KRDO investigates Springs body shop owner for skipping out on customers

Big promises and zero return: several complaints have been made against a local auto body repair shop accused of defrauding customers before vanishing.

Over the past three years, complaints have piled up against Dan Donner of “Concept Auto Body” in Colorado Springs.

“My El Camino was just sitting there torn up,” said William Lanier, the owner of a local speed shop.

Lanier hired Donner in 2016 to spruce up his El Camino. Lanier traded an engine for the work.

“It was worth $3,570,” he said.

A year later after constant calls and texts, Lanier never heard back.

“Shortly after, I found it all torn up down the street from my shop,” said Lanier.

The same thing happened to Troy Matos.

“I’m out like $1,000 to $1,200,” Matos said.

Matos hired Donner in March 2016 to do paint and repair work on his truck.

“He never did any work to it,” he said.

Both Lanier and Matos never heard from him again until recently, when Donner’s company ads re-surfaced on Facebook. Reporter Stephanie Sierra interviewed him on the phone.

“Do you have any intention on getting back to these people?” we asked.

“At some point, I plan on making things right,” Donner said.

“In some of these cases, it’s been a three-year period. Do you think that’s fair to your customers?” we asked.

“No it isn’t,” he said.

“So where is the money now?” we asked.

“Uh. Gone. Like I said I made some bad decisions,” Donner said.

“Are you going to make this a priority now to get that money back to them?”

“Uh as soon as I can, yes.”

As of Friday, Donner is advertising services on Facebook and his company currently has a “C” rating with the Better Business Bureau.

KRDO Only 2019