Bad Mechanic vs criminal activity

[shibbershabber]

So, odd story. bit of a read... but am curious what you all think... is the mechanic a scammer? is the car owner over-reacting?



Friend calls a mobile mechanic Wednesday night to fix a car, well, to diagnose a problem. (timing chain replacement)

Picks the first local mobile mechanic from top of Google search results.

Guy comes out, diagnoses problem, gives bid for repair. Terms are agreed to, mechanic is paid, invoice given. (engine has parts removed from inspections)

Mechanic says will return with parts in 1 or 2 days depending on how fast they can be acquired.

Friday afternoon, says parts in by 3pm today... by 530 still not working on car... text sent asking when he intends to begin work... no response rest of day

Saturday... no contact all day. Sends text around 6pm. Mechanic says finishing job in Castle Rock, will be out soon....
Saturday @ 9pm mechanic says cant make it. Will be out to begin at Sunday morning.
Car owner responds few minutes later asking what time... no response rest of night

Sunday morning comes and there is no mechanic. Sends text around 12 saying will arrive at 2pm
at 3PM mechanic texts asking if its still hot outside.... Car owner says he has a canopy over car, cardboard on the ground and a cooler full of cold water.
345PM mechanic asks to reschedule for later in the day as he is at the local gas station and is too hot (already claims to have driven into La Center)
Car owner responds that that is fine as long as he begins work that day.
530PM car owner texts asking mechanics status.... no response
7PM car owner calls mechanic...
Mechanic calls back and says cant do it. Will arrive 8AM MONDAY

8AM Monday, mechanic no call/no show
915 car owner texts and informs mechanic that he is now an hour late & if mechanic cannot arrive by 12 that car owner would rather just get a refund and be done
930 mechanic says on the way
Mechanic arrives around 1130-1145.... works for about 30 minutes and then leaves "to the parts store"
315pm car owner calls mech with no answer. then sends text asking whats up
Mechanic responds that he had to drive to Portland & that "the text didnt go through"
515PM car owner texts mechanic and calls him out for being flaky and questioning what is going on & asks if car will be done tonight?
7PM without any word from mechanic, car owner again asks what the plan is
715 car owner calls mechanic. no answer
718 mechanic texts & says he will call right back and that he gets bad signal "up here"... does not call
745 car owner calls mechanic. no answer
750 mechanic says he does get good service "by your house" (indicating that 7hrs after leaving the house, he suggests he is in the area but not working on the car) (there are no auto shops or parts stores in La Center) Says he has to go and "fabricate a tool"
Car owner replies asking what the tool is for and how long will he be.
Car owner then sends text saying he feels like he is getting scammed & he only paid the relatively high price because mech said job done by weekend. Calls him out for saying he has done this job before and yet has arrived unprepared to finish it thus having to go to Portland for 5hrs and then needing to fab a tool
830 mechanic responds with equally long text offering excuses/explainations for it all & suggests car owner relax & that he isnt ripping him off...
835 mechanic says he is "doing his best to get car done asap"
845 car owner suggests hed relax if he knew what the hell was happening with the car
9PM car owner asks what the plan is... there is not response for rest of the night

TUESDAY 9am car owner texts and suggests that he get a refund for all but a few hours labor (about 75% refund) and both part ways
1030 mechanic says the plan is to "have it finished by tomorrow"

WEDNESDAY car owner does not contact mechanic until 7PM.... asks if he should assume that mechanic is not coming tonight?
720 mechanic says he just realized his text didnt send... and that he ordered a tool and it will not arrive until Thursday morning
725 car owner says he doesnt believe anything mech says at this point and reiterates his 75% refund offer.

Car owner decides that if nothing is done Thursday that it is pretty much 100% he is being ripped off & will proceed with whatever means possible to get $ back

810 realizes that the key is not in the car and the mechanic has it..

Car owner is pissed.


Mechanic has the $ & Key

Car owner has a flaky mechanic who upon further investigation appears to be running an illegal business with a fake address.... a partially disassembled car... no keys...


So... what do yall think...

Scam?
mechanic doesnt really know what he is doing & is dragging his feet?

or my thought... mechanic has the money and the engine taken apart... and is taking other calls and doing those jobs while putting this one on the back burner...

While it seems scammy because he doesnt have business license, L&I account, Dept of Revenue account (despite charging sales tax) and the address is a closed dentist office in Hazel Dell
He does have fairly expensive diagnostic equip, a website and only a few negative reviews... is paying for this stuff and to have top billing in google search... providing a more or less professional invoice, etc. Seems like a hell of a front just to hopefully get some people to pay you cash.

