop off car I check gas ..mileage
An walk around for damages
Have them sign papers
Before handing over keys
My mechanic is also a family friend. Been going to him for 3 years now. I went to him after being upsold wipers and an air filter I didn't need. The great thing is my mechanic used to race cars. He knows his way around cars, and he has been very gracious in the past. I lost my job, and I didn't have enough money at the time to pay for my repair bill. So, my mechanic took off the labor, and only charged me for parts. He's a very sweet person, and I plan to continue to go to his shop until he retires.
People, no reputable shop is going to charge you upfront for work they haven't done yet. If they ask for it up front find another shop. I could understand needing a specialty part for an exotic or classic car. That's going to cost an arm and a leg but those are rare situations.
I'm in the process of suing my mechanic, it's been almost 3 months without my car, he made some repairs shortly after a part broke that he didn't tighten properly causing my tire to lock up (I almost ended up in the ditch) there's now $1400 in damages and he's refusing to fix it because I had went to pennzoil after for an oil change, and he blames them for tampering with the brakes, which is totally false as I'm partnered with them for my line of work.
I should be suing for more with my case, but all I'm asking for is my towing fee be paid and to have my car fixed to how it was supposed to be done, now he's suing me for storage costs, but he has my car locked inside his shop and won't let me take it, but I paid for the brake work to be done.
I don't think you can completely trust any repair shop.
Mechanic Workshop in America is scam. 😮
I'm surprised that the owner didn't get his shop burned down
At 4:45,You don't have to pay up front, if some place tells you that, run the other way. I have experience from working in car dealers and they don't do it that way.
I have done half up front when the repair gets too close to the value of the car in case I get stuck with it and have to lien it, but yes for the most part you usually pay upon completion.
Transmission in the back seat? That's crazy! How the heck do they lift that thing in there? Those suckers are heavy
This dudes underwater for life
Transmissions are expensive to replace or repair regardless of the year, however seeing someone driving your car and finding out they have put at least 1400 miles in it since the day it dropped off, yea that would get me irritated.
I'm so happy I don't have to deal with this. I work on my own car. My uncles are mechanics my mom is a mechanic and electrician and I've been around cars all my life I was working at my Uncle shop from the age of 6 until 18 so thank God I learned everything so I don't deal with those problems
SMALL CLAIMS COURT CAN'T HELP THESE PEOPLE. Since the owner of the shop is who they're after, he's the one who writes all the checks. He might get a judgement against him, but that doesn't mean he'll pay.
Always do research on a mechanic before you go there. Call around and get quotes, look at reviews, and make sure they are on the up and up. Once you find them, stick with them and build a relationship with them.
I’ve been going to the same mechanic for the last ten years and they have not let me down
"No one hands over the key of their car thinking they are gonna get ripped off..." What do you mean lady?? This is all I expect whenever I take my car to the shop
I worked at an Audi dealer in the Seattle area. One day a car owner was riding the shuttle van on his way to work. As they were passing the local Mc Donalds, the customer noticed an Audi in the drive-up line. He pointed out a car and said " I have one just like that, Hey, that's my license plate-THAT'S MY CAR!" It happens, even at reputable new car shops. I suggest noting the mileage when you drop your car off for service, and rechecking it when you pick it up. Of course, if the car needs to be test-driven to help diagnose a problem, that is a different situation.
I am a mechanic and I do have to drive your car to duplicate a problem or verify a repair so if I have someplace to go I see no problem, if I need to drive far I will make a call and let them know, but test driving a car to Mcdonalds I see no problem with that
Thank God I have a personal mechanic who I've known for years working on all my vehicles
Yeah I had a mechanic shop work on my transmission. They told me it would be about $800 and about eight days 26 days later they said it was $2,100. They broke my heater core, causing $750 damage, they broke my speedometer by installing the cable backwards, they killed a brand new battery I put in three weeks earlier $130.
Of course I didn't know about all this damage when I went to pick the car up. The guy at the shop started screaming at me if I don't pay the $2,100 he owns my car, I said I'll pay the $800 you told me it was going to be, he cussed and swore at me and told me he wasn't going 2 give me my key.
so I told him if you wanted to own my car he'd have to sue me for it, walked out got up my spare key and drove away. of course that's when I started discovering all the damage which has it turns out was about the same amount of money I owed them. Oh and by the way I never heard from them.
