@frugalmommy wrote:
But the question is, just how worn were the brakes? It doesn't sound like you really know for sure what their condition was before you took the vehicle in for the inspection. The car may have driven fine, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was safe to drive.
agreed. i simply don't know for sure, since i'm not a mechanic. that's why i would have preferred the opportunity to get a second opinion from the other mechanic just down the road. just the same if one saw a doctor.
@ wrote:
I get how frustrating it is to have had them do work you didn't authorize. I don't necessarily agree with how you've chosen to respond. I think if I were in your shoes I would have refused to pay. Sure, they could try to send it to collections, but the burden of proof that you owe a debt is on the collector. If you disputed it, they would have to drop it and remove the accounts from your credit report since they wouldn't be able to validate the debt.
i suggest that the burden of proof is actually on the one who is in collections, and not on the collector, until a dispute is filed with three different report agencies. credit will be denied by new potential creditors throughout the completion of the dispute process, which can sometimes take a year. the burden of proof does not transfer to the collector until after the credit report dispute is filed. nonetheless, credit is still denied by potential creditors until the entire resolution process is complete. this means that i would be denied for a new home equity line or new credit cards while the dispute is in process, whether innocent or guilty.
@ wrote:
If I'd been forced to pay, I would have, and filed a chargeback immediately with the card company.
that's exactly what i did immediately thereafter, although i couldn't do it with the merchant directly.
@ wrote:
In either case I would have demanded that they return all parts removed from my vehicle to me. That would prove whether or not the work was actually necessary.
i did exactly what you're saying and they refused. they said that they couldn't safely cease working once the work had begun.