‘This is why you always take a non-refundable deposit.’
A mechanic goes on an expletive-filled rant after spending 15 hours pulling apart a car, only to learn the customer wants to cancel the job. Here is his stream-of-consciousness response. TikTok creator Bobby (@dxmnitbobby) posted a video expressing his frustration on Monday.
“Customer states they no longer wanna do the job after we are this far into said job,” he says to start the video, showing a car on the lift.
He continues, “Well, would you look at that? I guess this is my car until you [expletive] pay me, huh? Do you know what a mechanic’s lien is? You’re about to find the [expletive] out.”
Bobby continues his imagined conversation. “Better yet, if you only want to pay for half of it, we’ll send the new parts back and forklift this [expletive] into the parking lot, and you can just do whatever you want,” he says. “We’ll give you 24 hours to figure it out before we call a wrecker. How much do you think that’s worth in scrap metal?”
He anticipates the customer’s next move. “Oh, you’re gonna call the cops? Call them,” he says.
Then, Bobby pretends to urinate on the car. “We’re only 15 hours into the job,” he says. “You only had all the time in the world to realize you didn’t want to do it. That’s OK. I’m still getting paid one way or another.”
In the video’s comments section, viewers reacted to Bobby’s stream-of-consciousness customer takedown and offered their own opinions on the situation.
“We all know that’s brake cleaner,” said one viewer, commenting on the “urine” Bobby used.
“10/10 stream,” joked a second viewer.
A third viewer said, “Also, storage fees while it sits around awaiting payment.”
Someone else stated, “I know this is satire, but I understand the anger.”
Mechanic’s lien laws vary state by state, but generally, it is a way for mechanics to get payment for their labor or materials purchased while on a job. Essentially, the lien prevents the car owner from selling it while the lien is in place, thereby incentivizing them to pay the bill.
However, there is a lot of paperwork that comes along with that process. Mechanics have to file by a specific deadline, give notice to the property owner, and enforce the lien through legal action. Of course, not every mechanic is going to have those resources.
In this Reddit thread posted to r/Construction three years ago, commenters noted these constraints and recommended seeking legal representation or going to small claims court.
Motor1 contacted Bobby via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We will update this story if he responds.
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