Ripped off much?

1972TLC · 11-15-2008, 06:22 AM

Who here has ever paid a shop for a service only to find out they didn't even perform said service? I mean a big service (200+ dollars), not your little things like you paid for a vehicle inspection and they didn't inspect your ball joints.

I'm going to guess that anyone that knows a thing or two about cars won't have many stories relating to this but I wanted a reason to share this story that happened at school today

I'm currently in my second live class of Engine Performance and got to witness one of the biggest cases of dishonesty and foul play, that I've ever seen, get brought in to the shop today.

I was waiting my turn to ask the instructor a question before I started on a particular service for the car I was working on when I heard another classmate telling our instructor that she needed to come look at the vehicle they were working on. He explained that the customer was trying to get their vehicle through DEQ and that they received a failed test note stating they needed a new CAT. So they took it to a shop to have a new one installed...$400 dollars later the car still won't pass DEQ and so now it's here (I believe the customer is a friend of one of the students working on the car). It turns out that this unfortunate customer paid this shop $400 dollars to receive not a new CAT, but a hole drilled into the exhaust pipe just before the secondary O2S.

Well I definitely had to get a look at this. I followed the group over to the car and sure enough, just before the second O2 was a small hole (about the size of my pinky finger) drilled into the pipe. The converter was obviously the OE (as was the rest of the exhaust piping) as it was just as old, the same color and there were no signs of any cuts or welds having been made.

Our instructor about flipped a lid over the scam that's been unveiled regarding this repair shop. I didn't stick around to find out what they were going to do about it (other than obviously inform the owner of what they found) as I had to get back to work. I just wanted to share with the rest of you..

..so who has some crappy stories? Or maybe not you, but a friend or family member that has been taken advantage of by a repair shop.

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SC4Runner · 11-15-2008, 06:52 AM

Wow!! That is pretty bad. I've never had anything happen to me...

tc · 11-15-2008, 08:42 AM

Ummm - that's probably a federal offense, altering the emissions controls ...

Al's Chop Shop · 11-15-2008, 10:44 AM

wow, that's pretty ballsey. i'd go nuts if someone did that to my rig after forking that kind of money over. what is the shop name that did it? btw, if you need a reputable shop in the portland area, i have one that i use when i don't have time to wrench my stuff. top notch people.

Al

littlecommando · 11-15-2008, 10:51 AM

That is one reason that i dont get my truck worked on in a shop

1972TLC · 11-15-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al's Chop Shop

wow, that's pretty ballsey. i'd go nuts if someone did that to my rig after forking that kind of money over. what is the shop name that did it? btw, if you need a reputable shop in the portland area, i have one that i use when i don't have time to wrench my stuff. top notch people.

Al

I don't know the name of the shop. My classmate could not remember the name but said they would ask the owner of the vehicle where they took it for the services.

Don't worry, I'll let you all know who to stay away from when I find out

SC4Runner · 11-15-2008, 10:27 PM

wow, wrong thread, sorry..

hostile · 11-16-2008, 12:16 AM

My old buick once started jumping so i took it into the shop. They first had to charge me 60 dollars to do a diagnostics then told me that there was a knock sensor going off in my transmission meaning my transmission was going out. They told me all these things like i shouldn't drive anywhere else or it might break down and i'd need to get towed back in and that would be added costs. So i let them do it for like 1200 dollars and 2 weeks and a new transmission later i get my car back to find out it's still doing it. Long story short, turns out it was the computer that needed to be replaced for only $500 dollars including labor. I never paid them for the new transmission and they haven't tried to contact me about it either. lol

Brendan · 11-16-2008, 03:07 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

This really makes me mad.

