Single mom paid Florida auto repair shop owner over $2k for repairs she says were never done 

That Debra Noonan woman is scary looking.

Do NOT ever pay for car repairs with cash. Use a credit ir debt card! Any issues, you call and do a charge back with your credit card. Protection.

I hope Debra Noonan wasn't scamming money for plastic surgery. Because her face is beyond repair.

Greedy people who want all the money to do nothing.

The most scary thing about this is that the state and local government will do absolutely nothing about this. It's been 3 years and her other case still hasn't been to court. This one will likely never get any traction at all. Government people only care about these things when it happens to them. Then they start passing new laws and making the system work.

I brought my car to a shop in Belleview Florida for misfires. The shop said it was the coils and plugs. $900+ later and I drove out with the same problem I went in with. They then told me it was the computer, then they told me it was the engine, then they told me they didn't know what was wrong!! I watched some Scanner Danner videos and purchased a decent scanner and fuel pressure gauge. I found out my car had low fuel pressure. I had my neighbor replace the fuel pump for me and now my car runs great. The shop I took my car to had great reviews. They advertised they have the latest in diagnostic equipment and training!! They could not even diagnose low fuel pressure. Total hacks!! They are parts changers that have no clue what they are doing!! Trust no one!!

Just one look at the couple running the shop would make me run!

When i have work done on my car.I ask for the old parts.They look at me Like I don't trust people.

It takes AT MOST 2 days to replace an engine. I've replaced countless engines in a day.

Florida has no consumer protection laws.

This should be criminal and not predicted by corporate veil

Most of the business here in Florida are a scam

Put shop owner in jail till she pays everybody back, I guarantee her family will come up with the funds.

Cops will not investigate or file charges. Call it civil unless it was their family member

$2900 for a replacement motor? So obvious its a scam.

This happened to my aunt, she threatened the owner with a butcher knife. She got her car back, paid nothing but now State Police are looking for her. She disappeared 5 days ago. 😟

$2900 is well below market value for replacing an engine.

Lmao. They claim that the $2200 dollars was for towing? Wow.

Why does it matter that she’s a single mom? Correct, impartial headline is “Customer….”

The shop even looks sketchy, always go by your gut feeling

If she still waiting to go to court for the first time then they should’ve suspended her business license

3 year’s and still no trial that is ridiculous storage ⁉️ how is it storage when the business is waiting for the new engine to get to the shop and you paid them for replacing the engine nothing was said about storage too bad she didn’t google them before hand 🥴

Debra looks like the vilans in the batman movies 🤔🤔🤣😭

Everyone should educate themselves about their car. I'm a 56 year old woman. Thanks to the internet, I'm very knowledgeable about my car and how it works.

She should ask for a quotation first, to see how much will it cost her to repair her car.

And as an IT Specialist this is exactly the reason I started to work on my own vehicle and my parent's vehicles as much as possible on the weekends.

Happens every day in every shop in America. Another reason why we need to return to vigilance committees. This could be addressed by the citizens very quickly and a very clear message sent to the others. This would not ever happen if the people would stand up and take care of business and themselves.

What’s bad is when you do a great job and everything works perfect and 5 months later you receive a 7500 dollar chargeback from an out of state customer and the paperwork from your credit card merchant states it was charged back due to not receiving the goods in which I sent in my invoice and the invoice from the dealer for the engine with their vin and mileage. And this was one of many. I don’t trust anything other than cash. People are just as much scam artists as bad mechanics and shop owners.

If possible take your vehicle to a dealership, it will probably cost more but at least they do the work.

If they weren’t going to replace the engine why are the engine parts in the back seat? You don’t take parts off something you’re not going to fix.

What about single working fathers?

why pay b4 repair?

The real story is how auto manufacturers build these incredible complex turbo engine and stick them in economy boxes meant for lower income drivers.

my next door neighbor needed work on his vehicle at pep boys and did a chalk line on the tire to ground. they called and say his vehicle was ready and went to pep boys and found the vehicle never moved from the line and told them. sometimes u have to be inventive to make sure ur vehicle is fix or not

Mechanic shops should be regulated as their lack of honesty/competence can jeopardize the lives of customers.

If they were never going to replace then why did they remove the cooling and headlight assy. And support structures.??? Part of the scam.