Did you sue them?
@@jayasmrmore3687 it wasn't enough money to bother with that. I did make a complaint with the state agency. It turned out that they were under criminal investigation and we're out of business up and in jail about 6 months later. Apparently they had strong-armed the business owner and stole his business.
I took my vehicle to a trans shop. Did research on line and found little pro or con about the shop. It had been in business for over a decade. The shop was clean inside. The only thing in his favor that made up my mind was that the city/police pool used him to service their vehicle transmissions.
When the "4 day" turn around turned into 3 weeks I started making calls. The guy refused to return my calls. When I cornered him he told me that parts for my trans were "rare" because Rangers, Explorers and Aerostars are super rare vehicles, right?
I brought 3 friends with me to get my vehicle back after almost a month and the guy was high at noon on a weekday. Many physical indicators of inebriation.
I towed it to a shop where they told me the guy is well known for having a drug habit and taking way too much time to get work done. They actuallly knew him and had MANY stories about previous customers coming in to his shop. I had an elderly customer with a 2005 Lincoln LS and the guy charged her $5000 + dollars to rebuild her trans. She was not a rich lady.
In short, no reviews doesn't equal okay. Lesson learned.
Be the first to write a review then, and write a bad one
always ask a car guy, I am a 63 year old mechanic still do some jobs but can not do them all, but I will never leave you hanging, I know who can do what, and who can not
Dis is why u pay after job is done and check up on it
I just cannot understand why people can't take their jobs seriously
His job was ripping people off. He was seriously good at it..
Wealthy celebs? He aint nothing but an UBER.
Maybe not, maybe you are wrong, he could as easily be a Lyft driver. You don’t know.
😂
And you ain't nothing. Period. Well, maybe a shit head.
Hey my friend from work is a uber driver. Picked up lil wayne and his entourage one night from a show and took them to eat. Sooo- conundrum;
Celebrity uber driver.
Lol
This is why you need to take your car to a reputable shop with good reviews.
Time to call the cops and have the lady arrested for theft.
She then in turn tells the cops how she became in possession of the car, go to employer and arrest him as well for theft. The woman’s charge becomes an accomplice.
Let’s see how long his employees stick around and protect him then.
They know they could be next for driving other clients cars for their personal use.
Most transmission rebuilds cost around $1500 on average and takes about four days to a week depending on how busy the business is.
B.s sue , win suit , guy files bankruptcy , court orders no contact order , you lose again! Lesson , get work done , test drive to verify work , leave and never pay. Two can play this game!
Show me the new torque converter. we all have old parts lying around. All i am saying is #1 , we all have spare keys and #2 If mechanics werent trying to rip people off , there wouldnt be these videos and people expressing their opinions on the matter. I own and operate a honest , licensed , fully insured company and dishonest people make everyone leery so we all have to pay for others being dishonest.
Like i said , we all have to pay because of shady people. In my work we take before durring and after photos of all work done to prtect both sides and act as a record of work and timeline!
All states allow a shop to have a possessory lien on the vehicle for work done. That means once you agree to the estimate of the work order and leave the car, you have just placed a lien on your car to the shop that is not released until you pay the billing you agreed to. A shop at this point can get a court order to repossess the vehicle, even if it's been sold thereafter it still can be repossessed (and you the car owner will probably get sued by the buyer) . If that doesn't work they can just sell your account to a collection agency, and they will trash your personal credit, possibly toss a judgment against you and order garnishments.
clintzx10. And that would be called theft of services! Sounds like you've done that before. Learn how to repair your own car or truck it's not rocket science.
What kind of tools should i buy since your obviously an expert? Saw , hammer , drill etc.
shut this scam business down
So far 90 pathetic repair scammers disliked this video.
Hahahahaha $3,200 up front? What the fuck for, a Crate Motor?