1972TLC · 11-16-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brendan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

This really makes me mad.

now that is messed up!! i can't remember the last time i took a vehicle to goofy lube. no reason to anymore, but i used to before i knew how to do all this stuff myself.

hostile · 11-16-2008, 10:27 AM

wow, from now on if i get an oil change or anything else anywhere, i'm going to start marking my filters and everything. I usually don't but Big Brand Tire has been sending me "free oil change" coupons lately. lol

Al's Chop Shop · 11-17-2008, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brendan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

This really makes me mad.

that doesn't surprise me in the least. i always tell all my family and friends that get their oil changed not to pay for any extra service they offer... and if they really are concerned i'll look at their car myself and decide what really needs to be done.

i went to one place a few years ago that tried to sell me a new serpentine belt because mine was "full of cracks" along the ridges. that's normal, pinhead. i won't see you next time.

Al

stevrock · 11-17-2008, 06:25 PM

I went to have two new tires put on my car since I had a blow out.

The shop quoted me one price, when I got there it was another. I still told them to go ahead and put the new tires on the back of the car.
Service writer informed me in whatever language she mistook for English, and decided to have them put on the front. I also needed the other two tires repaired for some slow leaks.

I had them do a couple other things while it was there to save me the headaches.

I went and spent about $400 between the tires and a few other odd jobs. The odd jobs were done (Oil clean, new filters etc), but my tires are still leaking.

All of them.

So I tried and tried and tried to get a hold of the manager, finally did and he brought my car in (Again) on my time to fix his employees mistakes.

Cost for repairs, $400 or so. Time lost from work, almost $300.

I will never buy anything else from there ever again, as well as a few other shops too.
You live you learn.

dport · 11-17-2008, 07:32 PM

I guess I've never been ripped off. But, I did watch Sam's club knock my Taco off the lift!! The tires had not been of in over 6 yrs and the rims were seized on. Some goomba gets under the truck and starts wailing on the tire with a sledge hammer, slowly sliding the truck off the lift pads. I guess it was wrong for me to stand there and watch just to get a laugh. I repositioned myself just so I could see the look on the guys face when the truck slammed down onto the lift arms. IT WAS PRICELESS

annoyingrob · 11-18-2008, 12:36 AM

I would have asked them to replace the rims he dented with the sledge.

When I got my pickup safety checked, he said the frame was rotted, and he couldn't pass it. I asked him to show me. He starts hammering every inch of the frame, and didn't find a spot of rot. I think he was just lazy, but it bugged me.

SR5 · 11-18-2008, 01:14 AM

man all those things are messed up, more and more reasons not to go to shops,
also BEWARE of old tires, ones that sit on shelves and our new, just 8 years old new, they blew out bad, thier is a thread about it on here somewere you guys you should check i tout

annoyingrob · 11-18-2008, 01:32 AM

I believe manufacturers say tires should be replaced if they're more than 5 years old, regardless of wear. I know it's difficult, I have a set of brand new tires on my truck, that are 6 years old. I really need to replace them, and sell them to someone less concerned.

**aviator** · 11-18-2008, 09:00 AM

That whole thing is really messed up, TLC's OP, that goofy lube thing and the knocking the truck off the hoist... that goomba is lucky the truck did'nt crush him...
I used to take my truck to a lube place before I started doing my own and I always watched them like a hawk just to make sure they did the job right, [I had changed every u-joint and so on to grease-able fittings and it was fun (for me anyway)pointing that out to the "pit-tech" in the hole]... had a kid one time try to up sell me on a bunch of service work on things I'd just had changed saying "they had to be done, It's not safe I can't let you drive away like that". I told him not to worry about it... and I complained to his boss so he'd know the kid at least tried...lol

Belize Off Road Team · 11-18-2008, 09:18 AM

1st, if a hole was drilled in the exhaust, you would hear it, no question.
2nd, i never take my truck to anyone other than the ParkCity dealer in Medicine hat, and since im not there anymore i do EVERYTHING my self. i would think that no one would take it somewhere other than a place they trust completely.

stormin94 · 11-18-2008, 04:59 PM

I've had something similar happen to me. I had my previous ATV serviced at a local place (MotoSports of Ukiah), and they quoted me $200 to replace the transmission belt(CVT tranny), fix the winch, and perform a service. $200 seemed like a little much, but they said it would be done by the end of the week, and they would call me when it was done.

