DC Fabrication

Review: I took my Jeep to DC Fabrication for some custom work with the wheels and tires. While the Jeep was there, the shop also installed a new battery. The one day it snowed this year I took the Jeep up in the snow. When I tried to activate the "Lockers", the ARB compressor would not turn on to activate them. I came down from the hills and stopped at the first shop I could get to where I had done business before, ([redacted]) at 4:45 P.M. Most shops in Paradise close at 5:00 so this was my only hope for a quick fix and get back to the snow as this was the only snow day. The smog shop mechanic checked all of the compressor plugs, wires and components and it appeared that the compressor was burned out and ordered a new one. A few days later when the compressor came in and was installed by the smog shop, the lockers still would not turn on. The mechanic had to cut the wiring harness and trace all of the wires to their connecting points. The ground wire was traced along the firewall and under the new battery. The battery that DC Fabrication had installed was removed and the ARB "Locker" compressor ground wire was not connected to anything. When the smog shop connected the ground everything worked again. There was no need for a new compressor including labor to the tune of $468.00. The sole cause of the entire problem, me missing out on the only snow day of the year and spending $468.00 was due to DC Fabrication's failure to install and properly hook up the new battery. When I called DC Fab the person that answered the phone was the same person that installed the battery and I told him to relay the problem to the owner. I never received a call or any correspondence from the owner to cover the cost, split the cost, not even an "I'm sorry." I ran in to the owner at a 4X4 event a few weeks later and he was a total jerk. He said why didn't you bring it back to me instead of going to someone else. I explained to him that it was 4:45 and the smog shop was my closest option and that the weDesired Settlement: Had the owner shown any sign of empathy or offered to pay part of the bill, or offer a future credit at his shop this would be for Revdex.com info only. Based on the aforementioned information I would like DC Fabrication to reimburse me for the $468.00 and I'll just have to wait until next year and hope we get some more snow.Any consideration in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Business

Response:

When our customer had problems with his vehicle he chose to take it to another service shop without contacting us. The other shop mis-diagnosed the problem, they then ordered a replacement part. The customer states that he had to wait several days for the new part to arrive, during which time he could have contacted us; but he chose not to. I was not contacted until after the customer had already paid for un-needed parts and a bad diagnosis. Having not been given the opportunity to rectify the problem with the vehicle at our shop, and never authorizing our customer to have another service shop look at the vehicle on our behalf, I simply do not see how we are responsible to pay for any repairs or parts.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:#1. It was the only snow day of the year and I raced down the mountain to the closest repair shop located in upper Paradise before they closed as it was approaching 5:P.M. If I had been able to get to DC Fab in time I would have tried but [redacted] has fixed my locker problems before and DC Fab is literally the southern most business in Paradise as you head down to Chico.#2. Aside from Cooper from [redacted] I have spoken to two additional automotive repair shops and they both agreed that when diagnosing locker problems, the last thing you check is to see is if the last repair shop failed to ground the system.#3. Previously while my vehicle was at DC Fab they were fixing an internal tire bladder that they had installed incorrectly causing my right front tire to go flat which was leaking half way around the wheel. They fixed that by putting silicone around the rim, once again simply patching instead of fixing the problem. While my vehicle was there, that's when DC Fab installed the battery among other things and failed to re-attach the locker ground.#4. DC Fab is using hind sight to try and say that the ground to the battery is the first place they would have checked and based on several shops opinions is simply not true.#5. All things set aside, it was DC Fab that failed to properly install the new battery which I was also charged for. Failed to hook up the ground wire taking away the only snow day of the year which I can't get back and most importantly DC Fabrication is sending the message, which I will be sure and disseminate to all, that if you take your vehicle to an automotive repair shop be sure and let them know of "ALL PAST WORK PERFORMED BY DC FABRICATION" so that the repair shop can inspect DC Fabs questionable repairs before diagnosing your current problem.#6. DC Fabrication is the sole reason I was stuck way up in the mountains with lockers that wouldn't work. No less than 10 other 4 wheelers tried to check the connectors and wires to get the locker compressor to turn on. Not one of them ever thought to look and check if the battery installer forgot to connect the ground to the battery post.#7. And most important to me is that after his office manager informed him of the situation the owner, [redacted], never even called to talk with me. And weeks later in person, not even I'm sorry you had to go through all of that or it was a simple mistake, nothing. Given the fact that I was trying for a quick fix and wanted to get back to the snow, DC FAB was not an option as he usually only operates with pre-scheduled appointments. And even with an appointment my vehicle has spent weeks there, if not months before I could get them to fix it.