Register now to get rid of these ads!

How bad has someone tried to rip you off???!!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Stevie Nash, Nov 12, 2009.

  1. BlackMagicKustoms
    Joined: Jul 5, 2006
    Posts: 322

    BlackMagicKustoms
    Member
    from Denton,TX

    Had a guy send a car carrier to pick up a car I sold on ebay, but he had not won the auction. Had to make sure the gate stayed locked for a while after that.
     
  2. Hate to bust your balls but.....I am a mechanic at a dealership. I don,t set the times or rates , I just do the work. I don,t see who gets charged what. You can have an honest mechanic and a dis-honest service manager.I write on my work order that the pads are worn out,the service manager making the estimate adds rotors,calipers,flex lines you name it.Don,t believe for a second that everything leads to a dis-honest mechanic.
     
  3. billsill45
    Joined: Jul 15, 2009
    Posts: 784

    billsill45
    Member
    from SoCal

    Hope you flipped those fellows a few bucks extra in "lunch money" for being standup guys... :)
     
  4. dannyego
    Joined: Mar 12, 2008
    Posts: 1,387

    dannyego
    Member

    If that was actually what the problem was I would understand. I had multiple random misfires. The mechanic at the dealership said it needed a coilpack $450 and fuel line flush $350. After I replaced the coil pack it was still misfiring. I replaced the $12 gas cap and low and behold it was fixed. Oh yeah and I still had to pay $90 for them to "diagnose the problem" with an incorrect diagnosis. Im sorry but I am going to lump everyone together. I have buddies that work at large shops and they know what the customers are charged for stuff, not sure about dealerships but I know the guy that looked at my truck brought the service order into the service office and handed it to the guy behind the counter.
     
  5. El Gordo
    Joined: Aug 20, 2007
    Posts: 432

    El Gordo
    Member

    Was on a long distance camping trip driving a '88 S10 jimmy pulling my old tent trailer. We traveled from Edmonton Alberta to the Black Hills via Yellowstone park. As we get to Sturgus (1 week B4 the bikers) the rear tailpipe hanger lets go. No big deal I drive into Spearfish SD and spot a muffler shop, then I drop the wife and boy off at the Walmart down the interstate and go back to get a hanger. They put the Jimmy up on the hoist and immediately torch off the tail pipe right at the muffler. They then bent up a new tailpipe and welded it on, finished everything (2 hours later) and brought down the hoist,
    As soon as the tires touched the ground and the weight of the truck came down you could hear a loud metal on metal sckreeching. They had routed the pipe just over the axel and then out between the frame and leaf springs.
    Up it goes again, torched off again and bend up a new one (1 1/2 hours more)
    weld it up nice and bring it down again. same noise same story.
    Now I've invested 4 hours - trapped in thier waiting room while 10 miles away my family is also trapped in Walmart Hell and we both find out too late that our cell phones won't work in that area. I had told her that I'd meet them just inside the front doors of Walmart on the hour or half hour and said that this shouldn't take more than 90 minutes.
    These monkeys proceeded to bend up 2 more attempts before they got one to work. This mechanical adventure cost me $250 and 6 hours.

    Their repair job barely got us home before it started falling apart. I took it into my mechanic and he had to replace everthing they did as well as the muffler that they kept getting closer to everytime they torched off their failed attempt. It cost me $225 to repair their $250 repair.


    If I had knowen I'd have just wired the pipe up with a coathanger first

    The only good thing was that it was YEARS behore my wife would step into a Walmart:D
     
  6. kraka138
    Joined: Oct 3, 2007
    Posts: 293

    kraka138
    Member

    i know with the fords, the trans range sensor is a failling point....just throwing that out there, its like a 50 dollar part, not too many places besides ford has
     
  7. MEDDLER1
    Joined: Jun 1, 2006
    Posts: 1,590

    MEDDLER1
    Member

    I bought a used truck from the chevy dealer here in woodland.It had 40,000 on it when i bought it.I paid 1300.00 for the extended warranty wich would carry me to 100,000 miles drive train.I have ALL service records for the truck and they always performed my services,at 70,000 the motor grenades..........
    After they look at the truck the service manager calls me and says that my warranty is no good and that the dealer gave me my money back for the extended around the time i bought it because they were not supposed to sell me that particular warranty.To repair my truck was gonna run me 5,500 estimated.I think i would have remembered getting 1300.00 bucks back wouldnt you?The truck sat in their lot for a year.Thats how long it took me to get it fixed (for free finally) but not after a shitty battle and a year without the truck.
    Did I win?No because they should have fixed it and not tried too rip me off,and after all the legal shit...........This same dealer repaired a glow plug on my father in laws duramax and while doing so broke a heater line.They made him buy the line and said they would have to charge him to replace it too.You could clearly see that the line had been leaned on while changing the glow plug directly underneath it.WOODLAND CHEVROLET FOLKS!!!they are CROOKS!!!!! thanks for letting me rant .
     
