Price exceeding estimate

[gswordsman]

If I take my broken car in to a mechanic for repair and have him give me an estimate on the cost before repairing, then after he repaired my car the amount greatly exceeds his estimated amount, can I dispute about it not pay that much?

[UncleBob]

legally they have to give a verbal or written estimate and have you agree to it, and can't exceed 10% of that estimate


Sometimes it can be a bit vague though, for example, if the time required to do a job is unknown and you agree to pay whatever time it takes. There is usually an assumed maximum amount, but no way of knowing how accurate it will be.

Those types of situations are impossible to guess, since by the time you figure out how much the bill will be, the job is half done and you're stuck agreeing to the total assuming you want it put back together

It would help if you can give details to what was done and what the cost overrun was caused by. If it was a unforseeable problem that came up there is little the shop can do about it other than informing you if you want to car to run again, it'll require this added costs.

On the other hand, if they did extra or unrelated work to the agreed job, you definitely have a right to be upset

[gswordsman]

Originally Posted by UncleBob

legally they have to give a verbal or written estimate and have you agree to it, and can't exceed 10% of that estimate


Sometimes it can be a bit vague though, for example, if the time required to do a job is unknown and you agree to pay whatever time it takes. There is usually an assumed maximum amount, but no way of knowing how accurate it will be.

Those types of situations are impossible to guess, since by the time you figure out how much the bill will be, the job is half done and you're stuck agreeing to the total assuming you want it put back together

It would help if you can give details to what was done and what the cost overrun was caused by. If it was a unforseeable problem that came up there is little the shop can do about it other than informing you if you want to car to run again, it'll require this added costs.

On the other hand, if they did extra or unrelated work to the agreed job, you definitely have a right to be upset

What if the amount does exceed the estimate and I can't afford to pay and the price can be good enough to get a decent used car? Can I just abandon my car in their shop? Or can they pay me for my used car even though they fixed it?

[UncleBob]

Originally Posted by gswordsman

What if the amount does exceed the estimate and I can't afford to pay and the price can be good enough to get a decent used car? Can I just abandon my car in their shop? Or can they pay me for my used car even though they fixed it?

abandoning the car is called a "mechanic's lean"....they get the car and sell it to recoup the costs. But if the car isn't worth the amount that is against it, they can still go after you in court, if they wish, to get the rest of the money

If the car is worth more than the bill, they keep the difference

Its best to use diplomacy in this situation. Most owners/shops are willing to negotiate. Always try diplomacy before giving up or involving the law. Most shops will bend over backwards to avoid that, assuming you are willing to be reasonable

[maxwedge]

In some states, NY for sure a shop cannot exceed the initial estimate without your prior express authorization. Here if I spend this money without informing you it exceeds the value of the car I can also face fines, or DMV involvement, check into this.

[curtis73]

In many states, the mechanic's lein forces you to abandon all rights to the vehicle. If your car is worth $40k and your repairs are $1000, you just lost $39k. If the car is worth less than the repair bill, they can still come after you for the remainder.

[gswordsman]

I live in th SC and I have 98' Buick Skylark, it has 80,000 miles on it and I bought it used for $3000, so what is my best bet? Fix or buy another used car, or can I sell it anywhere? The main engine is really bad and shaky.
The mechanic told me that I need at least $1000 to get it fixed.

[curtis73]

It depends... do you like the car and want to keep it? if so, go for it. If you're just fixing up to sell, it may not provide a return on your investment.