This is very excessive but when ever you have a car problematic car it’s very standard practice for a shop to put on a couple hundred miles on the customers car to make sure it is repaired properly. I have driven the customers cars home many times, the reason we do this is only if the car has a big problem that was repaired to ensure it was fixed or to try to fix a very intermittent problem the customer is having. I don’t even want to drive a customers car home but it’s only to save them money. If I had to drive a customers car during working hours I would have to charge the customer which is about $100 an hour plus fuel. If it took me 4 hours of driving to find a problem that’s $400 bucks plus fuel or as a courtesy I can drive it home for a couple days and only charge fuel. Obviously this shop is just a bunch of scam artist
A couple hundred miles, your out of your fucking mind you dumdass
Looking for white privilege you don’t know what your talking about. Are you a professional auto tech? Do you own a shop? In new york every car has to be inspected every year. If the engine light is on the problem has to get fixed then the car needs to be driven to re set the computer in the car because we have to connect the car to the state computer. Some times it only takes 30 miles to re set the computer and some times it can take a few hundred. Some times a customer has an issue that is very intermittent and you need to drive the car a lot. I’m not saying this guy is right for doing what he did but I am saying it is very normal for cars to be driven up to a few hundred miles but when this happens the customer is informed. And for what it’s worth I have absolutely no desire to drive a customers car specially if it’s an expensive new car I don’t want that liability. I am much more comfortable driving my own cars. I only drive the customers cars as a courtesy.
Henry McDaniel if we need to drive a car a lot for an issue it has the customer is given a choice. We can drive it home at night and around town to get parts as a courtesy but if they don’t want us to do that then we have to charge them $100 per hour plus gas to drive it on company time. Like I told the other person on here it’s generally to re set the cars computer so we can run a New York State inspection, it’s a pain in the butt for us but New York State makes us do this. We also drive the cars if they have an intermittent problem but again it’s totally up to the customer and I don’t want to drive a customers car it’s a liability for the shop but we are here to help the customers.
As
Can't get suckered if you're not a sucker.
EXACTLY!!!!!!
I live in Germany and guys, if you can find a Polish or Czech mechanic in the states, give them a shot. They reapir the car fast, properly and not expansive. That's how your company get a good reputation.
A reliable mechanic shop would never let you pay upfront.
I noticed changes in my car when I would take it to a dealership. Radio would on to a station that I didn't listen to and I had NOT turned the radio on in the first place. People would change the seats or the position on the outside rear-view mirrors. I once got into my car and it took a few seconds to realize that somebody had "TRIED" to smoke in my car. Unless they had their own lighter or matches, THAT DID NOT WORK. I had removed the cigarette lighter almost immediately when I bought the car. Tell the shop that they must NOT tamper with anything.
when the owners mug shot is posted in the lobby, find a different shop.
Never pay a mechanic in front if they ask walk away good mechanic never ask money until the job is done.
I've offerd to pay my mechanic up front and they refused saying its not appropriate and no honest mechanic would ever ask for that. At most they may ask for the cost of parts up front but definitely not Labour.
I’m a mechanic and I am not happy with the behavior of these store employees. This behavior is unacceptable they should go out of business
Don't pay up front for car repairs, they can always keep the car if you end up not paying.
That is a hell of a lot of money. I paid $1600 for a rebuilt trans on my jeep a few years back. I did not pay until I inspected the jeep after install was done. I would have shopped around until I found a reputable mechanic who doesnt demand payment up front. Never pay full price up front for a job like this if they demand it go elsewhere.
He's back in Mexico till the heats off him.
The Faceless Nomad -LOL .. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if you’re right!
Nope, he's hiding out at Trumps golf course.
Ha!!!
*car is 30 feet away*
"did you drive customers cars?" 😂😂😂
Its callled doing your research before getting the work done...
Why are people paying money, thousands of dollars, BEFORE the work is completed? In my 26 years of retail auto repair I never had a customer pay more than a small deposit, usually 10% of the parts, if the parts were going to be more than $1,000. This would cover the restocking fee if the customer later changed their mind and I had to return their part(s).
If a shop is asking for thousands of dollars before your car is finished, go elsewhere. This is a sure sign they are in financial trouble and are unable to cover their debts with their suppliers.
And why on earth would a shop keep a car for months. If repairs involve keeping the car for several days, the shop should be keeping in touch with the customer on a regular basis. A customer should never have to keep calling to check on their car. I learned long ago that calling my customers before they had to call me lets them know their car is as important to me as it is to them.
Driving a customers car for personal errands is a no-no. It’s okay to road test a car to verify their complaint or verify my repairs. Always document the time of the drive and the distance and write it on their repair order. Never ever touch their personal belongings or adjust their radio, mirrors or seats. It is their car, not mine.
The real lesson here is to never buy a GM vehicle.
That has nothing to do with the story, Grow Up!