  8. jbon64
    Joined: Jul 26, 2006
    Posts: 511

    jbon64
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    my girl friend had a dodge dakota that wasnt heating up inside . had a bumper to bumper warranty at a dealership . they diagnosed a stuck open thermostat and said the warranty doesnt cover that , it will cost 400 and change to fix. she called me , i showed up and told them the thermostat is indeed between the bumpers and why isnt it covered on said warranty ? uh ....well its just not covered , it's considered a normal wear and tear part . ok f--k you , i'll fix it myself . ok , that'll be 185.00 for the diagnosis . i hit the roof , and almost got arrested and hauled out . the manager dropped the 185 charge and i spent 10 bucks on a t-stat and a 1/2 hour doing the swap.
     
  9. I hate to say,but not really- A LOT of A-HOLES out there. Makes the rest of us look like thieves.Too bad,as I also have to deal with the dealer for parts and warranty work.Had a car with an oil consumption problem.2k olds aroura.1qt almost every thousand miles.Car was almost new at the time. The dealer had to do an "oil consumption test"=basically seal the drain plug and vc cap,so nothing could be drained or added. Told to come back at two week intervals.No prob...-except I marked the damn oil filter and took pictures. The look on their faces was funny as hell when my boss went off.They changed the oil to make it look like nothing was wrong. Ended up getting a NEW car under the lemon law.

    Mechanic shaking his head
     
  10. Big_John
    Joined: Mar 28, 2006
    Posts: 334

    Big_John
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    We've had some mechanics try to rip us on our company cars a bunch of times.

    Once, one of our drivers handed me the phone. The local stealership service writer was telling him all that needed to be done on our Chevy van.... including changing the power steering fluid and adjusting the front brakes....

    The power steering pump had been changed by the same dealership the week before!! I asked "didn't you change the fluid then??" No answer other then "it really should be done" and then I asked "how exactly do you adjust disc brakes?" I got a long explanation that made zero sense.. I said "my driver will be over to pick the van up in a little while"

    We bought another van a couple years later. A GMC this time. The oil pan was leaking and the dealership had it for about a week. It was still leaking... so we took it back... then they said they couldn't do the job because the van didn't fit on their lift!! Come to find out they never did anything the first time!

    The van went over to another GMC dealer who did the job... but when they brought the van out, they creased the side cutting a corner in the shop!

    Not all the dealerships are dishonest, but most are trying to get as many $$ out of the public as they can and get away with it. I've had really good luck with the local Ford dealership... Of course it helped that my son was the service writer for a year before moving into a sales job.
     
  11. BAILEIGH INC
    Joined: Aug 8, 2008
    Posts: 3,629

    BAILEIGH INC
    Alliance Vendor

    Mechanics are the worst. My wife falls for it every time. :(
     
  12. Cool thread---I was getting tired of "the body shop from Hell ripped me off" threads...:rolleyes: 'bout time the wrench twisters had a turn in the barrel :eek::D
     
  13. sawzall
    Joined: Jul 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,721

    sawzall
    Member

    had a guy "offer" me a pair of inner fenders.. for 5,000


    I passed..
     
  14. NortonG
    Joined: Dec 26, 2003
    Posts: 2,117

    NortonG
    Member Emeritus

    haha, stealership

    I like that!

    Norton
     
  15. Fordguy321
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Posts: 421

    Fordguy321
    Member
    from Arizona

    so the rear brakes were 260 at the shop and you got the parts for 170. so they were charging 90 bux labor. sounds bout right to me.but its bs cuz only 11 of that goes to the technician thats bustin his knuckles. my shop charges 110 an hour and i get 20% of it. Bulls**t. the man is giving IT to us workers hard! best thing to do when they quote you on shit is have them show you the bad, ask for the old parts to be put in your trunk. and when they tell you that you need a flush have them show you in your owners manual where manufacturer recommends the flush at!
     