Tough call.

I think mid-day Thursday if nothing takes place, car owner goes scorched earth and tries the court route, cops, report to DoR, L&I, city of vancouver, city of Portland, etc. BBB, leave scathing reviews, etc.

but what recourse is there? Ya got an illegitimate business and a fake address with nothing but a first name and a lic plate number on the guy

Read More

 

[Ferryman]

Who pays a mechanic upfront? You never pay for something like this until the work is complete and inspected.

I mean, dude!

 

[ma96782]

Did he look like?



Aloha, Mark

PS.....Yeah, I once had a rifle built by Century.

 

[shibbershabber]

If the mechanic is really full of bubblegum, it amounts to felony theft in WA.

I imagine that a felony would be worth prosecuting...


But if he is a scam, why bother coming out there twice after getting $? Why bother with calls & texts when he could just as well block the number and be done with it?

 

[titsonritz]

Friend calls a mobile mechanic

I found the problem. I tried to find a mobile mechanic I could trust and rely on, never again. I'm pretty sure I've dealt with the same jackass you're talking about.

 

[shibbershabber]

I found the problem. I tried to find a mobile mechanic I could trust and rely on, never again. I'm pretty sure I've dealt with the same jackass you're talking about.

This is why I do my own work. No one can be trusted.

Who was the mechanic? PM me if you dont want to call him out in the forum

 

[titsonritz]

This is why I do my own work. No one can be trusted.

Who was the mechanic? PM me if you dont want to call him out in the forum

I could care less about calling them out in an open forum, they can ESAD.
A1 RV Master Techs
McFarland's Mobile Mechanics
and some other dip$h!t I can't recall.

 

[shibbershabber]

I could care less about calling them out in an open forum, they can ESAD.
A1 RV Master Techs
McFarland's Mobile Mechanics
and some other dip$h!t I can't recall.

Hahaha right, bubblegum em

The problem here isnt so much if this guy is a scam... Its who tf is going to come finish the job... I know I cant do that bubblegum anymore

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

I would be done by the 2nd no show , no call. Actually, I would've never worked with the guy since I've never heard of paying a mechanic up front.

 

[TTSX]

Watching how to videos on YouTube takes a lot of time, relax

 

[Certaindeaf]

So, odd story. bit of a read... but am curious what you all think... is the mechanic a scammer? is the car owner over-reacting?



Friend calls a mobile mechanic Wednesday night to fix a car, well, to diagnose a problem. (timing chain replacement)

Picks the first local mobile mechanic from top of Google search results.

Guy comes out, diagnoses problem, gives bid for repair. Terms are agreed to, mechanic is paid, invoice given. (engine has parts removed from inspections)

Mechanic says will return with parts in 1 or 2 days depending on how fast they can be acquired.

Friday afternoon, says parts in by 3pm today... by 530 still not working on car... text sent asking when he intends to begin work... no response rest of day

Saturday... no contact all day. Sends text around 6pm. Mechanic says finishing job in Castle Rock, will be out soon....
Saturday @ 9pm mechanic says cant make it. Will be out to begin at Sunday morning.
Car owner responds few minutes later asking what time... no response rest of night

Sunday morning comes and there is no mechanic. Sends text around 12 saying will arrive at 2pm
at 3PM mechanic texts asking if its still hot outside.... Car owner says he has a canopy over car, cardboard on the ground and a cooler full of cold water.
345PM mechanic asks to reschedule for later in the day as he is at the local gas station and is too hot (already claims to have driven into La Center)
Car owner responds that that is fine as long as he begins work that day.
530PM car owner texts asking mechanics status.... no response
7PM car owner calls mechanic...
Mechanic calls back and says cant do it. Will arrive 8AM MONDAY