If the word "towing" is in the name that is on you for bringing your car to them. Never do that.

$2200 to replace a motor? That’s on the low side for labor alone, gonna be thousands more for a (well used) replacement motor.

I was duped the same way in tallahassee florida usa at the AAA approved auto shop near killearn Ave. I paid just $120 (not $2200 as in this story). The sad part is that even AAA approved facilities can be corrupt

First mestake it’s a tow truck company that’s is 🚩 I wouldn’t trust them… always ask a neighbor or co workers where they get their car fixed

The fact that shop claimed they install an engine for $2900 when other shops likely would request 4k plus sure have been a red flag in itself?

I wouldn’t give any money to a person favoring a raccoon

Why has nothing been done to help this woman who was ripped off? And the other man who was ripped off from the same place 3 years ago - it hasn't even gone to trial yet! Nothing is being done to hold this thief woman and her auto business accountable!

OMFG!!!! Why would you go to a place like that to fix your car? They cannot even fix their building and land.

Can anyone explain why it's handled differently when a person steals from a business VS when a business steals from a person? Should be easier to prosecute the business than an individual, the laws seem backwards, but are definetely not fair or even. If we steal its criminal and we are in jail immediately, if a business steals its a civil matter and can take years to resolve, if ever. Why?

thats why i try fix stuff myself if i take it to a shop i ask for the old parts back

what does single mom have to do with it.

See it's a tow business, and they expect the person whose car broke down, to be some kind of drug addict hit a bunch of drama and disaster because they lost their vehicle and never returned for the vehicle and that you put a storage lien on it and they get to keep it. After repeatedly swiping vehicles from people dead off the interstate that's how they make their living. By scrapping the vehicles. They even apply for abandonment titles repair them and resell them. They're hoping the person throws their hands up and decides to never go get the thing when they can't pay the storage bill. It's an old scam that goes on with any company that does Towing.

Places that install used engines and say they are guaranteed will in many cases put in a bad one and replace it charging you for reinstalling a second engine. It's old scam. Like lifetime stuff the labor is not covered.

You even gotta be careful in some of the chain stores do your home work they will take advantage and over charge

remembering the movie "Mask", it was always interesting how much the car repairers got the screenwriter that he made such a gorgeous scene with exhaust pipes.

Exactly what I’m talking about. How do I know they’re doing what they say they are doing. And they get mad if you want to watch what they are doing. If they don’t want us in the shop, put up cameras for customers to view for peace of mind and transparency. It’s rare to find an honest mechanic, 90 percent of them will scam you so do your research.

Never let a tow company work on your car. If you see a tow company that says they work on cars to, so called mechanic shop, then thats a red flag. Go to a mechanic shop that looks like one and thats all they do.

She got scammed but who Zelle’s $1200 to a business? That’s just dumb. And that place just looks shady asf

She couldn't have found a more shadier spot.😮

Sometimes it's just best to lease a vehicle that's going to have a warranty and exchange for a new one in 3 years.... Cars are a money pit.

That shop and owner both look scary. Use your judgement and reseach the shop plus get a second opinion.

if you pull up and the business looks like that !!! haul ass outta there. florida's a shady place, CAN'T FIND THAT ON GOOGLE.

The owner had her send an additional $1200 on February 20th knowing their business license was expiring on February 25th & at the same time telling this lady her vehicle will be ready March 10th. It was one last scam before they closed their doors. People are heartless. Wow!

My sister had a mechanic in Ohio that would charge her for new parts and was using used parts all along. For years of mechanic work only reason she found out was she took it to different mechanic and he said all your parts are used. When my sister confronted him about it he said I’m not your mechanic anymore. Be careful out here times are tough all the way around.

And the real question is why would a relatively new car need an replaced engine?

Her first mistake was not buying a Toyota, her second was having absolutely no intuition or primal instincts looking at those two. I wouldn't let that shop put air in my bicycle

Florida, where the Consumer is always wrong and the Business that screws them over, is always right.

If you don’t know where to go when you have car trouble, and you’re not familiar the best thing to do is just take it to a dealership because the way better regulated and a third party.

I learned one thing, take your car to the Dealership. Sure it'll be expensive, but it'll be done right....

