Dent removal company says impostors are scamming people on Central Coast

A dent removal company operating on the Central Coast claims impostors are trashing its reputation.

To add to that, victims have come forward to News Channel 5 saying they’re out thousands of dollars.

For the last three years, it’s been the season of giving for Mary Surber. At 71, she volunteers for the Salvation Army as a bell-ringer.

This year, she said she was scammed out of $1100.

“Really stupid but I will not fall for something like that again, that’s for sure,” Surber said.

She said a scratch in her Chrysler led to an encounter she’d much rather forget.

“He was such a smooth talker and everything sounded like it was on the up and up,” she said referring to a supposed repair man who asked for $300 to fix the scratch and $800 on a deposit for extra equipment needed for the job.

Surber said she handed it all over in cash.

The man left but when she checked the car, the scratch was still there.

“I had this funny feeling so I called the cell number [but] it had been disconnected,” she said.

Bill Davis owns the Salinas dent removal franchise “DentPro” and said Surber is not alone.

“We’re getting all the phone calls and all of the heat from the crumby repairs that they’re doing,” Davis said.

Someone is pretending to be him and reaping the benefits of unfinished business, Davis said.

DentPro operates all over California and said the problem is company-wide.

“For the last 10-plus years we have had impostors using the DentPro name to scam unsuspecting customers into using a repair process that is unlike any service we provide,” said Mitch Buich, owner and CEO of DentPro, in a written statement. “They come in for a few weeks at a time typically twice a year.”

Unfortunately, Surber was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“If somebody approaches you, turn around and walk away,” Surber warned.

DentPro said its employees don’t approach you at home or in parking lots, you have to call them.

Additionally, their vehicles are all white vehicles with identical blue and red lettering.