  16. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    Ebay scam. First ebay auction. I get outbid last minute on a blower kit. Next day I get a 2nd chance offer from what appeared to be ebay but it came through my regular email. This time the paypal offer has been pulled and it's strictly a money order or bank transfer deal. I notice the address has changed from the US to somewhere in England. Story as to why it is being sold has changed as well. I call bullshit on the whole deal and they counter with an offer to have ebay security set up the transaction along with insurance and a personal security advisor I can call to verify. I get a very official ebay notification explaining the process and sure enough there is a guy on the other end of the number provided. Again, this is all through personal email and not through ebay. I still call bullshit and contact ebay. They confirm it's all a scam and not to answer anything not sent through the ebay system. I forward ebay the emails and turn it over to security. As I'm doing so I get a call from the "security" guy. I casually mention I've contacted ebay and they are full of shit. They guy gets angry, tells me to F-Off and hangs up.

    A lot of time and effort went into this set up and they came within a moment of inexperience of getting my $2500.
     
  17. Stevie Nash
    Joined: Oct 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,999

    Stevie Nash
    Member

    $260 for rear pads only. $170 was pads and new rotors for all 4 wheels..
     
  18. kustomizingkid
    Joined: Sep 6, 2008
    Posts: 225

    kustomizingkid
    Member

    I'm so glad I fix my own stuff....

    I also work on peoples stuff from time to time on the side... I'm amazed at what shops quote...

    S10 radiator, shop quoted $850 for parts and labor, I did it for $200 total, parts was $150...
    BMW x5 axle shaft, shop quoted $1200! I did it for $240, parts were $140...
    I could go on and on....
     
  19. C5rider
    Joined: Oct 4, 2009
    Posts: 112

    C5rider
    Member
    from FLA

    Wife needed a new car. So, we went to a dealership that had a nice-looking '96 Century for sale. Owned by an old dude (this IS florida) and it looks like he "Parked by sound". Every corner had a little ding, not bad, just enough to tell him that "the eagle had landed". A good friend of mine and I take it out for a spin. Everything is going great until the car just dies. Won't start or even turn over. Battery is dead. We call the salesman who comes and picks us up and they tow the car back. I get a call a few days later that they have taken care of the problem and the car is running great. I ask what was wrong and the salesman says that the car was, "out of gas". Since when does a lack of gas prevent a car from turning over?!!

    I'm there, so I take the car for a test drive. Only this time, I stop at EVERY parking lot, shut off the car, start it again and go to the next parking lot. After a few times at this, the car amazingly runs out of gas again, as evidenced by it not able to turn over the engine. I call the guy again, they come out and get the car and say that they'll have their "best guy" take a look at it. I tell him that I can diagnose it with a multi-meter and 3 minutes. He says that won't be necessary. They jump the car and get it back to the shop, then throw a charger on it (must transfer gas through the battery on that year Century). They tell me its fixed. I tell him that I'm not going to even consider the car until they get me a multi-meter. I watched the car being worked on the whole time and they didn't check a thing. Their "best guy" finally gets one and checks the battery, voila! The alternator isn't charging! Go figure. IT must have run out of gas. Long story short, the alternators on those cars are the little ones that aren't easily rebuildable and they're kind of expensive. They didn't want to replace it or put any money into the car and were hoping that I'd drive off the lot with it in my name and MY problem. They did replace the alternator (even had one in stock!) and I decided that I'd be buying a battery (got one on the way home). They weren't asking a lot for the car but, I always felt it was kind of crappy the way they went about it. Turned out to be a great running car for us for many years.

    Funniest thing was that they had put stickers on the windshield. I started to leave but then went back in to ask someone if I could borrow something to scrape them off with. I found the salesman standing in the doorway of the break room, extolling on what an a-hole I had been and everything. The looks on everyone's faces, trying to tell him that I was standing right behind him while he was going on and on was nothing compared to the look in his eyes when he turned around. that's when I KNEW I got a good deal on the car. :D
     
