The Hummingbird Tearoom

In response to the complaint submitted by [redacted] ***; The vehicle had previously been taken to another repair facilityWhen the vehicle arrived at our facility it had the steering column taken apart alreadyThere were parts in the back seat of the vehicle which were reinstalled upon repair, but as we came to find out there were also some parts in the cargo compartment which we were not aware ofThe customer indicated that the vehicle was needed back as soon as possible due to the fact that they were in the middle of movingOn our initial inspection it was determined that the ignition electrical switch and the ignition switch housing needed to be replacedGiven the customers tight timeframe we immediately began sourcing part(s) needed for the repairAfter calling our local Toyota dealership we were informed that the parts(s) were not readily available and given a lead time of 8-business daysWe notified the customer of the part(s) dilemmaGiven the circumstance we advised the customer that used parts could be used in the repairWe contacted our used part vendor and found that a steering column was readily availableBuying the parts used meant having to buy the whole column, due to the fact that when buying used that's the only option availableThe customer agreed to the used part repairUpon arrival of the steering column it was determined that the steering column was incorrectThe customer was notified of the delayWe contacted our vendor to inform them of our issueOur vendor sent out another column for next day arrivalUpon receiving the second column, unfortunately we discovered that the part(s) was also incorrectWe immediately contacted the vendor to rectify the issueOur vendor did some further research and found that there are more than variations for this same applicationThe vendor also notified us that they had more columns in different variations available, but due to order cut off time we would not see delivery for daysWe notified the customer of the situationWe got in contact with a known dealership in California to see if they were able to procure the part(s) any soonerWe found that they could have the part sooner, but it would still a couple of days outGiven the situation we sent our employee to New Braunfels, which is more than miles away to pick up the used columns so we can determine if one of those was the correct oneWe did this in an attempt to put the vehicle back on the road without any further delaysWe also did the pick up without any cost to the customerWhen the columns arrived all columns were incorrectAdvised customer of statusAfter exhausting all of used parts options we recommended going with the new part(s) coming out of CaliforniaThe customer agreedNew parts were orderedWe installed the components and reinstalled the parts known about, that were removed at another facilityWhen the customer picked up the vehicle they were charged for new parts that were installed, but in the rush of getting the vehicle back the description of the part was overlooked by us and not changed to show new part descriptionWe have documentation on the new parts that were installedIt was our highest priority vehicle and we went above and beyond to ensure that we could get the vehicle back to the customer in the shortest amount of timeWe apologize for any inconvenience to the customer for parts that were not reinstalled, but the truth of the matter is that it is very difficult to pick up where another shop left off, especially when parts are scatteredIt is never our intention to put an unsafe vehicle on the roadI will be attaching documentation of the new parts that were installed

We had suggested that the customer replace all four tires since they were badIt took a little longer than expected for the tires to come inOnce they were in, we put them onto the vehicle right awayLater that day he contacted us and said one of the tires was flatHe asked to be reimbursed for the tireWe tried to explain that if the tire was bad we would have no problem replacing the tire free of charge but if the tire was not bad we could not reimburse him for itHowever, If there was something else that caused the tire to go flat that we missed we would take care of the repair with a copy of the receiptHe contacted us the next day to tell us that it was bad tire valve and we offered to pay for the repair with a copy of the receiptHe declined and said he was going to contact Revdex.comWe tried to pay for the repair but this customer wants a free tireI believe we did everything we could do to try to satisfy this customerWe are still willing to reimburse him for the repair with a copy of the repair receipt

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: Our
complaint is totally supported by documentation from Toyota. It should have been blatantly obvious that
something was wrong with the repair if a competent mechanic were doing the
work It is true that another dealership
did take the vehicle apart to find out the source of the problem. However, the parts were not left scattered
all over the vehicle when the vehicle was towed. The parts were left in the front seat of the
vehicle by the other automotive facility.
I know this to be a fact because my husband and I came to the automotive
shop on July 6th (after we
knew the repair was going to take a while) and personally went inside the
vehicle to pick up items from the
vehicle At the time the vehicle became
inoperable we were in the process of moving.
When we came to the shop on July 6th we loaded items from the
front and back of the vehicle into my husband’s car The two items that were not installed into my
vehicle were clearly in the front seat and on the floor of the front seat of my
vehicle. I know this to be true because
I personally went through the back seat and the back cargo compartment of my
car to gather necessary items that I needed for my home. Those items were clearly not in the back seat
or back compartment of my vehicle I went through the vehicle thoroughly to locate items I needed. They were put there at a later date and could
only have been done so by the dealer, due to the vehicle being inoperable. I would have noted if those items were in
the back compartment of my vehicle, and would have said something immediately. As far as the concerns about whether new or
used parts were used, my receipt clearly states used parts. I requested (a day or so after the repair)
for a copy of the invoice showing me the parts were new and was told by Galaxy
that they did not have the invoice and that the invoice was in CA. This was absolutely ridiculous because if new
parts were bought Galaxy should have been able to produce a receipt for me
immediately. When the parts were
reportedly shipped to Galaxy, they would have been accompanied by a receipt/invoice. I find it interesting that the receipt that
they sent you is the first that I have seen of one existing. Galaxy made no attempt to
locate and send me a receipt, but miraculously when I complain to Revdex.com one
appears By the way, why doesn’t the
receipt indicate a cost for the parts, sales tax, or freight charges? In
addition, any good reputable mechanic would know if large parts, such as the
pictures indicated were missing from a vehicle.
Toyota clearly stated to me that you could tell by the way there were
gaps and spaces that something was not done incorrectly. If an honest reputable mechanic worked on my
vehicle, they would have clearly known that something was wrong. If Galaxy did not feel comfortable working
on my vehicle due to parts being removed by another dealership and could not
make it whole again, they should have indicated such and I would have sent it
elsewhere. The fact that they would state that the parts missing from my vehicle
were somehow hidden in the back compartment of my vehicle is an out and out
lie. As a result of their incompetence,
my safety was put in danger. Also, the
fact that so many parts were ordered that were incorrect should indicate the
incompetence of this facility. How many
times do you keep ordering the wrong thing????
Regards,
*** ***