At a mechanic shop, I paid for a new Cadillac converter instead I got a 2 inch pipe no Cadillac converter on a ChevroletAVEO I got a straight pipe for $1400 that’s crazy. No Cadillac run at all.

Florida law is not backing up the consumer.

A woman should be thrown in jail and should be forced to give back the money to that lady.

would anyone give anything to that woman?

Wow, scamming a single mom? That's just so wrong. Hope she gets helped and her money back.

I had that happened to me with my first car. I had to contact the Florida Department of professional business regulation. I was able to get my money back.

A case study in idiocy.... No sympathy.

In this case she should have checked if anything done to her care, before she paid the amount, by canceling the check or credit card.

In Canada, repair shops don’t ask for money up front, they will call you if they find more issues and let you know the cost to repair it but you have the choice to get it done or not. I also wonder sometimes if the work you are paying for is actually getting done, I think that’s where mechanics take advantage of people because not everyone knows everything about cars, so unless you have knowledge about cars, mechanics can tell you anything and you’ll agree to have the work done.

I bought a navigator 15 years ago in california and i took it to pep boys in hollywood to get it check out and tune up so i can ride it home to south dakota i drop it off early morning then waited all morning until 5pm they didnt do nothing to my car and i was told from another mechanic that the battery in my car was smaller for the vehicle

Get a lawyer and file a high lawsuit. Report them to your State Attorneys Office.

As a mechanic 2400 for a motor swap? What kinda LKQ special is that

A Debra Noonan Halloween costume would terrify the neighborhood children.

Dealerships are notorious for these scams 🛑

This is sad! You can’t trust anyone today. My brother was having some repairs done on a washing machine. He gave my mom the key to be there during the repairs because he had to work. My mom put something like a mark on the old part that needed to be repaired. When he was done, she went back in to look at the new part he installed. She asked him to come get her before he put it back together 😂. She asked for the old part and he went back to his truck to get it. Well she was already on her knees looking at the machine repairs. He showed her a part that didn’t come off the machine 😂! She wrote the serial number down before he came 😂. She also showed him her hidden mark and she was recording the entire time. He never put a new part on it. She said he finished too quick. My brother ended up suing them because it was a civil dispute. He got a new washing machine. My mom don’t play even if it’s not her money 😂.

Sorry to that. I don't know why it's so hard to find an honorable mechanic. I paid a company to change my motor mounts and they pulled the bolts out and just left them there laying loosely and never put the new ones in. I couldn't believe they gave me my truck back like that.

Welcome to Florida

Glad I never pay anyone for any work done wether it’s home repairs or car repairs. I do it all myself. Granted tools add up its so worth knowing you didn’t get ripped off by anyone.

Why would anyone take a car to a shop that looks like that for ANY repair? I wouldn't even let them wash my car let alone work on it.

Never go with any company that starts with an A

I wonder if the lady only needed a alternator if the engine just died, check the battery alternator charging system not change the motor

Never trust the small shop , if u have a problem to ur car bring it to the dealer 100% guaranteed they will fix it no problem!

TRASH STATE NOW ! 😢

How does someone become a Single Mom?

Its called a wall job. Flat rate compensation for mechanics is part of this problem, but greed plays a big part.

If proven true, these guys should see a few months jail

I used to do auto technician work military and civilian. I don't trust other people with the vihicle. I do my own oil changes every 5000 mile that it recommends. The oil and toyota says it should be changed every 15000. The oil starts to breakdown at the 5000 miles. After that you will get heat friction on the cylinder wall and cause to overheat. I think this lady didn't change her oil regularly. Thats why she needed a new motor.

Word of advice for anybody that does business with other people like this do not use zelle to do transactions because there's nothing that the banks could do for you. Always do a check and or use your credit card in case any fraud happens you can contest it and dispute the case

Who pays in cash anymore? Pay with credit card, not cash. That’s just idiotic.

We’ll this is going viral nationally so hopefully this gets resolved immediately

Dumb ! She will never see a dime returned.. must be a scam. Sorry it happens daily..

Key words "single mom"

What does her being a single mom have to do with anything? If she is not a single mom does it make it ok?

For Honda or Toyota, you should always take your car to an Authorized dealer.

I find it strange that the business is in her name.....sounds shady.