A month an a half later, I called them, and they told me that I had to come get it , and that I was lucky they were only charging me for 2 weeks of storage fees for leaving it there. Then I go to pick it up, and refuse to pay storage fees, since there was never any attempt to contact me about picking it up. They agreed, but then I saw the bill, and it was over $600. That was three times the original amount. But, I paid, so I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.

Then on the trail, I noticed the tranny belt slipping, and burning. I then noticed that the temp light was on, and that the radiator was boiling over. To top it off, the winch didn't even work.

I guess the point of this story is that I got raped out of $600 for MotoSports to break the thermostat on my ATV, and do nothing else.

So, If anyone is in Northern California, DO NOT go to MotoSports of Ukiah.

1972TLC · 11-18-2008, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belize Off Road Team

1st, if a hole was drilled in the exhaust, you would hear it, no question.
2nd, i never take my truck to anyone other than the ParkCity dealer in Medicine hat, and since im not there anymore i do EVERYTHING my self. i would think that no one would take it somewhere other than a place they trust completely.

are you suggesting there is no hole? lol i don't know if the pitch changed or not, i haven't heard the vehicle run. but there IS a hole and it's obvious it wasn't caused by cancer

uploaded by my instructor, who personally took the photo.

toyotaman11 · 11-20-2008, 05:28 PM

pfffft! that was caused by a exaust borer !!!! j/k looks like a drill hole to me !!

nix4x4 · 11-20-2008, 07:18 PM

Lame.. Hopefuly karma does its thing here..

1972TLC · 11-20-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nix4x4

Lame.. Hopefuly karma does its thing here..

indeed. i'm trying to get the name of the shop but apparently my classmate either has no short term memory or keeps forgetting to ask lol i'll keep trying though

904_runner · 11-20-2008, 08:45 PM

na ah. Thats what happens when the muffler bearing goes out!

Yea... Id be pretty mad if that happened to me.

11-15-2008, 06:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
SC4Runner Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 5th Gen San Diegan, California Posts: 5,892	Wow!! That is pretty bad. I've never had anything happen to me... __________________ 1996 4x4 3.4L 4Runner on 35's - 6" of lift, MTR's, E-locked, ARB Tacoma Bumper, Sliders and a cut off tail pipe. 1966 FJ40 - SOA with stock springs, stock 1F motor, and a smelly tailpipe.

11-15-2008, 08:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
tc Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 8,376	Ummm - that's probably a federal offense, altering the emissions controls ... __________________ Check out www.coTTORA.org to hook up with great Toyota 'wheelin' folks! Current - 93 4Runner: 3VZ 33"x10.50" no lift ARB F/R 96 Impala SS: My own personal cop car Previous - 89 2WD Pickup 22R, Fabtech "Ivan Dan" lift, 31x10.50, IASCA World Finals 4th Place Stop with the mods and get on the trail! Pix at www.4wheelingoh.shutterfly.com/action

11-15-2008, 10:44 AM	#4 (permalink)
Al's Chop Shop Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 609	wow, that's pretty ballsey. i'd go nuts if someone did that to my rig after forking that kind of money over. what is the shop name that did it? btw, if you need a reputable shop in the portland area, i have one that i use when i don't have time to wrench my stuff. top notch people. Al __________________ 81 Toyota pickup 22r, 5spd, 4x4, longbed on 33's... custom suspension in the works. 79 Cherokee Chief Widetrack "Kronk" TBI350, SM465, NP205, Hydraulic clutch, Hydroboost, Custom aluminum radiator, Flowtech headers, SOA D44HD w/ Hi-steer, D60, 36" TSL/SX's, LED tail conversion... 91 Chevy K1500 - The Hauler TBI350, built 700r4, NP241, awaiting 4" lift... 90 XJ - 5.5" lift, 33's, bushwhacker cutouts, sliders, bumpers, winch... 08 Mazda CX9 - Zoom-Zoom!

