Fraud? Do i Pay or not?

[wangboy925]

ok i just got the car back from the shop from a rebuild. i sent the car back to the shop after 100 miles so they could install a new O2 sensor. As it was in the shop the guy said that the clutch pedal was really hard to press on ( the clutch was fine when i drove it to the shop). he found out the springs on the clutch disk busted and while the tranny was out of the car i bought a Fidanza flywheel because since it was out i might as well buy one. he installed the flywheel and put the tranny back together. He now wants to charge me for a new clutch disk and labor. I believe that this problem was the shops fault and not mine. Should I have the right to say that it should all be done for free? The clutch and disk had very few miles on it, the mechanic even said the clutch looked excellent. Should I fight this issue of me paying for labor and disk?

 

[96gstdsm]

ok i just got the car back from the shop from a rebuild. i sent the car back to the shop after 100 miles so they could install a new O2 sensor. As it was in the shop the guy said that the clutch pedal was really hard to press on ( the clutch was fine when i drove it to the shop). he found out the springs on the clutch disk busted and while the tranny was out of the car i bought a Fidanza flywheel because since it was out i might as well buy one. he installed the flywheel and put the tranny back together. He now wants to charge me for a new clutch disk and labor. I believe that this problem was the shops fault and not mine. Should I have the right to say that it should all be done for free? The clutch and disk had very few miles on it, the mechanic even said the clutch looked excellent. Should I fight this issue of me paying for labor and disk?

I would say definitely fight it! I had the same sort of situation a while ago with a clutch replacement. Kept saying something or other went out just as the whole job was being done. First the slave cylinder and then master etc... Complete BS if you ask me. The odds of all these things going on their own, having it be fine before it was dropped off and then while sitting there going bad. Probably 1 in 100,000.
If you wind up needing to replace it regardless then I would say buy your own one not through the mechanic and then have them install it. Maybe that way they will discover that it miraculously fixed itself as was the case with my car when they wanted to replace the master for 200 bucks.

 

[wangboy925]

He just did it to me too. I just called him and he said , now he said he's working on the timing belt tensioner. He said it was leaking fluid as it was sitting there for a week. He's now fixing it as we speak: taking out the belt and making the timing right. It always seems as something new comes up

 

[snox135]

If he just rebuilt the motor it should have been a new tensioner. Get your car out of the shop and call a laywer.

 

[eboy0]

He just did it to me too. I just called him and he said , now he said he's working on the timing belt tensioner. He said it was leaking fluid as it was sitting there for a week. He's now fixing it as we speak: taking out the belt and making the timing right. It always seems as something new comes up

From what i understand, I don't think you can "Fix" the tensioner... you need to buy a new one.

 

[96gstdsm]

He just did it to me too. I just called him and he said , now he said he's working on the timing belt tensioner. He said it was leaking fluid as it was sitting there for a week. He's now fixing it as we speak: taking out the belt and making the timing right. It always seems as something new comes up

Don't pay for a thing he did not ask you if he could do first! If he does not ask you first and then just does it you have every right to refuse payment. He is definitely ripping you off!!! Get your car out now!

 

[wangboy925]

also while he was doing the rebuild, I told him to tell me what kind of clutch and flywheel were in the car (i didn't know what the previous owner had on it). And he told me after he put it all back together when it could all have been done a while ago.

 

[Eclipse98_RS]

Legally they have to ask you to replace things on your car if they "Notice" they are wrong. If this guy just goes ahead and fixes them without you saying anything then thats his fault.
The guy sounds like a hack, bring a lawyer with you when you go pick the car up to show him you mean business. This could of course be some Italian guy dressed up in a pinstripe suit with a briefcase. That sucks man. I kinda have the same situation going on with my car, but they just told me about it, they didnt just fix it and expect money

 

[Cs4g63]

Definately get a lawyer on his a$$. You dont need some con artist trying to screw you out of money. About a dozen or so shops around where I live got caught doing the same thing to customers and got shut down for it.

 

[wangboy925]

He did a compression check and it was really low. Now he's taking the head off. Do you really think a hydrolic tensioner losing fluid would do any damage to the head?

 

[snox135]

Go Get Your Car Now!!!!!

 

[BUCK]

He did a compression check and it was really low. Now he's taking the head off. Do you really think a hydrolic tensioner losing fluid would do any damage to the head?

ABSOLUTELY once the TB jumped time from improper Tensioning.

