Crew Auto Repair, Inc.

Review: To: Crew Auto Repair/OwnerDate: June 20, 2013Do to the events that have happen over the last seven (7) days with June 19th 2013 in particular, I [redacted] find it necessary to write this agreement and to have it notarized in the event legal action needs to be pursued in the event that the 2004 BMW 530I that came to you starting up and running well is not restored back to its running condition. When I brought my car to you on June 13th 2013 you concluded that my starter was going bad and would eventually need to be replaced. Before you determining this my vehicle was shifting with no problem and made no attempts on its own to shut off or stall. On June 14th one day later than agreed your mechanic, after you asked him to pull the fuse before installing the starter, disregarded your instructions and in doing so he destroyed the relay which caused the car not to turn over and start. You informed me that you had no way of getting another relay by Tuesday June 18th 2013 and offered no assistance in renting a vehicle therefore leaving me searching for a rental on Friday and Saturday half the day looking for a vehicle that would take me on my out of town trip for work. I asked you before I left your shop on that same Friday please communicate with me and to keep me updated at all time, due to the last time I was here with my car there was a problem that had me sitting in the shop for three hours. You informed me that you lost my number but had you another contact person and never bothered to call that number so that you could personally get in contact with me. After spending all day June 19, 2013 calling your shop I came by and witnessed through one of the bay door windows which for some strange reason were sprayed with a white substance as if you did not want anyone seeing in and the blinds closed you and your mechanic moving fast to get work done on my car, I knocked and called several times and no answer. Finally your mechanic came to the door and I asked him for you and he looked me straight in my face and told me that he just got off the phone with you and you informed him that you were on your way with the part. I became upset with his ability to conjure up such a lie and informed him that I am calling the police. While on the phone with the 911 dispatcher your mechanic on duty came to my car as I attempted to open my door and grabbed my door and pulled it open stating to me "EH" come inside. I asked him not to touch my car and to back away because he was becoming to aggressive in his demeanor and that I am not coming inside and I explained to the 911 dispatch that I will remain in my car until the police who twenty five minutes later arrived so that I could explain what was going on. At that time I asked the officer how do you handle a situation like this. He informed me that this is a civil issue. Once my car was assumed ready seven days later than agreed the owner informed me that I had to go to Advanced Auto on Brambleton Road and that I could charge a new battery to your account. Driving the vehicle I noticed that it would not shift out of first gear in manual or automatic and the vehicle would not go faster than 30 miles per hour. Contacting the owner and informing her of this situation she responded to me at this point what did you want me to do, because you could not work on it tonight but possibly could get started on it first thing the next morning. I informed her the owner of the shop Mrs. Betsy that I am feeling bitter about this whole transaction in particular the events that had transpired today and do not feel you have the skills to work on this particular vehicle and if you knew that you could not then you should have never agreed to do the work. After mention legal actions to this matter, she, Ms. Betsy stated that she would take it to [redacted] several buildings up from your shop to have them diagnose the problem and that you would take care of the bill to get my car back running and also put me in a rental while my car is being repaired back to the condition received with the *new starter, brakes and rotor work already completed. On June 20, 2013 I arrived at the Crew Auto Repair and ask the owner was she ready to go with me to [redacted]. She told me that she was not going and that she sent the mechanic. I informed her due to his aggressive behavior I will not go and that this is her problem and that she should see it through. I also asked her with a witness would she be able to go with me to get the rental and she agreed. Once at the other mechanic shop and the issues were discussed I asked the owner to meet me at the [redacted] Rental up the street. She informed me that she had no money and would reimburse my rental. That evening I received a call from the owner of [redacted] Automative that the "wiring harness right below the new starter that was installed by the mechanic shop "Crew Auto Repair" in question had been cut and that there was also a lug nut missing from my left driver front wheel, which was taking off in order to replace my rotors and brakes by the mechanic shop "Crew Auto Repair". I asked him why would anyone have a cutting device near that area to install a starter. He stated that he did not want to get caught in between this matter but did state that it was unusual. I was contacted by Betsy the owner of Crew Auto Repair and she came up to [redacted] and paid for the repairs with a business check for $206.55, but she insisted that she did not have any funds to reimburse me for the rental for that day and to come back on Friday June 21, 2013 and she would. I was not able to because of the nature of my job. I did return to her shop on June 22, 2013 11:48am and stated that she could make a copy of my rental invoice and to please pay me $52.22. She stated well I don't have it and that I would have to come back Monday if I wanted it. I left her facility and informed her that IDesired Settlement: I am asking that the owner of the Crew Auto Repair reimburse me:$250.50 rental car and fuel from 06/15/13-06/20/13 I have all invoices and receipts$120.00 lost wages for one day because she is closed when I get off from work and she would not return calls or communicateI am concerned with the fact that a person would do such a thing to a person car and the put them in it to drive not knowing the dangers of it. I believe her business needs to be investigated along with licenses