  20. Saxxon
    Joined: Dec 14, 2008
    Posts: 1,831

    Saxxon
    Member

    My mother trusted her mechanic so she thought all mechanics could be trusted. She took her 67 Polara (318 2 barrel) to the corner service center every spring and fall and every 5000 miles. This car was pampered and ran like a top for 30 years. We offered many times to do the servicing but she was adament that her mechanic would do it and it was good to put money into the local businesses. Her mechanic retired and the service shop was bought out by a franchise name brand. The next spring she brought the big Dodge in to have it "summerized" and swap out the snow tires. They come back to her with a laundry list of repairs they want to do. The trusting soul that she is she says OK and pays $3800 in repairs on a car that wouldn't sell for $800. The next fall, after less than 2000 miles she takes it in to be "winterized" and again is met with a list of repairs. Again she has it done, because, as she says "it' was less than a new car". She happens to mention it to my brother and when we start to talk about it she pulls out all the bills and statements. (Document freak... keeps everything including gas receipts) The list of repairs was staggering. It included new brakes on 3 (??) corners, assorted front end parts, rear gears, shocks all around and an assortment of bolt on engine bits including a new carb ($400) and one new valve cover ($225). It even included an new steering wheel ($185) for, as she was told, you have to change the steering wheel when you change the front end parts. We did a walk around and couldn't see the new shocks or the "New" carb and the "New" valve cover looked like the one on the other side except wiped clean. The reason she told us was that the car now drove like crap. It was obvious they didn't do the front end alignment they charged her $350 for after they messed around with the front end. Then she hits us with it... She saw on 60 minutes you should ask for the parts when you get work done so the 2nd time she had gone back she asked for the parts. Surprise, they gave her some. They just weren't from her car. Most weren't even Dodge parts and the carb they gave her was a rusted Holley 4 barrel and a valve cover was not included, but a power steering pump they never changed was. We couldn't find any shocks and the pads they gave her were disc brake. The Dodge had drums. My Mother refused to let us do anything as it wasn't her way. The next oil change interval she took the car back to the same shop. This time they wanted to flush everything, change the exhaust, and suggested she put a new motor in it as this one was leaking compression and had bad valve guides. They even had the leak down test documented. The estimate was another $3500. We took the car to a trusted friend who did the same inspection which showed the exhaust was sound (less than 4 years old), the motor needed nothing. Hell it only had 45,000 miles, it was just breaking in for a 318. The brakes had not been serviced and none of the filters had been changed. Yet they charged for it all. We went to the BBB and filed a claim. When we confronted the service shop they got angry, rude and very confrontational. They even grabbed my Mother's purse and spilled it out looking for a hidden camera. Luckily the police had been called before my Brother and I did something that would put us in jail. We filed suit but got no where as the place filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. Funny part is, the same shop opened up with the same guys under a new name 3 weeks later. This version of the shop lasted about 3 years before a condo development bought out the location for the land.

    Post script: The Polara started to rust out badly and finally coughed a tranny. The car went to our "trusted friend". He put the motor and rear into his shop truck. Both have since happily rumbled on for another 200,000 miles without missing a beat and still going.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2009
  21. oldpaint
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 357

    oldpaint
    Member

    My wife leased a new car. She would take it to the dealership for oil changes. They would pick it up from her work and return it. One time they told her she was due to have the injectors flushed and they were having some "Special" for $299 or something I don't remember. She said I have to call my husband, and he will call you if it needs to be done. Needless to say only the oil got changed. She knows quite a bit about cars, but if she isn't sure she always asks my advice.
     
  22. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    only a fool would take paypal for a car. there is no security for the seller at all. none. nada. zip. zero. zilch.

    paypal could care less about buyers. they only care about paypals bottom line. you need online proof of delivery to win a item not received claim. nothing else matters and they will not go to bat for you when you get ripped off.
     
  23. Rick Sis
    Joined: Nov 2, 2007
    Posts: 710

    Rick Sis
    Member
    from Tulsa OK

    My Saturn LW300 was out of warranty, but only had about 25K miles on it. The A/C quit, compressor clutch was not working. I was busy and dropped it off at the local dealer to have it checked out and an oil change. I get a call back from the service writer kid saying that it needs a new A/C compressor, $950. I asked how he knew it needed a new compressor, if the clutch didn't work. He stutters and says, "well...that old compressor won't hardly turn at all, has to be replaced". "old" compressor....25K miles..... I told him to hold off. It took me months to get around to checking it out myself. Of course, no A/C during this time. It needed a relay. I think it was about $10.
     
  24. plym49
    Joined: Aug 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,802

    plym49
    Member
    from Earth

    All too many shops and dealerships are run by thieves and the more you know about cars the more you know about the ways they can steal. The stories so far on this thread are mostly the extreme cases. How about the millions of times that lesser crimes occur? Like no w/s wipers, the shop goes to replace the motor and the tech finds a bad connector. Well, somehow in addition to the connector repair the vehicle owner still gets a new w/s wiper motor. The telltale is when pairs of items are replaced: a connector and a motor, a bushing and a shock, a hose and a water pump, whatever.

    The criminals rationalize this as 'well, we've got to make our nut on every job'. It's still thievery and totally unethical.
     
