On Saturday, 6/27/09, I sent an email to Don "the Auto Doctor" whose ad I read on Craigslist.com. My inquiry was sent to autodoctor43@ymail.com. I asked if he performed electrical and air conditioning work on Mercury Cougar's.
Don called back less than 30 minutes later and assured me he is ASE certified and an expert in electrical work. He stated that there is a $68 charge to inspect my vehicle, which I agreed to pay. He stated he would be at my home on Sunday, 6/28/09.
He arrived at my home on Sunday, and I left him alone while he inspected my vehicle. A short time later, he called my cellular and asked that I come out to my car. He said he called a vendor who had the part but because it was Sunday, he would be unable to obtain the fuse box until Monday, June 29th.
He asked that I pay him $175 for the fuse box and the cost of the inspection. Not having change, I handed him nine $20 bills (total of $180).
Don handed me a receipt, written on a piece of lined notebook paper, on which he wrote that I gave him $180 and that upon completion of the work I only owed $50. He then said he would return the following day at about 5 p.m.
On Monday, 6/29/09, shortly after 5 p.m., he called and said he was provided the wrong fuse box. He explained that he was given the fuse box for a manual transmission not an automatic but assured me he would return on Tuesday, 6/30/09.
On 6/30/09, he called at about 5 p.m. and told me he would not be able to perform the work because he and his wife were at Harbor-UCLA where she was awaiting an examination to determine if she was suffering from cancer. Understanding the importance of the examination, I asked when he could return. He stated he would be at my home by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at about 4:50 p.m., Don called and left a messsage explaining he was with his wife at the hospital where she was going to undergo a biopsy. He said he would call me after 7 p.m. I called Don back a few minutes later and he answered the phone, stating, "You're lucky, I was just out here getting a smoke." He then went on to reiterate that his wife might have cancer and told me he would be unable to return to my home over the next two days, because he needed to take care of her.
Understanding that his wife was ill and because he originally said he lived in Eagle Rock, I offered to drive my car to his home so that he could conduct the necessary repairs in close proximity of his wife, but he blurted out "No!" and said he would call me on Friday, July 3rd.
On July 3rd and because I had not heard from Don, I began calling the cellular number which appeared on his Craigslist act on 6/27/09. A computerized message answered, advising me that the subscriber at that number was not answering calls. I continued calling from about 4:10 pm. until 6:30 pm but Don never answered his cellular.
When I returned home, I conducted a new search on Craigslist and discovered 2 new ads posted by Don on 7/2/09, both with a different email address and cellular number than the one shown in his 6/27/09 ad. The new cellualar is 323-202-3635. I called the number and Don answered the phone immediately.
I asked how his wife was feeling but evidently taken aback, he stammered, "She's fine-she's fine." I asked if he intended on returning to my home. He stuttered and said he would be at my home on Saturday 7/4/09 but that it would be "late." When I asked if he could provide an approximate time, he said he couldn't. I asked, "After 3 or 4 [pm]?" and he replied, "Yeah" and quickly stated, "I have to go."
On Saturday, I sent him an email verifying that I was expecting him at my home. Within 60 minutes, Don called and said he would be unable to come to my home because he had forgotten to purcahse a schematic for my vehicle without which, he could not properly install the fuse box. He assured me that he would return on Sunday, July 5th. ." I then told him that it did not appear, based on the pressing circumstances in his life that he is able to do the job and asked if he could return the money I paid him to purchase the part. He stated he couldn't because he never leaves a job unfinished. He then said he would see me on July 4th, 2009 and hung-up.
Shortly after conclusion of the call, I sent him an email, requesting he return my money and in which I listed the numerous excuses made by him during the week, cancelling his scheduled appointments to complete the work. I also stated that if the money was not returned to me by 10 a.m. Sunday, 7/5/09, I would have no choice but to report the incident to Craigslist and to the NE Division of the LAPD. He did not respond.
On Sunday, 7/5/09, Don didn't call but at night I received the following email:
I will respond via US Postal to the address diagnosis was performed (- $68.50) for service call/diagnosis. Thank you and good luck!
The email was sent from his original email box, autodoctor43@ymail.com.
I replied by asking, "When???????..." and he responded, "ASAP.....believe me, I'm going to relieve myself of "You and your problem" right away...and this will be the end of it! If not...then I will have to take legal action! Apparently you think you have some right to go around threatening people, well you don't sir...like I said, good luck and good riddens!!!"
On Monday, 7-6-09, I visited the NE Division of the police and filed an official report, though at that time, I still believed Don's last name was Land, as shown on the receipt issued to me on 6/28/09.
Earlier today, I conducted a search of his "ymail" address and discovered that the account is registered to Don Atkerson and not Don Land, the name he signed on the receipt. I conducted a search on the internet, using switchboard.com, whitepages.com, and yellowpages.los angeles.com and located Don Atkerson whose address appears as 3007 W. Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505-2312 along with telephone number, (818)846-1868. I conducted a further search for that address and found that it is for the Safety Shop, an automobile shop. I called the number and asked for Don Atkerson but the person answering the phone said he is no longer employed there.
Here are only some of the links for each craigslist ad posted by Don Atkerson. He continues to post on a daily basis and since I complained to craiglist.com, he has altered his ad description and changed his email addresses. Here are some of the email addresses used in his ads:
autodoctor@ymail.com
cardoctor@yahoo.com
autodoctor43@ymail.com
Here are two cellular's used in his ads:
(323)202-3635
(818)291-3271.
Links to his 7/02/09-7/07/09 ads are shown below:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/aos/1257827805.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/aos/1257826636.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/aos/1254466662.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/aos/1254371554.html
In an ad posted 7/09/09, he describes himself as, "ASE CERT. BRAKE SPECIALIST-MOBILE SERV. "SUPER-SALE!"**** (LA/SFV/SGV/SO. BAY)". The link to that ad is http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/aos/1261463265.html.
After contacting craigslist.com and writing to him, demanding he return my money, he sent me the following email on Wednesday, 7/08/09, he sent me the following message:
"Apparently David.....you have chosen to take this to a whole new level and thats fine! However if you SLANDER my character any more.....I will have you arrested Sir!!! Believe me my friend you DO NOT want to go there!!!!! You have no idea who your trying to tangle with! Slander me one more time David and you'll know who & what your dealing with then! Better just let it go my friend!!!!!!!!!!!"
I replied, by advising him I filed a police report. On 7/09/09, he wrote:
once again you know nothing so keep jumping in and I'll watch you drown!!!!!!!!!!
Do not be as foolish as I was and surrender money to any person you do not know and certainly not to a mobile repairman. And definintely, avoid all communication with Don Atkerson aka Don Land aka Auto Doctor.
David
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.
Why file a report here? Ripoff Report is a permanent record! Other complaint sites copy our content then remove reports for money.
