Complaint Review: Als Unibody

I bought a car from an auction that needed body work. I had it towed to Al's Unibody. He first told me that it needed only a rear right clip. In a day or so, he then added that it needed a right rail and rear pan (where the trunk closes into the car). He told me to order from a wrecking yard that part. Then he changed it and said to order the whole rear clip and he would take the parts he needed and send the rest back. When the wrecking yard delivered the parts a week later, I paid the $600 for the right rear clip to include the right rail and pan where the trunk latch attaches. He delayed doing the work for almost a month and a half, whereas there weren't even any customers in his shop the time I brought my mother's car in. When he finally called me and said the car was done, he had not done the work he said he would do - he literally cut the entire back car off and replaced it with a used part from the wrecking yard. The entire back of the car had to be painted (at a much greater cost and labor time to myself) that did not have to be done. He explained it was easier for him to do it this way, for himself. In addition to this, he charged me for the extra work, stating that there was no charge in the book hours for what had to be done, so he just cut the whole back of the car off and charged me for the whole amount - work that did not have to be done.

In addtion to this, he had burned the clear coat on the left rear door, which was factory perfect of this 2008 Chevy Malibu with only 20,000 miles on the car. When he took the headliner and rear seat out, he stored it in such a manner that there is now some sort of greasy dirt all over the headliner and rear seat. He also broke the right (passenger) visor so that it cannot be installed. He told me that only the small clip had to be ordered from the dealer (and did not claim any wrong-doing). As a man in the business since the 1970's (as he indicated to me), he most likely knew that this was a lie. The car will need a whole visor, at a cost of just under $100 at the dealer. I wrote him a letter of this more than three weeks ago and he has not responded.

I had no choice than to get the car out of his shop and pay the bill (not aware of the burned paint to the rear driver door), nor of the cost to the visor, nor the greasy dirt on the upholstery), because he is a violent man, and constantly threatened me with different accusations while I was there - such things as, "well you can just get this crap right out of here right now if you don't like it!" after the car was completely disassembled and on the frame rack(and after I had bought the parts for the car). His ability to lie and manipulate has gone far beyond a normal disagreement or normal mistake. This man has purposely caused more trouble and ruined a very nice car deliberately.

I am considering looking into legal action as well as advertising for others who have had a similar experience, for a class action lawsuit.

This was supposed to be a nice car for my mother, now retired, and this man has cost more than a thousand dollars than the repair should have cost - not to include the damage to the door and the extra paint, and possible permanent damage to an otherwise brand new interior.