Kentland Automotive Service

Review: I took my vehicle to **. [redacted], manager of the Kentland Auto Service in [redacted], Maryland over 5 months ago to repair steering problems on my 2000 [redacted] Mini Van. After having failed inspection because of listed problems, I was reccommended to **. [redacted] by a church member who gave me a card from **. [redacted] with a quote of $265 for repairs providing I had my own parts. I spoke to **. [redacted] prior to leaving my vehicle and he said that he would do the work and it could run slightly higher depending on what else may be needed. I was told that some of the parts I submitted were not the right ones, but it took several weeks before I could find out which part was wrong. By the time I eventually received the wrong part, the company's return policy would not allow a return so I had to purchase a new part and keep the wrong part as a souveneir. In addition to the parts I submitted, I was asked to buy othe parts to be installed such as motor mounts and steering pump before he could determine if I really needed the other parts. Because I am a pastor of a church, I asked the member of our church that reccommended **. [redacted] to communicate for me in order to complete the repairs, along with an associate minister on my staff to pick up any wrong parts and replace them with the right parts. Just recently, I was told that the vehicle was ready for pickup with the charges of $300. When I went to pick up the vehicle, it was not repaired as agreed. I was told that I did not have the right parts, although I was never told what the right parts were, and after 5 months of not having transportation other than the church Van, I asked **. [redacted] to fix the vehicle enough so that I could get through inspection as I gave him a $200 deposit and all of my contact information so that he could contact me directly with any issues as he said it would be ready in 3 days in which I would bring the balance of $100 and pick up the Van. I did not hear from **. [redacted] for several weeks, where as I sent Rev. [redacted] to see if the vehicle was ready, he told **. [redacted] that he could not fix it until he got the right part which he finally sent by Rev. [redacted]. I puchased the right part which was a lower control arm and sent it back by one of our Deacons. When I came to pick up the car, I was told that $100 was not enough to satisfy the balance of our agreement which was only establish on verbally and on the back of **. [redacted]'s business card. I gave the balance of $100 to an attendant at the shop because **. [redacted] was not there, and they gave me a inspection certificate to obtain my tags as the registration had expired. When I came to pick up the car on Friday December, 6 2013; I was given a Invoice for the total amount of $1,153.10. I thought maybe he put an extra 1 by mistake. His explanation was that after communicating with several of my members, although he made arrangements with me to do the work at an agreed price, he thought it was nessassary to adjust the services with a new invoice. I shared with him that I never agreed to any repairs over $300 after paying around $700 in parts. His reply was that is his invoice, and until it is paid, the car will not be released. I replied that I never agreed to pay more than $300, but if I had to pay a little more I needed to know the cost before the repairs was done. I never received a work order or estimate different from our agreement until December 12, 2013. I previously told **. [redacted] that I could not afford to pay much more that $300 because of the cost of parts and other financial hardships I was facing, and because I never received a work order or invoice for the estimated cost I am now being charged. Although I am dissappointed in the treatment by **. [redacted], I was willing to pay a few more hundred dollars in which as a Pastor I beleive is more than fair considering our arrangement.Desired Settlement: Return car to customer based on payment agreed to already paid, or negotiate with in reasonable arrangements made between **. [redacted] and Pastor [redacted].

Business

Response:

Jan 14, 2014To whom it my concernThe problem is somewhat correct, except the van was brought to me by the lady who I told I had to see the van to see if it was the problem they were talking about.The van had a steering problem which had to solve before I could find if the van had the other problems they were talking about. The motor mount was not on the list, but as a Maryland Inspector myself, it was one of the items on an inspection sheet.I fixed the motor mount, a found out that the mount had broken the line to the power steering pump, which lead to the problem of the steering not working. When u run a vehicle with on fluid in the pump it will burn up which lead to having to replace the pump which wasn't on the list.The next problem being I was told by the lady to go ahead and fix, I got to the parts they brought me: they sent me 3 lower control arms all for the left side. The van and other vehicles only requires 2 left and right.The next time I talk to anyone it was another guy who came in an asked me what was I doing too the van an I told him It was in the back waiting on the right parts, so he wanted to see so I showed him the van and the parts that I had to work with. He told me the Rev. had been renting a car for that long of time. So I told him I can't work with no parts so he said he would have the parts on Monday, this was on Friday that we talked. The parts showed 2 weeks later. He asked me when it would be ready so I told him when I get some money. That's when I first met the Rev...The Rev. Came in a wanted to know if the van was ready and I told him no I hadn't got back to it yet. I told him I need some money so he said he had $ 300.00. So he gave me $200.00 of it an aside he would be back. When he came back he gave mi another & 100.00 a said could he get the van and I said: no. I need the rest of my money. He then on an on with the talk of I said he could pick up the van and I did with the rest of my money, He said he didn't tell me to fix the van. He didn't. The lady filled out the ticket a's who I was working for I never meet the Rev. Tile later. The lady and the other guy who was telling me what to do.I asked the Rev. to bring the both of them with him to talk with me but this is what I get a letter from muumuu. He asked me to make the bill out in his name that is where he got the copy other bill from not the one the lady filled out.Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

To: Revdex.com Attention: [redacted]This is a rejection to the previous response from [redacted] of Kentland Auto Repair Service. In his response the details are correct as it pertains to the communications in person as members of my trustee board collaborated on my behalf because of my busy schedule during the company's business hours. However, I initially spoke to **. [redacted] on the phone about the repairs and cost and our agreement was that the price he originally gave of $265 may be more once he inspected the vehicle. After several weeks of collaborating with **. [redacted] I received a call that the Vehicle was ready and that he required $300 upon pickup. When I came to pick up the vehicle, he said he did not repair any of the work we discussed other than the installation of a power steering pump and a motor mount. Our discussion was to install $600 worth of parts that I provided him with, in which I pre-purchased although the company delivered 3 of the same parts in which he did not tell me which part needed to be replaced. When I brought him the $300 I assumed that I would drive the car home, but he said the car was not in any condition to drive because he did not repair anything we discussed although he still had all the parts for the repair. He then said that he could not repair the car because he did not have the right parts but he would repair it with the parts he had so that I could pick it up after paying $300. When a Trustee of the church checked to see if the car was ready after 2 weeks, he said he still did not have the part, although he initially told me he would use what he had. He then gave **. [redacted] the wrong part and we purchased the right one and gave it to him. Several weeks later, I went to pick up the vehicle with the balance of $100 after giving $200 and he presented me with an invoice of about $1200 without any prior estimate or agreement though I made it clear to him that I did not want to pay over $300 for repairs after paying over $600 in parts already. I told him at that point to just give me the car as is then he stated that he already completed the work although it was not complete. I felt that I should not be forced to pay such an astronomical amount without a prior estimate given for that price, and being told that he would only repair what we agreed. It appears that he was upset with the trustee for some apparent reason and decided to raise the price as he stated that the 2 people that represented the church prompted him to come up with the total much different from what he and I discussed. At this time I am willing to work out a reasonable solution to supplement the $300 already given, because I have already exhausted my funds and the churches funds in car rentals, I can only generate an additional $200 to $400 more dollars which is far more than I intended to pay. Perhaps if someone could communicate with **. [redacted] and let me know whether he is willing to collaborate this solution I would like to do it before Close of business 37-14.Thanks,