State: Indiana
(Mods if this is the wrong Forum I apologize and please move)
I bought a used car in September. The clutch went out a few weeks later but I bought the car knowing that was a probability. Other than the clutch the car is in great shape. Its an '87 Fiero GT Manual Tran' that was owned by a family friend for the last 22 years so I have all the notes from previous fixes and the clutch was the only major thing that hadn't been replaced or rebuilt.
Took the car to one place, a week later they called with a $900 estimate. It took them a week to run the diagnostic check so I decided to take the car to a transmission place.
I dropped the car off and told them I wanted the clutch/transmission fixed. The mechanic called me 2 times that day with questions and then I didn't hear a word for about 3 weeks. I stopped in and the car wasn't done, he said they are still working on it, waiting on parts, blah blah...it should be done "Friday."
Another month passes, in that time I was informed by my boss who shops across the street at least 2 times a week that the car had a tarp covering one of the windows. I didn't think much of it at the time and figured they would of course call me if an issue had came up. They never called me.
I called about a week later. He told me they were still waiting on a part and the car should be done in about a week. I asked him about how much money I was looking at and he said he would have a better idea in a couple of days. Ok.
Last week, another 2 weeks later, he calls and tells me everything they replaced. Its a long list, dealing with the transmission/clutch only-just as I had asked. The bill came to $1500. I told him that was about 2 times as much as I thought and he said he knew and I could make payments.
I go to pick the car about 4 days later and he has 2 pairs of keys for me. I look at him kinda weird because I only dropped of my spares. He says "You said you only had this one set right? Well we just got a key cutter so I cut you another pair to try it out." I didn't remember telling him that or remember if I did have the originals.
I get home and I have the originals. I go outside and try to use the key in the ignition and the key won't even fit. I get to looking at the ignition switch and it looks brand new. I don't remember how the other one looked in terms of wear and tear but this one looks out of the box shinny and new. The rest of the car was covered in grease but not the ignition switch.
Later on my lights shut themselves off. I get to researching that and come to find out chances are its connected to a rewiring of the ignition switch. It can be other things but this is one of the possibilities.
So here is my issue. They didn't tell me they replaced the igintion switch. For all I know they replaced the window also, I can't tell if its the same one as they probably got it from a junkyard. My original ignition key looks nothing like the new one and doesn't fit at all. I know this key worked before as it was the key attached to the key chain that I got from the person I purchased the car from.
I wrote them the check when I got the car. Now I am worried that they didn't tell me my car had been broken into and replaced my ignition switch and possibly other parts. These parts arent on the invoice. The job done on the clutch and transmission are good, no complaints there. On the same token I feel very misled, what else did they lie to me or not tell me about?
My question is this. They have to tell me about this right? If your car is at a auto mechanics lot and gets broken into and an attempt to hot wire the car is made they have to tell me right? How do I know it wasn't stolen off the lot and recovered later? At least call and tell me my car was broken into...I had my registration in the car, I don't know who saw it....that's kind of scary.
What are my rights? Should I contact the manager at the shop or call the corporate office? Should I cancel the check before it passes? Please help... Sorry it was such a long read.
(Mods if this is the wrong Forum I apologize and please move)
I bought a used car in September. The clutch went out a few weeks later but I bought the car knowing that was a probability. Other than the clutch the car is in great shape. Its an '87 Fiero GT Manual Tran' that was owned by a family friend for the last 22 years so I have all the notes from previous fixes and the clutch was the only major thing that hadn't been replaced or rebuilt.
Took the car to one place, a week later they called with a $900 estimate. It took them a week to run the diagnostic check so I decided to take the car to a transmission place.
I dropped the car off and told them I wanted the clutch/transmission fixed. The mechanic called me 2 times that day with questions and then I didn't hear a word for about 3 weeks. I stopped in and the car wasn't done, he said they are still working on it, waiting on parts, blah blah...it should be done "Friday."
Another month passes, in that time I was informed by my boss who shops across the street at least 2 times a week that the car had a tarp covering one of the windows. I didn't think much of it at the time and figured they would of course call me if an issue had came up. They never called me.
I called about a week later. He told me they were still waiting on a part and the car should be done in about a week. I asked him about how much money I was looking at and he said he would have a better idea in a couple of days. Ok.
Last week, another 2 weeks later, he calls and tells me everything they replaced. Its a long list, dealing with the transmission/clutch only-just as I had asked. The bill came to $1500. I told him that was about 2 times as much as I thought and he said he knew and I could make payments.
I go to pick the car about 4 days later and he has 2 pairs of keys for me. I look at him kinda weird because I only dropped of my spares. He says "You said you only had this one set right? Well we just got a key cutter so I cut you another pair to try it out." I didn't remember telling him that or remember if I did have the originals.
I get home and I have the originals. I go outside and try to use the key in the ignition and the key won't even fit. I get to looking at the ignition switch and it looks brand new. I don't remember how the other one looked in terms of wear and tear but this one looks out of the box shinny and new. The rest of the car was covered in grease but not the ignition switch.
Later on my lights shut themselves off. I get to researching that and come to find out chances are its connected to a rewiring of the ignition switch. It can be other things but this is one of the possibilities.
So here is my issue. They didn't tell me they replaced the igintion switch. For all I know they replaced the window also, I can't tell if its the same one as they probably got it from a junkyard. My original ignition key looks nothing like the new one and doesn't fit at all. I know this key worked before as it was the key attached to the key chain that I got from the person I purchased the car from.
I wrote them the check when I got the car. Now I am worried that they didn't tell me my car had been broken into and replaced my ignition switch and possibly other parts. These parts arent on the invoice. The job done on the clutch and transmission are good, no complaints there. On the same token I feel very misled, what else did they lie to me or not tell me about?
My question is this. They have to tell me about this right? If your car is at a auto mechanics lot and gets broken into and an attempt to hot wire the car is made they have to tell me right? How do I know it wasn't stolen off the lot and recovered later? At least call and tell me my car was broken into...I had my registration in the car, I don't know who saw it....that's kind of scary.
What are my rights? Should I contact the manager at the shop or call the corporate office? Should I cancel the check before it passes? Please help... Sorry it was such a long read.