how would you handle this?

[HKCharger]

If you took your car to a local speed shop and asked them to among other things- change oil, change spark plugs, change stall converter, etc. About 10 things- maintenance items and new part upgrades. They tell you they are ordering a $400 new hughes stall converter and note that on your invoice. They also note they bought new spark plugs and charge you for them and the install.

You get your car, you drive home and on the way home the stall converter grenades. You tow it to a local transmission shop and find out you don't have a new $400 stall converter but an old used one that just grenaded. You then look at the spark plugs and notice the ones you installed last year are still in the car. You then check the oil and it is black. Last but not least you check the trunk for all your old parts and none of them are there.

I am doing my best to contain and control my anger as I wait for the shop owner to return my calls.

[Rolling_Thunder]

go back to the shop and say "you know you ripped me off - I know you ripped me off...       refund all my money before things get ugly (legally)"  -   if the are smart they would give you your $$$ back...       if they do not begin filing charged of fraud, call the better business bureau,  and initiate a small claims court case

[69bronzeT5]

Not sure how I'd personally handle it but I can safely say I'd be f*cking LIVID.

[HKCharger]

I would if I weren't 5 hours away.

[HKCharger]

Not sure how I'd personally handle it but I can safely say I'd be f*cking LIVID.

I want to break sh*t right now.

[694spdRT]

Wow! 

Your sparkplug problem really snowballed. So what did they actually do besides lie and steal from you?

[twodko]

When you do go back to this shop take a couple buddies with you........you know, just to hang out. Your buds could also hold up some "Rip-off Shop" signs in front of the joint......on the sidewalk of course.

I'm way sorry this happened to you man.

Tom

[tan top]

go back to the shop and say "you know you ripped me off - I know you ripped me off...       refund all my money before things get ugly (legally)"  -   if the are smart they would give you your $$$ back...       if they do not begin filing charged of fraud, call the better business bureau,  and initiate a small claims court case

yeah  , think i would be taking video evidence !!  also have you got an invoice what these cowboys ,  were supposed to have done

sorry to hear this HKC  ...

[HKCharger]

Wow! 

Your sparkplug problem really snowballed. So what did they actually do besides lie and steal from you?

It appears that is all they did.

[HKCharger]

go back to the shop and say "you know you ripped me off - I know you ripped me off...       refund all my money before things get ugly (legally)"  -   if the are smart they would give you your $$$ back...       if they do not begin filing charged of fraud, call the better business bureau,  and initiate a small claims court case

yeah  , think i would be taking video evidence !!  also have you got an invoice what these cowboys ,  were supposed to have done

sorry to hear this HKC  ...

Yep full invoice detailing they charged me for what I requested- but didn't do.

[68X426]

Ouch, I feel for you, this is a crime, but how to get justice?

Can you prove fraud (criminal) or will be considered a civil matter? You may be spending some time away from home in the coming months.

Immediately visit the jurisdiction's District Attorney and then the state's Attorney General. File as many complaints of consumer fraud as possible. I think each piece of work not done merits its own complaint (formal fraud charge).

Contact your insurance company. The car is damaged, right? If (IF!!) it's worth filing a claim, then the insurer will hopefully have plenty of weight to throw into the matter. (ie it's costing them money), they can/should help.

And last you probably should talk to an attorney, now, to help with early strategy in case it goes the civil route.

Hope you can find success, Dan.

[472 R/T SE]

How 'bout the name & what town this occurred in so others' don't become victims?

[HKCharger]

Will it be difficult to prove a faulty or improperly installed torque converter resulted in the total required rebuild of my 727?

[HKCharger]

How 'bout the name & what town this occurred in so others' don't become victims?

In due time. I need to contact an attorney first and give the shop owner one small chance to make this right. If he doesn't and my atty gives the ok I will-believe me.

[Rolling_Thunder]

the old torque converter was an issue -  had it been replaced when you dropped the car off it would have avoided a self destruction of the transmission (transmission damage resulted form catastrophic failure of the torque converter - the part you asked and was billed to be replaced)

[RD]

dont give him a chance to make it right... he had that chance already and failed to comply by not doing what he was supposed to do.. i.e. replace the parts correctly.

now.. take it to him legally and get your money back.

[ZSmithersCharges]

+1 to what everyone else is saying.

Just because he may fix your problem doesn't mean he won't rip off the next guy to get his money back from having to fix yours.  Give the name and location of the shop so that does not happen.  He does not deserve a second chance.

[Darkman]

Sorry to hear yet another innocent hard working car enthusiast getting ripped off.

I think that you have an obligation to warn others from going there regardless whether they make it fight or not. How many others have they gotten away with this? It would probably have kept on going until you did something about it. These crooks need to be punished by lack of income/revenue!

[HKCharger]

Miller Performance Auto Repair (MPAR)
Mike Miller- owner
Haltom City, Tx
Millerperformance.net

[SFRT]

if your going to keep your car for a while, invest in some basic tools and learn to do your own maintenance.

[HKCharger]

if your going to keep your car for a while, invest in some basic tools and learn to do your own maintenance.

I understand and agree to a point- but not all repairs requested are because you don't know how to do them. There are othere reasons.

[RD]

so have you figured out what your course of action is going to be?

[HKCharger]

Unfortunately no.

Mike states I need to bring it back and he will make it all 'right.'

Personally I don't want him touching my car again.

I am waiting on a call back from an attorney.

My wife says legal fees aren't that cheap then once we win the judgement, she haas concerns about how we will get what money is awarded to us.

So I'm sitting here pondering what to do.

I just can't accept his reasoning. Your mechanic just doesn't mix up a used stall vs a new one. Your mechanic just doesn't forget to change your plugs. Your mechanic just doesn't forget to give me all my old parts back. He says he ordered my new hughes stall from jegs/summit- well why can't he produce that order number?

[68charger383]

I think Scotty said it best in Star Trek.....fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

The guy already screwed you, charged you money and didn't do the work. Have the new shop repair and replace the tranny and converter. Have them provide a signed affadavit that states that the converter in the car is not a new converter, is not the brand converter you were sold the day before you drove into this shop etc. and that the failure of this defective part caused your tranny to blow.

Get a similar receipt at another shop re spark plugs and oil etc. as you watch them replace the stuff.

Send Mike a demand letter demanding payment per the receipts and for any other cost (tow etc.) related to this problem. In 15 days file a suit in small claims.

[Darkman]

IMO, I would speak with him first without getting lawyers involved and try and settle on your money back and for them to foot the bill for your tranny repair. Since you are so far away, it is unreasonable for anybody to expect you to take it back there. Get all the info backing your arguement up (statements from other mechanics). If then they refuse, that's when you threaten them with further action.

It's easy for people do say do it yourself, but not everyone is a mechanic and has the confidence to tackle such work. Replacing spark plugs is straight forward (if done incorrectly won't cause major damage), but transmission work should be left to the pros because if this work is done incorrectly, you have warranty claims.