Our Mechanic’s Ministry is a full service auto shop offering major and minor repairs including OBD I and II diagnostic services on Foreign and Domestic vehicles. Full machine shop services are also available. Current shop rate $80/hr. The shop’s revenues go toward providing free and reduced rate repairs to people in our community who Our Mechanic’s Ministry is a full service auto shop offering major and minor repairs including OBD I and II diagnostic services on Foreign and Domestic vehicles. Full machine shop services are also available. Current shop rate $80/hr. The shop’s revenues go toward providing free and reduced rate repairs to people in our community who otherwise could not afford them. Mechanic’s Ministry is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am-5pm ...more
My experience with Terrance, the head of Cedar Park Mechanics Ministry has been frustrating. He lied to me and when I tried to get the story straight, he treated me horribly.
He collected $600 cash from me upfront without a work order or written quote. The entire cost was to be about $1200. It was a good deal which is why I was desperate to get my car done here as I’m a full-time single mom on Social Security disability income.
Terrance quoted the almost $1200 and agreed to do the following:
1. Timing Belt.
2. Full Set of Control Arms.
3. Oil Change.
I was to drop the car off Friday and pick up on Sunday. When I didn’t hear from him come Sunday afternoon, I reached out and learned the car was not ready but was told it would be ready on Monday.
He said the part he ordered for one of the control arms was sent in error and he was waiting to get the correct part. He led me to believe he had completed the timing belt, the oil change and the other control arm.
Monday comes and I didn’t hear from him. So, I reached out again for an update. He said he needed to keep the car for one more day because the parts store sent the wrong part a 2nd time. Tuesday came and went and the same story was told and he promised he needed it only one more day.
Wednesday came. Didn’t hear from him so I had to call him again and learned he didn’t complete the service. At this juncture, I wanted my car back because it had been 6 days.
My gut was telling me Terrance was not being honest in addition to the obvious fact he’s unorganized with time management issues. He had $600 cash and not once did he ever initiate a call to me to communicate there would be another delay.
So, I took an Uber to get my car and asked him to let me know when he gets the correct part in. He said the part is there but couldn’t work on it that day so we agreed to reschedule on a day he was available. He promised the work would be done in a couple hours. I offered Sunday as an option and he said he would get back to me. He never did until I contacted him a few days later.
Here’s where the story gets interesting. During the 6 days he had the car, he led me to believe he completed all the other work which was the timing belt, the oil change, and the other control arm.
Here’s where I learn he lied to me about the work he told me he completed which was not done. My gut was telling me to call around and see if somebody else could do the work. So, I contacted some local mechanics, one of which happened to be a ministry for single moms. I told them the scenario and they bumped me up in their schedule.
This mechanic asked for Terrance to call and let them know what work needed to be done and what he observed so they could indeed order the correct part, etc.
I told Terrance I found someone else and that he needed to call them. This is when I learned the only service he completed was the timing belt. He lied to me about the oil change and the one set of control arms.
He had my car for 6 days lying , saying he completed most of the work when in fact my car was sitting there. Mind you, the timing belt was completed by a different mechanic because it’s beyond Terrance’s scope of abilities. The only thing that got completed on time was the work by a different mechanic. I was surprised but more importantly, upset to learn I was misled.
When Terrance revealed this, he offered to give me $100 off the service on top of the refund he owed because the timing belt didn’t cost $600. It was quoted at $538.00 He said he would refund me that money but never heard from him.
I appreciated the hundred dollars off and felt that was more than fair given the fact I had spent a few hundred dollars on Uber’s as he had my car for 6 days thinking it would only be 2. I missed work, my sons afterschool clubs and sports I could not get him to for six days.
Anyway, when I didn’t hear from Terrance about the refund, I got a hold of him but didn’t hear back. I went on a lamb and drafted a kind text telling him how I felt by highlighting some of the things I was confused about. I thought it important to ask him to have a conversation surrounding the mistruths.
For the record, I was very kind m, appreciative when I communicated my disappointment and how his lack of communication was tough. I was honest and said I felt he misrepresented the work he said was completed and wanted to connect on it as it’s important to be clear and honest. I didn’t attack him and made sure he knew I appreciated the discount but needed to confront these issues because it wasn’t sitting right in my soul.
He didn’t respond nor did a refund come through. So, I got a hold of him and texted him the next day and telling him if he did not respond I would take other measures to mitigate the issue.
And that’s when he went off on me saying I was unappreciative and to never contact him for work again, etc. he then sends me a refund via Venmo and says, “Don’t Care” in the subject line.
There’s no excuse for him to respond this way. I didn’t deserve the way he talked to me. He texted me after the refund was sent trying to make me out to be a villain. What’s disturbing… he went to great lengths to gaslight the situation, lie about it and turn it around on me.
Now, it’s even more obvious he was not being honest from the get-go. I still wouldn’t have my refund had I not put down my foot. Additionally, he most likely still would’ve had my car.
I feel Terrance was unprofessional in his he managed this job and unwilling to take responsibility. I believe he was just lying about the refund and said whatever necessary to appease me.
Not sure what’s going on in his life, if he got too busy and just kept putting the car off. But, there’s ways you can make that right. Reconciliation goes a long way. Coming from that heart-space is the way to go. It restores trust.
I am flexible and understand people make mistakes but this has definitely crossed those boundaries. I wanted to communicate with him and gave him the opportunity to have an open and honest conversation and he blew it.
His behavior is unacceptable and regardless of the fact this is a ministry program, I hope his actions are not cosigned. It’s important that your word is your word.