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] brought his car in on June 12th and was told up front we would not be able to get to it until Friday June L4th. He was fine with that as long as he could have it back for the weekend. When the starter was being installed, it arched and caused a relay to go bad. We tried finding one in town but after calling everyone in the area, we could not get a relay until Tuesday June 18th. I told Mr. [redacted] that on Saturday June 15th. He told me he had to go out of town so l offered to help him find a rental car. I also told him I took all the labor off his bill. That was l.6 hours at $85 an hour, which comes to $136. On Monday I did not call him because he should have known there wasn't anything to report. Also, a friend of his called for an update. She called every morning through out all of this. I asked once for his number because I had lost it. I was told that because he is in and out of the truck with his job, she would keep him posted. On Tuesday June 18th the relay we had ordered did not come in so we went directly to [redacted] and had one overnighted. It came in early Wednesday morning. Very soon after I got back to the shop, I had to go out to take care of a family emergency. Before I left the shop I tested the relay and discovered there was a problem (which we could not have known until he had the relay.) Unfortunately I had to leave. However, I called numerous people to help with brainstorming this problem (including a BMW dealer in Greensboro.) I called my mechanic in but since it was his scheduled day off, he couldn't get there until late afternoon. We both got there about the same time. We did leave the door locked so we could devote ourselves to getting him up and going. We had only been there around twenty minutes. When my mechanic went outside, he was trying to explain what was going on but Mr. [redacted] was not listening. He was busy yelling and screaming profanities. When I went outside to talk to him, he was in his car and did not want to talk. We went back inside to work on you're his car. When he was in his car, he apparently called the police. The police got there and we were pressured to just get it started so he could get his car back. We did not have the chance to fix the problems then. The battery was dead. I did not have the battery in stock. I gave him the choice of waiting for it or going and getting it installed and I took care of the bill. When he called to tell me about the problems he was experiencing, I told him I could not work on it until morning. I offered for him to take it to either my shop or [redacted] or my shop and I could give him a ride home. I also told him I would take him to work the next morning. I also told him I would pay for any possible repairs and reimburse him for the rental car during that repair time (which would have been for Thursday June 2Oth.) That is the day he opted not to work even though, other than dropping off and picking up his vehicle, there was not anything else to do. He dropped off around 830 am and picked up around 5pm. The wiring harness had been cut by its surrounding when the bottom plate was installed. We had nothing to gain by doing anything intentionally, if fact we all had a bad experience. I called him when his car was ready. I told him then that I would write you a check to reimburse him. He then said he wanted cash. I said I would need to know how much so I could go to the bank. He said okay. When he got to the shop, he demanded his money then and I did not have it with me. Once again, he started yelling profanity as he left the lot. I called and left a message with him on Friday to get the total. I left a message. He stopped by on Saturday to get the money but it was the same thing. I had no idea what the total was and did not have the cash. Then he called asking about if he could stop by on Saturday and pick up the reimbursement. I said no. I told him I would meet him anywhere but here given the scene he has caused. He told me I deserved it. I asked for an address to mail it to but he had already hung up. As far as his desired settlement, I will only pay the $52.22 only. I did not charge him for labor, which was for $136 and when he came to pay his bill, I gave him another $60 off. I will not pay his fuel because he would have used it anyway. I will not pay for his day off because that was an unnecessary judgment call on his behalf. As far as the windows of my shop, the bay windows (which little ovals in the bay doors) have had the white stuff on them since November. I put that snow stuff on them so the homeless people/ thieves would not see the equipment II have. During the time right after Mr. [redacted]'s car was here, I bought blinds, window tent and an ac unit for my glass waiting room. I had some tint left over, so I put it on my bar door windows. I didn't have enough left over to do one window. I don't have anything to hide. Also, I have worked on many BMWs and never had any problems. Lastly, I am licensed with everything necessary. We both had a miserable experience. This is not typical and I tried to be as fair and reasonable as possible. I’m sorry if he does not see it that way. Betsy Whitaker

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Ms. Whitaker is not being honest about the events that has taken place and I refuse to be made an aggressor in a situation were I was a victim. I have had to take my car back to another mechanic for brakes that she put on my car that made grinding and squealing noises every time I pressed the brakes and other as noted by another mechanic with the work. I am not mad at Ms Whitaker, but she did not put forth her best efforts in this situation and even stated that she has had complaints on her mechanics aggressiveness towards customers before and that she was in the process of interviewing other mechanics and that he was on his second verbal warning. She damaged my car then only wants to pay for one (1) out of (6) days of vehicle rental. She believes that just because she didnt charge me for something that she should not be responsible for the other part. I should not have to accept this type of behavior from Ms. Whitaker because she would not appreciate it herself and she was not cursed at. I had and have all rights to be upset at the outcome of something likes this.Regards,[redacted]