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Most unfortunate. Best thing is to bad mouth this shop to everybody you know and all your neighbors. Businesses need the goodwill of customers.
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What a crummy situation! I too would contact the news people and see if they do those "consumer" type stories. I also would probably write out my story, print it and distribute it to every house within a couple mile radius of the store. I'd be exceptioinally careful with my wording so I couldn't be sued for slander...but...isn't it nice when someone warns you about crappy businesses??? Good luck getting your machine back!
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Uniquelynancy has the right idea. You need some proof that they did not clean the first machine. I was going to recommend that you take some dated pictures for evidence in case you do go to court over this. Document, document, document! The more paperwork the better when you have to convince the judge. Receipts, pictures, dates, notes--everything you can think of verify your case.
Do be careful about what you say because of slander/liable issues though. Be able to prove anything you claim. They sound like the kind who have dealt with "problem" customers before and may know how to use the system in their favor. |
Originally Posted by cathyvv
This is theft. They have your machine and won't return it. The receipt proves the ownership. I sure hope you got a receipt.
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Right, you go girl. Put on your RED LIPSTICK and you BIG GIRL PANTIES and go git em. Thoughts and prayers are with you. You will win.
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Good luck and we are all hoping for the best outcome to this unfortunate situation.
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Originally Posted by watterstide
of course this doesn't help you now, but i looked for reviews on this company..nothing good said about them..
http://www.merchantcircle.com/busine...s.570-322-2722 i hope you at least get your machine back! |
Find out which of your senators is the consumer protection advocate. Here in MD its Stenny Hoyer. Believe me one call from his office and everything turns out right. I have used him several times on things like this and its always taken care of immediately. Thats what consumer protection is all about. Without a receipt, he can give you any piece of junk and its your word against his that its your machine. Did anyone go with you? Call the consumer protection people and see what they have to say. He can't pay them off.
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Do you have a local Better Business Bureau to report this to? That would be the best route to take with someone like this.
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Sorry about your problems. There are some reputable dealers/repair shops not far from Williamsport. You may need to look into them
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All great suggestions. When you do go back with the men in suits and someone with a camera, take every older woman you know with you. A van load would do nicely. He will really look bad shouting at a group of nice old ladies. Wish I could be there! I can be a pit bull.
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Sorry about your problem but there are some reputable places not too far from Williamsport who would clean and repair your machines if you get them back. Are you familiar with Mifflinburg??
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I'm so sorry. Don't feel bad about yourself. We all expect people to be as honest as ourselves and it's a shame when this doesn't happen. You have been very brave. Good luck with getting your other machine back.
Best wishes from across the pond. Annie |
Please let us know how this all turns out. Maybe we should all add our names to a bad review just to let him know that there might be power in numbers and people don't need to accept such treatment.
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Oh I share your pain. Had an unfortunate experience with the local Singer dealer. Gears broke, again, Sept. took it into the dealer and didn't get it back till Jan. It seems the owner/tech had a heart attack and they didn't tell me just kept stalling. Finally my 6'5" husband went to the shop and put some pressure on them. They couldn't have repaired it anyway, had to go to the Atl. repair center. I could have taken it there myself and had use of it for holiday sewing.
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What a nasy experience to have to go through especially at the Christmas season, SORRY! but I do agree that you need to take your ticket or reciept, to the police and explain the situation and see if they won't go with you to collect your machine. Check the machine with them at your side to make sure your machine is ok. and as someone said you may have to pay the bench fee, however it would be nice if the owner had a change of heart and waived it. I also agree that a small claims court may be the best alternative if you wanted to persue that route. you could possibly get your money back!It may turn out to be in your favor.
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that is a good idea, there is strength in numbers, and we really do not want to patronise those who are only in for the money and will take advantage of situations. Unforunatlly most are very sly and stay within the confines of the law.
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I really like k9dancer's sugesstion. LOL Go for it!
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The matter of the refund is a civil matter....the matter of returning your machine is THEFT. I would definitely call the police inform them of the theft.
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Originally Posted by mimee4
Or how I almost spent Christmas eve in the slammer
I had two machines that needed cleaning and one of them also needed repair. As I did not know where to take them, I found a place about 30 minutes away on yellowpages.com. The man assured me that he worked on all sewing machines. So I took them in on Dec 17. I should have walked right out. The place was also a vacuum repair shop and they sold sofas, mattresses and bunk beds, too. I explained what I needed to have done and the owner told me they would both be done by Wednesday Dec 22. Of course neither were ready when I called. He did tell me there was something wrong with the one that only needed cleaning. We argued back and forth and I went to the shop the next morning to see for myself. Obviously he didn’t know what he was talking about and I paid his huge cleaning bill and brought that machine home. Of course, it hadn’t been cleaned. By now I was steaming. I wanted my money back and the other machine, too. I called one more time and said I’d be back on the day before Christmas. Never should have warned him. The owner wasn’t there when I got to the shop and the “in-shop-man” said I was not getting any money back. My other machine was not in the shop but elsewhere. I asked to talk to the owner and he put me through on their phone. I demanded my machine and my money back. The owner said he absolutely wouldn't refund any money and he would have my machine back in the shop in an hour or so. AND I'd have to pay a work bench fee. AND he didn't care if I called the police or what (though I didn't suggest that I would call the police.) I am naive and not very courageous but this had my dander up (can you tell I’m 70 years old?) So I called the police. Unfortunately they said, this is a civil case and they couldn’t do anything about it. I hung around in the shop a short while, trying to convince the in-shop-guy to give me my money back. Funny, though, in about 5 minutes, the owner called the shop guy and the conversation went like: Yes, she's still here. Yes, she called the police. Ok, I'll tell her. So now I was the bad guy! THEY were going to call the police and get me for trespass. Gee, I didn't want to go to jail on Christmas Eve, so I did leave. Now I don't know if I'll ever get my machine back! I’ve never run across such unscrupulous people before and I’m embarrassed that I was taken in. Yes, I will be contacting a lawyer as well as the Better Business Bureau in Williamsport PA about Swopes. If you live in or near there, run from that place and never ever take anything there or deal with them. :evil: |
If they have your machine and refuse to give it back to you, I would think that would be theft and a police matter. I agree about taking them to small claims court. Its a small filing fee. First you need to take the machine you have that wasn't cleaned, take it to a local sewing machine dealer so they can inspect your machine and testify for you in sm clms court that it was not cleaned and the offending shop took you.
