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What in the world can people be thinking?


Bgunner

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Hey remember when I said I get under paid? Yea payment was a dinner for this one. I like her dog so it was worth it to me to be in the yard tossing the ball.
 


8thTon

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Those are fully metallic pads, not those crappy semi metallic junk.

Non vented from rotors? Must be something old.
 

91stranger

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Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
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When did you first tell them to not drive it anymore? You made such a big deal about how bad the brakes are after you told them to stop driving it but was that a week ago? month ago? year ago?...… It's hard to feel your pain without all the facts.... Some people don't understand that metal to metal is bad and needs fixed immediately and that's where you need to honestly warn them of the dangers... When you tell someone (who sounds like they aren't rolling in dough if they paid for car repairs with dinner and a play date with their dog lol) that they need a wrecker to take their car to a shop I can tell you all they heard when you said "need a wrecker" all they heard was "how much will that cost? I don't have that kind of money? what am I gonna do?"...… They were probably hoping to get their tax money to save their butts....

Maybe i'm wrong but that's what I got from the story....

Also I hate when people offer to work on cars and then complain about everything.... Not saying you complained I just wanted to mention a pet peeve of mine.
 

ericbphoto

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I believe he said that was October
 

19Walt93

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3"
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235/55R16
My credo
If you don't have time to do it right will you have time to do it over?
Seen it too many times. Per my old rep from the NH Auto Dealers Association: the customer is assumed to be innocent and ignorant.But. The dealer or repair shop does not have the authority to prevent a customer from driving away in an unsafe car, even though they can be held liable for an accident or injury caused by the defect they warned against. I was told the only 2 ways to avoid liability were(1) to insist the vehicle be towed from the shop- which we didn't have authority to enforce, or (2) call the police as soon as the customer drives away and report an unsafe vehicle. Most shops hesitate to call the cops on their customers. Every so often, MSN will have an article about scams mechanics use-because we're all as dishonest as biased reporters,I guess- saying that if a mechanic tries to "scare" you into not driving your car he's a crook and you should leave immediately. It's just possible he saw something unsafe and is trying to protect his customer.
 

Bgunner

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My credo
If it's not broken Don't Fix It!
When did you first tell them to not drive it anymore? You made such a big deal about how bad the brakes are after you told them to stop driving it but was that a week ago? month ago? year ago?...… It's hard to feel your pain without all the facts.... Some people don't understand that metal to metal is bad and needs fixed immediately and that's where you need to honestly warn them of the dangers... When you tell someone (who sounds like they aren't rolling in dough if they paid for car repairs with dinner and a play date with their dog lol) that they need a wrecker to take their car to a shop I can tell you all they heard when you said "need a wrecker" all they heard was "how much will that cost? I don't have that kind of money? what am I gonna do?"...… They were probably hoping to get their tax money to save their butts....

Maybe i'm wrong but that's what I got from the story....

Also I hate when people offer to work on cars and then complain about everything.... Not saying you complained I just wanted to mention a pet peeve of mine.
I told her in October of 2019 to stop driving it because it was unsafe to drive and to not use it.
 

91stranger

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Ok I didn't see the part about October. What did she say when you saw the brakes now?
 

Ramcharger90

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Dirtman

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It's up there.
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The shop my brother in law works at will print up the repair estimate and when a customer declines the work for whatever reason he has a liability waiver on the back and has the customer sign it saying they declined the suggested repairs. The car could be on fire but he wont pressure them in any way because of what walt said, trying to convince them they need the repairs immediately and the vehicle is unsafe just gives the unwarranted idea that the mechanic is trying to scam you. He will do his best to show the customer the issues and explain things in simple terms but never pressures them except to sign the waiver if they leave.

He will sometimes refuse to work on cars when he finds several major safety issues and the customer says "oh just fix this one thing ill do the other things later". Say the customer leaves and the brakes fail killing someone, he was the last one to work on it even though he was only told to change the brake pads while the brake hose and calipers were also shot and then he gets sued.

Most mechanics are honest people and if they say your car is a deathtrap, you should probably walk home.
 
