Body Work by Fischer, Inc.

This email is a response to a customer complaint we received today via the Revdex.com that has been assigned the ID of ***
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I am writing on behalf of:
Body Work By Fischer, Inc
*** *** ***
*** ** ***
***
*
From our side of things, we never received an estimate from *** *** *** *** via fax, email, postal mail, or personal hand delivery by an insurance adjuster nor the customer
The only way for us to be able to work out the difference between the insurance company's appraisal and our appraisal is for us to have a copy of the insurance estimate
*** *** signed an authorization form for us to do the repairs based on our estimate ID *** in the amount of $1,dated 4/21/on her Hyundai Santa Fe GLS
As for not accepting a credit card, we do not accept any credit cards at all from anyone at any time for any services As far as closing the shop and leaving early, that was due to a personal matter
Currently, *** *** **is experiencing a serious health crisis and has been and hospitalized and quarantined I would like to resolve this on his behalf without having to disturb him at this time
I can understand how put out one would feel for having to pay for damage that is the result of an accident caused by another driver In the same respect, I would ask for understanding that we did the work based off of our estimate considering it was the only work order that we had to go off of and it was the customer's responsibility to provide us with the insurance company's estimate or to make certain that we had received it from them prior to beginning any work on the vehicle We work very well with insurance companies and have done so flawlessly for years, but in order to do so, we have to have a copy of their estimate

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:*** *** did, in fact, fax a copy of their adjuster's estimate on April 15, Furthermore, *** *** **and I discussed this at the time he wrote up my estimateHe assured me that they (the repair shop) knew what had to be done before proceeding with the work
Regards,*** ***

We are in receipt of your letter regarding the additional concerns of our customer[redacted].  Our response is going to be similar to our original.  If [redacted] states that they faxed the estimate to us, I'm sure that they did send it; however, we did not receive said fax.  We are a small business and we keep very good records.  We have never ignored any documentation that we've received.  There isn't any other way to explain our side but to say that no one at Body Work By Fischer, Inc. ever received an insurance estimate for [redacted] 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS.  Our reputation within the community is stellar.  Our business is well respected by not only our customers, but our colleagues in the automotive industry and every insurance company that we have ever dealt with as well.  You are going to have to trust our word when we tell you that we never received a copy of an insurance company's estimate for this vehicle.   We are not, nor have ever been, unscrupulous.  It is our practice to work with insurance companies, but in order for us to do so, we MUST have a hard copy of their estimate.  We need it in order to compare the discrepancies between theirs and ours to determine the cause of the cost difference.  If the cost difference is due to an insurance deductible, that is the responsibility of the customer, not the auto body shop.  In the same manner that health insurance companies require the patient to be responsible for obtaining a referral prior to seeing medical specialists, it is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to be sure that the repair shop is provided with an authorized work order from the insurance company. Insurance companies furnish their insureds and claimants with copies of their estimate.  Why has [redacted] not produced one for us to review?  Why hasn't she asked [redacted] to re-fax and/or mail us a copy?  In order for us to try to rectify the situation, it is imperative that we have a copy of the insurance estimate.  We've looked through our caller ID and do not see any missed calls from [redacted].  Our address and phone numbers haven't changed and we're normally here Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  There are times when the shop has to be closed unexpectedly, but those are rare occasions and our prerogative to do so.  On the date in question, when [redacted] needed to close the shop early, he waited until each customer came to pick up their vehicle.  It would be understandable for someone to complain if they came for their car and were unable to access it, but this was not the case. We aren’t trying to beat her (or anyone) out of one hundred and twenty-eight dollars!  Our integrity within our industry is second to none.  We try to be fair and fix damage rather than replace parts to save our customers money.  We examine the damage and provide customers with an estimate of the repair cost.  When they accept the estimate, we fix the vehicle and guarantee all work.  Our warranty covers the workmanship and is effective while they own the vehicle while the parts manufacturer provides its own warranty.  The father and son team at Body Work By Fischer takes great pride in the service they provide.  They enjoy working with people and helping put their vehicles back on the road.  Their goal is to build a strong clientele and become an asset to the community.  On July 24, 2014, the date of our initial response to the letter we received from the Revdex.com that brought this matter to our attention, [redacted] posted a negative review of our business on the internet.  Defamatory remarks publicly made in an attempt to libel and slander our good name is not the way to go about a proper resolution.  We are good, reasonable people that are quite approachable.  Receiving a complaint from the Revdex.com in July for a job that we completed in April is the first that we are learning about our customer’s distress over this situation.  Yes, we knew that when she picked up her vehicle, she wanted to pay less than the estimate amount that she had signed an authorization form giving us permission to do the work.  Other than that, we have no record of her coming to discuss this matter further.  Please feel free to give us a call or stop by with the insurance company’s estimate and [redacted]. and/or his wife [redacted] will be more than happy to help.  (As per our original response, [redacted] is seriously ill at this time.)

