Call Kurtis Investigates: Unlicensed Mobile Mechanics
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WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- They'll come right to your home, workplace or where your car broke down and often offer to fix cars at low prices. Many of these mobile mechanics have no business touching your vehicle. Some customers like Shelby Best of Sacramento will tell you why.
"I felt very personally violated," she said.
The single mom searched for a mobile mechanic online and found a guy who advertised that he was "experienced, quick, efficient and totally honest".
Shelby believed it, but she says her van only made it about ten miles after the $2300 in repairs before her engine blew. She says the mobile mechanic forgot to put oil in it and then she couldn't find him. Turns out, this "honest" guy didn't have a license with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, which means he can't legally repair cars.
"It feels like someone came in my house and robbed me."
If you scan the web, you'll find hundreds of mobile mechanics on Craigslist. The Chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair Sherry Mehl says the growing problem is big, because many of them don't have licenses. Her investigators have catalogued more than 900 mobile mechanics from Stockton to Redding.
"Anybody can do this," she says. "There's no guarantee this person is who they say they are. A lot of times they use false names, so they think they can avoid apprehension."
That means if they damage your car, you have little to no recourse. It's especially a problem if they vanish.
We went online and scanned the ads. Our producer made some calls. We wanted to see if we could lure some of these guys right to us in the CBS13 parking lot which we wired with several hidden cameras.
We set up appointments for the following day. Two men who identified themselves as Rueben and Roman showed up to do a brake job.
"You guys said fifty bucks per brake right," our producer asked. "Yeah," one of them responded.
But the pair gets squeamish when our producer starts questioning their credentials.
"Do you guys have a license to do this stuff?"
"Yeah," one of them responds.
They then walked back toward their car and climbed in, and when I walked toward them, they sped off out of our parking lot.
A few hours later our second scheduled mechanic shows up. We're especially interested in speaking with him, because he's Daniel Natco, the same guy Shelby Best says destroyed her van. We told him our alternator wasn't working properly.
"So you said a hundred bucks?" our producer asked. "Yeah, $100," he responds.
As Daniel looked under the hood, I head his way and ask him if he has a license.
"Do I? uh. It's in the mail."
"Did you know you can't be working on cars unless you have a license in hand?" I asked.
"I didn't know that," he responds.
But according to the Bureau of Automotive Repair he should've known, because they cited Natco in their own sting last month for not being a licensed mechanic. I reminded Natco his ad says he's trustworthy, reliable and dependable and asked him if he can really say that if he isn't licensed. He responded, "Yeah." I reminded him of customer Shelby Best who said he forgot to put oil in her van before it blew up. He said, "No, that's not true." He then decided he didn't want to speak with me anymore.
The state says some of these unlicensed mechanics have criminal pasts. Out of the ten men they busted during their sting last month, two were arrested on outstanding warrants.
"These are people you are inviting to your home to do work on your car," Mehl said.
After Natco realized we weren't law enforcement, he headed for his SUV. He told us he has a "huge clientele base". I asked him if he'd make sure he had his license before taking new jobs. He responded, "Yeah, I'll be compliant".
We found ads for him up within a week. We confirmed after the state's sting Natco has applied for a license. As of today, the state still hasn't issued him one.
Shelby Best was forced to junk her van. She learned trying to save money sometimes comes with an even bigger price tag.
"You don't realize how much you rely on your vehicle until you don't have it. All I want to say is beware of who you're calling when you try and call a mobile mechanic. Make sure when they come out you see their credentials. See a license."
Natco and the mechanics caught during the state's sting will answer to a judge later this month.
When selecting a mobile mechanic or a regular mechanic, ask for their license. Just because they give you a license number, doesn't mean it's a real one or one that belongs to them. Plug in that number into the Bureau of Automotive Repair page to see if it's legitimate and who it belongs to. The links below may help you pick a good mechanic.
