This isn’t the first time I’ve used a mobile auto repair service. In the past, I’ve hired mobile technicians for dent removal, paint touch-ups, detailing, and headlight restoration, and I’ve generally had good experiences. I guess that’s why I let my guard down this time.

I needed a couple of dents removed and some paint touch-up work done on my Subaru. The technician guaranteed that he could match the factory (OEM) paint color. He fixed the dents reasonably well—not perfect, but acceptable.

The trouble started with the paint. After applying it, he covered the repaired areas with a temporary pink layer and told me to wash it off after two days. When I did, I was horrified to see badly mismatched, patchy paint.
I contacted him, and after a few exchanges, he agreed to come back the following Saturday to fix it. He never showed up. When I called him, I discovered that his phone number had been disconnected.
This is the Yelp business I hired:
Auto Body Solution

A recurring pattern?

After looking into this, I found numerous similar complaints on Yelp. The pattern is striking:

1. Extremely prompt responses. They respond to Yelp inquiries almost immediately, often faster than established businesses.
2. Pushy sales tactics. The initial quote looks attractive, but the final bill keeps growing with add-ons such as paint billed by the ounce, rust protection, and other extras.
3. No identifiable business name on their vehicles. They use generic decals, making it difficult to identify the actual business.
4. No reviews or mostly negative reviews. Some listings have no reviews at all. Others have just one or two, often from people complaining about scams or poor service. Another example.
5. Advertised as open 24 hours. I noticed this on some of these listings, which is another red flag when combined with the other patterns.
6. Phone numbers that stop working. In my case, the number was disconnected after the dispute. My suspicion is that they use temporary numbers through services such as TextNow or TextFree.

I found the same guy on Reddit

I then searched Reddit and found this thread about a similar mobile dent repair scam in the Santa Clara area:
PSA: Mobile Dent Repair Scam
The person described there looks like the technician I dealt with, but I noticed three differences: he now wears glasses (to change appearance?), drives a red Ford F-150, and introduced himself to me as Robert rather than Jonathan.

How to protect yourself

If you're considering a mobile auto body repair service, here are a few things I'd recommend:

1. Ask for their BAR registration number. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) regulates automotive repair dealers and certain automotive services. You can verify registration through the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) license search portal: https://search.dca.ca.gov/
2. Take a picture of the vehicle's license plate and record the business details. If the technician refuses to provide basic identifying information, walk away. Someone operating a legitimate business shouldn't have a problem with reasonable verification.
3. Agree on the full price upfront. Get a proper estimate covering labor, paint, materials, and any additional charges. Don't let them keep adding things to the bill without your approval.
4. Don't trust a low quote or a quick Yelp response alone. Ask what happens if the repair doesn't turn out as promised.
5. File a complaint if you get burned. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) handles complaints against automotive repair businesses: https://www.bar.ca.gov/complaint. It’s a state agency funded by our tax dollars, and filing a complaint helps hold dishonest businesses accountable. BAR can investigate patterns of misconduct, especially when it receives multiple credible complaints against the same business.

I've filed complaints about smog-check stations before, and BAR was very responsive. I'm going to file a complaint about Robert/Jonathan too, although I'm not sure how much they can do now that his phone number is disconnected and I don't have CA license plate number.

Be careful out there. I learned this the hard way, and I'm sharing my experience so others don't make the same mistake.

I am attaching pictures of the red Ford F-150.