What to do about dishonest mechanic?

If the shop is AAA certified and you are an AAA member, sometimes they will arbitrate a disagreement. If you paid by credit card, sometimes the credit card company will intervene on their customer's behalf. You can try the Better Business Bureau or one of those consumer advocate reporters for your local newspaper or news station.

Overcharging and not doing a complete job is his way of telling you I don't want to see you or your vehicle again. Normally a person gets burned and doesn't return. I believe that's what he's counting on. If you do come back everything will always be on his terms, not yours. If the amount isn't way too high I suggest just telling your "friend" thanks a lot for screwing you over.

Hmm...well, it ammounts to about $350 excess, counting what it'd take to have someone else complete the job. I haven't paid the guy yet, if that counts for anything.

You have your car back and didn't pay him yet? Sounds like I misjudged him and your friend.

There sure is, you can look up the meaning of the word 'estimate,' before the next time you take your vehicle somewhere to be repaired ;)

Have you ever heard of the words, theft of services, litigation or mechanics lean? ;)

mike hunt

Is sound more like his friend and the mechanic misjudged HIS integrity.

mike

No, he still has it...

Like I said, that's not the issue. It isn't that more needed to be done, or that it was more difficult than he thought it would be. He simply claims I told him to do X for X price, when I told him to do Y for Y price, and I recall the conversation word for word and was writing it down as he said it. Of course I'm going to pay him, but I don't like being lied to, and was wondering if I have any recourse.

Mike Hunter wrote:

I'm not sure that it will help in this situation, but always get an estimate in writing before authorizing repairs!

Different states have different rules. I think your best bet would be to contact your local consumer division of the attorney general's office. Maybe they might call him on your behalf. I feel sorry for you man but you have to get something on paper before any work gets done. Don't take chances. Very few people have a conscience and won't think twice in stiffing an unexpecting person.

Yeh...but who has your car?...

I don't believe that I've ever heard of 'mechanics lean'...

Mind you, I have heard of 'mechanic's lien'...

LOL....

picky picky...

He probably let you have the car back without paying first because your friend referred you. Sounds like someone is about to lose two friends.

At this point, since you have nothing in writing, you're going to have to pay whatever he is charging you in order to get your car back. What you should have done was left a written statement (keeping a copy for yourself) of your phone conversation, listing the repairs to be made and the estimated costs given to you over the phone.

Sometimes the lessons we learn the best are the expensive ones. Unfortunate, but true.

What we have here is a failure to comunicate

I believe so in more ways than one. Usually a lax attitude happens only after each side knows each other. It begins by noting services requested and payment expected by some type of traceable means. My father used to say quite often "A friend of yours is a friend of mine" but he was the professional tradesman, not the receiver of the services. He most often gave the client more than expected at a fair price. He also returned phone calls which is rare nowadays.

Just shoot him.

There is nothing more simple and straight forward than an automobile, and if the actual price comes in way above the estimate given without even looking at the car, then the only solution is a bullet right between the eyes.

Both you and the mechanic made a serious error here, you left the car with a guy you did not know, and the mechanic said "x" without any basis in fact, resulting in him actually doing "y".

Yep, it's time for bullets to fly.