Floorman

Alright guys I know I'm more or less venting, but also giving others a heads up. While washing my truck I noticed the second spring on the passenger side was broke. So I did my home work checked sd truck springs, general spring, and a few others online.
I could get full spring packs with additional leaf with all neccasary hardware for around $400 before shipping. Teusday I stopped a dunhams spring shop in johnstown NY. Tell them that I want to replace one spring and add a helper to each side , they give me a quote for $260 u bolts and center pins included. I took the springs apart wed evening and find the same spring on the other side is cracked.
My wife is gonna drop off the spring so they can duplicate the arch thursday morning I tell her to have them make an additional spring for the other side.
When they quoted me my price they told me the springs were $65 a piece, so now I'm expecting around $325 plus tax. She calls me up and says it was $504. I call the shop and ask why the over charge. At this point I'm being cool about thinking a mistake has been made. The guy tells me that I forgot to mention the slider pads and the hangers, no problem my bad on those parts, no arguement. I said those pices are an additional $150, he says no they were about $45. So now I'm getting a little heated he says when you get home look at your bill and call me, so I did.
The difference was they had a labor charge of $150 on the bill. I asked about the labor charge he said it was to make the springs, to which I replied the price of $65 apiece was for the springs, thats what you quoted me. He says yes but then we have to bend them and drill them.
To which I replied when you give a qoute for a spring for a specific vehical that is the price ready to go out the door. You never mentioned an addition charge to bend or drill it. What you should have said is thats the price for the bar stock then we have to bend and drill it which is extra. He didn't have an answer for that. I honestly feel it was this is a women who doesn't know anything lets beat her over the head and take her money.
My lawyers husband works in the DA's office for the county. If they don't make it rite by saturday, monday they will be getting a call from the DA's office. This a form of bait and switch. On the other hand I had to put the springs in as I had to have the truck. The springs work great and the ride quality really wasn't effected, but it raised the rear 2.5 inches. Let this be a warning when getting a quote from a small shop.

Cjw02001

I understand your pain, thats not good business for sure.

Being in federal law enforcement myself , I would caution you from having your lawyers husband make that call. Both are lawyers bound by the ethics of the NY Bar, this would be a very clear violation. Further as a government employee and or elected official making such a call would be seen as being done for personal (spouse is considered you) gain and subject him to investigation and possible prosecution at the Federal level for public corruption.

This definitely appears to be a civil matter, thus not even a DAs jurisdiction. If the owner was smart he would laugh at you and or even file for a protective order and relief (which can be financial) from you. There are however several civil options available to you.

1. Dispute charge with you card provider (AMEX is very easy)
2. File complaint with better business bureau
3. File complaint with state or municipal regulatory authority for the specific industry or licenses the company has. This could be a local village that requires a tax license, but very drastically by area.
4. File a small claims lawsuit (you have a lawyer).

If you really believe a crime occurred... Remember "bait and switch" is a term not a law, to prosecute the applicable law you must prove he knowingly erred in preparing your quote, which is next to impossible unless he admits it. Further remember you or your wife had the right to cancel the transaction prior to closing it when the pricing issue was identified, and you left things out by your own admission.

File a criminal complaint with your local law enforcement agency and their investigator will review its merit. Having been quoted over the phone you could file you criminal complaint with the Economic Crimes Unit of the New York State Police. If the transaction crossed state lines such as you called for the quote from NJ or CT you could call your local FBI office and ask for the Special Agent Assigned to Economic Crimes. Unless you have some information about organized crime, tax fraud, drugs, firearms, explosives, or environment destruction to peak his interest he will most likely will thank you for the call and inform you it's a civil matter as far as the federal government is concerned. If you tell him about your lawyers DA husband he will definitely investigate that and should any LEO investigate any of this and found out the DA made a call for personal gain they are under obligation to forward to the US Attorney or FBI for investigation.

Swegner99

Wow, this is a terrible situation. This is why I always ask for written quotes, and I always make sure I sign an authorization up to a certain dollar amount and then you have something in writing. Cjw02001 seems like they really know what they are talking about, probably some good advice to be had there.