When I was 12, my parents had a Mercedes picked up from our home by one of the dealerships "trust worthy, retired" workers for some maintanace. My mother & I went out to a store in another vehicle that afternoon & found the guy taking a nap in our Mercedes not far from our home.
2:52 my man got the BBS
The good thing about the place where I took my truck is that they told me that I would pay when the job is done. So when you look for shops like that tell them that you will pay when the job is done
Never EVER pay upfront in full! Always pay half if they refuse to accept only half they are shady!
My Grandpa owned a repair shop back then people paid all and he did it right but we are not there anymore (plus I come from a small town where everyone trusts everyone because we would be bumping into our mechanic veterinarian etc. at the store)
my Grandpa taught me when I left for college in the city always pay half if you are working with a mechanic plumber contractor etc.
I went to pick up my car from a garage and the mechanic came screaming down the road revving the hell out of it. Driving it home it was running rough with a blown head gasket.
I'm a mechanic and used to race cars. When I handed out resume's with racing references the employer thought I would abuse customer's cars. That never happened because I am a grown up person.
Every time I hand my keys over, I'm prepared to be getting ripped off! Lol
I only go to Japan repair shop, and buy Japan cars
It would be interesting to see how this would turn out, if he had a cops personal vehicle, right?
as a long time mechanic yes I will drive customers cars on errands, gotta drive it anyhow, but if it will take more than a few days to duplicate the complaint I will always call them let them know where I am going and if it is a trip I had to take anyhow no time charges would apply, but this is a bit over the top, dogs in the car? and they never even fixed it
I feel terrible for those people.
Usually its a week to do major transmission work or 2 weeks top.
Yup, that was a transfer case in the back of that Jeep, not a transmission. Sucks either way,... never pay for services up front!
Do people ever check service providers out? I always ask around and get references. takes a few minutes, but saves you a lot of trouble.
That is frankly irresponsible and wrong and as I have heard others say, "a violation of trust".
Took my truck into Blossom Chevrolet Indianapolis. Had 70 gallons of gas in it. Got it back empty after 3 months in their shop. Found out they were using it to pick-up parts for the Dealership.
that transmission was magically transmogrified into a transfer case.
I live 2 miles from that shop and they're incredibly shady. Not surprised.
3200 to fix a old ass car i'd just buy a new one.
This guy makes me sick. I know pretty much nothing about cars. I would love to learn how to work on cars. I would love to learn how to change oil in a car. I think the gratification of helping someone that you get after you help someone is awesome. I think this guy gets after helping no one is what seems like away with it but I don't know the entire story. This guy really should be sued by everyone.
"We don't like to share that information to ordinary people." 😬
That guy needs to be prosecuted. Terrible buisness. He was probably irresponsible with the buisness money, and the bills kept piling up.
You Should always check the better business bureau site before you do any extensive car repairs with a shop Or by any major engine or transmission parts online also check the address and see if there is any nearby businesses that can give you some kind of idea what they’re like
We sent one of our trucks for a recall repair and since we have GPS in all our vehicles in the 2 days they had it we saw it go to McDonald's twice
This is just me..... if I got a hold of this guy, my justice would be far better then the court.
This is why i went and took courses to work on my own cars and never let other places touches car
I just bought a brand new Harley from the dealership with 7 miles on it. When it was delivered it had 14 miles on it. So between my buying it and being loaded on the trailer someone went for a little ride. Only 7 miles but still not cool.
You never pay for a repair until it's finished.
That’s a transfer case, not a transmission. Lol
I was a service manager for two new car dealerships and one aftermarket shop.
Everything they did was unethical and I was not going to be any part of it.
Never pay up front.
Where's the mechanic on the joyride?
I had a similar problem, I had a friend of the family take my car to the dealership for repairs and claimed that they where working on it . And I wanted to check how to use the gps and to my surprise my car was on the Highway.
A lot more to my story. But this is rare
Once I took my car in for timing belt change, brought it in on Friday, and picked up next Wednesday with more than 250 miles on the odometer. Those thing happen often.
For a new timing belt,if spare 250 miles,ha!
Not right but new timing belt will save ur ass!!
It seems like Colorado likes it's corporate filing fees more that prosecuting these kind of criminals.
I don't know about you guys but this seems to me to be a situation that calls for a trip to the local sporting goods store to pick up a few Louisville Sluggers.
How could someone do that to a car