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Speaking as a lawyer, the sad thing about trying to enlist the help of a lawyer is that it's unlikely that one would be interested in helping you, unless there's some lawyers' association that has a small one-time consultation fee and could write a letter for you. There's no money in your dispute and though there of course would be sympathy for your situation I don't think you'll find much help there.
Likewise, going to small-claims court doesn't guarantee that you'll ever see any compensation or your machine back, either. You can probably get a judgment against the shop owner but then collecting on the judgment is a very time-consuming project and sometimes impossible to do. Small-claims court is a civil court that has limited powers--you'll get a money judgment that is then up to you to collect on. I'd check on the procedure for your small-claims court re how long you have to wait for your case to come to court, how much the court fees are for you, and what the procedure is for your collection efforts. Sad to say, oftentimes it's just not worth it. Likewise the Better Business Bureau won't be able to help you with the specifics of your problem either, in all likelihood. I'd agree that seeking help from your consumer protection agencies offers the best chance you have of getting any satisfaction from the owner of this business. Without a receipt or even with one, it's unlikely that you'll be able to get them involved either. TV stations and newspapers are also usually reluctant to get involved with disputes like yours due to slander/libel repercussions. Sad story. To everyone: keep your receipts and go only to service people that you trust from recommendations if possible. And you can check with the Better Business Bureau in the area to see if there have been complaints about this business beforehand, also. Dana |
Originally Posted by oatw13
I am so sorry for your horrible experience. It is a shame that there are people out there like that who will take advantage of people. Unfortunately, it is a civil situation and there isn't really anything the police can do to help.
Do you have a local TV network with a consumer advocate? Our local networks have them and they will help people with problems like this for no cost. They usually get good results because they publish the stories. I hope you get this resolved quickly. It will get you some results and will warn ppl in the area! The nerve!!! stealing a sewing machine is like horse thieving in the old days...we cannot survive! :wink: |
You could check with the Better Business Bureau and find out how that shop is rated. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. At least we didn't have to bake you a cake with a file inside for your big jail break.
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I would tell everyone you have the chance to talk to, at the grocery store, church, meetings, in an elevator, check out lines, library, everywhere, to stay away from that business. Sounds like the pocketbook is the only place these people have any feelings.
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you said you have the serial number..maybe go to the police and tell them they have your machine..?
keep us posted, will be praying for you.. |
Take a large male friend or relative with you to retrieve your other machine and see what happens. You weren't trespassing in a business place with a legitimate reason to be there and not having been asked to leave before being threatened. As for BBB, please do in the hopes of saving another quilter from this type of experience.
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I once called my son and pretended he was my husband. He caught-on and talked to the guy. The bill went from "785 plus the average in US is 3 days so I will have to add the extra days which will bring it up over 1000" to that's 125 and they were out the door in 15 seconds.
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Wow I live in Corning,NY not too far from you and we have a very dependable repair shop here.
Thanks heavens and good luck. |
I agree...there is strength in numbers...take your friends and a big burly man to pose as your husband, brother, son..whatever, and get your machine back. If they say they don't have it, take the serial number to the police and tell them they refuse to return it to you. Unless they've sold it, filed the number off, the police should be able to find it...either there or search the owner's home, other places of business. Anywhere he could stash it. They should also be able to check his records for sales of machines to customers unaware the machine was yours. Please don't stop or leave a stone unturned. He is a crook and needs to be caught!
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Try your local TV network. They usually love doing these *exposes* and more times than not, the merchant quickly takes care of the situation properly and promptly instead of turning nasty and blaming it on the customer.
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Be sure to call your state attorney general. They could probably resolve this without you having to retain an attorney.
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Have you taken photos of the condition of the machine you did get back that was not cleaned. If possible use a dated camera or have a digital calendar clock in the photo also. Be sure to get good shots of the inside of the machine to show the dust and lint and lack of oil. A good dated photo can speak volumes. Document now, if you haven't, all contacts you had with these people and every word that was said. After a few weeks, those things are hard to remember. Accuracy counts.
No business should ever act like they did, but especially not regarding sewing machines! Good luck. |
Originally Posted by quilter68
I once called my son and pretended he was my husband. He caught-on and talked to the guy. The bill went from "785 plus the average in US is 3 days so I will have to add the extra days which will bring it up over 1000" to that's 125 and they were out the door in 15 seconds.
To fix the correct problem was under $200. I will use the phone call method again as needed. |
Just sounds like a couple of crooks.
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I am very sorry this happened to you. It is really bad when people take advantage of older persons. I hope it turns out good for you and you get your machine back.
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Make sure you tell people what happened and where. Word of mouth can build up a business. It can also destroy one.
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I had a bad experince with serger repair. I called Babylock and explaimed it to them. THEY called the repairman and threatened to pull their authorization from him so that he could not repair Babylock machines. My serger was repaired very quickly after that. I never took it there again.
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Be sure you have a repairman verify that your machine was not cleaned. Otherwise, it becomes a one on one dilemna and might not hold up in court.
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I believe a person has more leverage when a credit card is used to pay the bill, which is why we pay for almost everything with a credit card
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