8AM Monday, mechanic no call/no show
915 car owner texts and informs mechanic that he is now an hour late & if mechanic cannot arrive by 12 that car owner would rather just get a refund and be done
930 mechanic says on the way
Mechanic arrives around 1130-1145.... works for about 30 minutes and then leaves "to the parts store"
315pm car owner calls mech with no answer. then sends text asking whats up
Mechanic responds that he had to drive to Portland & that "the text didnt go through"
515PM car owner texts mechanic and calls him out for being flaky and questioning what is going on & asks if car will be done tonight?
7PM without any word from mechanic, car owner again asks what the plan is
715 car owner calls mechanic. no answer
718 mechanic texts & says he will call right back and that he gets bad signal "up here"... does not call
745 car owner calls mechanic. no answer
750 mechanic says he does get good service "by your house" (indicating that 7hrs after leaving the house, he suggests he is in the area but not working on the car) (there are no auto shops or parts stores in La Center) Says he has to go and "fabricate a tool"
Car owner replies asking what the tool is for and how long will he be.
Car owner then sends text saying he feels like he is getting scammed & he only paid the relatively high price because mech said job done by weekend. Calls him out for saying he has done this job before and yet has arrived unprepared to finish it thus having to go to Portland for 5hrs and then needing to fab a tool
830 mechanic responds with equally long text offering excuses/explainations for it all & suggests car owner relax & that he isnt ripping him off...
835 mechanic says he is "doing his best to get car done asap"
845 car owner suggests hed relax if he knew what the hell was happening with the car
9PM car owner asks what the plan is... there is not response for rest of the night

TUESDAY 9am car owner texts and suggests that he get a refund for all but a few hours labor (about 75% refund) and both part ways
1030 mechanic says the plan is to "have it finished by tomorrow"

WEDNESDAY car owner does not contact mechanic until 7PM.... asks if he should assume that mechanic is not coming tonight?
720 mechanic says he just realized his text didnt send... and that he ordered a tool and it will not arrive until Thursday morning
725 car owner says he doesnt believe anything mech says at this point and reiterates his 75% refund offer.

Car owner decides that if nothing is done Thursday that it is pretty much 100% he is being ripped off & will proceed with whatever means possible to get $ back

810 realizes that the key is not in the car and the mechanic has it..

Car owner is pissed.


Mechanic has the $ & Key

Car owner has a flaky mechanic who upon further investigation appears to be running an illegal business with a fake address.... a partially disassembled car... no keys...


So... what do yall think...

Scam?
mechanic doesnt really know what he is doing & is dragging his feet?

or my thought... mechanic has the money and the engine taken apart... and is taking other calls and doing those jobs while putting this one on the back burner...

While it seems scammy because he doesnt have business license, L&I account, Dept of Revenue account (despite charging sales tax) and the address is a closed dentist office in Hazel Dell
He does have fairly expensive diagnostic equip, a website and only a few negative reviews... is paying for this stuff and to have top billing in google search... providing a more or less professional invoice, etc. Seems like a hell of a front just to hopefully get some people to pay you cash.

Tough call.

I think mid-day Thursday if nothing takes place, car owner goes scorched earth and tries the court route, cops, report to DoR, L&I, city of vancouver, city of Portland, etc. BBB, leave scathing reviews, etc.

but what recourse is there? Ya got an illegitimate business and a fake address with nothing but a first name and a lic plate number on the guy

Let car owner worry about it. There are a lot of car owners in the world for such hypothetical musings.

 

[Jay Walk]

The mechanic already got his money, that takes away his motivation.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

Let car owner worry about it. There are a lot of car owners in the world for such hypothetical musings.

Me thinks the OP is the friend. Sure has a lot of detailed info.

 

[WAW44]

So... what do yall think...

I have a friend in Nigeria that has a perfect business opportunity for the Car Owner in your post. I think they should connect.

 

[Member 34319]

Some good will come from this, you don't get really get better life lessons these days than that of being scammed.

Live and learn. Don't do it again.

I have no idea what you can do in this situation other than sit back and watch. Likely won't get any money back or ever see the guy again. Cops likely won't do anything if it's in the PNW. Not worth getting yourself put in legal grey areas trying to pursue the guy.

Best of luck!

 

[Mikej]

Cops likely won't do anything if it's in the PNW.

I'd call it "MORE than likely".

let's hope the Mech come through for the guy. Fingers crossed.
And YES, out the guy!

 

[Alexx1401]

If he paid the guy in cash or check? I would say he needs to just count the loss as a good learning lesson. Get a AAA membership, next time he can just have the car towed to a real mechanic.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

I have a feeling this guy gets scammed all the time. Pre-paid a mobile mechanic he's never met before, gave him the key to his car, and only has the mechanic's cell phone number. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

And why is he not asking for a full refund? Kind of like asking for a discount on a botched surgery.

I would pretend to be another customer and be waiting with a few large friends, and "politely ask" for a full refund. Even be willing to escort him to an ATM.

 

[Unicykle]

Your friend is a terrible judge of character and these are called "learning experiences".