Ive been conned!

[Amanzi]

I am sooo mad right now

I phoned a Mobile auto service from our local paper to come and repair the transmission on our van. The guy came over gave me a quote and asked for a deposit for the part, he told me he does this to stop people from cancelling on him after he has bought the parts... so I think fair enough and give him a check for $250.00 My alarm bells should have gone off when he asked me to make the check out to some other name.

The promised date on the repair order was 3\29\04 and states it will take 5 days!!! Well I have phoned and phoned and phoned some more and it is now a month later... NO ONE answers my calls! I suppose I just have to admit to myself I was duped out of my money and try find someone else to fix it!

A word to everyone... DONT do what I did, make sure you have a physical business address before you go giving good money away I cant even file a complaint because I dont have a last name or a business address, even though they stated in there advert they are state licensed.

Im going to my corner now to cry

[TexasStooge]

Sorry to hear about that.

I'ts just one of those days where it just shows that people can't trust each other.

Hopefully things will get better soon.

[Stephanie]

I'm so sorry that you went through that Bron.

Did get your cancelled check back yet? Perhaps someone at the bank can help you figure out who this person is or point you in a direction that may help you to file that complaint.

[Amanzi]

Steph, I have not got the check bak yet. Do you think the bank will be allowed to share such info?

My husband wants me to contact the newspaper and tell them they are advertising for con-artists, but Im sure I cant hold the puplication liable for anything!

[bfez1]

Sorry Bron!!!
But at least you learned a valuable lesson from it. And you made all of here at Storm2k wiser, too.

[Stephanie]

Steph, I have not got the check bak yet. Do you think the bank will be allowed to share such info?

My husband wants me to contact the newspaper and tell them they are advertising for con-artists, but Im sure I cant hold the puplication liable for anything!

I don't know what the bank would be able to do for you, but I think it's worth a try. They maybe able to direct you to someone or organization that can help you further.

I'd call the paper to let them know - you can't hold them responsible, but it may make a good story just the same! They maybe able to do some investigating for you if it's interesting enough for them. Our local Fox News station has a segment called "What's Bugging You". They take complaints from their viewers and determine which ones that they want to report on and try to resolve. It usually works.

Good luck and keep us informed! You might not be able to get any satisfaction, but

[Rainband]

I would make a police report. Then the bank will have to. cooperate

[Lindaloo]

Call your bank and see if the check has cleared Bron. If not, stop payment on the check.

[Amanzi]

Call your bank and see if the check has cleared Bron. If not, stop payment on the check.

The check has cleared Linda, I just have not gotten my cancelled check back yet. I printed a copy of it from my online banking to get the name of the person I made it out to. I was intelligent enough to write "transmission deposit" on it....

I found the number of the state of Florida Motor vehicle repair consumer services. Ive sent them an email about it. I just hope they do something, Its not even a case of the money they took from me, but I would hate for these people to continue doing this to other people!

[furluvcats]

Thats pretty low and rotten Bron...sorry it happened. I would start with a police report, like rainband said...

[GalvestonDuck]

Bron -- is it this one?:

http://www.floridapennysavers.com/flagler/fl563.htm

MOBILE AUTO SERVICE We come to you. 30
years ex-perience. All type repairs. 386-257-9433,
877-254-9433 ENGINES, HEAD GASKETS
TRANSMISSION REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT All
starting at $250. State Licensed. 386-257-9433.
Toll Free: 877-254-9433.

Maybe we should all call him up and give him a piece of our minds if he doesn't cough up the dough.

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and gave the toll-free number a call. I asked the guy where he was located and his reply was, "Strictly mobile. We come to you." I said, "Oh, okay. So I would..." and then he hung up before I could even asked what he charged, when he could check out my car, or anything like that and he never bothered to ask what he could do to help me, what my car trouble was, or anything. Just hung up!

(Warning: Whatever you guys do, do NOT call and harass the guy. It won't help Bron's case at all.)

If I was near Flagler County, I'd drive out there, get a lawyer, pick you up, and then call him and tell him I'm from out of town and I need him to come work on my car so that he could come out and meet us and then we could deal with him face to face. *sigh* But I'm not so I can't be a consumer vigilante for ya, Bronnie. Sorry.

I hope you get him and get him good!

It's some kind of fraud when you have someone pay for something and then don't deliver on the services, right? Surely he'll have signed the back of the check or someone did. Maybe you can find out something from that information.

Let us know! I wanna get him now.

[Amanzi]

Great work Duck!!!!!!!! Thats the guy!

Im not suprised he hung up on you though. My hubby got his boss to phone as well and ask what there address was and as soon as the words had left his mouth the guy hung up as well... I think he now knows we are trying to get his physical address!

All I can do now is pray the state licensing board gets back to me... if that does not work I will tell everyone on this planet to phone these guys and bug the crap out of them.

[Rainband]

I would call the police and file a report or you can call your local news "on your side" department. They will nail him. Good luck Bron

[Josephine96]

Maybe the Local 6 News Problem Solvers will help lol

[wx247]

Bronwyn... I would definitely give the local TV Station a call or also Tom Martino "The Troubleshooter".

His name is right here... CALL 1.866.966.HELP (4357)!!

I promise you... HE WILL GET RESULTS!!!

[mf_dolphin]

Bron if you need a S2K hit team just give Chad or I a call. We'll arange a disappearing act for that SOB

[Amanzi]

Thanks for the advice guys...

Garrett, thanks for the number, I will give that a try if I have no luck with my complaint with the consumer services dept.

MF.. I have my hubby on a leash, he is already to "take action". I just know it wont solve the situation legally...... I wish you guys could make him disappear so he cant do this to anyone else.

[Stephanie]

Great work Duck! Good luck Bronnie!

[coriolis]

Yeah, Bron, make a police report. I think that a check can be traced back to the person who cashed it. You know this would make a good police sting. Get the guy to respond to an address where undercover cops are waiting.

I doubt that a person can diagnose a transmission without taking it into the shop to check it out. And what does he do, bring all his tools with him?
And what about a problem that costs less than $250? That ad has scam written all over it.

[Josephine96]

Good luck Bron