ComplaintsforAutobody Paint and Repair

• Initial Complaint

  12/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My experience with this business, APR Collision, in Ashuelot NH, is so horrific, it's not possible to include all the info of my experience. I brought my vehicle there to have some rust and rot repair done to the rear frame- grinding to bare metal, then, welding new sections of frame - I was quoted 2 weeks to complete the job, and would cost $2,000, with a $1,000 deposit for "parts", balance due upon completion. Being without my vehicle, the job took 5 weeks, and when I went to pick up the vehicle, was told by the "mechanic", **** * G****, that he would not accept my payment by check, or CC- only cash, or "paypal". I advised him I would call the police, and he advised he could call them, and when I asked him to please do so he backed down. At that point, I knew something was seriously wrong. It turns out that paypal does not offer buyer protection for auto repair, and cash would be untraceable, he offers NO REFUNDS. He also did not provide me with an invoice, with a breakdown of the parts and labor charges- as required by NH law. So I left with my vehicle, as I was so distraught and I could no longer wait for this scammer to release my vehicle, and went directly to the police. When I returned home with my vehicle, I found no repairs to the frame had been done, and that tape and several heavy coats of undercoating had been applied (I did not authorize application of undercoating) which hid the lack of repairs. I later rec'd several threatening texts from ****, and advised police. I later discovered that the owner of this garage has no business license, according to the NH AG's office, no record anywhere of a business of that name, and the owner, **** * G****, uses several different aliases, and has several encounters of this kind on record, i.e. taking money from customers and not completing the work. I am requesting a FULL refund of my initial $1,000, as well as $500 damages to remove the undercoating he applied so the job can be done properly.

  Business response

  01/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 18, 2022/01/20) */ Hello, I'm responding to this complaint, this is totally false, this kid showed up at my shop we looked over his job and he was happy, we went into the shop to complete paperwork and give him his keys to his vehicle, at that point his father wanted to give us a check, he knows we don't take personal checks, I did say he could use a credit card and gave him the information on how to do this, they became very angry, I then called the police, he had went outside to use his phone, I then hear his vehicle start and was Erving it up I ran outside, he then put the vehicle in reverse and punched it, now please keep in mind that his father was parked across the street next to my wife who was waiting for me and my son was playing outside the car, his vehicle went so fast he hit his father's vehicle smashing the front end and moving the car backwards wher my son was playing. He almost killed my son with his crazy driving, now I still had the keys to his kids car on my desk and this shows motive to steel the vehicle, we still have his paper work and the keys to********** vehicle, a police report was made. At this point this kid is a danger acting crazy like he was on something, he was instructed in the beginning that we do not take personal checks, we have a PayPal business account, that he can use a credit card and other forms of payment, he later called to make his appointment and did use the business account for his materials deposit, so we can't understand what his problem was, he stated on the phone that he would be paying cash for his balance, but after arriving he did not have cash at all, his accusations are totally false just a person pulling a scam to get something for nothing. We are available for further information if needed, and also have a police report, also this vehicle is under warranty, there remains a unpaid balance of 1, 000.00 dollars on this vehicle, Consumer Response /* (3000, 20, 2022/01/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I do not accept this response from Gary M.G****, DBA APR collision repair. It is an unintelligible, fictitious, and childish rant. It is clear that this business owner lacks any intelligence, nor does he follow the State of NH guidelines for business rules and regulations. Note that I specifically requested that my vehicle be on his lift when I went to pick it up, so Gary could show me the repair work he had completed (in only a few hours?). It should have taken days to complete. It was at his shop for FIVE weeks- he only began work on it the last day, just before I went to pick it up. Instead, my vehicle was parked outside, in the dark. Therefore, I was unable to actually see any of his welding repairs, as he had heavily undercoated the frame ( a service I had not asked for, nor authorized). I needed my truck so badly, and although I felt uneasy about whether to trust him or not, I decided to pay him the additional $1000. so We went inside his very messy shop to pay him. My Dad was with me, and he offered Gary a check for the full amount, which he refused. Then my Dad offered to pay him with his credit card, which he also refused. Gary stated "cash only, or paypal". Please note that "paypal" does NOT offer buyer protection for auto repairs- that way Gary will get paid whether the work is completed or not- with NO RECOURSE. It was then we knew we had a problem- I do not carry $1000 cash with me on a Sunday night, or ever for that matter. We suggested calling the police to settle the matter. I had no cell service, Gary advised he "had them on speed dial", and could call them. We asked him to please do so, he then refused. At this point I was very afraid that this could escalate into a bad scene, so I decided to use my spare key and take my vehicle to the police myself, which I did. We had enough of this idiot's games. I also knew that if I took my vehicle, THEN he would call the police. His account of his wife and child parked nearby and nearly being hit is fictitious. We then both drove to the local police to report the incident. While waiting for the police to arrive, I examined my truck frame more closely, and found the same rust and rot holes existed, as if nothing had been repaired. The police advised we "did the right thing" and not to worry, as "you cannot steal your own vehicle". As stated before, the following morning, in bright daylight, we discovered that ABSOLUTELY NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN DONE TO MY VEHICLE. I observed metal duct tape had been applied, to cover the rot holes, and then undercoating. I felt totally deceived. I do have photos of my frame before, and after his so called "repairs" were made. To make matters even worse, when I turned on my cellphone, I found that during the night and that morning i had received SEVERAL threatening text messages from Gary, threatening to come to my work that morning, and to my home, if I did not pay him. The police were again notified, and contacted Gary to advise him to stop the threats. For the record, I have copies of all the police reports, as well as printouts of his text threats. Finally, I have taken my vehicle to a "real mechanic", who specializes in welding repairs, and he has photo documentation of the "frame repair" that Gary, (APR collision) had never completed. He will be testifying for us in court. I have retained his services to do the repair work properly. WE also have documentation that Gary *************, has pulled this same scam on other clients, operating other "repair shops" in the State of MA, taking client's deposit money and then not completing the work, and he has been sued previously. Also see previous BBB complaint. Lastly, note the "google reviews" for APR collision, in Ashuelot NH. The positive reviews, were left for the previous owner, Bill, when he ran the shop. Note that the current positive "5 star" reviews, they were submitted by Gary himself, his wife, Determined Sabrina" and a personal friend of his, apparently to "boost" APR's rating, This is clearly a scam by the owner, Gary. Also note, that Gary uses an alias- his first and middle name only, not his full name, Gary *************, perhaps to hide his lack of credibility, and unscrupulous business activity.

*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. ↩