To keep a somewhat modest level of interest, I shall try to summarize best I can whilst getting all the details.
This involves the work of a mechanic on a stick-shift truck I own.. (for the mechanically inclined)
Started having trouble with my clutch in my truck. Shifting became harder and harder before I eventually could not shift. I posted an ad on the dreaded craigslist (my first mistake, i know), asking for help
from any mechanic and what their price would be. I finally settled on a yahoo redneck to fix my clutch system. Over the phone, he tells me a price of 430. I get there and he changes it to 500. I haggle him back down to
450, figuring its close enough. The "mechanic" replaces my clutch, flywheel, and rebuilds the slave cylinder. He later calls me after its all apart and mentions he needs to replace the hydraulic line and it would run another 120. I say sure. He also said he needed to order driveshaft bolts from Ford (20$), since he had to torch the old ones off. I also said sure. I did make mention that he needed to provide me with receipts. He assured me he would after the 1st of the month, stating he had a "commercial account" and could not provide them right away. He also could never provide me with any boxes or packaging of any of the products he used in repairing my vehicle (clutch/flywheel.) (BTW, his work is warrantied for 30 days.)
After a few days, he is finished working. I get my truck and drive off. I notice vibrations that were not there from before. Looking under the truck are broken/sheared bolts holding my driveshaft to the rear-end!
I call him on it right away, he claims no knowledge of that, stating his friend must have done that when he was not looking. He said he had a jeep in his garage at the moment and could not get me into his garage (mind you his garage is his mommy and daddys, in a residental neighborhood). 2 weeks go back, never hear back after making regular calls to him. My clutch gives out on me again, and the truck is back to an inoperable vehicle. I call him immediately. He answers! First words out of his mouth were "Dude, I have been trying to get ahold of you!" (At this point I am thinking "enough with the bullcrap artist lies, I know you, you take my money and now are nowhere to be found!) I told him I had no missed calls, no texts, and no voicemails. I also inform him my truck was inoperable on the 25th day after he fixed it, knowing I only have 5 more days to get it fixed before his bogus "warranty" runs out. He tells me he is out of town until the following morning. Following morning arrives and he tells me he will be back the following morning. Repeat again! I finally give up (this is my only vehicle, and I use it for my line of work, and I need to work the next day) and send my truck to another mechanic I have used in my past. Upon inspection, he states how unsafe the broken bolts (2 out of 4) in my driveshaft were and also how the hydraulilc line was never even touched!
I call redneck mechanic number 1 and tell him I want my money refunded. He gives me a song and dance about how he had to take his dad to the hospital and how he was waiting for me to come to his garage. More lies! I politely state my case and he disagrees, stating his work he did to my truck is now "null and void" since I decided to go to another mechanic.
I am now at the point of pressing charges.
Option 1: Go to small claims court, state my case and provide all documention I have (which is not much, since it is not a professional business)
Option 2: Take the 580$ loss and move on, lesson learned. Have a trusty mechanic and stay off of Craigslist scammers.
Will it be worth it to take him to court? My 2nd mechanic can probably be witness to the work mechanic 1 did. Or will this cost more in stress and money in the long run? Or is there no money since
I will most likely be representing myself (hence no lawyer.)
Any and all advice welcome.
Yes I am an idiot for using him in the first place, rolling into his driveway and seeing his residental 2 car garage with dirt floor....