Yard equipment repair businesses/unauthorized work

tomstrees

tomstrees

Participating member
I dropped my chain saw at a local repair shop just for an estimate a couple of weeks ago; he said $25 for overview/estimate, I said OK that is all I want as it had been in storage a while. His wife calls me a week ago Monday morning saying it was all set. So I stop in and he said that they serviced it, had an hour plus bringing the total to over $80!! So I say I had not authorized it; he said he would not have gone ahead unless I had asked for that, that they do plenty of repairs and he knows how to run his business that there is no one else for me to talk to. So how to proceed with this as we went around the block a few times; I know what I asked him to do, to just check it out for the $25?

I filled out a form with the state of CT consumer affairs department which usually takes 6 weeks to have them process. I really have problems with businesses that do unauthorized work, it goes to unauthorized contracts and ultimately to dishonesty. How do other customers of these businesses deal with unauthorized charges like this?? Thanks!
 
Grab the saw give him 25 bones and tell him to get bent, the fact that he basically said you were lying about the request for an estimate makes him a douche.
 
Does the saw run OK?

Would you have Given him the go ahead had he called with an $80 estimate ?

You could just pay him and take your business elsewhere. Take a breath and move on. Get a written estimate next time.
 
I don't know how it runs because it is still at the repair place. I will call him this afternoon and hopefully get this resolved unless he holds out for the full amount. The reason I went to this equipment business is because a rental yard said they were relatively new and weren't going to keep me waiting a month. Probably there was nothing wrong with it, so they figured I was a sucker they could soak.
 
For $80 and if it runs just grab the thing and go, I doubt you would see any kind of satisfaction through the state. A number of years ago I dropped a lawn mower off at a shop, told the guys to check it out for me, as I had got it for free. Next thing I know they are calling me up with a bill for $800. I think in the end I sold it to them for the cost of repairs plus another grand?
 
80 bucks sounds like a reasonable rate for a repair. i would just chill about it. the best way to file a complaint is to take your business elsewhere.
 
I would pay the $80.00 and then tell the guy he just screwed himself because you know most of the tree guys in town plus your customers always ask you who to take their small engine equipment to for repair and you will be telling everyone how badly you got ripped off. You might want to remind him that back when the Yellow Pages was the main way to advertise your business, they had market studies done that revealed that satisfied customers would tell 3 people of their positive experience, but dissatisfied customers would complain to 10 or more potential customers.Tell him his name will be known to hundreds if not thousands of potential customers in a not good way.
 
Yup, I agree.

[ QUOTE ]
Does the saw run OK?

Would you have Given him the go ahead had he called with an $80 estimate ?

You could just pay him and take your business elsewhere. Take a breath and move on. Get a written estimate next time.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
Would I have given him the go ahead for the work? No. I would have figured it was a basic tune up that I could do myself. I figured the guy was a professional, not an inflexible person who basically believes it is his way or the highway.

I got this email from him today:

"I pretty much stand at the same point as when you walked out of the show room and slammed the door behind you. I don't believe we performed any unauthorized work on the saw. If it was someone else who took the saw in I might be more apted to adjust the bill as I wouldnt have been witness to the conversation, but you spoke with me and I know I am always clear when I write down what is to be done to the item, and then read it back to the customer. We have worked on countless pieces of equipment for different people and never had an issue like this come up. If you would like to discuss this further please give me a call at the shop."

We already "discussed" it; ie, he was inflexible and certain that he never misunderstands what is authorized and what is not. So I just work through the system and maybe file a complaint with the local police? That seems to be the only way to go since he apparently is not willing to let the saw go unless I pay him his full amount.

My response to his email:

"We have already gone around several times on this issue and I just disagree with your
position and the advice I have gotten from others on a tree board back up my position on
this. I filed a complaint with the state department of consumer affairs after you were
adamant that you were the ultimate authority and there was no one else to talk to. What
you don't understand apparently is that there are plenty of other authorities over you
who have power over you whether you like it or not. It is actually pretty petty for you
to be so inflexible on this and I seriously doubt that this is the first time you did
unauthorized work, most people just shrug it off; word of mouth on this sort of ill
treatment of customers does not help your business.