  25. MERRELL
    Joined: Nov 17, 2007
    Posts: 381

    MERRELL
    Member

    mine too,she called me at work one day and asked if $140 was too much to change a air filter:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
     
  26. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    Not much by comparison but the local Fastenal manager likes to charge for every nut and bolt by the piece regardless of the listed price of a given count. Then as of last week on the other hand he now won't sell anything less than 50 of an in store item when you need just one or two.
    It really ticked me off the parts were right there in the store and I brought them up to the counter with a list of about $100 worth of stuff I was going to buy. In that about $10 worth was stainless cap screws and washers. Before I can give him the count I need and the rest of the list he totals up the stuff as being $70 if I want it I have to buy each by the 50 count as store policy. I asked him what happened the last few times when he had to sell by the piece vs what the catalog list is by 25- 50 or 100 count. He didn't have an answer...

    I've never had a problem at any other location or online in ten years whether it is a big shop order or something retail. I must be interrupting this guys sleep as there an fog horn triggered by the door and when it sounds the guy drags himself out of the back room rubbing his eyes half awake. What he doesn't know is how many of the people he answers to are personal friends, I'm sure they would like to know about his napping if nothing more.:D
     
  27. Sounds like you should sneak over after he's closed and take the F's off his signs, or cover the "Fa" over with an "As" ...

    I buy my fasteners from a local outfit by weight, don't know if it's a better deal or not but they're pretty good and don't care if I buy one bolt or a big bag.


    A girl I knew had a '64 Chevy for a while, and I offered to do the brakes on it for her when I found out she'd had them "done" by a shop and the thing had mismatched, leaking lines under it. I forget what she paid for that fuckover. The only car I ever had that was like that was given to me free and I had it fixed in an afternoon.
     
  28. Man, this thread is depressing.
     
  29. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    There is nothing much like that any more around here that I know of that sells stainless or good quality fasteners. The old surplus store was awesome for high grade stuff some marked from WW2 in crates but its long gone.

    That idea works in more than one way with this story. Dealing with this guy as childish as it is, I couldn't help but think how he was living up to his last name of Butt by being an ass.... Then again maybe being teased as a kid killed his people skills.:D Its funny I was thrilled when they opened the store a few blocks away from home. I usually bought stuff through the shop lists from the Akron stores but it would nice to go down the street whenever you need something. This guy is useless, and doesn't know a lag bolt from a cap screw. He could at least take down the public welcome sign if this is the case...

    There are some real saints on here from these stories, I not sure how I'd handle the same. I'd like to see the Fastenal guy drawn and quartered over a few bolts....:D

    That is the sad thing, its always that guy with no experience, and knack for talking bull shit that gets away with charging top dollar for hack work or the chance to learn on a customer's car. Then after they get screwed the customer then freaks out about every penny along the way to make it right when they go it to a decent shop. My buddy had one who paid $20,000 up front and all he got was his Vette half torn down and parts stolen off it at one shop. Then with the car near complete on the cheap its like pulling teeth to get money back for parts with receipts he agreed the car needed let alone labor.
     
  30. Ok, I got a good one. One night a friend and I are hanging out at a club watching some bands play. At the end of the night, his Ford Tempo won't start. It's about 2am, and we're exhausted, so we decide to leave it and come back in the morning. The next day, I check it out for him, I tell him I think it's the fuel pump. I didn't want to do the job, I was way too busy and such, so we went across the street to a garage (Osmolia's Gulf, Moosic PA) and talked to the mechanic. He gave my buddy a price (about $140) so we pushed the car across the street to the garage. Came back that afternoon, the bill was up over $800, the guy replaced all sorts of ignition stuff, a couple sensors, wiring, everything BUT the fuel pump, ad the car is still not running! There's wires hanging out all over the place! I stop just short of having a mini-shitfit and tell the guy we're having the car towed out of there. He says not before we pay him the 800, and when we refused, he shoves my friend hard against the wall (my friend had his leg in a cast, by the way) and takes a swing at me! He starts going batshit crazy, so we called the cops. A cop shows up, I'm trying to explain the situation, but this guy is screaming and carrying on, he starts tearing wires out of the engine compartment in a frenzy, the cop tells him to get away from the car, so the guy says, "You want me to get away from the car??? I'll get away from the fuckin' car!!" and takes some gas, throws it on the engine, and LIGHTS THE ENGINE ON FIRE!!! The cop restrains him, puts him in the car, and has us call a tow truck to get the car out of there. We left, took the car to another shop, but when we passed by the first garage about a half hour later, that mechanic was still there, working on someone else's car!!! My friend never got compensated for the damage, and the cops are buddies with that garage, so there ya go.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.