11-15-2008, 10:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
SC4Runner Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 5th Gen San Diegan, California Posts: 5,892	wow, wrong thread, sorry.. __________________ 1996 4x4 3.4L 4Runner on 35's - 6" of lift, MTR's, E-locked, ARB Tacoma Bumper, Sliders and a cut off tail pipe. 1966 FJ40 - SOA with stock springs, stock 1F motor, and a smelly tailpipe. Last edited by SC4Runner; 11-16-2008 at 09:10 AM.

11-17-2008, 07:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
dport Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 329	I guess I've never been ripped off. But, I did watch Sam's club knock my Taco off the lift!! The tires had not been of in over 6 yrs and the rims were seized on. Some goomba gets under the truck and starts wailing on the tire with a sledge hammer, slowly sliding the truck off the lift pads. I guess it was wrong for me to stand there and watch just to get a laugh. I repositioned myself just so I could see the look on the guys face when the truck slammed down onto the lift arms. IT WAS PRICELESS __________________ My truck's not stock, I got BFG A/T's!

11-16-2008, 12:16 AM	#8 (permalink)
hostile Banned Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 397	My old buick once started jumping so i took it into the shop. They first had to charge me 60 dollars to do a diagnostics then told me that there was a knock sensor going off in my transmission meaning my transmission was going out. They told me all these things like i shouldn't drive anywhere else or it might break down and i'd need to get towed back in and that would be added costs. So i let them do it for like 1200 dollars and 2 weeks and a new transmission later i get my car back to find out it's still doing it. Long story short, turns out it was the computer that needed to be replaced for only $500 dollars including labor. I never paid them for the new transmission and they haven't tried to contact me about it either. lol

11-16-2008, 10:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
hostile Banned Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 397	wow, from now on if i get an oil change or anything else anywhere, i'm going to start marking my filters and everything. I usually don't but Big Brand Tire has been sending me "free oil change" coupons lately. lol

11-18-2008, 12:36 AM	#15 (permalink)
annoyingrob Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 649	I would have asked them to replace the rims he dented with the sledge. When I got my pickup safety checked, he said the frame was rotted, and he couldn't pass it. I asked him to show me. He starts hammering every inch of the frame, and didn't find a spot of rot. I think he was just lazy, but it bugged me. Last edited by annoyingrob; 11-18-2008 at 12:38 AM.

11-18-2008, 01:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
SR5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 615	man all those things are messed up, more and more reasons not to go to shops, also BEWARE of old tires, ones that sit on shelves and our new, just 8 years old new, they blew out bad, thier is a thread about it on here somewere you guys you should check i tout __________________ 1995 SR5 V6 4Runner SR5 Profile

11-18-2008, 01:32 AM	#17 (permalink)
annoyingrob Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 649	I believe manufacturers say tires should be replaced if they're more than 5 years old, regardless of wear. I know it's difficult, I have a set of brand new tires on my truck, that are 6 years old. I really need to replace them, and sell them to someone less concerned.

11-18-2008, 09:00 AM	#18 (permalink)
aviator Super Moderator Staff Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: COTKU,Ontario,Canada Posts: 7,472	That whole thing is really messed up, TLC's OP, that goofy lube thing and the knocking the truck off the hoist... that goomba is lucky the truck did'nt crush him... I used to take my truck to a lube place before I started doing my own and I always watched them like a hawk just to make sure they did the job right, [I had changed every u-joint and so on to grease-able fittings and it was fun (for me anyway)pointing that out to the "pit-tech" in the hole]... had a kid one time try to up sell me on a bunch of service work on things I'd just had changed saying "they had to be done, It's not safe I can't let you drive away like that". I told him not to worry about it... and I complained to his boss so he'd know the kid at least tried...lol __________________ Silver 1994 Hilux Xtra cab 4x4 3.0 K&N cone filter, ported MAF, advanced timing, oversize exhaust, free flow cat, "rumble" muffler custom covered SR5 seats, map lights, factory AC tv4184 style black interior conversion started mods to come... header, custom centre console, stereo upgrade tinted windows Founding member 1972TLC fan club - Get well soon Mary Toyota Hilux... Get in or Get out of the way.

