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My DH and I are at odds on this one. I think small claims court (might take a while to get there) and having another repairman look at the one you have will do the job.
DH says it's theft if he won't return your machine, call the police again. Either way --- in Oregon, my experience with the BBB is that it's worthless. They don't keep good records and have not had anything on places that gave me bad business. good luck and keep us posted on this case! |
Seems alot of people are money hungry, I've had a machine serviced by a scum bag, not much choice in who to take it to. Another guy might have known one one time how to fix them, not anymore. Lying and charging for the lie is real popular, what a shame.
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Originally Posted by amandasgramma
My DH and I are at odds on this one. I think small claims court (might take a while to get there) and having another repairman look at the one you have will do the job.
DH says it's theft if he won't return your machine, call the police again. Either way --- in Oregon, my experience with the BBB is that it's worthless. They don't keep good records and have not had anything on places that gave me bad business. good luck and keep us posted on this case! I agree, if they refuse to return your machine, it is theft. |
I agree, try to get a consumer advocate involved. The shop owner will NOT want negative story about his services in the paper or on the news.
Hope it all works out perfectly for you. warm quilt hugs, sue in CA |
by the way, there was an article in our newspaper in the last week or so that said the BBB was basically ...crap. It served no purpose to help, but might let the public know of bad services to avoid.
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this is the most exasperating story this week. I to, had a bad experience with a repair man. He comes to our LQS , picks up machines and cleans and goes thru for 40.00$ when I picked up my machine I did NOT examine it, but headed home,only to see that the bobbin winder was broken... just wiggled on the machine. I took it back to the LQS, they called the repair man, and he said bring it back. ok, so back to the LQS.. a mere 4 miles away. UGH... He took my machine back, then called me and said he was sorry but it was broken when he picked it up, OR it was broken after he delivered it back to the LQS... NOW,, if it was broken when he picked it up it must have happened at the LQS,,,right? OR if he delivered it back to the LQS he said they had probably let it fall from the shelf.... all in all, nobody was to blame.....??? He still charged me for the cleaning...but no bobbin winder... HOWEVER and this is the wonderful part. a dear person on this quilt board gave me her bobbin winder, plus many nice pcs. of fabric. I am so blessed, and it took the sting off my heart about my broken machine. I consider myself very fortunate to have so many wonderful persons on the quilt boards to be my friends.
jacie |
Originally Posted by Candace
2 words. Judge Judy.
Honestly, you should take them to Small Claims court. You don't need a lawyer for that. |
Wow what a nightmare. I hope all will turn out well for you in the end.
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No offense - but if you are 70 - you are a senior citizen - your shop owner has taken advantage of an elderly person - you might want to call your courthouse and see if you can fill out some paperwork - regarding this - FL State Attorney really doesn't like those kind of people -
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Make sure you take a DATED picture of the machine you got back uncleaned but charged for. Show inside the bobbin case area where it still has fuzzies, etc and have a witness. Better yet, take the pic in front of a notary public. That could be the first step in proving this guy is crooked if you end up in small claims court. Once that is shown, nothing else he says will be credible. I would also go back to the shop with a police officer to get the other machine as just their presence sometimes will "change their attitude" and at least keep it civil. And I would tell EVERYONE I know about this shop as a warning!
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I am sorry you are having all this trouble. There is a quilt store in Montoursville called Our Gathering Place that will lead you to a reputable repair person. Hoover's Bernina in Mifflinburg is a good place to get machines repaired and they are very fair. I wish you the best of luck getting your machine back and not paying them a cent. I also wish you the best finding a place to repair sewing machines.
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I vote for your local news tv affiliate. Even if they don't show a consumer advocate program they may be able to help you. Even your local newspaper might have an advocacy section. At least write a letter of complaint to them. Getting as much publicity as possible is all to the good for your side.
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Originally Posted by maryb119
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.
