East Cobb Lawn Mower Service, it's owner, and it's employees have been the worst company I have ever dealt with. I am an easy to please, laid back person who never complains, but they have pushed me to my limit.
It started when I took in my lawn mower to get serviced and running. It had been dormant for 3 years, and when I tried to start it for the first time, the gas leaked out of the bottom. I took it to East Cobb Lawn Mower Service to have it serviced and fixed because it was close and convenient. I dropped the machine off on August 2. After many attempts to find out what was going on with it to no avail, I received a call on September 14th that it was ready to be picked up. I went in, and was told that they cleaned to carburetor, and that it was running fine. I paid $65, even though I was never called to approve what they were doing. I took it home, waited 2 weeks before I needed to mow my lawn, went and bought a new gas container and new gas, fueled up the machine and went to mow. Two minutes into my use, the machine shut off, and the gas started leaking out of the bottom again.
I took it back to East Cobb Lawn Mower, and they said that the carburetor was shot and not cleanable, so they would get me a new carburetor and put the money I had already paid towards that. That was October 1. I was told I would receive a call in the next couple of days to let me know about finding a used carburetor or a cheap new one.
December 27th, I receive a call from East Cobb Lawn Mower. Granted I had not called to check, but winter had set in and the grass wasn't growing. They had never called to tell me about a new carburetor or called to approve anything. They left a message saying it was fixed and ready.
Once I went back in to get the machine, which was March 20th, they had no paperwork that could be found, and no one even knew who I was. It took 30 minutes to find my machine. They finally found it, tried to start it and it didn't start. They blamed me for leaving it there for so long and said they would have to fix it again and charge me for it. I asked what they did to fix it since last time I was in, and they didn't know. I informed them to not do anything to it, but to call me when the manager (Shawn Simms) was in so I could talk to him. I left my number, they confirmed my name and number, and assured me I would be called the next day.
April 23rd, I call, having heard nothing, and was told they called me and got no answer. I asked what number they called, and they told me a wrong number. I talked to the manager, Shawn Simms, and he said I owed $110 for repairs. When I asked what he did and why he did it without confirming, his answer was that they cleaned the carburetor and that he didn't know he was supposed to call me. We had a heated discussion about him saying that he was switching out the carburetor, and he had no recollection of that. I agreed to pay $35 because of storage charges, but he said no, $110 or he would sell my mower for parts.
On May 9th, I sent Shawn a certified letter (received and signed for on 5/10) demanding my mower back for $35 or that I was going to report him to the Better Business Bureau. I gave him a week to get back to me. A week passed, and no call, so on May 21st I wrote a report to the BBB. Shawn calls 3 days later. He said that he would check his paperwork and see what he could do and would call me the next day. I called the next two days without response. I finally heard back from him the next week, and he said he couldn't find the paperwork. He asked that I bring my old receipt to him to help. He repeated at this point that he was in the right for cleaning my carburetor and that I must have used old gas or had a dirty gas can. I reminded Shawn of me having a new gas can and fresh gas. He basically called me a liar. I asked if he didn't have my paperwork, or just couldn't find it, he said he had it, just didn't have time to look. This prompted him to say he would look further and call me back.
May 28th, I received a call from Shawn saying he couldn't find the paperwork, so if I could bring mine in, he would work something out with me. I brought it in and heard nothing for over four weeks. On June 24th, Shawn calls me and told me in no uncertain terms that it was all my fault that the mower is messed up, says "I can't please everyone", and said either I can pay $110 or he would sell it for parts. I told him that I had already contacted the Better Business Bureau, and he said he knew and that he had talked to them. This was a lie, because the day before I had received an e-mail from the BBB saying that they had to vacate their resolution process because they received no call back or help after many attempts. I told him this, and he changed the subject immediately, saying, "sue me if you want to, you aren't getting your mower unless you pay me $110."
That is where it stands now, and I don't want anyone else to be scammed by these lyeing people.
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