Misrepresentation By A Business Person

[Berford]

I took a jbl sub-woofer to a repair facility recommended by the manufacturer.  I told the manager not to fix the item that I wanted an estimate.  I was contacted later and told speaker had been fixed and was ready to be picked up.  I was told the bill was $190.00 and they admitted against my instructions they went ahead and repaired it.  We negotiated the cost down to $130.00.  Three weeks later the speaker again went out.  The manager told me that they would look at it and again I told them not to fix it that I wanted an estimate on the cost.  I have been contacted and told they fixed it and it would cost me another $70.00 in labor.  I feel thatI have been cheated.  What is your advice?  

[Blayke]

Dear Mr. Dos Santos----you have a number of choices:

1. Go back and complain to the manufacturer.

2. If the company is a member of the BBB--better business bureau, complain to them.

3. CAll your state attorney general. Many of these have counsumer fraud groups.

4. Sue the company in small claims court.

In my experience, to get a satisfactory remedy to these small claims takes a great deal of effort and press on all fronts---------that is complain everywhere. Caution, never threaten, and never accuse(of theft or fraud), just state your claim.

For information on consumer fraud, please the my chapter of the same title in my book, "The Fraud Identification Handbook, available on Amazon.com

Good Luck-------George Allen