Help!! Mechanic screwed me!, Dropped my 5th gen off for an estimate. Options

[LimitedST]

The other day i had my dad drop off my 5th gen celica at a mechanics to get an estimate. The car wouldnt start. It would crank, but not turn over. And today we get a phone call from the mechanic saying the car is fixed and it is going to be 700 dollars to fix it. 700?!?!?! for 700 dollars i woulda bought a new engine for my 6th gen celica that has been sitting for a year... or for 1200 i coula have picked up another 5th gen celica with no issues. Because mine needs a new windshiled (insurance does not cover it) the car blows blue smoke, and i know he didnt fix that on the car because he would need to order the parts, which is impossible to recieve and fix in one day. So theres still plenty of money that needs to be stuck into the car.
What are my options? theres no way im paying 700 dollars when i was never even given an estimate, or told what was even wrong with the car.

unfortunatly i have to go to work and wont be able to check this during the day, So if anyone with some good information on what i could do, text it to me, also posting here will be just as good but itll be awhile till i can check it.
Thank you
Jacob Strapko
623 326 5602

[Fastbird]

What did he do, what does the bill say, was a proper estimate furnished, and was an authorization to make the repairs issued by yourself when you dropped off??

[jcaron9gt4]

Unless when you dropped it off you said, "do what it takes to get it running", he should have called you before he did ANY work and told you what was being replaced and what it was roughly going to cost.

[jimmykay]

yes, he should have called you and told you what he found before anything. and then you'd be looking at anything from free-$50 tops for the time to diagnose the problem.

What did he say that he did for that $700?

What did your dad tell them when he dropped it off? If he said "I need this fixed no mater what" thats one thing, but they still should have called to let you know what it involved.

I'm not sure if you can refuse to pay or not. But depending on how this is resolved, you can always call the BBB and let them know.

[GriffGirl]

I'm not sure how much leverage the mechanic has if he doesn't have a signed work order authorizing him to do the work on the car. If the mechanic did the work without being authorized to, I'd find out what was done on the car and reimburse him for the parts only, but not the labor.

However if your father said to him "I don't care, just fix it" then someone needs to pay the man and the issue becomes about a miscommunication between you and your father. If that's the case, you might sit down with your father and explain to him that you would have NEVER authorized the mechanic to fix the car had you known it would cost $700 and that someone should have consulted you FIRST before doing the work.

I'd see if your father is willing to split it with you, since after all, it is YOUR car, and you put your own responsibility on him to get it taken care of. There's no real excuse there - you can't say "well I had to work" or whatever as far as why you had your father take the car in for you. You want to be grown up and have a car, well responsibilities come with that too. Not to be a hardass or anything, but it's true, sorry.

[95CelicaST]

If your dad told him to just go ahead and fix it, then maybe your dad should pay for the labor and you pay for the parts.


FWIW - I don't take my car to any shop without knowing/ talking to the mechanic beforehand.

[Toyota_Celica_97]

first you should ask how much he want just to check it.

and if he did all the work for you without asking then i wouldnt pay them the 700 buck.

and you should check the car if it work paying the guy 700 buck, if the car is running like new i wouldnt pay the guy 700 buch haha.

[casper]

you just got ripped off i say get your spare key and pick the car up @ night.