Complaint Review: Mobile Auto Repairs & Technical Services

Mobile Mechanic named John charged me $65.00 right off the bat before he even looked at my car and stated that he only lived two blocks away. So what was the $65.00 charge for? Gas? He only lived 2 blocks away. Gas would have barely cost $1 to drive to my apartment. But he stated that it was a diagnostic charge. Well he hadn't even looked at my car to diagnose it yet. But he wouldn't go any further until I paid that $65. Then as I went up stairs to get the $65, he proceeded to change a part on my battery that didn't need changing and said that he could tell that was the problem and said that he would charge me an extra $10 for that, yet when I tried to start the car, thinking that he just fixed the problem, the car still wouldn't start.

After tinkering with a lot of things, and trying to give me a fresher course on how to fix a car, and stating that people should be so happy to pay his prices and get a mechanic lesson, he finally found that it was the Fuel Pump. I called around and found that Pep Boys had a fuel pump for $71. I asked John, the mechanic if he would go get it. But he stated that I had to go with him. I didn't even know this guy and he's asking me to get into his car with him and go somewhere. But he would not go any further unless I went with him to Pep Boys. Instead of going straight to Pep Boys, he stops to get gas.

The whole time I'm praying to God that this man isn't about to abduct me or something. After going to Pep Boys and getting the part, I wanted to make sure that he was not going to charge me anymore than the $65 but he said that he was charging me an extra $85. He stated that he told me this while he was looking at my car, but the only thing I remember him saying is that he normally charges $85 for a diagnostic but decided to only charge me $65. I did not hear him say anything about charging me an extra $85.

So I got a little testy about this new charge and he starts to get pissed off and starts comparing me to other customers that "do this to him all the time." And just as soon as we get back to my apartment, he pulls out and leaves. So there I stood with a broken down car, the part to fix it, $65 poorer, and no mechanic to fix it. I even told him that I would pay the $85 even though I was not happy about it, since I just paid him $65 just to drive two blocks. That was the most unprofessional behavior I have ever seen in my life. I made the biggest mistake by contacting this person to fix my car and I would not recommend him to anyone. So steer clear of this mechanic.

I have gone to many mechanics that have done free diagnostics and told me what the problem was with my car, and it was up to me to decide if I wanted them to fix it at that time, or take it back home until I could afford it. But I have never been charged "right off the bat," for work that hasn't even been done yet. He didn't even know what was wrong with my car and he never asked me what the car was doing. He just got under the hood, looked at the battery and said, "ahhh, here's the problem." But that WASN'T the problem, yet he was still going to charge me to for fixing that part, even though I never gave him permission to fix it.

Christy
Van Nuys, California
U.S.A.