Review: [redacted], owner/operator of the repair shop Body Work by Fischer, Inc., N.J. License # [redacted] did not handle my bill correctly as promised. I was told by his son who appraised the damage from an accident caused by another driver that they would contact and work out the difference between the insurance company's appraisal and their appraisal. [redacted] had faxed their appraisal a week prior to me bringing my car in for the necessary repairs. After I turned in my rental and arrived at the body shop to pick up my vehicle, [redacted] expected payment in full ($128.63 over the insurance company's payment) and would not accept a credit card. I was extremely upset that he had not followed the protocol for handling this properly, and felt like my hands were tied, as I needed my car. Upon reconsidering what had transpired, I returned to the repair shop office only to find that he had closed early and left immediately following my transaction. An attempt to reach him by phone the following week was unsuccessful. In addition, [redacted] refused to send me a check to cover the difference due to [redacted] incorrect handling of the situation.Desired Settlement: I am requesting a refund in the amount of $128.63 for the overpayment made due to [redacted] improper handling of this claim.

Business

Response:

This email is a response to a customer complaint we received today via the Revdex.com that has been assigned the ID of [redacted].

I am writing on behalf of:

Body Work By Fischer, Inc.

1130 South Avenue

Westfield, NJ 07090

908-232-5305

From our side of things, we never received an estimate from [redacted] via fax, email, postal mail, or personal hand delivery by an insurance adjuster nor the customer.

The only way for us to be able to work out the difference between the insurance company's appraisal and our appraisal is for us to have a copy of the insurance estimate.

[redacted] signed an authorization form for us to do the repairs based on our estimate ID [redacted] in the amount of $1,359.82 dated 4/21/14 on her 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS.

As for not accepting a credit card, we do not accept any credit cards at all from anyone at any time for any services. As far as closing the shop and leaving early, that was due to a personal matter.

Currently, [redacted]. is experiencing a serious health crisis and has been and hospitalized and quarantined. I would like to resolve this on his behalf without having to disturb him at this time.

I can understand how put out one would feel for having to pay for damage that is the result of an accident caused by another driver. In the same respect, I would ask for understanding that we did the work based off of our estimate considering it was the only work order that we had to go off of and it was the customer's responsibility to provide us with the insurance company's estimate or to make certain that we had received it from them prior to beginning any work on the vehicle. We work very well with insurance companies and have done so flawlessly for years, but in order to do so, we have to have a copy of their estimate.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:[redacted] did, in fact, fax a copy of their adjuster's estimate on April 15, 2014. Furthermore, [redacted]. and I discussed this at the time he wrote up my estimate. He assured me that they (the repair shop) knew what had to be done before proceeding with the work.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter regarding the additional concerns of our customer[redacted]. Our response is going to be similar to our original. If [redacted] states that they faxed the estimate to us, I'm sure that they did send it; however, we did not receive said fax. We are a small business and we keep very good records. We have never ignored any documentation that we've received. There isn't any other way to explain our side but to say that no one at Body Work By Fischer, Inc. ever received an insurance estimate for [redacted] 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS. Our reputation within the community is stellar. Our business is well respected by not only our customers, but our colleagues in the automotive industry and every insurance company that we have ever dealt with as well. You are going to have to trust our word when we tell you that we never received a copy of an insurance company's estimate for this vehicle. We are not, nor have ever been, unscrupulous. It is our practice to work with insurance companies, but in order for us to do so, we MUST have a hard copy of their estimate. We need it in order to compare the discrepancies between theirs and ours to determine the cause of the cost difference. If the cost difference is due to an insurance deductible, that is the responsibility of the customer, not the auto body shop. In the same manner that health insurance companies require the patient to be responsible for obtaining a referral prior to seeing medical specialists, it is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to be sure that the repair shop is provided with an authorized work order from the insurance company. Insurance companies furnish their insureds and claimants with copies of their estimate. Why has [redacted] not produced one for us to review? Why hasn't she asked [redacted] to re-fax and/or mail us a copy? In order for us to try to rectify the situation, it is imperative that we have a copy of the insurance estimate. We've looked through our caller ID and do not see any missed calls from [redacted]. Our address and phone numbers haven't changed and we're normally here Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There are times when the shop has to be closed unexpectedly, but those are rare occasions and our prerogative to do so. On the date in question, when [redacted] needed to close the shop early, he waited until each customer came to pick up their vehicle. It would be understandable for someone to complain if they came for their car and were unable to access it, but this was not the case. We aren’t trying to beat her (or anyone) out of one hundred and twenty-eight dollars! Our integrity within our industry is second to none. We try to be fair and fix damage rather than replace parts to save our customers money. We examine the damage and provide customers with an estimate of the repair cost. When they accept the estimate, we fix the vehicle and guarantee all work. Our warranty covers the workmanship and is effective while they own the vehicle while the parts manufacturer provides its own warranty. The father and son team at Body Work By Fischer takes great pride in the service they provide. They enjoy working with people and helping put their vehicles back on the road. Their goal is to build a strong clientele and become an asset to the community. On July 24, 2014, the date of our initial response to the letter we received from the Revdex.com that brought this matter to our attention, [redacted] posted a negative review of our business on the internet. Defamatory remarks publicly made in an attempt to libel and slander our good name is not the way to go about a proper resolution. We are good, reasonable people that are quite approachable. Receiving a complaint from the Revdex.com in July for a job that we completed in April is the first that we are learning about our customer’s distress over this situation. Yes, we knew that when she picked up her vehicle, she wanted to pay less than the estimate amount that she had signed an authorization form giving us permission to do the work. Other than that, we have no record of her coming to discuss this matter further. Please feel free to give us a call or stop by with the insurance company’s estimate and [redacted]. and/or his wife [redacted] will be more than happy to help. (As per our original response, [redacted] is seriously ill at this time.)