Floorman

The da thing probably won't go. but I went there and got my quote face to face. I am used to doing things on a verbal agreement and a hand shake. I guess those days are long gone. It is either screw them or get screwed.
AS far as the pieces I didn't realize I needed, I told him I have no problem with the add charge for them as I needed them and didn't tell him about them my only problem was the additional labor charge after he qouted me a price for the springs.

Nice Sweater

Good quote. I can't stand jerks that get away with stuff like this. Not saying the place you're doing business with won't take care of the issue, but I have had to deal with situations like this all of the time, although it is due to the fact that the opposing party thinks they can take advantage of me because of my age, then also get away with it (which I make sure doesn't happen, or at least make my opposition known). Justice must be served, or at least some sort of closure, because if not then you'll hold a grudge against them. Good luck on working things out, hopefully the easy way.

Floorman

The tree times I called, even when I got a little heated but never insulting or condisending. I didn't curse or raise my voice. I tried to be polite and professional, my dad allways says you will always draw more bees with sweet water than vinager. I wanted to work it out, but they kept back tracking, giving me more bs than I can remember. After the first guy couldn't explain how the price they gave me for springs didn't include bending or drilling. I told him then they should have gave that info when I got a quote. He hung up on me. So I waited a while called back and he wouldn't take my call, They passed me off to someone else so I started all over again. Then this guy stated springs are $80 apiece, so I stopped him and said well I was quoted $65, he says well thats what I quote people in case they have double pin holes like yours. So I replied then if you charge $80 a spring it includes all the bending and drilling, to this he replied yes.
I said fine that's better than an additional $150, $15 a spring is better than $37.50 a spring. He goes silent and realizes he just proved my point about taking advantage of my wife and says I'll have to call back at another time he can't help me it's not his sale. I'm tired of being nice. If they don't try to make it rite I'll take legal action. My brother in law has an 11 silverado and was going to go there for helper springs and now says not a chance he'll spend money there.

Nice Sweater

Once again, good quote, haha. I am the exact same way, but there will be a time when I might snap (hopefully that day never happens). It definitely sounds like they are trying to avoid you. Although, like that one guy said in an earlier post, even a lawyer may not help out too much, unless it's a small claims court. However, some shops will get hasty just from hearing the word, "lawyer," so it's worth a shot.

60DRB

It may not help you, but word of mouth advertising is still effective. Also, have you tried speaking to the owner of this shop?

http://www.yellowpages.com/johnstown...op-inc-3533499

Here's where you can warn others of your experience.

Nice Sweater

You just gave me a brilliant idea (not regarding this situation, but another), thank you!

Cjw02001

Save your self a lot of time money and energy, first get an AMEX so this doesnt happen again, then go in to the shop speak to the owner/manager with all you documents or notes. Remember there are disputes and complaints everyday in businesses what is a major event for you is nothing to them. Explain that his staffs lack of customer service/dispute resolution is unacceptable and as a result he is losing another sale because of this bad experience. Never threaten to post a bad review (there can be criminal or civil implications to that depending on how you word the threat and how they perceive it). To get the same point across print a copy of the shops reviews and show it to the owner w/ a statement such your shop has really great reviews and I'm sure this is just an invoicing error can you help me resolve?. If you desire offer to settle the dispute for the 15 instead of the 37.50 essentially splitting the difference as you both erred during the quotation and it is not in writing and w/o any sustainable witnesses.

To follow up on my statements above be very careful with negative online reviews, what you write must be 100% true (not true as you know it, or true as you were told, but verifiable in court true) you can open your self to slander and or libel suits. Further your intent can only be to inform others of you experience, should it be to harm the merchants business or extort what you feel is a proper refund makes it a criminal matter as well as civil. You do have a right to free speech at the same time while exercising your right you can't break any other laws.

If you desire to be obnoxious pull a permit w/ the city to assemble or protest as close to the shop as possible. Make a sign saying "un-satisfied customer" and stand there, probably won't be long until they do something to make you go away. My opinion is for $150 you will look like a ding dong but it's legal and your right and could certainly work.