Last edited:

adsm08

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Seen it too many times. Per my old rep from the NH Auto Dealers Association: the customer is assumed to be innocent and ignorant.But. The dealer or repair shop does not have the authority to prevent a customer from driving away in an unsafe car, even though they can be held liable for an accident or injury caused by the defect they warned against. I was told the only 2 ways to avoid liability were(1) to insist the vehicle be towed from the shop- which we didn't have authority to enforce, or (2) call the police as soon as the customer drives away and report an unsafe vehicle. Most shops hesitate to call the cops on their customers. Every so often, MSN will have an article about scams mechanics use-because we're all as dishonest as biased reporters,I guess- saying that if a mechanic tries to "scare" you into not driving your car he's a crook and you should leave immediately. It's just possible he saw something unsafe and is trying to protect his customer.
We called and had a lady's driver's license revoked once. Had her neighbor arrested too.

She was a stroke victim (allegedly), probably had some level of dementia too, but 100% a scammer. Her car was in an accident, her son insisted she get it looked at. I drove the thing through the parking lot a 5 MPH and was scared of it, she insisted that it was still safe because it ran OK. 99-ish Taurus, subframe rail was crimped, strut bent, ball joint hanging on by the boot. I had it in less than five minutes when she blew past the desk out into the shop to ask if I was going to be done soon because she had to get home to take her meds. I told her the car was very unsafe to drive and was going to require several hours of work minimum to be even close to safe. She seemed to understand everything I said until it came to "Your car is unsafe to drive" or anything else she didn't want to hear and then suddenly she switched to "I can't understand you, I had a stroke".

We told her we could get her a ride home and call her with an estimate later, she insisted we call her neighbor to come get her. He shows up bombed, and takes her home. As soon as she leaves we called the son, he agreed the car was no worth fixing and it was time for mom to stop driving. An hour later I'm not even done with the estimate yet and she showed back up threatening to call the cops because we are "trying steal her car" (apparently based on the fact that we hadn't called to tell her it was done yet). Same neighbor who reeked of beer and could barely stand up the first time brought her back and appeared to have continued drinking once he got home. As soon as he left we called the cops to report him.
 

19Walt93

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Ford Ranger
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
351
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Drop
3"
Tire Size
235/55R16
My credo
If you don't have time to do it right will you have time to do it over?
The shop my brother in law works at will print up the repair estimate and when a customer declines the work for whatever reason he has a liability waiver on the back and has the customer sign it saying they declined the suggested repairs. The car could be on fire but he wont pressure them in any way because of what walt said, trying to convince them they need the repairs immediately and the vehicle is unsafe just gives the unwarranted idea that the mechanic is trying to scam you. He will do his best to show the customer the issues and explain things in simple terms but never pressures them except to sign the waiver if they leave.

He will sometimes refuse to work on cars when he finds several major safety issues and the customer says "oh just fix this one thing ill do the other things later". Say the customer leaves and the brakes fail killing someone, he was the last one to work on it even though he was only told to change the brake pads while the brake hose and calipers were also shot and then he gets sued.

Most mechanics are honest people and if they say your car is a deathtrap, you should probably walk home.
The NHADA rep told me a signed waiver wouldn't relieve us of responsibility, it would be evidence that we knew the vehicle was unsafe and let the customer drive it. If the customer said he thought the mechanic was trying to sell him something he didn't need , he would be believed.The customer is assumed to be ignorant and innocent, the mechanic is assumed to be a crook. I wouldn't think most crooks would invest the price of a small house in their tools and be willing to have road salt flavored slush drip in their face just to set up their scam. A garage must provide a written estimate for any repair exceeding $.50 at the customers request and is forbidden by law from charging more than 10% over the estimated price. If you go to a hospital in NH that's "in network" and they have a doctor who happens not to be "in network", they do not have to disclose that in advance and the out-of-network doctor can bill you for any difference between their charges and the customary price set by the insurance. That would be a criminal, deceptive practice if a garage did it. Not to beat up on doctors, they can screw up and the patient can recover anyway, if a mechanic gets it wrong the "patient" doesn't heal. The mechanic's "patient" can't tell him where it hurts, either.
 

adsm08

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The NHADA rep told me a signed waiver wouldn't relieve us of responsibility, it would be evidence that we knew the vehicle was unsafe and let the customer drive it. If the customer said he thought the mechanic was trying to sell him something he didn't need , he would be believed.The customer is assumed to be ignorant and innocent, the mechanic is assumed to be a crook. I wouldn't think most crooks would invest the price of a small house in their tools and be willing to have road salt flavored slush drip in their face just to set up their scam. A garage must provide a written estimate for any repair exceeding $.50 at the customers request and is forbidden by law from charging more than 10% over the estimated price. If you go to a hospital in NH that's "in network" and they have a doctor who happens not to be "in network", they do not have to disclose that in advance and the out-of-network doctor can bill you for any difference between their charges and the customary price set by the insurance. That would be a criminal, deceptive practice if a garage did it. Not to beat up on doctors, they can screw up and the patient can recover anyway, if a mechanic gets it wrong the "patient" doesn't heal. The mechanic's "patient" can't tell him where it hurts, either.
I keep getting yelled at for drawing comparisons between medical billing and mechanical billing.
 

