My Auto Repair & Tire Center

Dear Revdex.com:We are responding to the complaint made by *** *** on
the repairs on her Convertible Volkswagen BeetleShe came into our shop mid-August
to discuss her vehicle and potential repairsDuring this conversation,
she informed us that the vehicle had been driven down from
Longview and was now
broken down in the Vancouver areaDuring this conversation, she stated she has
done a lot of repairs herself which included an oil change, battery/generator,
fuel pump, and cleaned the carburetorShe arranged to have the vehicle towed to
our shopPaperwork was generated on August 29, Her letter indicates it
was towed in September 3, Our location address at that time was NE
37th Circle, #100, Vancouver, WA It was apparent upon arrival
that this vehicle had been sitting in a field for quite a whileThe day the vehicle arrived, our technician, an ASE
Certified VW Technician with years’ experience inspected the vehicleThe
brakes were seized and had to be broken loose in order for the vehicle to be
pushed into the shopThe technician stated the vehicle could not have been
driven in quite some timeHe found evidence of it sitting due to the weeds
growing on the axles and inside the rims of the flat tiresMoss growing in every
window seal and weeds growing where the front hood was missingAlso around the
trunk seal; the trunk lid was not presentThe technician also noticed the
floor boards were rotten throughThe technician found in his inspection that
the fuel pump was inoperable due to not being wired in and the fuel pump relay
was missingTechnician noted that the vehicle engine had been converted from
its original state as fuel injection to carburetedExposed wires were found
everywhere in the engine compartment and interior of the vehicleThe brakes
needed to be replaced and the transmission leakingAt this point, the service
writer called to ask how long ago it had been since the vehicle had been
drivenShe stated it was 3-years prior that it had been driven down from
Longview to VancouverHe asked what her intentions were for the vehicle to get
a better understanding of her vision for the vehicleShe stated that she
wanted to restore the vehicleWe informed her at that time about the floor boards being rottenHer main concern
was about getting the car startedShe authorized us to proceed inspecting why
the motor was not startingThe technician attempted to crank the motor and it sounded
like it had low compressionA compression test was performed and found
cylinders below psiIt should be above psiThe spark was checked and
found to be weak.Ms*** came into our shop a few days later and the
technician thoroughly showed her all the problems with her vehicleHe informed
that the vehicle was not drivable and the approximate amount for her to do the
mechanical and body work she was wanting would cost her anywhere from $5,000-7,
They discussed the brakes and she told him she would do the repairs herself
She said she had a neighbor who she would possibly have do the body workHe
recommended to take the body and have the work done while the engine was being
rebuilt because the engine would need to be out of the vehicle anywayShe
thought that was a great ideaShe asked about the time frame and asked if it
could be done by ThanksgivingHe pushed for more time and she asked about by
JanuaryHe said that would be doable if we were able to get the necessary
parts and she got the car back to us by then.The service writer proceeded to work on the estimate based
on the technician recommendationsThe motor needed to be replaced along with a
full electrical harness and that a new fuel pump relay would need to be
installed as well.September 23, the estimate was determined to be
$2,for an engine rebuild kit with a full wiring harness installedThe
work to be done included remove, install and overhaul the engineReplace the
rings, main and rod bearings, camshaft, crankshaft and timing componentsReplace
cylinders and pistons, and clean and test block for cracksMs*** was informed
that a deposit of $1,would need to be made prior to ordering the parts and
that it would take approximately a month to get the parts ordered inA
discussion took place regarding the fuel systemShe said she may have the
parts from the original fuel injection system and was going to check and get
back to himShe informed him that she would be out of town for several weeks
and that she would come by and make the deposit when she returned.Note: Ms***
is out of the country for periods of time frequentlyI believe she said she
was a flight attendantThere were periods where it would be or weeks
between communicationOctober 18, 2016, Ms*** came in to our location and paid
the $depositThe engine kit was ordered the same dayAgain, stated that
she has a box of parts and may have the original fuel pump relay in that box
We were also having trouble finding a wiring harnessThe one we found would
require rewiring the fuse box. Around mid-November the parts arrived and we
were ready to start the workWe broke down the old motor and sent the block
out for inspectionWe contacted to find out about the fuel pump relay she
thought she hadApproximately a week later we were informed she didn’t have
the fuel pump relayShe asked us to order a new fuel pump relay and install
itAlso, in our notes we show she called at 10:am on 11-22-saying she
would try to get the vehicle picked up the following week to have the body work
done.December 16, the service writer checked with Ms***
on whether she found the original fuel pump relayShe informed the service
writer that she did not have the original fuel injection systemThe service
writer informed her that without the original fuel injection parts, the quote
would increase $1,or moreShe then decided to keep the fuel system
carburetedShe was informed a new engine kit would have to be researched and
orderedNote: Converting the fuel injection system to a carbureted system is
not common on this vehicleA discussion took place again about the body work
that needed to be done and she was still planning to proceed with having it
done while the engine was being rebuilt.The holidays came and the vehicle was not picked up and
there was no communication as why it was not picked up for the body work to be
doneOur business was getting ready to move to our new locationOur upcoming
move was communicated and she was understanding of the situationShe was
informed that the move to our new location was going to take a few months and
she was understanding and informed that a kit compatible with the carbureted
fuel system would be ordered as soon as we get settledMarch 6, 2017, we started at our new location at NE
Andresen Rd, Vancouver, WA 98661.March 13, the new kit was ordered and engine rebuild
continuedAbout a week later our technician found the kits’ crankshaft had a
manufacturer defect and a new crank shaft was orderedThe service writer let
Ms*** know of the crankshaftShe requested a timeline for the completionShe
was told it depended on when the crankshaft came inShe communicated that she