"All I was looking for was a quick overview of the saw before anything was done and you
did not bother to contact me before you did unauthorized work. I have done many, many
contracts in various fields and seldom encounter this type of situation of unaccountable
businesses, but when I do I just contact the legal authority that regulates businesses
like yours."
 
Sounds like you've spent way more than $55 worth of frustration on this already. I'll echo the others. Pay the money, tell him how you feel, and don't go back.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Would I have given him the go ahead for the work? No. I would have figured it was a basic tune up that I could no myself. I figured the guy was a professional, not an inflexible person who basically believes it is his way or the highway.

I got this email from him today:

"I pretty much stand at the same point as when you walked out of the show room and slammed the door behind you. I don't believe we performed any unauthorized work on the saw. If it was someone else who took the saw in I might be more apted to adjust the bill as I wouldnt have been witness to the conversation, but you spoke with me and I know I am always clear when I write down what is to be done to the item, and then read it back to the customer. We have worked on countless pieces of equipment for different people and never had an issue like this come up. If you would like to discuss this further please give me a call at the shop."

We already "discussed" it; ie, he was inflexible and certain that he never misunderstands what is authorized and what is not. So I just work through the system and maybe file a complaint with the local police? That seems to be the only way to go since he apparently is not willing to let the saw go unless I pay him his full amount.

My response to his email:

"We have already gone around several times on this issue and I just disagree with your
position and the advice I have gotten from others on a tree board back up my position on
this. I filed a complaint with the state department of consumer affairs after you were
adamant that you were the ultimate authority and there was no one else to talk to. What
you don't understand apparently is that there are plenty of other authorities over you
who have power over you whether you like it or not. It is actually pretty petty for you
to be so inflexible on this and I seriously doubt that this is the first time you did
unauthorized work, most people just shrug it off; word of mouth on this sort of ill
treatment of customers does not help your business.

"All I was looking for was a quick overview of the saw before anything was done and you
did not bother to contact me before you did unauthorized work. I have done many, many
contracts in various fields and seldom encounter this type of situation of unaccountable
businesses, but when I do I just contact the legal authority that regulates businesses
like yours."

[/ QUOTE ]

I would leave a flaming bag of dog poo on his door step. then he would realize the errors of his ways and give you your saw and a $200 shop credit.....
 
"I would leave a flaming bag of dog poo on his door step. then he would realize the errors of his ways and give you your saw and a $200 shop credit..... "

He called the sh!t poop!

someone please catch that reference...
 
If this needs to be moved to the other section, please do so.

On getting back at people through doing something that could be a big legal problem later, I would not recommend that. I once worked for a landscaper/builder Vito in the Pound Ridge area, when I started working for him he had just come back from a meeting with the cops when they had taken casts of his car tires for a possible criminal charge. The guy had anger management issues to say the least, and you hear stories in the trades of people getting back at customers who rip them off or don't pay (send in a wrecking crew?).

Let the law do its job.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Would I have given him the go ahead for the work? No. I would have figured it was a basic tune up that I could do myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I pulled a saw out of storage I would have tried it first, attempted the tune up myself, and had that failed, then brought the saw in to a shop. If you are capable of performing a basic tune up, do that first. Even if your tune up fails, you now have some idea if the shop is charging you for things the saw didn't need.

But to echo others, have him prove the saw runs like a top and pay the money. Future business goes elsewhere.
 
Unfortunately, it seems nothing is in writing thus a case of 2 POVs with the reality somewhere in between. I agree with Phil that it should have been tested before taking it to a shop (did you and thus decided it wasn't running well?).

Have him give you an itemized list of the problems identified, the work done, any parts used and the warranty for the work performed. As mentioned above, get him to demonstrate its running condition. You've already made it clear to him you're not satisfied with his business practices and have filed a complaint to that effect. At this point, if all the rest seems to be above board then pay him and move on with a lesson learned thru experience.

Depending on how much evidence there is to support your complaint you may just get some or all of your money back.

Good luck.

While life may be too short to dwell on such things, that just means you should act immediately and decisively, derive any learning for the future, then get on the rest of your life.
 
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