Bad experience with a local mechanic
 

O'Briens Auto Repair
46 Bayshore RD.

Avoid this shadetree mechanic at all cost. I learned the hard way $500 bucks worth.
I brought my car in for a tune up, and when I picked it up I had a popping sound in my exhaust. I returned and he said he'd take a look at it. Well the next day he told me over the phone he didn't hear anything wrong with the car but the popping noise was still there when I got back. Also on the ticket he charged me for Iriduim plugs but later told me he put in AC/Delcos. When i told him I'd bring it to the dealership he got real aggressive telling me he wasn't paying for anything cause bad parts isn't his problem , even though I bought them from him at a considerable mark up. He did offer to replace the plugs but he said if he didn't find any problems he'd charge me again for a tune up.
Anyway the Pontiac dealship found out the plugs weren't gapped proper. So $500 for the tune up and $250 dealship cost to regap them I'm out $750 bucks. Anyway the guy doesn't warranty his work or parts. If he is a master mechanic he should of known what that sound could possibly be. My bet is he didn't want to pull the plugs and fix his own mistake. Zero creditably as a mechanic and a person. I was pretty much told to live the the sound. Just stay away from him if your in the southern Jersey area.
BTW I hate this guy

Thats not cool...justin i think we should set up two lists and put them in a locked sticky in each area of the staete...one for quality shops and one for dooshbags like the shop james here went to

Jon,

That's a great idea- the only thing I am unsure of is if we can get into legal trouble for posting this on the 'net.

hrm...thats a good point...Jeanne-marie where are you...give us some input!

I think as long as your not out right calling someone names or something like that. I dont see any legal worries. It could be just like a reveiw sticky. Post experiences with a place either good or bad..

priceless irony

seems like the safest way to approach it

Yet everyone knows what i'm talking about...when you type as fast as i do you're bound to make a typo here and there. One misspelled word on my part is far from ironic when it comes to all the ridiculous bullcrap you try to pass as english.

How did you pay? If a CC, then you can dispute the charges.

Contact BBB to atleast give him some paper work to read. Sorry to hear about the bad experience.

-brian

yea go with the better business buero and be a pain in his ass lol scumbag

i like the idea of having some form of sticky with shop reviews

I called the guy this morning, told him the dealership found the plugs weren't gapped right. He told me platinum plugs didn't need to be gapped. I didn't know that either but atleast I'd check, where as he didn't. I pointed out the extra $250 to correct a job he had done and he was totaly fine with it and saw no wrong on his part. I mentioned the BBB and all he said was "do what you want" then hung up. Its like after he got him money... he could care less about the end result.
I'm not even sure if there is anything legal I can do. Small claims won't take a written statment so. Its just bad luck.

You can always do something legally...just depends on if its worthwhile or not. In this case you will prob have to eat the lost money unless you want to go through small claims court. I would atleast try to give him some hell by contacting the BBB anyway and telling people like us to stay away from the place. The guy sounds like a real piece of work with the way he acts towards his previous customers and he doesn't sound too mechanically inclined. Your car was prob over his head lol with your crazy platinum plug technology.

All in all your car is running properly so atleast thats good. Good luck

-brian

$250 to regap plugs:shock: sounds like the dealership ripped u off too.

I am in no way saying the only the only good shops are AAA Approved. There are a lot out there that are not Approved that are great. I know there are Members on this site and as members they are given a source of arbitration through AAA if they use an approved facility. If anyone won't back up thier work I would recomend staying away. I noticed a lot of people help each other here that may have been a great choice too.

Well being besides the point... however since you brought it up, dealerships normally charge $90 an hr. 2 .5 hrs labor to pull them, regap them then put them back in. I don't think its all that bad.

I would have re-gapped he myself, after I found out that was the problem.

just do the whole tune up urself or wit help