European Foreign Domestic Auto Repair of Aventura, FL DISHONEST DECEPTIVE FRAUDULENT PREDATORY Aventura Florida

I had a complex electrical issue with my 2003 Mercedes CLK which required replacing the battery, battery cable, alternator, belt, pulley, tensioner, etc. I completed repairs at European Foreign Domestic Auto Repair, a job costing over $7,000.00, which initially seemend ok given that this was my first big repair job on a Mercedes and I did not know any better.

After retrieving my car, I researched part prices online and found I had been charged between 140 and 2000 percent markup. Speaking with the store manager Walter Peña, he refused to acknowledge my demands for restitution.  I had to threaten to file suit under Florida Statutes for damages, and then he agreed in writing to give me $600 worth of store credit, towards in-house labor.  I was satisfied with that settlement agreement, even though it was for less than what I thought was fair. 

About 6 or 7 months later I had a cooling issue which required replacing the radiator. Given that I had this store credit for labor with European, I dropped off my vehicle and ordered the parts online. Amazingly, Walt flat-out refused to honor his agreement with me.  Like the previous time, it took hours and hours on the phone with him and his staff - and again, my threatening to file suit - in order for him to comply and honor the $600 in-store labor credit that he had agreed to.

(I literally told him "the next time I'm in your shop, it's either for me to pick up my repaired car, or to serve you with a lawsuit seeking actual damages, punitive damages and the revocation of your license"). Only in the face of THAT kind of pressure did Walter honor his word to me, and he insisted - as a condition for him honoring his word - that I go online to give him positive reviews. To my eternal shame, I did this because I was tired of dealing with him, and I have since corrected that mistake.)

A few weeks after I picked up my vehicle, the original electronic problem came back! Turns out, the "new" parts he had overcharged me for in my first visit malfunctioned, then died, leaving me stranded on the road. On a friend's suggestion, I was placed in contact with an known honest mechanic who charges fair prices, and who ended up charging me a little over $2,200 for the same job that Walter charged me over $7,000 for. 

When I related to him my experience with Walter at European Foreign Domestic, this mechanic showed me the parts he took out of my car, that were supposedly replaced in that first $7k repar job. The wear and tear on the parts that European said were replaced clearly revealed that these were NOT replaced but original parts, and the job was never done.

Likewise, the accumulated dirt coating on the underside of the alternator housing made it abundantly clear that my original malfunctioning alternator - again, for which Walter charged me 140% markup to replace with a brand-new unit - was never replaced. In fact, it was really my original alternator sitting in my car which, was rebuilt at European - and rebuilt poorly, as the part failed!!

(To be sure, the topside of the alternator housing was thoroughly cleaned by European when I picked up my car from Walter the first time, giving the appearance that this was a new car - but when the unit was removed, the dirt that accumulated over the years was clearly seen, and Walter's subterfuge was revealed.)

Let there be no doubt - European Foreign Domestic Auto Repair of Aventura is dishonest, fraudulent, and predatory.

They will not honor agreements they make unless you've got them dead to rights and put Walter's feet to the fire. They will overcharge you every chance they get. They will take advantage of your lack of technical knowledge about modern european vehicles. They will even coerce clients into promoting their dishonesty online as a condition for dispute resolution.

Not surprisingly, a quick online check with the Florida Department of State reveals this business has shuttered and reorganized several times. A consultation with an attorney friend of mine revealed this is common practice when large judgments loom against defendants who use bankruptcy filings as a way to avoid payment of court-assigned damages. Which indicates that suing them would really do me no good at this point.  

To be fair, I would pursue this further in court but I am all to happy to be permanently rid of these people in my life for good, and frankly it's not worth the time and effort to sue them compared to the serenity of never having to see these or deal with these people ever again for the rest of my life.

All I can say is RUN!!!!  RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!!