North Side Small Engines

Not provided estimate when requested, work done without permission. Work completed done incorrectly.[redacted] Riding Mower dropped off 6/4/14, picked up 6/7/14, Service Order #XXXXXXX, dealt directly with owner. I took my riding mower up there because I was having trouble with the deck belt. I specifically told the owner to call me with an estimate as it was an old mower and I was not going to put a lot of money into fixing it. The next phone call I got was a guy saying my mower was ready and I owed them $140. I complained to the owner and told him I'd give him $60 max (that's what I was willing to spend on the mower). He did, reluctantly, accept this offer but never apologized about the mix up, in fact, he told me that I never asked for an estimate otherwise it'd be on the work order. Got the mower home, belt chews in half after running for ten minutes. I never even engaged the blade. I went back down there to talk to them about it and the mechanic tells me that the owner isn't there and to bring it back and "if it's their fault, he'll fix it for no charge". I took it down there with a belt problem and I got it back with a belt problem! Hello?! The man working the counter kicked me out after I became upset about their gross lack of customer regard and told me he was calling the police while I was walking out the door as he had requested. Way to set a stunning example for customer service.Desired Settlement$40.00Business Response Mr. [redacted] presented me with his riding mower and asked for work to be done. He said that someone gave him the mower and he did not want to spend a lot of money to make it right. The repair was done at a fair rate for a bill of $132. When my manager called him and told him the bill, he became irate with my manager and then came to my shop and yelled at me and accused me of being "a liar or an it." I asked him what would make him happy. He told me that he would pay $60, we would not see him again, and he would not disparage my business. I charged him $60 as he requested and he left with his mower. Had he told me initially that his budget was $60, I would have declined the work as that is not a reasonable repair bill for this type of work.Later on, he came to my shop and yelled at and berated my manager and stated that the deck belt was broken. My mechanic offered to inspect it and repair it for free. Mr. [redacted] stated that he didn't want his mower repaired and that he only came to complain. Seeing as my shop was busy at the time and customers were present, my manager asked him to leave. Mr. [redacted] went outside and yelled into the shop through the door. My manager told him that if he didn't leave, that law enforcement would be called. Mr. [redacted] left.Shortly afterward, Mr. [redacted] found several online venues where he wrote a similar, but not quite the same story as he has reported to the Bureau. Should the name of my business be searched, those reviews can be seen.In Mr. [redacted]'s reviews and complaint to the Bureau, he stated that he ran the mower ten minutes and the belt broke while he had never engaged the deck. Deck belts do not break under normal conditions, even in disrepair, without engaging the deck as there is no tension on them until the deck is engaged. Therefore, Mr. [redacted] must have actually engaged the deck. While it is possible that a spindle or tension pulley was still seized after it left my shop, most likely it was a stick or piece of hard trash that became lodged in the belt circuit while he was using it.Mr. [redacted] states that work was done without permission. Mr. [redacted] brought his lawnmower to a lawnmower repair shop and had a work order filled out. Did Mr. [redacted] think that this work order would result in something other than work being done?Mr. [redacted] admits that my mechanic offered to fix his mower a second time free-of-charge.Mr. [redacted] stated that I never apologized for the misunderstanding. That is true. I will use this response to say that I apologize for the misunderstanding if there was one.Mr. [redacted] also stated that my manager said that he was calling the police as Mr. [redacted] was walking out the door. What actually happened was that Mr. [redacted] went outside and continued to yell until my manager told him that he had to leave or the police would be called.Mr. [redacted] states that $40 would be his desired resolution. Mr. [redacted] will not receive a refund. Out of courtesy I already gave in to his demands to lower a reasonable bill down to $60. Also my mechanic offered to fix the belt without charge the second time. While it is impossible to say the reason for the broken belt, it might just as well have been an external factor. This complaint in my opinion is slanderous. Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)When your manager first contacted me and informed me that the work had been done, I asked him why I was not provided an estimate. His response was that "it's not here on the paper" to which I replied that was irrelevant because I had asked for one. He told me that he didn't know what to tell me "cause it's not on this paper". That is when I became upset and came to your shop at which time you also told me the same story. My wife was standing right there when I asked you for an estimate. The purpose for my requesting an estimate is because of the budget that I had in mind, which you, yourself, recalled in your response to this issue. You never asked me what my budget was, or else you would have known it was $60 and you would not have performed the work. Of course, if I had received the estimate as I had requested, then it would have been a non-issue.I will grant that the owner did refund me the money I requested and I did agree to not speak unkindly toward the business. However, he did not keep him his end of the deal. The service that I did pay for was done improperly and I felt as though my friends and neighbors had a right to avoid the same nightmare.Here, I find the owner once again telling me that I did or did not do something as I have stated. As, I said prior, I did not engage the deck belt. The work was done improperly. The pulley was seized, I later discovered, and as the owner also stated, causing me to have to purchase a new one and fix the pulley, myself.The mechanic did not offer to fix it for free. He told me that "he would look at it and IF he determined it was something that he had done, THEN he would fix it for free". I believe after what I had already gone through with the service from your shop, it is extremely reasonable for me to feel wary of bringing the mower back. I was never offered any other discourse, never said that I was "only there to complain", as the owner was not there, I do not see how he so clearly recalls the exchange between the manager and I. The manager told me that it was time to go after I disagreed with the mechanic on his offer. I, obviously, was upset by this because my issue had not been resolved at which time he then told me to "get out or he was calling the police". I never threatened anyone, nor became violent at any point. For the record, what I exclaimed into the shop as I was leaving at the REQUEST of the manager was that I was disappointed that a business would choose to threaten to call the cops if they don't get out for disagreeing with them. This behavior, in my opinion, is cowardly and dishonest.I am much more concerned about the consumer base in my area being alerted to the unethical practices of this shop rather than my $40, although I feel it is owed to me to pay for the parts I had to replace after getting it back from this shop.Final Business Response Mr. [redacted], the $60 that you paid covered the cost of diagnosis and materials. You did not pay for the work. Had we provided you with an estimate prior to work being done, your bill would have still been $32,25. The parts that you got cost me more than the balance. You received free work, heavily discounted parts, as well as a free limited warranty, which you chose not to use.I'll personally invite you to bring your mower so that we can make a limited warranty repair on the work that you got for free. I will hold up my end of the deal even though you have blatantly disregarded yours.However, your saying that the deck belt broke without your engaging the deck is not reasonable. Perhaps it did. But if it did, it was due to misuse or sabotage. New deck belts do not break without force exerted on them, which isn't present unless decks are engaged.I'm interested in resolving this issue, but at this point, you will have to make concessions; so far you have made none.

