Help! Theif Mechanic!

[94LexusES]

The mechanic who i bought my car from, agreed to fix everything that was wrong with it (apparently alot) free of charge because he guaranteed inspection. He has had it for almost a month. Everytime i call theres always something else. Everytime we agree that i'll pick it up one day, something else is wrong. Last night, i call to go pick it up, and he says he's going to drop it off to me. And what do you know, he doesn't come. I call today and his wife states that he's in the hospital. This guy is full of excuses every time i speak to him. He supposedly put new brakes on, painted my hood, replaced the gaskets, replaced the steering wheel pad, new airbag, fixed the cpu that messed up my odo. I am this close ( ) to reporting it stolen. What do you think? GRR

[DomLee]

I would be concerned.

It would not surprise me if he had somehow damaged the vehicle (via joyriding, or even borrowing a customer's car), and is now scrambling to get it repaired.

Either that, or the scenario that you mentioned...he is trying to just rip you off.

Time to pay a surprise visit to the shop. Just drop by. No calls or early warnings. Request that you IMMEDIATELY see your vehicle. Get a printout of everything done to the vehicle and what needs to be done. From there, call the cops to ensure that you can rightfully remove your vehicle from his property.

In CA, the mechanic cannot perform any work not authorized by the owner. This is in writing. I don't know how laws work in your state, but you may want to look this up for your own protection.

[SKperformance]

Most places all have the owners authorization but if they are not charging you to fix something they legally won't need you approval.

[914lps]

In this case the uy is not a michanic fixing a customers car. He is a car dealer fixing a car he sold to a customer.

First when you bought the car, did you take it home, and bring it back for him to fix? If yes, for get this part. but if you bought it and left it, you never took dellivery of the goods sold to you. Call the cops asking them to show up and "keep the peace". Explain what happened. You have evrry right to get your money back and walk away.

In any case call the dmv. Report this guy. Remember in this case he is a used car dealer, not a shop.

Also dose your state have a auto repair burow or state agancy that look over repair shops? Call them.

I would not report it stoilin. Do you want a busted up car returned to you? Or do you want either your $$ back or the deal you made completed???

This guy may just be finding out to fix it he is going upside down on the cost or he just does not have a clue on working on a Lex.

Go for your $$$ back.. Do I dare ask how much you are out???

[MNJack]

At this point I would at least want to make a visual inspection of the car. Is it still there or has it been parted out? Has any work actually been done on it? I would want answers to those basic kinds of questions. Where in NJ?

[94LexusES]

Sorry i haven't gotten back to you. After more frustration from this lazy mechanic.(ill get to it). We went to the police station, they went to his house and told him he had 36 hours to get the car back to us. I got the car last night. It was rainy and during the night so i had no time to inspect. Heres a list of what was being done and what i asked to get done.

What I Asked to Get Done

1. Fix the gasket leak.

2. Fix the airbag, horn, airbag module.

3. Fix the trunk button

4. Fix the ODO.

What he "did" (he said over the course of a month)

1. Installed new brakes, callipers, etc

2. Replaced the dash

3. Painted the hood

This is what he actually did.

1. Fixed the gasket leak.

2. Replaced the steering wheel pad.(with a used one)

3. Brakes

The horn is rigged to a button, and there is loose wires near my gas pedal. He didnt paint the hood, fix the trunk button, odo, airbag, and i look in my backseat. And theres a new dash, not installed, just sitting there.

He did absolutely nothing over a course of a month but put 2,000 miles on my car. GRRR. What the was he doing?!?!

[Kowalski]

Dang man!

Unfortunately there is not a whole lot you can do unless you and your mechanic signed a contract or an agreement.

We have all been nailed HARD at least a few times. This might be something that you have to stomach and hope never happens again.

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

[jragosta]

Dang man! 

Unfortunately there is not a whole lot you can do unless you and your mechanic signed a contract or an agreement.

We have all been nailed HARD at least a few times.  This might be something that you have to stomach and hope never happens again.

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

←

I think I'd get an estimate for the repairs and head to small claims court. The dealer HAS to provide a car that passes inspection. Also, the fact that the dash is in the back seat is evidence that he planned to replace it.

[94LexusES]

Sad news. The Mechanic i just went to (one i can trust) told me to sell the car. It apparently was in a very bad accident. We are reporting the mechanic who i bought it from, most likely taking him to court. I hope to get another lexus. Its a sad day. :(

[jragosta]

Sad news. The Mechanic i just went to (one i can trust) told me to sell the car. It apparently was in a very bad accident. We are reporting the mechanic who i bought it from, most likely taking him to court. I hope to get another lexus. Its a sad day.  :(

←

Before you sue, I'd give the old mechanic the chance to refund all your money and expenses. He's like to be forced to do that by the court, anyway, but if he does it willingly, he'll save a ton of legal expenses (yours and his).

