K and B Auto Center

To whom it may concern,This is a formal complaint against K&B Auto Center. I have been taken advantage of and mislead throughout our entire dealings. The mechanic, **, misrepresented his evaluation of my vehicle and the repairs he performed. The repairs I had done at this shop were done improperly, resulting in severe damage to my vehicle. I also believe that some of [redacted] actions were intended to temporarily hide additional problems with the vehicle. ** did not provide written estimates for the repairs, did not obtain prior written authorization for the repairs, and did not provide itemized receipts. He allowed me to use a credit card that was not in my name without making any attempt to ascertain my authorization to use the card. I also witnessed questionable safety practices at the shop: ** smoked in the shop and while working on vehicles and wore no protective eyewear. In addition to the cost paid for sloppy, inadequate, and improper repairs, the damage resulting from driving the vehicle after it was incompletely and improperly repaired left the engine destroyed and the vehicle undriveable. The repairs that would have been required were so extensive that I was forced to sell my previously working vehicle as junk. I would estimate this ordeal has cost me $1780 considering cost of repairs and loss of the vehicle. This licensed mechanic is a terrible reflection on the auto repair industry. The following bulleted lines reference my dealings with this business from beginning to end.05-01-12: Initial charge of $150.00: I went to ** of K & B Auto Center (AKA KNB Auto Center, located at 9315 Jamacha Blvd, Spring Valley, CA 91977, license # 227724)for a timing adjustment. ** claims to be the owner of this shop; the listed owner per the Dept. of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Automotive Repair is Younan Abeer. By adjusting the distributor cap he managed to get the timing down to pass smog. After the test ** stated that my muffler was cut in half and my clutch was bad; he stated that the vehicle would run for a long time if these were done as they were the only things wrong with the truck. I opted to repair the muffler that day. Before work began I did not receive a written estimate; ** did not obtain my prior written authorization for the repairs, and upon completion I did not receive an itemized receipt of the work performed. I paid using my wifes credit card, an account under a different first and last name as mine and on which I am not an authorized user. ** made no attempt to ascertain my authority to use the card. 06-21-12: I again went to ** of K&B/KnB Auto Center for a clutch replacement and an oil change. I pointed out a leak to ** and asked him to fully diagnose the truck before performing any work. ** verbally stated he would assess the truck and inform me of any repairs needed. After examining the truck, ** stated You have a couple of bad gaskets but I will just replace them no charge and I dont see a leak. Again I did not receive a written estimate of work to be performed or a written diagnosis, did not give prior authorization in writing, and did not receive an appropriately itemized receipt. I again paid with my wifes credit card, and again no attempt was made to ensure my authorization to use the card.07-01-12: Ten days after the clutch repair, while driving I observed the temperature gage rising. I managed to get off the highway to a gas station before one of my radiator hoses blew. My friend came out to help replace the hose and stated that many of the hoses were old and cracked, which ** did not inform me of when examining the vehicle 10 days earlier. With the hose replaced, the truck still would not hold fluid and would not start or turn over. We had it towed to [redacted] to be inspected by my friends mechanic the next day.07-02-12: The truck was diagnosed by [redacted] of [redacted], who found the water pump needed replacement and the engine was shot. He stated that the distributor cap had been overturned and that this indicated that the vehicle would have required major engine repairs from the beginning. He also stated that a certified licensed mechanic would know better than to do that as it does allow the vehicle to pass smog but its only a temporary fix and will cause much more damage to an already damaged engine. The mechanic [redacted] asked about my recent maintenance and told me that when a clutch is replaced the water pump should at minimum be checked, if not replaced. I have attached [redacted] statement and contact information.07-02-12: I called ** of K&B/KnB Auto Center to complain about his services and in good faith seek some kind of refund. He offered to fix it by changing the water pump for $500-$600, which he stated was the cost of the parts only. However, the estimate from Oceanside [redacted] indicated that the parts cost for a water pump was $120 (see attached estimate). Given the poor quality of his previous work, his questionable business practices, and the questionable nature of his offer, I am unwilling to let ** or K&B/KnB Auto Center perform work on any vehicle again. 07-17-12: Called ** again in good faith to get a refund. He again refused, offering only that I could bring it in and he would fix the vehicle. He did not offer any refund of my previous repairs, although it becomes clear that they were not done correctly, and he did not offer to perform any repairs at no cost.I can provide additional documentation on request.[redacted]