Did this shop make an illegal move?

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M

MN Driver

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I was talking to a friend of mine earlier today who said that he was bringing his car in for an oil change and when he came back 30 mins later they said that his brakes had a squeak when stopping and that it was not a road worthy car and they were required by law to fix his brakes. His final bill came out to be $300 and he was late for work because of this.

Is there really a law that would make him fix his brakes if there is a squeak. Is there a law that prevents cars with problems from being returned to their owners.

It sounds to me like he got scammed, did he or were they actually following the laws they are supposed to follow?
 
My parents brakes squeak and thats just because of the material of the brake pads...

100% of the time I've gotten work done on my vehicle I had to SIGN to approve it. This is in California with the harshest vehicle laws...

$300 for brake pads is insane... I got new front rotors & brake pads, and a cleaning job on my rear brakes for under $300. That is insane......
freak2.gif


I wouldn't have paid for it if I were you
smile.gif
. As for state laws ... If there was such a law - any place you went to would replace your brakes for any reason stating that the "law required them to."

Definitely a scam IMO.
 
If an Oz shop finds a defect that would make the car unroadworthy, they have to inform you, and get consent to fix it.

I believe that they can withhold the car until the defect is fixed.
 
Just ask for a copy of the law, chapter, section, and subsection. If it really were a law they'd have a copy right there.

Watch the guy stammer away. Will probably say "well our insurance won't let us release the car".

Tell 'em to pound sand. I wouldn't even let them change the oil.
 
To sell work on a car you need customer approval, be it a signature, in person, or over the phone. This is the case in EVERY state. Shops CANNOT just start fixing stuff on your car and tell you that you owe money later.

If this is legit tell your friend to call the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint. If that doesnt work try the link above.
 
My friend didn't authorize the work ahead of time but they went and said that they couldn't give his car back in a state that isn't legal for driving, or something along those lines, and he had to get back to work and so he had them do the work. I'm going to find out where he went, I've never heard of any shop doing anything like this where they would say that it's not legal for them to let the car leave without being fixed.
 
Where is this shop located? I've lived here in MN for 15 years and never, ever heard of such a thing. If this is an actual law, a co-worker of mine would've gone broke years ago with the heaps he drives...
 
I just gave him a call, he said that the $300 might have not been accurate and that he didn't really remember how much it was, but he said that it was a small oil change place he was thinking it was Tires Plus that did the work. I've personally had problems with them when I used to get my oil changed there during the winter when it was too cold to do it myself back in the days of 3,000 mile dino changes. I'd go in and ask for their $15 oil change and then they would throw a 15% environmental fee and a shop supplies fee that would range from somewhere around 50 cents to 3 bucks. I suppose it goes without saying of why I haven't had anybody other than myself touch anything under the hood of either of the cars that I drive for the past two years.

Since he said Tires Plus, I know it's a scam, simple as that, the 2-hour strings-attached oil change.

I once asked about their tires and they had some decent ones on sale for $40 a piece and the guy behind the counter said that the total would be $280 when it was all said and done.

$40 x 4 = $160
tax x.065=$10.40
total parts=$170

labor plus tax is $110? Needless to say I asked if that was the sale price that I was looking at and I pointed at the ad, the guy said the total will be $280. I walked out and just didn't say anything to him. I went to a different shop who's $10 mounting fee included mounting, any tire repairs for the life of the tire, balancing every 7500 miles and rotation every 7500 miles. This time I didn't get B.S.'ed by strings attached or 'shop supply fees'.
 
I think I'd tell them that they better put the old pads and other parts back on, and not charge for any of the unauthorized repairs.

If they cannot provide a citation of the law in about thirty seconds, their choices would be to eat the costs of the repair, or return the car to the original condition at not cost to the customer.

Unless some law exists, I'd do everything possible to put it back on them.
 
I can see a shop refusing to work on an unsafe vehicle for fear of the owner saying the shop broke it, didn't tell them, whatever.

But unless the vehicle owner signed carte-blanche or there is some really unique laws in MN, I doubt they can just repair a vehicle without permission.

This Link

http://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/cars/MNCarlaws/MNCarLaws_3.htm#Truth In Repairs

appears to indicate that the owner must authorize the work, is entitled to estimates prior, etc.

So the shop is out there.

I think I would argue that I didn't authorize it and the shop can choose one of two options:

Put my car back into the original condidtion at no cost to me, except for the oil change.

Give me the car as-is for only the cost of the oil change.

Again, I don't know what the owner signed. Maybe he was foolish enough to sign a blank estimate when he dropped off the car.
 
use the old "this is how i drove it in, and this is how i'm driving it out....call the cops then"

they won't, if they do you get a fix it ticket...woop dee. Hope that shop burns to the ground and the guy's kids starve to death, then during their last gasp for breath someone tells them that they had to die because their father is a dishonest thief, lower than whale excrement.
 
I went back and it looks like the guy did authorize this, if I read correctly.

The shop just coerced him.

Too bad, he should have just left or as someone else mentioned called the police if they wouldn't give him his car.
 
I smell a huge festering rat corpse here. Please have friend check with local consumer protection agencies. I'd demand the removed parts back and take them to a reputable technician for examination. Imagine the potential for abuse if a state's law permitted shops unrestricted discretion to "kidnap" customers' cars and hold them until customer ponies up for work the shop decides needs to be done. . . There has to be more to this story.

Pontius -- please tell us how you really feel about this.
wink.gif
 
quote:
Originally posted by MN Driver:
....he had to get back to work and so he had them do the work.....
Click to expand...
So, even though the shop guy sounds like a slimeball, technically, your friend DID authorize the work. IMO, that would be the shop's out. If confronted by a lawyer or the police, I bet the shop would give a different version of what they told your friend.
 
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