[Kowalski]

I agree. But if he gets angry or something try to nail that mother in court.

[914lps]

First off:

STOP REFERING TO THE GUY AS A MECHANIC!

Sorry to yell, but it makes a big diferance. This is not a Mechanic that did not do the repairs to your car, this is a guy you bought a used car from. And in most states he must be licanced as such if he sells more then 4 to 6 cars a year. So call your locale DMV and ask to talk to an investagator. Never say I bought a car fropm a michanic. Say I bought a used car from a dealer. Just becouse he has a repair shop it does not mean he is not a used car dealer. Lexus dealers have repair shops to, but when you buy a used car from them, you don't say I got it from a mechanic. He is a used car dealer that also has a shop, or a shop that also sells used cars, but in any case, he is a car dealer, becouse your dealing with him, was to buy a car from him, not to fix one you allready owned.

Also you never did state if you took delivery of the car before he returned it to you after the police told him to.

I'm sure your state has laws against selling a car where it looks like the airbag is ok, but it is not there. Most do. Also dealers must disclose if a car was in a collision.

Call the police and file a fruad report.

Call the guy that sold it to you and tell him you have spoken to an atterny that recomended to you that you file charges against him for fruad, with the PD, and the state, and to breing litigation to recind the deal due to fruad and to seek punitive damages. Tell him you will be meeting with the atterny in a few days to sign the reataner agrement and that the atterny is very willing to take the case on contingancy as he feels there is money to be made on this case due to the guys deception.

An atterny will also tell you that as he never "fixed' the car as he aggreed to, you are under no obligation to complet the transaction, as he has not lived up to his end of the deal.

Be strong when you say this. Then puase for a moment and sy "Look, I'm just sick of this whole thing, come and get the car and breing me my cash back, and I'll forget I ever meet you.

Then do not say a word. First one to speak looses. Stay quite as long as you have to. Make him speak first. Do not settle for anything less then all your $$ back, get cash not a check or money order, etc... And do not give him more then 1 to 2 days to take the deal.

Also if you have not run a carfax do so ASAP, it may show even more fruad to take to the police, like more miles on it then he claimed or a salvadge title......

Remember he is a lying scum that ripped you off. You do not and should not be nice to him. It is time for him to want you out of his life, and to pay you to go away. This guy knows he is in the wrong.

Also nothing says you have to be open and honist with the guy.

Let him think you are willing to put him in jail, and take his business, savings, and home away from him.

He is a scum bag!

Last but not least.... Next time CARFAX.........First....even if you are buying from someone you know. It is cheep peace of mind.

We wish you the best of luck, yes you are learning an expensive lession, but I say let part of that lesseon be getting all your money back.

[94LexusES]

1. The Guy IS A mechanic. Would you rather me say his name? I bought it from him personally, not through his dealership.

2. I did a carfax, he owns a dealership so he never put it in his name he just put temp tags on it etc. Nothing was reported.

3. You assume that i haven't filed any reports, or contacted my lawyer, and that i have no idea what to do. If you want to treat me like that, then keep your own input to yourself. I'd appreciate it.

[steviej]

tone it down people or I am closing it down!!!!

[93lexuses]

Sorry to hear about what happened. :( I hope that everything works out for you.

I was wondering, is there a lemon law in New Jersey? If so then you should get your money back. I mean i don't know how the lemon law works when you buy it from someone personally, but if you got it threw a dealership then you can get your money back.

Good Luck!

[914lps]

I'm sorry if I offended you.

As you feel I'm not treating you properly I will not tell you what I know.

If you are working with an attrny then just stick with his advice, you don't need us.

But if you do not want advice and you know what you are doing and what to do, why did you end your first post with:

"What do you think? GRR "

You asked for our thoughts, and you got them. You do not have to agree with them, or even think they came from someone with a brain, but gee.... To complain becouse we gave you what you asked for and we only were trying to help......

Makes me feel like i'm getting this :chairshot:

[SKperformance]

94 lex i am not sure what you don't like about 91's post but all of it makes perfect sense being quite clear and concise in points to be carried out.

Is there something specific about it you think was demeaning to you in some way?

[jragosta]

94  lex i am not sure what you don't like about 91's post but all of it makes perfect sense being quite clear and concise in points to be carried out.