was having problems with her daily driver vehicle and was getting anxious to
have this vehicle doneShe asked to talk to the service manager.The service manager spoke with Ms***She stated that
she was very frustrated and feels like the service writer did not like her
because she stated she knows how to work on vehicles and that the service
writer and technician lied to her about working on her vehicleIt was
reiterated to her that when she brought her vehicle in it is a project car and
that we could not promise a timeline due to the complex nature of the project
and acquiring the partsThere was a discussion about the vehicle not being drivable
due to the condition of the brake system, fuel system, electrical system and
holes in the floor boardsIt is a safety issue and we could not release it as
a driving vehicleAgain, she was told we had to order a new crankshaft and we
would begin working on it when we had the non-defective partMay 15, the crankshaft cameWithin a few days of the
part arrival, Ms*** called to check on the status of the part coming in
She spoke with the service manager againThis time yelling at him and
complaining about the timelineShe was informed the part had just come in and
we would be working on it as soon as possibleShe stated she had called the
owner, Mike M***The service manager and the owner discussed the situation
and came up with a timeline; the end of JuneShe was informed of the promised
dateThere was also a discussion about the body work not being doneWe were
told her plans on that had fallen throughAgain, we informed her that this
vehicle is not drivable due to the condition of the vehicle and she would have
to have it towed out when it was ready. July 5, the vehicle was ready and Ms*** was
informed it was ready for pickup. She
came in the next day and was fighting the price of $1,Her memory was that
the bill would be $1,We discussed the price and againWe (the service
writer, the shop manager, the service manager, the technician, and myself) were
all present trying to come to resolutionShe demanded to have us start up the
motorIt would require hooking up an external fuel and power system to make
the motor runWe had video of the motor running from our quality check a few
days priorThat was not acceptable to herWe did not have it hooked up when
she came in because we didn’t know exactly when she was coming.A heated discussion ensued for over minutesDuring
which, she called screamed at us and called us liars, demanded copies of our
vendor purchase receiptsShe wanted to take the vehicle and motor and pay us
when she could start the motor up herselfAll unreasonable demandsShe let us
know she was going to tell all our members we are crooks and that she would be
blasting negative information on social media and the internetIn the end, we
dropped the balance due from $1,to $She paid and had a friend
tow the vehicle awayShe called a few days later saying, “I bet you thought you
guys got rid of me” and let us know she was coming in for her old partsShe
arrived with an older gentleman who asked for an explanation of the repairs we
did and why we considered the car not drivableWhile the service manager was
giving the explanation, Ms*** started to raise her voice and the service
manager said he was not interested in fighting againThe older gentleman asked
him to continue his explanationThe repairs and poor condition of the vehicle were
explainedHe accepted what he was told and they left with the parts.To address her points about us “working out of a *** and
owned by a pastor”Yes, Mike M*** is the owner of the businessMike has
been a youth pastor for 30+ yearsHe has a ministry called Dare to Live where
he has spoken around the country to youth about suicide preventionHe is a
crisis counselor for suicidal youth and adultsWhile counseling many hurting
youths and interactions with single mother’s trying to make ends meet, Mike had
the idea to open a *** to help with automotive repairs on a sliding scaleIn
The ***’s *** was openedIt is the first nonprofit auto repair
facility in the nation that we are aware ofThere is an application process
and a discounted labor rate is determinedMike does not work or take a salary
from the businessHe is the visionary and has staff to run the day to day
operationsMike has had a vision to open a youth center to help
the hurting youth in the community for several yearsIn 2013, he had the
vision to start My Auto Repair Shop, Incdba My Auto Repair & Tire Center with
the idea based on a Costco concept; membership based with labor rates and parts
mark ups lower than traditional shopsThe idea was to have the *** fund the
youth centerBoth The ***’s *** and My Auto Repair Shop, Incoperate
out of the same facility, however, they are separate companiesWe were
outgrowing our locationDuring this growth period, Mike was asked to fill in
as head pastor at *** *** ***Last spring, he agreed to help the ***
in their transitionAfter a year, he and the *** agreed to hire him on as
senior pastor*** *** *** resides in what was previously a K-Mart
buildingIt is a huge space that was poorly utilizedMy Auto Repair Shop,
Inchas been reclaiming the area of the building that once operated as a
Penske Shop within K-MartWe are building out 19K of the 84K buildingWe have
a demising wall between us and we are a separate business operation. *** *** *** does not run our business and needs to be
recognized as innocent of any wrong implicationsAgain, Mike M***, does not
take a salary from this business or manage the day to day operationsHe openly
admits he is not mechanically inclinedHe is a generous man and tries to help
as many people as he can both pastorally and financiallyHe had several
discussions with Ms*** on the phone and tried to help resolve her complaints
People within the *** have let him know about her complaints as well and he has
had to explain the situation and our attempts to resolve the problems with her
vehicle repairUnfortunately, this repair did drag on due to a variety of
circumstances both from our move to our new location, getting the proper parts,
her changing her mind from fuel injection to remaining as a carbureted system,
and manufacturer defective partsProject cars are complex and are rarely
completed in the original timeframeHer fantasy that this vehicle is a daily
driver is an unreasonable expectationWe did the best we could in the
situation and tried to communicate often and as thoroughly as we couldIn the
end, we have lost more money than she paid on this jobPlease let me know if you have any question or would like
clarification on anything.Sincerely,Deborah C***Office Manager Thank youSara H*** Business Development NE Andresen Road Vancouver, WA 360-719-- office*** - cell ***@myautorepaircenter.com www.myautorepaircenter.com

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:The statement is not factually basedIt is riddled with lies ad inaccuraciesI have no further comments due to recent legal advice.
Sincerely,
*** ***