I was also glad to read the above quote because I'm having trouble with my local Babylock dealer getting a repair completed on my machine. Took the machine in once and when I went to pick it up he tried to give me someone else's machine and when I pointed out it was the wrong machine, he hadn't even touched mine. Then told me the part that needed to be replaced was on backorder and he would call me at the end of November when it was in and have me bring the machine back in. I still haven't heard from him that the part was in and now my warranty has expired. It was still in warranty when I originally took it in for repair. I am heading back in tomorrow and am going to call Babylock if I don't get satisfaction tomorrow. |
Originally Posted by quilter in the making
Originally Posted by maryb119
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.
I was also glad to read the above quote because I'm having trouble with my local Babylock dealer getting a repair completed on my machine. Took the machine in once and when I went to pick it up he tried to give me someone else's machine and when I pointed out it was the wrong machine, he hadn't even touched mine. Then told me the part that needed to be replaced was on backorder and he would call me at the end of November when it was in and have me bring the machine back in. I still haven't heard from him that the part was in and now my warranty has expired. It was still in warranty when I originally took it in for repair. I am heading back in tomorrow and am going to call Babylock if I don't get satisfaction tomorrow. |
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. I totally agree...If you have a consumer advocate TV station they are able to work wonders in these cases and love to put these unscrupless people on the Evening New and embarass these people...They have a lot of viewers and that will hurt their business most... |
If I were you, instead of getting a costly lawyer involved, I would notify my local newspaper and see if they would put the story in the paper. Most newspapers have special writers for just these kinds of things.
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What a story!!! Only a quilter could fully appreciate how critical it is to be without your machines! I'm truly sorry this happened to you, especially at Christmas. Hardly the Christmas spirit, is it! I hope you will report this to the Better Business Bureau to hopefully save others from being taken in. I hope you will be able to get your machine back as well as your money!
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Sounds like the only recourse you have is revenge and word of mouth. So sorry you have to go through this.
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Originally Posted by danade
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 |
TV investigators do get results. I like all these suggestions, but the best way to be effective is to spread the word of his bad behavior toward a senior citizen. What a putz! You need to help put him out of business. A policeman escort to pick up your machine is a good idea. Use them to your advantage. Big men with you are also nice, but not as effective. Next time when the hair raises on the back of your neck, run, don't walk to the nearest exit and find someone else to service your machine.
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I'm so sorry for your troubles, especially at this time of year. You might want to contact WNEP Channel 16. They carry a good amount of Williamsport news, and also have consumer stories fairly often. I hope they can help. Good luck!
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Here's the link....go for it. www.wnep.com
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Everybody on this forum will be really interested to hear (read?) the outcome of this horrible experience. Let us know, OK?
Dana |
Definitely WNEP or WBRE, both cover Williamsport. So sad to hear of it, sometimes it makes you wonder if they've perfected it to cover their poor customer service.
Don't give up, call the news station, maybe a call from the reporter will be enough to get your machine returned. |
what a sad sad turn of events! I am hoping you at least are able to get your machine back and in working order! Please keep us posted, and DON'T let that jerk win!!!!
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I came across one of these long ago. Machine wasn't fixed and bent the throat plate.
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By all means call your state's attorney.
As for the media, if you can get 1 or more people that have also had this happen to them then I think the media would be willing to tell your story. You could try calling any pawn shops in your area to see if they've recently gotten in a sewing machine. Ask them to call the police and you if they do but you'll probably have to give them the serial # for proof. They won't take property if they know it has been stolen and would appreciate you giving them a heads up. |
Originally Posted by Maia B
What an awful experience! Good of you to warn others. I'd go back there with a bunch of men with you, like 4+, maybe some suits. Don't say who they are. The unknown is scarier. If that doesn't work, get on your local news, like "the fixer". Ripping off senior ladies is so scummy. When you shine a light on roaches, they scatter.
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I wonder if it would help to have a bunch of us calling the shop?
I am so sorry that you had this experience. I hope it works out for you and that the "hostage" is soon freed. |
It's over...she got her machine back. She posted a whole new thread that she had her machine. Check it out.
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Originally Posted by Randa
It's over...she got her machine back. She posted a whole new thread that she had her machine. Check it out.
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Click on Quilting Forum-Main...it's on page 2 about half way down the page. :0)
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