This is about my PL411 so is slightly O/T. I had it towed to an auto/muffler
shop because I now have an MGB exhaust manifold on it so the exhaust doesn't
mate up at all. That and the old exhaust was worn out anyway.
It was towed there last Thursday. They were busy for a couple of days so
didn't even look at it until Saturday. They quoted a reasonable price so I
said go ahead. And so it still sits. They spent two or three days, promising
not only to get it done, but do it after hours. They didn't even start on it.
They finally started to work on it, banging out the ugliest looking downpipe
(piece attached directly to the manifold) and welding on the flanges rather
than flaring the pipe and leaving the flanges loose, the way they are supposed
to be on an MGB. There is a donut gasket that goes inside, between the
manifold and the flared downpipe, and I believe it is squished into place by
the flanges, which are bolted to the manifold to hold it tight. With the
unflared pipes, I don't believe the donut gaskets will seat right and it'll
probably leak horribly. That, and they'd have to weld them on exactly right
so the bends would point in exactly the right direction. Oh, and it looked
like they bent them with a hammer rather than an exhaust pipe bender.
So... I told them that wasn't good, so they said they'd reorder the flanges
and have the whole exhaust done that day (Tuesday). Here it is Thursday
morning and they say they just got the flanges in last night and will have it
done today. I told them if it's not done by tomorrow morning I'm calling a
tow truck and bringing it somewhere else.
My question is, what if they play hardball? What if they demand payment,
possibly even payment in full, for doing nothing? Would I be OK to pay via
check then stop payment? Or pay via credit card then contest the charges? I
am worried about them holding my car ransom a little more than that amount,
but out of principle they shouldn't get paid. Has this happened to you?
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