Problem With Midas Autocenter

So long story short, my gf's sister took her car to have some work done, its a late 90's Old's that is in rough shape but i changed the plugs,wires, and ignition system and it helped a lot. So the other day the it wont turn over so she had it towed there. The quote was for $1,400.00, and all said and done she owes them $2,800.00. Apparently they melted a computer system working on it and are saying she is liable for it, to help her i had planned to go talk to them to make sure they arent walking over her, any tips? advice?

Thanks Fellas

 

So to clarify, new plugs wires and ignition system(starter?) were put in and it ran better, then it stops working and it gets towed in. Then they melt a computer and want her to pay for it? Seems like the only way she would know they melted a computer would be if they told her they did.

If that is the case then no I wouldn't pay for it and attempt to access their sense of logic and break it down barney style that they melted it, they fix it.

But what caused it not to run in the first place if it was running better?

 

Its been about 6months since i replaced the plugs, wires, coil pack etc. And i have no idea why it wasnt starting i'm just now finding out the situation, i for sure need to get all the facts before i go in their

 

ahh ok. I was thinking a much shorter timeline. Being that you know something about vehicles and doesn't seem like she does I would just go in there and review the paper work and have the tech explain everything from drop off to being billed. Have the tech explain what diagnostics they did, what they found, how they fixed it, and what problems they found or created. Don't let on that you are intelligent about vehicles and ask a million questions so that you eventually get a step by step description and then go from there.

It could be a melted system caused it not to run and that is where the labor will add up quickly and there was something lost in translation or it could be they are shady and think they are pulling a quick one on her.

 

And to add, i looked on yelp and saw a ton of negative things to say!

 

Take those for what they are worth. Could be disgruntled old people that dont want to pay $80 an hour to have an oil change and tire rotation. Or it could be legitimate complaints.

Having gone through a similar event with my mom's car the best thing i can say is to go in with an open mind and get a complete rundown of what they fixed and what caused the meltdown. If they are trying to pull a quick one you can spot it and if not then at least you can tell her that the bill is legit and its up to her to decide what to do.

 

Okay will do, what are the legalities of quoting someone 1400 and then refusing to return the car until a different amount/ higher is paid?

 

I am by no means a lawyer but to me a quote is a quote. However, if they are going to go over the quote by a lot ($1400), it would seem that they should tell you before they get to that point. But with no signatures on a quote I don't see any reason that that is a legal document, just an estimate.

For example(and an extreme one to get the point across), say you take your vehicle in to repair a flat and get quoted $50. In the process they find your frame is about to snap from rust because its a toyota and they take it upon themselves to fix it by welding a new plate in. then they charge you $5000 to get your car back.

Now I have no idea how that would hold up being as that they didnt sign anything saying that they only wanted their flat fixed and would only pay $50 as the shop could argue safety and such.

Like i said i have no idea how that would work legally but its an extreme example

 

thanks for all the tips!! i need to find out from her what she actually signed and conversations, i feel bad because the car isnt worth fixing at that cost but she doesnt have the money to get into another car to my knowledge.

And also I loved the snapped frame because Toyota

 

No problem. I have been in your position and you just need to figure out what they are talking about. Best of luck