paint shop blues
12-09-2009, 10:41 PM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Washington
Posts: 347
Ok, well thank you all for the advice. My wife took tons of pictures each time she visited, so yes, we do have pictures of all the problem...
I am no longer in the Army. I am now a DOD contractor... did 9 1/2 years AD then got out because I'm 80% disabled.
The shop is in Tacoma, WA. So that's a prety major city.
My wife is going to pick up the car on Friday, half stripped and all. She called them today, and the manager was conveniently gone all day. And they won't cough up the owner's name/number.
We have already talked to another shop in town who is a bit more pricey, but they seem to do good work and have offered to put everything in writing. They also say they can get it done before I come home next month.
I'll keep you posted.
I am no longer in the Army. I am now a DOD contractor... did 9 1/2 years AD then got out because I'm 80% disabled.
The shop is in Tacoma, WA. So that's a prety major city.
My wife is going to pick up the car on Friday, half stripped and all. She called them today, and the manager was conveniently gone all day. And they won't cough up the owner's name/number.
We have already talked to another shop in town who is a bit more pricey, but they seem to do good work and have offered to put everything in writing. They also say they can get it done before I come home next month.
I'll keep you posted.
12-10-2009, 01:35 AM
#12
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Washington
Posts: 723
I don't know specifically where you're located. Media can do allot of damage. Most large cities have news channels, and some of those news channels have journalists that specialize in consumer affair issues such as yours. It's amazing how cooperative companies get when they get bad press on the local TV station. I'd start with your local TV stations and see if they have a consumer hotline or email. Everytime I hear something like this locally, its very funny how the business suddenly becomes "consumer friendly". And being a GI, coming home from deployment, the news media will definitely love this one. Good luck.
Ok, well thank you all for the advice. My wife took tons of pictures each time she visited, so yes, we do have pictures of all the problem...
I am no longer in the Army. I am now a DOD contractor... did 9 1/2 years AD then got out because I'm 80% disabled.
The shop is in Tacoma, WA. So that's a prety major city.
My wife is going to pick up the car on Friday, half stripped and all. She called them today, and the manager was conveniently gone all day. And they won't cough up the owner's name/number.
We have already talked to another shop in town who is a bit more pricey, but they seem to do good work and have offered to put everything in writing. They also say they can get it done before I come home next month.
I'll keep you posted.
I am no longer in the Army. I am now a DOD contractor... did 9 1/2 years AD then got out because I'm 80% disabled.
The shop is in Tacoma, WA. So that's a prety major city.
My wife is going to pick up the car on Friday, half stripped and all. She called them today, and the manager was conveniently gone all day. And they won't cough up the owner's name/number.
We have already talked to another shop in town who is a bit more pricey, but they seem to do good work and have offered to put everything in writing. They also say they can get it done before I come home next month.
I'll keep you posted.
12-10-2009, 07:01 AM
#13
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Washington
Posts: 347
Will do... but not until I have a check in hand and my car is out of thier grasp... I wish my wife would not have left them the keys... I can just imagine them doing burnouts with my brand new motor, trans and tires... BTW, still no e-mail or phone calls back from them. No surprise really. My wife is going to call every hour today until she can talk to the manager and get some word.
12-10-2009, 04:15 PM
#15
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Smyrna, TN
Posts: 678
Doesn't the military have some type of legal assisstance program for you to use, I'm sure a lot of service men/women get taken advantage of like this unfortunately as you're not around to check on things you've paid for. I'd check into that, I'm sure a letter from a military atty. would also carry some weight with the shop hopefully.
Doesn't help now but I would have taken the refund and headed for another shop from the first offer, if they did crappy work for pay just imagine how good the work would be for free...there's no incentive for them to work on a car to fix what they screwed up for free man hours when they can make money on the next car and leave your's sit. Something for others to remember from this lesson.
Good luck and thanks for your service,
Jon
Doesn't help now but I would have taken the refund and headed for another shop from the first offer, if they did crappy work for pay just imagine how good the work would be for free...there's no incentive for them to work on a car to fix what they screwed up for free man hours when they can make money on the next car and leave your's sit. Something for others to remember from this lesson.
Good luck and thanks for your service,
Jon
12-10-2009, 06:47 PM
#16
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: texas
Posts: 190
well ripping off a disabled vet... too bad that shop isn't in the Dallas area. I'd like to go tell that owner what I think of the way he is acting. I hope that owner gets literally run over by the karma bus and soon!
12-10-2009, 10:18 PM
#17
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
Doesn't the military have some type of legal assisstance program for you to use, I'm sure a lot of service men/women get taken advantage of like this unfortunately as you're not around to check on things you've paid for. I'd check into that, I'm sure a letter from a military atty. would also carry some weight with the shop hopefully.
Doesn't help now but I would have taken the refund and headed for another shop from the first offer, if they did crappy work for pay just imagine how good the work would be for free...there's no incentive for them to work on a car to fix what they screwed up for free man hours when they can make money on the next car and leave your's sit. Something for others to remember from this lesson.
Good luck and thanks for your service,
Jon
Doesn't help now but I would have taken the refund and headed for another shop from the first offer, if they did crappy work for pay just imagine how good the work would be for free...there's no incentive for them to work on a car to fix what they screwed up for free man hours when they can make money on the next car and leave your's sit. Something for others to remember from this lesson.
Good luck and thanks for your service,
Jon
12-11-2009, 12:51 AM
#19
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Goodyear, AZ
Posts: 1,674
First of all, I am a business owner and I have a AAA BBB rating. You know what that means? It means that I pay them every year for my membership and rating. It is a joke. It is only an advertising tool.
As far as the recourse, Oldrock is correct. Lawyers wont even take it unless you are asking for a huge amount of money. And, they will take most of it anyways. If you threaten them with a suite they will not even care. I am sure it is a weekly occurance for a shop with this lack of integrity.
get the car! ASAP! Document everything. Send them a certified letter stating the situation, your requests, and your intentions. Give them adequate time to respond, then go to your local court and file a claim in small claims court for the maximum amount.
Small claims court is more of a mediation now a days then anything else. You sit in front of a judge and speak your case. the defendant states their reply and thats about it.
remember that documentation is everything. Including phone records (easy if called with a cell) along with who you talked to.
Thank you for serving.
As far as the recourse, Oldrock is correct. Lawyers wont even take it unless you are asking for a huge amount of money. And, they will take most of it anyways. If you threaten them with a suite they will not even care. I am sure it is a weekly occurance for a shop with this lack of integrity.
get the car! ASAP! Document everything. Send them a certified letter stating the situation, your requests, and your intentions. Give them adequate time to respond, then go to your local court and file a claim in small claims court for the maximum amount.
Small claims court is more of a mediation now a days then anything else. You sit in front of a judge and speak your case. the defendant states their reply and thats about it.
remember that documentation is everything. Including phone records (easy if called with a cell) along with who you talked to.
Thank you for serving.
12-11-2009, 12:55 AM
#20
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Goodyear, AZ
Posts: 1,674
Or you can throw a local crack head $200 BUCKS AND A LEAD PIPE and let them have a party with the owner.
A quick google search will tell you who the owner is. if you walk in the front door of the place im sure they must post a business license on the wall. I bet the owners name is on it with a signature! Most shops are required to around here.
A quick google search will tell you who the owner is. if you walk in the front door of the place im sure they must post a business license on the wall. I bet the owners name is on it with a signature! Most shops are required to around here.