I passed by this neighborhood automotive garage everyday, since it is two blocks from my house. I had just finished work and dicided to pull in and get an estimate on some work that I needed on a overheating car. My car had been steaming from the radiator and I wanted to be careful, so as I noticed the steam again I pulled in and opened the hood. The owner (David) came out and looked at my engine and shook his head and said " It's shot! You will probably need a new radiator and possiably a new fan and thermostate regulator."
I asked how much and he said "$340.00-$380.00". He told me that he would have to check the fan and thermostate to make sure about these two items, but my radiator needed to be replaced for sure. I thanked him and told him that I would be back. He paused and to cover his but, he said if you go somewhere else do not get any work done to the fan, unless they check it first. I went to two different garages and both places opened my hood and within 10 seconds, they both told me that nothing was wrong with my radiator.in fact all I needed was a $5.00 plastic plug to replace the cracked one located on the top of my radiator.
I told them both the story of "David" the garage owner from hell and they said that he was trying to scam me. The second garage even conducted a pressure test on my radiator and showed me exactly the problem. $5.00 dollars later and a happy customer, I returned to the first garage "Master Import Force auto" and confronted "David"! I asked him " How could you give me an estimate of over $300.00, when two other professional garages analyzed the problem within half of a minute and told me that you were out of your mind? He said " Well, I did not look at it closley and the estimate I gave you was only a rough one"
I said to him that he should not give an estimate to anyone unless he first looks at the problem and then thinks before he speaks. He said to me that I can think what I want and that he was not in the wrong. I said that I was mad and that he probably would have overcharged me for a job that did not even need to be done and furthermore the other garages stated that any professional should have been abel to see the problem within thirty seconds. He stated that when he gave me the estimate that he had not even looked directly at the radiator and I can think what I want and he walked away.
As he walked away, I yelled if you did not look at the radiator, then how could you tell me it was shot and I needed a new one! Anyone getting there car worked on, be careful and do not go to the bright yellow and blue building called "Master import force auto" onthe corner of Pico and 10th in Santa Monica!!!
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