Dave's Complete Auto

Dave's Complete Auto Service Consumer Beware - Dave will hold your car and call the cops on you. Centerville, Utah

14th of Apr, 2011 by User771637

A few days ago I was conversing with a friend who mentioned to me their awful experience with Dave's Auto Service in Centerville, Utah. I was amused by this conversation because unbeknownst to my friend, I also had a nightmare of an experience with Dave's Auto (Dave in particular) some years ago. I decided to check up on ole' Dave and see how his online reviews are these days; and I came across a review on ripoffreport.com in which the reviewer claimed that Dave called the cops on him. Yep - sounds like the same Dave that I DIDN'T have the pleasure of dealing with a couple of years ago. I left a car in much need of repair at Dave's shop and eventually received a call back from Dave, informing me what parts and repairs would be necessary. I'm listening to Dave go on and on about what needed to be done while trying to get simple answers to some concerns that I had. I asked Dave how long the job would take, he told me and I reply, 'Ok,' and the jerk hangs up. I immediately placed a call back to the shop, which call was answered by a female. I told her I wanted to speak to Dave and she told me he wasn't available. I told her he had just cut short a conversation with me and she fumbled through some excuse explaining his unavailability. I told her that I DIDN'T WANT DAVE OR ANY OF HIS STAFF TO TOUCH MY CAR. She told me she'd see what she could do and that she'd let Dave know. As you can imagine, at this point I'm starting to see writing on the wall. Some time later I spoke with Dave on the phone again (I can't remember if I finally got in contact with him after badgering his office with phone calls or if he called me back). He told me that he had already ordered the parts and that the job would proceed. I told him that not more than 2 seconds after my initial phone conversation with him I called back his shop, was told by a female that he was 'unavailable,' and told the woman that I wanted my car left alone. Dave told me that the parts had already been ordered and that I'd either have to proceed with the job or pay for the parts. At this point I'm starting to come unhinged and told Dave that I'd be at his shop in 45 minutes to retrieve my vehicle. As soon as I arrived at Dave's shop and told him I wanted my car back, he called the cops. He told me I wasn't getting my car back unless I paid for the parts and then he told me to wait outside of his shop until the cops arrived or else he'd charge me with trespassing (what a joke this little man is). A Centerville city police officer arrived and Dave tells the cop he has a tape recording of me authorizing Dave to order parts and work on my car. He takes the cop into a closed room. The cop comes out of the room and tells me that if I want my car back I have to pay. I asked the cop what he heard on the tape - No reply.
I asked the cop if he was played all of my phone conversations because aside from the two times I actually spoke with Dave on the phone, I made other calls to the shop trying to get by his pitbull female receptionist and her "I'll see what I can do" nonsense while reiterating the fact THAT I DID NOT WANT THEM TO TOUCH MY CAR. - No reply.
I showed the cop on my own cell, the records of all the outgoing calls I had placed to Dave's shop - No reply. The cop tells me to step outside of the building - I comply and we step outside sans Dave. Cop softens up a little bit and says he can't really do anything and that I'd have to pay for the ordered parts if I want my car back. BTW, if you're wondering, Dave initially told me the parts weren't returnable yet would not allow me to buy the parts and actually take them home. After the cop showed up, Dave's story changed and my "obligation" to "buy" the parts changed, amounting to a "restocking fee" charge; which by the way was still a couple hundred dollars - I still can't completely figure that one out. Just thinking about how greasy Dave is, nauseates me. So, back to the cop and I outside.....the cop says to me "if I were you I'd just pay the fee and then pursue legal action." At this point I'm only slightly less disgusted with the cop than I am with Dave and I tell the cop to leave me his card because if I went the legal route I'd be dragging him back through it. Short end of a long story....I end up out of a couple hundred dollars and bitter. I've pretty much gotten over it, probably by at least 80% - which means I've at least shed in bitterness what I paid to Dave monetarily in the name of a "restocking fee." But, I figure "once a cheat always a cheat," and if other consumers have to deal with Dave AND cops, I at least owe it to reason to add my voice to the warnings. STAY AWAY FROM DAVE'S AUTO! HE IS A CROOK! He might have a happy customer somewhere else, but that doesn't make him any less dishonorable. I was done wrong by him and I'm sure there are others who were done wrong by him as well. It's becoming apparent that he helps keep Centerville PD in business. You've been warned.

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