Northside Small Engine demonstrates negative business practices by unfulfilled services. Customer relations promote hostile interactions. I took a ridding lawnmower in for repair on a electrical issue. Upon dropping the mower off I asked what would I might be looking at in cost. I was told that the service would be anywhere around $50 - $70 depending parts needed. I left the mower off for a week before calling to check on the status. I was told that it should be finished within the next few days. Two days later, I received a call stating the mower was finished and the cost was $116. It was more than expected but I was happy that it was fixed. I picked up the mower, paid $128 including tax, and gave extra parts that I had off an older deck. The mower cranked and ran which showed that the service was completed. Later that afternoon, I went to mow and discovered that when engaging the deck killed the mower. I did not remove or research the cause since the work was just performed. The next day I returned the mower and stated the issue. The owner was quick to state that the issue was not related to the non-running issue that was first brought in. I personally come from an electrical background where I carry a Bachelor in IT. The electric clutch switch is directly relayed with the ignition switch. I was very courteous even with the owner directing harsh comments by stating that he was tired of me and I have been a problem ever since I brought up the mower. After I said that I did not want to pay more for a service and would just take home the mower to fix it myself, he stated to take the mower and get it off his property. I have never been treated with the lack of respect with no prior cause. I have recently fixed the issue which was caused by branching the ground from the clutch off the ignition switch ground a very easy fix that should have been handled by the service paid for. All connections that were performed with the paid service were twisted together and taped. This subpar wiring could eventually cause more damage. I don't want others to have to receive services from a company that clearly doesn't stand behind and care about their work.Desired SettlementI would take a refund, however I more look to creating a paper trail which I'm sure will have more complaints to follow.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] OwnerContact Phone: XXXXXXXXXXContact Email: [redacted]@gmail.comI, the owner, to my knowledge, have never met Mr. [redacted]. I am sorry that the mechanic with whom he dealt was disrespectful. That employee has been counseled on that issue. However, Mr. [redacted]'s complaint to the Bureau is editorialized and his facts are incomplete. After reviewing the work order that was filled out in Mr. [redacted]'s presence, I discovered that we were asked to check the electrical system and get the mower running. My mechanic put on a solenoid and rewired the electrical system to get the mower running, a one-and-a-half hour job. The root of the electrical problem was the fact that a signal horn had been retrofitted onto the mower.On March 26, 2014, Mr. [redacted] presented my business with a [redacted] riding lawnmower without a cutting deck. He stopped by my shop multiple times to check the status of his mower. Later, my mechanic did the work that Mr. [redacted] requested. Mr. [redacted] picked up his mower. My cashier found him to be overbearing, pestering, and demanding. He complained about the price of the labor and stated that he did not have enough money despite being informed of the service charge via phone call.He then returned with his mower, again without a deck, stating that the deck did not function. My mechanic asked him to bring the deck and we would repair the problem; Mr. [redacted] stated that we didn't need the deck to restore the function of the deck.I have not heard from Mr. [redacted] about any issue at all.In the Bureau's form under "Customer's Desired Resolution," Mr. [redacted] seems to wish to seek evidence to further complain. That is certainly not a resolution.Again, I apologize for the social behavior of my mechanic.Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)Mr. [redacted]I appreciated your response. The reason I distinguished that the individual was the manager was how he gave orders to the others around, he was seated in the front office back of the reception's desk, and the way he responded to me stating to get my lawnmower off his property. If I had known that he wasn't the owner I would have went to you with this issue before filling. I worked over 4 years as a manager and know how to treat others with dignity even if they are hostile. I was neither hostile or even unpleasant. The verbal attack was uncalled for and should have never taken place. The work performed did allow the lawnmower to crank which was the issue I brought it for. Engaging the deck was never an issue. Before I looked at what might be causing it, I thought it was best if I just ran the mower back up. I figured he might know exactly where it was crossed. Since then I have fixed the issue which was a single ground coming off the clutch into the kill circuit. It was a very minor mistake but one most would not know. The mechanics disregard for any wire connectors or solder really troubles me I replaced each connection with a more stable one, solder w/ heat shrink. The connection killing the mower was also done by a twisting of the wires with a little black tape. The cashier proclaiming that Im over demanding is uncalled for. I asked that the price was more than I was quoted but I paid regardless. The statement you made stating that the horn added was the cause is a lie. I showed the mechanic/ owner that the horn and voltage meter were not hooked and all wires were rolled up with a zip tie. I was planning to wire them in after this was resolved. The deck was not on the mower. I should not have to explain the differences in a mechanical system and electrical system. The clutch is electric which will turn no matter if a belt is around it or not. I had the deck off for moving it easier from locations. The clutch switch killing the mower was demonstrated when I came back. I been to your shop three times. One to drop it off, second the pick it up, and a third showing the issue with the clutch killing the motor. I never was rude nor did I call but twice. Once after around 5 days to check the status and again before I brought it back on the clutch issue. Again this claims were made in the response is false. I do apologize for not seeking the actual owner. Thank you, [redacted]