11-18-2008, 09:18 AM	#19 (permalink)
Belize Off Road Team Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Corozal Town, Belize Posts: 2,752	1st, if a hole was drilled in the exhaust, you would hear it, no question. 2nd, i never take my truck to anyone other than the ParkCity dealer in Medicine hat, and since im not there anymore i do EVERYTHING my self. i would think that no one would take it somewhere other than a place they trust completely. __________________ -Phyl 1991 Hilux Surf SSR-G Petrol 3.0L V6 200,000kms l Rancho RS5000 l 31"x10.50"xR15 Pro Comp Xterrain l K&N Air Filter l PP 1" Lift Coil Springs l Optima Blue Top l 12" JBL Subs l Alpine Type R l 80/100W Hella H4 l 1st Gen Roll Bar Mod l FT/RR Diff. Breathers l Smittybilt XRC8 Winch l ARB Bull Bar l トヨタ\|NEVER QUIT

11-18-2008, 04:59 PM	#20 (permalink)
stormin94 Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lake County, CA/Sacramento Posts: 3,539	I've had something similar happen to me. I had my previous ATV serviced at a local place (MotoSports of Ukiah), and they quoted me $200 to replace the transmission belt(CVT tranny), fix the winch, and perform a service. $200 seemed like a little much, but they said it would be done by the end of the week, and they would call me when it was done. A month an a half later, I called them, and they told me that I had to come get it , and that I was lucky they were only charging me for 2 weeks of storage fees for leaving it there. Then I go to pick it up, and refuse to pay storage fees, since there was never any attempt to contact me about picking it up. They agreed, but then I saw the bill, and it was over $600. That was three times the original amount. But, I paid, so I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Then on the trail, I noticed the tranny belt slipping, and burning. I then noticed that the temp light was on, and that the radiator was boiling over. To top it off, the winch didn't even work. I guess the point of this story is that I got raped out of $600 for MotoSports to break the thermostat on my ATV, and do nothing else. So, If anyone is in Northern California, DO NOT go to MotoSports of Ukiah. __________________ 1994 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4X4 213,000 miles and counting 3.0 V6, 5 speed 10/15 MPG city/hwy(with 33's) Current Mods Headers, 2.5" Flowmaster custom exhaust, K&N FIPK KC Daylighter 100 Watt lights Ranchos x4, 2" Lift Downey coils 33-12.50 M/T's, 1" t-bar lift, 1" body lift Tow pkg w/ lighthookups Silverstar Headlights, Pioneer Deck w/XM Brushguard 250Watt JLAudio 8" W3 Sub Future Mods 12V Aux outlet-400/800peak inverter roof basket/lights Air locker 4.88 gears H.O. Alternator

11-20-2008, 05:28 PM	#22 (permalink)
toyotaman11 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: goshen ,ind Posts: 617	pfffft! that was caused by a exaust borer !!!! j/k looks like a drill hole to me !! __________________ its all fun & games till someone gets an eye put out.. then it's fun & games you can't see !!! 100 extra hp...maybe once. Then it will sound like shaking a soda can with thumb tacks http://s499.photobucket.com/albums/rr359/dirtymoney427/ <click to see my slide show.

11-20-2008, 07:18 PM	#23 (permalink)
nix4x4 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: I'm an Ohio boy! Posts: 1,212	Lame.. Hopefuly karma does its thing here.. __________________ 1992 Xtra Cab 3.0/5-speed Work in progress..

11-20-2008, 08:45 PM	#25 (permalink)
904_runner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 3,782	na ah. Thats what happens when the muffler bearing goes out! Yea... Id be pretty mad if that happened to me. __________________ Mike 1990 4runner: 3.4 swapped, 5-speed, sas'd, Rear leaf swap, Locked, 5.29's, 39.5" iroks on Beadlocks, Armor'd Longfields, Duals coming soon: My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/904_run...thread-158746/ http://www.treadlightly.org/ http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ery/index.html

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