Is there something specific about it you think was demeaning to you in some way?

←

I also felt that the post was demeaning and condescending.

While he made some good points, he came across as 'you must be pretty stupid since I have to tell you even the simplest things'. HOW you present something is often at least as important as what you say.

Just my $0.02.

[94LexusES]

Thanks jragosta..

941lps: I wanted input for the first post that i made. Not the updated one.

[SW03ES]

HOW you present something is often at least as important as what you say.

Just my $0.02.

←

This is very true but we also have to remember that its very hard to convey tone over the Internet. We should always try and give our fellow members the benefit of the doubt...

I also don't see anything wrong with 914s post to be honest.

[914lps]

Thanks jragosta..

941lps: I wanted input for the first post that i made. Not the updated one.

←

Short responce:

Sorry I'm not psychic......

Long winded responce:

I also based my advice on what you had posted. You never stated you had talked to an attorney. Or ran a CarFax. Or that the guy had a dealership, you just kept stating a mechanic/shop. Or that you bought the car from a privet party, that just happened to be a mechanic and a car dealer, but this deal was just between you and him and had nothing to do with the dealership or the shop…. This info only came out when you complained about “how I was talking to you”.

I hope you noticed that I wished you the best of luck, and wanted to see you get your $$ back.

I have re-read all the posts from the beginning…… Based on the information you provided, I feel my post was on target, well meaning, friendly, and not condescending, but emphasized important points (mistakes) that were repeatedly being made….. All based on the information provided up to my posting and your complaint. And someone that makes a mistake over and over, most of the time they simply do not realize they missed something. It’s called human error, not being stupid.

I will say that very few people are stupid or real idiots, but we all sometimes miss points or things, and no one is knowledgeable on everything. I never think anyone asking a question on this forum is dumb or stupid, etc…. To me the very fact that they are asking for help and or assistance shows they have a brain and know how to use it. It is a wise man (person) that knows the limits of their knowledge and asks for help, etc…. I do it all the time.

I thought I was dealing with a person asking for help/advice. Not someone that wanted to express things with no feedback. And this forum can be a great way to vent and let it out. But the price everyone pays for posting on a public forum, is they may not like what others post in response to their “opinion” or comments.

Like I siad long winded... But I'm in investagative reporter writer by trade... So, I do tend to go on and on.....

[SW03ES]

I thought I was dealing with a person asking for help/advice.  Not someone that wanted to express things with no feedback.  And this forum can be a great way to vent and let it out.  But the price everyone pays for posting on a public forum, is they may not like what others post in response to their “opinion” or comments.

←

I pulled this out because we've had some issues with this on here recently. If you're going to post something here on the forum looking for feedback, or even if you just post a statement or opinion you've got to be ready to have people disagree with you and tell you things you may not want to hear. Depending on your situation and what you're planning on doing, sometimes people's responses might be pretty lively. As long as they're not personally abusive then they're fair game.

These are discussion boards not only agree with you boards.

[93lexuses]

I thought I was dealing with a person asking for help/advice.  Not someone that wanted to express things with no feedback.  And this forum can be a great way to vent and let it out.  But the price everyone pays for posting on a public forum, is they may not like what others post in response to their “opinion” or comments.

←

I pulled this out because we've had some issues with this on here recently. If you're going to post something here on the forum looking for feedback, or even if you just post a statement or opinion you've got to be ready to have people disagree with you and tell you things you may not want to hear. Depending on your situation and what you're planning on doing, sometimes people's responses might be pretty lively. As long as they're not personally abusive then they're fair game.

These are discussion boards not only agree with you boards.

←

It's funny that all this was brought up because when i wrote my post i was careful with what i wrote because i did not want 94LexusES to take it the wrong way. I did not think that there was anything wrong with 914's post so i just wanted to make sure i was not taken out of context.

That is the thing about writing back and forth on the internet sometimes things are taken the wrong way.

[ArmyofOne]

dude, sorry to hear about that. does it at least have a dash installed? maybe not the new one.

even if it does, the bottom line is in the states of new yourk, texas and alaska, (the 3 states i have resided in for any legnth of time in my life) it is ILLEGAL to sell a vehcile to ANYONE that will nto passa State inspection, emissions or otherwise, this applies to private party as well. file a police report, possibly for vandalisim (at the very least) if the car was not recieved in the same or better condition that it was in the first time you saw it, and then get with yoru attorney and get him subpena to small claims court. take him for all hes worth, cause he took you for alot!

[Toysrme]

Ditto.