 

[freshlane]

i would get your car. if it wasn't bad when you gave it to him then chances are the case will be in your favor. I think tuners should have a 'legal issue' forum. Seems like alot people have been having mechanic problems lately

 

[tkelly27]

Are you OKing these things? That is, did you say
"Ok, take the head off the car"
If you did, prepare to be taken for a ride. If you did not, prepare to go to court. You're going to have a HUGE bill. The labor involved in both of those projects is much much more than I'd pay for any DSM.

The only way I'd be ok with them doing any of that (since it was running fine and they had just recently rebuilt it) is if they were investigating something they screwed up and fixing it for you. And monkeys might fly outta my arse

 

[rcrullamas]

im not sure what kind of auto repair laws you have in FL, but in Cali an auto repair shop can not remove a single bolt on your car unless they get authorization from the owner. They also need to provide you an estimate of cost. I would call the Bureau of Automotive Repair they will come and investigate, the shop can be fined or lose their auto repair license. I also would ask for your old parts

 

[TurboTJ]

Go Get Your Car Now!!!!!

I AGREE!!! Is this guy just calling you every day to tell you what he took apart on your car that day??? Thats total BS. Dont pay for shit. If worst comes to worst and you have to pay for something dont use cash! Put it on a credit card so you can refuse payment later.

 

[eboy0]

He did a compression check and it was really low. Now he's taking the head off. Do you really think a hydrolic tensioner losing fluid would do any damage to the head?

Once the tensioner goes bad you'll lose tension on the timing belt and prepare for many belt/broken valves. If you do have him do any work on your car, tell him to replace the tensioner, not "fix" it..

 

[wangboy925]

ok he took the head off and he said only the intake valves were bent and not the exhaust valves. He is getting a new tensioner from the dealership and having new valves put in. By the way of his tone of voice it sounded like he was going to take responsiblity and pay for it but i wont know for sure till the car is complete

 

[96gstdsm]

ok he took the head off and he said only the intake valves were bent and not the exhaust valves. He is getting a new tensioner from the dealership and having new valves put in. By the way of his tone of voice it sounded like he was going to take responsiblity and pay for it but i wont know for sure till the car is complete

How have you not asked him if you have to pay for all this yet? He keeps adding things on. Is he telling you before he does it? Not to be an ass but it seems kinda like you are trying to screw yourself over. Keep saying he is doing more and more work but you never even ask if you have to pay for it? And once again has he been asking you prior to working on it if you wanted him to go ahead and do it? Everyone on this board has said multiple times to get your car out of there. It's still there and he keeps adding things on so it seems like your gonna be screwed. Sorry to come off a little harsh here, but I have been screwed a little before and you seem to just be going along with it.

 

[chico904]

I have to agree with the above post, I would flat out ask " Are you paying for this, or am I?"

 

[delta448]

I know two honest mechanics, myself and my brother in law. But neither of us do it for a living.

Seriously, situations like this happen to my friends and family all the time. It's why I prefer to learn how to fix things myself. I suggest you tell the man to stop everything, sit down with you and explain to him in definite terms what you will or will not pay for. The only way you're ever going to know how hard he's screwing you is to be right there every time he touches your car.

 

[wangboy925]

if i dont ask and assume he's doing it all for free it would be better off than asking him if i should pay or he should pay. If i ask then he will think that im not that caring for my own money. And plus if he thinks im paying then he would do labor twice as fast as if he was doing it for free.

 

[96gstdsm]

if i dont ask and assume he's doing it all for free it would be better off than asking him if i should pay or he should pay. If i ask then he will think that im not that caring for my own money. And plus if he thinks im paying then he would do labor twice as fast as if he was doing it for free.

I would not go along with that at all! If you keep letting him do everything I think you are going to be screwed with a huge bill. Since he seems to be telling you and you are not stopping him, looks like you might be paying out a lot of money soon. I think that is some really bad logic when it comes to mechanic's.
No mechanic voluntarily will do work for free. As fas as he is concerned he is charging you for every penny. By you not stopping him, he could make a claim that it was ok'd. I would call a halt to it immediately unless you want to risk being forced to pay for everything. I don't even know if it would hold up in court saying he never asked you, if he is telling you everything he has to do and you don't say no.
Good luck, I think your gonna need it!

 

[chico904]

Okay I just reread everything you said this guy is doing, and wanted to know what exactly you brought the car in for? You say to put a clutch in, but now are talking about the head being taken off, new valves, and other things.

 

[chico904]

And plus if he thinks im paying then he would do labor twice as fast as if he was doing it for free.

This makes no sense to me. If he thinks you are paying, why would he work twice as fast, thereby cutting the labor bill in half?