19Walt93

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Ford Ranger
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V8
Engine Size
351
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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Drop
3"
Tire Size
235/55R16
My credo
If you don't have time to do it right will you have time to do it over?
The medical profession has been working on the same model forever, we get a new one every year. If their "repair" doesn't work they say you didn't respond to treatment and bill you for the next step, we call that a comeback and have to fix it at our expense. I told a doctor that once, he got mad.
 

Eddo Rogue

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OHV
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4WD
Total Lift
skyjacker front leveling kit
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My credo
Crossed threads are tight threads.
So an old customer of mine came to me asking, practically begging me to look at her vehicles brakes and to fix them. Well I make no bone about my physical limitations and charge accordingly and most times to the point I get underpaid due to how long it takes to ge the job done.

HOW EVER!!

Whenever when the mechanic says it is not safe to drive and to tow it to be repaired when you are ready it should not matter if the mechanic can not walk properly you should listen....

View attachment 43057View attachment 43058

This is what a year later shows when said person ignores advise and mentions "oh I let a friend use it."

Didnt I just tell you this car is not to be moved other than on a wrecker?!?

Kill me, kill my family, kill someone I know because you ignored years of experience you will be in jail and if I'm the one who told you not to drive it, I will be on the witness stand testifying against you!!

I did a wheel bearing in March of 2019 on this exact side ( EDIT exact wheel ) and it had been to two different garages after that before the brake complaint in October when it was said not to be driven till the master cylinder was replaced due to it being bad. Now that caliper is seized also but here we are now 05 / 28 / 20 and the vehicle has obviously been in service.

We have all seen and hear horror story's but damn this out right negligence in an unlawfull way.


Thoughts? Comments?

P.s. the rear of the car is covered with the rust/scum along with me at first glance thinking the aluminum rim being cracked do to it being caked with it. It's so bad it wore though the backing plate on the pad. Omg
Another dont get me started moment....I'll try not to rant..

I think its a combination of: lack of forethought or foresight, or any thought besides work, sleep, recreation etc... , a lack of education or understanding of things like physics and mechanics, and/or a general lack of giving a shit....

These people have no idea whats going on mechanically. They dont know what makes the car go, stop, turn etc....all the forces,friction and moving parts involved with that.

The slightly more competent only know of getting oil changes at jiffy lube, yet dont realize theres many other fluids and parts that wear out. Brakes and bearings are a bit surprising because they are usually very noticeable, even to the mechanically blind.

They don't realize the thousands of pounds of force being manipulated when driving, driving is a noun to them, not a verb. Its just a thing, not an actual action.

Its like someone having no fear of walking under a giant loose boulder. Its not that they are brave or stupid, they just don't have the experience or education to realize they are in danger.

In college, my speech class final was a 5 min motivational, I motivated to take care of your car, and nailed it!

My attention getter opening was I asked the audience what can warm you up in winter, cool you down in the summer, and allows you to comfortably travel where you otherwise probably wouldn't survive if you were stranded without it. They were baffled when I answered its their car!
 

91stranger

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Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
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Gets Mo Chicks
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4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
I live by the rule of "cover your ass" or CYA for short. I put detailed notes about anything dangerous or needing attention in estimates. If it comes back in 6 months with said issue that is worse and they try to blame us for it, I can pull the notes on my computer and show them where I told them this was needing fixed but you declined the estimate.

Who else gets this customer....."I had my vehicle at your shop last year to get a battery installed and now my AC doesn't blow cold air. What did you guys do to my car?"

Or get the people who think a part that was replaced 5-6 years ago should be under warranty even though they were told it has a 12 month warranty

Or get the people who will lose a set of keys and want new ones under warranty?? Um, it's not the manufactures fault that YOU lost your keys.... (I've literally had that exact complaint)
 

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