So, I went to this tire shop, that will remain unnamed for now, for an alignment on Friday. I've been taking cars there since I was a teenager (let's just say decades). The dad still runs the show, but in recent years the son has been more and more active in running the business.
I went in, and the dad recognized me immediately. We exchanged niceties and his son took the keys to the car. I saw the son drive away in it, presumably to see what he was dealing with in the way of an alignment.
The alignment took a long time. Figuring that this might be the case, I brought my work laptop with me (this is pertinent to the story).
I took a couple of calls outside the shop, but spent most of my time in the waiting room.
The son finally tells me the car is done, explained how far out the alignment had been, how had had corrected it and presented me with a bill. I paid it and left.
On the way home, I realized that I had left my work laptop and bag at the shop. I called the owner to see if it was still there. Yep - right where I left it. I told him that I'd be by in a few minutes to get it. I was about a mile from my house.
The limo was out of gas and my brother was to borrow it the next morning (Saturday) for a bachelor's party. Being the cheap SOB that I am, I didn't want to put gas in it. When I got home, I parked the limo and took the Trans Am back to the shop to retrieve my laptop since it had gas in it. I drove the Trans Am for the rest of the day.
Saturday morning (yesterday), I got up early to clean the limo up a bit. I vacuumed it out, did some minor interior detailing and then popped the hood to check the fluids. My bro was taking the car down to the Jersey Shore and I wanted to make sure everything was up to snuff.
As I walked around to the passenger side, which I hadn't needed to do until that point, I noticed 2 things:
- a huge dent on the top of the fender and the door frame
- a white streak down the rear window
They had tried to buff out the dents, both by hand and by machine. It was obvious. I then remembered that when I got in the car after the alignment that the right side mirror was pointed at the ground. I didn't think anything of it, figuring they needed to see the curb while backing up. I simply adjusted it back to normal and was on my way. But now it appears as if the mirror was hit too.
They either neglected to notice or decided not to do anything about the white streak down the right rear door window. Whatever they hit with the car was white. It rubbed off the rear door window, but had damaged the window frame where it meets the fixed portion of the glass.
The shop was closed yesterday (Saturday) so I get to present all this to the guy tomorrow (Monday). Since he allowed me to leave the shop with a damaged vehicle, I hold little hope that he'll own up to actually having done the damage. I've already called my attorney.
The car isn't perfect, but it left that shop in far worse shape than when it went in. You can't trust anybody with anything these days.
I'll post the results of my conversation with the owner tomorrow. Should be fascinating (for me anyway).
I went in, and the dad recognized me immediately. We exchanged niceties and his son took the keys to the car. I saw the son drive away in it, presumably to see what he was dealing with in the way of an alignment.
The alignment took a long time. Figuring that this might be the case, I brought my work laptop with me (this is pertinent to the story).
I took a couple of calls outside the shop, but spent most of my time in the waiting room.
The son finally tells me the car is done, explained how far out the alignment had been, how had had corrected it and presented me with a bill. I paid it and left.
On the way home, I realized that I had left my work laptop and bag at the shop. I called the owner to see if it was still there. Yep - right where I left it. I told him that I'd be by in a few minutes to get it. I was about a mile from my house.
The limo was out of gas and my brother was to borrow it the next morning (Saturday) for a bachelor's party. Being the cheap SOB that I am, I didn't want to put gas in it. When I got home, I parked the limo and took the Trans Am back to the shop to retrieve my laptop since it had gas in it. I drove the Trans Am for the rest of the day.
Saturday morning (yesterday), I got up early to clean the limo up a bit. I vacuumed it out, did some minor interior detailing and then popped the hood to check the fluids. My bro was taking the car down to the Jersey Shore and I wanted to make sure everything was up to snuff.
As I walked around to the passenger side, which I hadn't needed to do until that point, I noticed 2 things:
- a huge dent on the top of the fender and the door frame
- a white streak down the rear window
They had tried to buff out the dents, both by hand and by machine. It was obvious. I then remembered that when I got in the car after the alignment that the right side mirror was pointed at the ground. I didn't think anything of it, figuring they needed to see the curb while backing up. I simply adjusted it back to normal and was on my way. But now it appears as if the mirror was hit too.
They either neglected to notice or decided not to do anything about the white streak down the right rear door window. Whatever they hit with the car was white. It rubbed off the rear door window, but had damaged the window frame where it meets the fixed portion of the glass.
The shop was closed yesterday (Saturday) so I get to present all this to the guy tomorrow (Monday). Since he allowed me to leave the shop with a damaged vehicle, I hold little hope that he'll own up to actually having done the damage. I've already called my attorney.
The car isn't perfect, but it left that shop in far worse shape than when it went in. You can't trust anybody with anything these days.
I'll post the results of my conversation with the owner tomorrow. Should be fascinating (for me anyway).