Montgomery, PA asked in Consumer Law for Pennsylvania

Q: Can I take a mechanic to court that charged us $926.00 for a part that costs $269.00?

I have tried talking with this person and he said via text he would return $156.00. He wouldn't respond further. I filed a complaint with the DA's office yesterday. I want at least $500.00 returned or for the mechanic to remove this part. The overall bill was 1,173.00 $140 for labor. I am furious that I was cheated so egregiously.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Cary B. Hall
Cary B. Hall
Answered
  • Norristown, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: You can take anyone you want to court. Will you succeed? No way to know from the limited description of your situation. If you agreed to pay the costs charged, but changed your mind after you got your car back, then you probably have no case. A bag of chips may cost $1.00 normally, but if someone wants to charge me $1,000.00 for that same bag, and I voluntarily choose to pay it, then I can't very well complain about it the next day. Didn't the mechanic present you with the costs of the work to be done before he/she did the work? That's usually the way it's done, and then the work is performed after the customer agrees to the price.

If the mechanic was holding your car hostage unless you pay, however, and you never knew the price of the work, then it might be a different story. Best of luck to you.

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