Baker Auto & Transmissions

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
I am the special projects manager for *** *** *** *** I work extensively with estimates and pricing, especially in an insurance regulated market, and am well-respected by professionals in many fields in and around ButteI understand the difficulty of estimating, and deal with difficult insurance companies and customers very oftenMy wife is the office manager for *** ***, and she deals with difficult customers and billing issues dailyNeither one of us wants to be in this situation, and have strived from the beginning of the difficulties to be gracious and patientWe are not trying to be difficult, and do not want to be here any more than Baker's doesWe have never been in a situation like this before with any companyWe do not appreciate the rude tone of the letter written, especially since we have been nothing but kind, and have even apologized numerous times that we are where we are, even though it is not our faultHowever, the letter we received reaffirms to us that Baker's has been and is continuing to behave in a completely unprofessional mannerThe multiple direct falsehoods in this letter also tell us that they are not at all concerned with customer service, but only protecting themselvesI have listed the incorrect statements made in the letter, in order of appearance:1.) "These findings [were] added to the estimate which we advised the customer about." (False)We were never informed of these changesI have phone records that prove no attempt was ever made to contact either me or my wife, and it was not until work was already done on the car, and parts had already been installed that we were told the price had soared to more than double the estimated range we were givenWhen I expressed surprise, I was flatly told that the price was exactly what had been quoted to meIt was notI was quoted $500.00-$800.00.2.) "We realized that the bill was more than the estimate so we discounted some of the parts to come close to the estimate as it did need more parts than we were aware of in the beginning." (Doubted)We were never told of these discounts, and can find no evidence in our copy of the bill of any such discountsIt seems odd to offer a discount and never tell or give any hints of it to the customerAnd at the rate the bill climbed, I find this very hard to believe. 3.) "The customer was contacted as much as possible to let him know what was going on." (Blatantly False)Again, I have phone records to prove I was never contactedDuring the whole ordeal, only three times did I receive a call from Bakers, and every single time it was in response to multiple calls asking for a replyEach time they called, Bakers was rudeHere are the three calls: - Rick at Bakers responded to my request for information, after numerous attempts to speak to someone who knew what was going onI was informed that the car was done, at $1,When I was shocked at the price, I was rudely told that this was the estimate I was givenAgain, it was notI was then informed that the car needed a starter, and that this could be installed for around $1,It ended up being over $1,- After the car's engine seized, Baker's responded to my repeated calls requesting information (after weeks of holding my car with no communication), saying that there was no way the issues with the engine could have been caused by their workUp to this point, I was only seeking some kind of assistance with the problem from BakersHowever, after this blatant lie, (three separate mechanics have confirmed that there are dozens of ways the work Baker's did could have, and given the timing, likely did cause the issue.) I could no longer see a good way of resolving the issue, and so I asked for a refundRick became mad, and said he would refund labor, but not partsI calmed him down, and apologized, but told him I had no option but to hold to the full refundI have a transcript of this conversation, if it is wanted- Rick at Baker's called to tell me that he had met with the owner of the company, and the two of them had called their insurance. He said that their insurance company wanted me to hire a mechanic to tear the car apart with Baker's and prove that the damages done were Baker's faultWe both know this is a ridiculous request, and even if done, almost certainly would be unable to prove anything either wayI was upset, and asked to speak to their insurance company, for multiple reasons: First, as I requested only a refund, and not damages, an insurance claim is inappropriateSecond, dealing with adjusters on a professional level as I do for work, I wanted to open the door to communication and clarify this requestThird, having been lied to multiple times already, I doubted that Rick had communicated with the owner or the insurance.4.) "Upon completion of the vehicle on June 8th, 2017, our receptionist contacted the customer to advise that the vehicle was ready to pick up and what the final cost was." (False)We contacted BakersThey did not call us. 5.) "The vehicle was not picked up until August 10th, 2017." (Misleading)We reached out several times to apologize for the delay in securing fundingRemember that the final price was 1/times the maximum original estimate, we had to secure a loan. Bakers refused a payment plan, even with substantial payment down(perhaps because they didn't trust their own work?) We have excellent credit.6.) "At no time when the vehicle was picked up were the customers told that there would be no further problems." (False)It may not be your practice, but when queried by my wife, if the car would be safe to take on the highway to Great Falls or Helena, she was told there would be no problems, as the engine had basically been reworked.7.) "The customer contacted us in October stating that the car would not start and would like the vehicle towed to our shop." (False)I asked to speak with the ownerThis was not offeredI did not want the car towed to the shop, as I distrusted Bakers by this point quite stronglyI was transferred to Rick, who arranged to have a technician come look at the car, and tow it if necessaryHe took my number and assured me that I would be called before the technician cameThis never happenedThe car was picked up without our knowledge, and we were unable to confirm that Baker's had it for three weeks, despite repeated calls.8.) "The timing chain did not cause the main crankshaft bearing failure." (Unprovable, Very doubtful)Bakers has stated this repeated and adimately, but they can not prove itAnd with the number of lies and rude nature of this last letter, I am led to wonder if they didn't fix whatever issues caused the failure in the THREE WEEKS they took after picking the vehicle up(just saying!)9.) "We contacted the customer with our findings..." Let's break this unbelievable one up(False)We forced contact with Bakers, they did not contact us.10.) "and were met with a very hostile customer..." (Seriously?)Who started the conversation with, "I am not a confrontational person, and I really don't want to be here..." Who apologized three times in this conversationWho did not raise his voice, did not swear, did not become upset, and even calmed the other party down at one point in the conversationBut instead stated that he had no reason to believe Baker's statement that they were not at fault, and would have to ask for a refund(In those exact words.) I have a transcript of the conversation if neededWOW! What a hostile customer!11.) "who threatened us with his attorney..." (LOL!)At no time did I ever threaten anythingAgain, I have a transcript of this conversationAnd I most certainly cannot afford an attorney! Especially for $1,900.00! This is ridiculous and a blatant lie.12.) "...and his own mechanic." (Ugh.)Apparently stating that I have spoken to another mechanic, who disagrees with their diagnosis, is a threat.13.) "He also wanted our insurance information to file a claim for his vehicle." (Blatantly False)I asked for a refund, not damagesThis was never an insurance issue, and I never wanted or asked for insurance to become involvedRick with Bakers brought insurance into this (see above), and I requested their information only because he stated that he and the owner had already opened a claimBy law, as the claimant, I have the right to communicate with the insurance company involvedThis was denied.16.) "If the failure was caused by anything that we had done, we would take care of the matter."Or send a really rude letter, full of provable falsehoods.17.) "We tried to close this matter amicable to no avail." (Blatantly False)We chose Bakers because *** *** *** had had work done there, it was recommended to us by ***, and we know the mother of the owner very wellWe wanted to be a good customerWe tried desperately to be a good customerWe even paid without complaining (too much) the ridiculous price they stuck us withBakers has betrayed our good faith, and now attempted to slander us. If you want character references, I can give you a huge list, including *** *** who my wife and I rented from, and with whom we have had a good work relationship, and who volunteered a character reference when we moved to Anaconda. We would also be more than willing to sit down with *** ***, and discuss options to resolving this conflictBut they have done nothing in returnUnfortunately, at the moment I am very disappointed in Bakers
Sincerely,
*** ***