ComplaintsforDave's Small Engine Repair

• Initial Complaint

  06/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted Dave's Small Engine Repair shop on Saturday, April 2nd, 2022, that is when **** (owner) came with a trailer and picket up our lawn mower Cub Cadet. My husband and myself told him to check on a potential oil leak, because it smoked when running. Also, my husband told him to check on tune up, sharpen the blades and change a seat (which we purchased independently). They kept it about two weeks (but we did not rush him as weather was still not good) and his worker returned it to us on Saturday, April 16th. When he drove it off the trailer and into our garage, it looked fine. We paid him off with the check $ ******. We did not start using it until 2 weeks later, when weather got nicer. But as soon as we took it out for a first ride we noticed engine was still smoking which was an indication oil leak was not repaired. Then we noticed the blades were not sharpened either, and safety sensor cable under the seat was ripped off and not connected. Immediately we called ****, and left several (5-6) messages with his worker, but her never returned our call. Afterwards, we took the machine to a different repair shop who had a hard time finding the parts to replace sensor cables and now charged us $ 598 to repair what this *************** screwed up. Also, this shop owner ************************ told us he keeps getting customers who were swindled by this Dave's Small Engine Repair Shop, mostly elderly people (about ***** of them already).

  Business response

  06/13/2022

  In response of *****************,

       I have never heard of any issue until now, if there was any issue at all with any work we done, are shop is only about 3 miles from her home. She could have stopped by here any time, and had there been a problem i would have gladly taken care of any issue she had. We would not under any circumstance remove any safety switch form anybodys equipment. Now as far as The mower marts statement  about them getting our customers that are unhappy. **** is a very small town therefore we get customers saying the same thing about them how they dont know what they are doing, and people feeling they were ripped off. Its small business in a small town. On all of our invoices it clearly says all work is guranteed for ********************************************************************** didnt. But you would think if that was the case a short drive to talk with me about any problem would have been a option she would have exercised. I mean they drive all the way here from ******** , what would 3 more miles be. I think she paid way to much, but i hear that alot from people who has gone there. Like i said she had 30 days to have any issues repaired under the gurantee.I am sorry but i was unawatre of any issue until now like 90 days later, i cannot issue a refund

   

  Business response

  06/14/2022

  *******,

     Yes we did not charge them for a tuneup, or sharpening the blades, when I pulled the invoice the only thing we did and charged them for was a oil leak, so if they had this all done at another shop, I am sure there **** was more as they did more then we did, we only did what was asked of us being the oil leak. Was there more then one leak, that I do not know. I just know the oil leak we fixed was dome right.

  Thank you.

  ****

  Customer response

  06/17/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 

  This owner of the business Dave's Small Engine repair never contacted me. I left several messages on his business machine, with the guy in attendance at his office, on his cell phone, and not a beep from him or anyone else from his business.

  But, when I originally called him with the repair order, he responded right away, and came very swiftly within an hour to pick up a machine.

  I have enclosed the itemized invoice (charges are blocked as I do not want him to make comments about them) from the shop that repaired the oil leak (which was not fixed by ****) and seat sensor switch which was ripped off by his company as they tried to replace a seat that did not fit (we bought a seat and gave to them, but instead of telling us it was not a right seat, they just ripped off the sensor under the seat as it could not have been installed otherwise). We could not have known it at the time until we started to run a machine, as it would not operate in reverse without it. So, he not only did **** not fix the oil leak, he incurred more repair costs to us. So, we are asking for the refund of moneys we paid him. We may still pursue it in a small claims court for the other damages he caused and costs he incurred by ruining the seat switch.

  
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  
  

  Business response

  06/21/2022

  In response to the complaint, i reviewed the complaint, as well as the invoice from my Company to the consumer,( i can provide a copy if needed) the work that was done on her mower was a repair of a oil leak and that is all they were charged for as that is all we did. If any other work would have been done, the consumer would have been charged for it(as we (dont do work for free).Our response times to customers calls are highly regulated by the weather and time of year it is. Some calls are responded to right away and some calls take a few days for us to arrange pickup and or delivery. The comment of calling my cell phone, My cell phone is Always forwarded to the shop. When i originally started my business i used my cell phone number, as my business grew, i got aa landline, trying to get away from cell phone being a business number but it continued to be used by alot of customers so i just leave it on forward all the time, so she could not have left a message on my cell phone. I am trying in all fairness to resolve this issue , I have always considered the BBB to be a resolution center for business and consumers, Although in order to do so each party needs to be open with each other, But i am more then willing to upload a invoice to prove what the scope of work we done for the customer , Although the customer is wanting to block out sections of her invoice from another service provider. It leaves me with great concern. There can be no resolution if both parties cannot provide all paperwork that might be involved. Whats there to hide? Like i had stated previously, I am being as open as can be to see the resolve, She keeps going to this seat sensor,( that  we did not remove ) Like it is this high dollar part or something i am nout sure of, but they are only like $20.00. 

  Customer response

  07/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