In response to the complaint submitted by *** ***; The vehicle had previously been taken to another repair facilityWhen the vehicle arrived at our facility it had the steering column taken apart alreadyThere were parts in the back seat of the vehicle which were reinstalled upon
repair, but as we came to find out there were also some parts in the cargo compartment which we were not aware ofThe customer indicated that the vehicle was needed back as soon as possible due to the fact that they were in the middle of moving. On our initial inspection it was determined that the ignition electrical switch and the ignition switch housing needed to be replacedGiven the customers tight timeframe we immediately began sourcing part(s) needed for the repairAfter calling our local Toyota dealership we were informed that the parts(s) were not readily available and given a lead time of 8-business daysWe notified the customer of the part(s) dilemmaGiven the circumstance we advised the customer that used parts could be used in the repairWe contacted our used part vendor and found that a steering column was readily availableBuying the parts used meant having to buy the whole column, due to the fact that when buying used that's the only option available. The customer agreed to the used part repairUpon arrival of the steering column it was determined that the steering column was incorrectThe customer was notified of the delayWe contacted our vendor to inform them of our issueOur vendor sent out another column for next day arrivalUpon receiving the second column, unfortunately we discovered that the part(s) was also incorrectWe immediately contacted the vendor to rectify the issueOur vendor did some further research and found that there are more than variations for this same applicationThe vendor also notified us that they had more columns in different variations available, but due to order cut off time we would not see delivery for daysWe notified the customer of the situationWe got in contact with a known dealership in California to see if they were able to procure the part(s) any soonerWe found that they could have the part sooner, but it would still a couple of days outGiven the situation we sent our employee to New Braunfels, which is more than miles away to pick up the used columns so we can determine if one of those was the correct oneWe did this in an attempt to put the vehicle back on the road without any further delays. We also did the pick up without any cost to the customerWhen the columns arrived all 3 columns were incorrectAdvised customer of statusAfter exhausting all of used parts options we recommended going with the new part(s) coming out of CaliforniaThe customer agreedNew parts were orderedWe installed the components and reinstalled the parts known about, that were removed at another facilityWhen the customer picked up the vehicle they were charged for new parts that were installed, but in the rush of getting the vehicle back the description of the part was overlooked by us and not changed to show new part descriptionWe have documentation on the new parts that were installedIt was our highest priority vehicle and we went above and beyond to ensure that we could get the vehicle back to the customer in the shortest amount of timeWe apologize for any inconvenience to the customer for parts that were not reinstalled, but the truth of the matter is that it is very difficult to pick up where another shop left off, especially when parts are scatteredIt is never our intention to put an unsafe vehicle on the roadI will be attaching documentation of the new parts that were installed

In response to *** ***: Mrs*** states that her claim is supported by Toyota documentation, I have a copy of the documentationOn the invoice it does say that pieces were left out, air duct and one bracket for the air ductNowhere on the invoice does it state that this was a safety issueThe reason it does not state it was a safety issue is because the pieces in question are for the hvac system (heater ventilation air conditioning)The purpose of those pieces is (air duct) to allow air (hot/cold) to be routed under the dash (hot/cold air to ones legs)The bracket that was left out was to hold the air duct in placeThis, while it may be an inconvenience, is not a safety issue and would not put ones life in dangerMrs*** came into our facility after the vehicle had been taken to Toyota for reinstallation of the parts, she was very upset and had provided us with a copy of the paperworkWhile there she stated that the pieces were found in the cargo compartment underneath clothing, and that they were placed there by our staff because we didn't install themWhile she states that the parts were left on the front seat is true, the pieces in question were not thereThere is no reason in the world why we would not install simple components if they were present and part of the install, and even more out there is the thought that we would hide those partsWe get vehicles into our facility for various repairs and in various conditionsIt is not uncommon to have a vehicle missing parts, some essential some non-essentialAnytime we come across a vehicle that clearly is missing a component that could further cause damage and/or put the customers life in danger, we immediately notify the customer of this conditionWhen non essential parts are missing it could be difficult to determine if parts are missing due to vehicle being stocked with or with out certain factory optionsWe never purposely leave parts outAs far as incompetence being a factor in getting the incorrect (used) parts, incompetence has nothing to do with itWhen used parts are ordered, we call our vendor with vehicle information (year, make, model, engine size etc) they then tell us if there is vehicle on their lot that matches that same informationIf they have one we then inform them of the part needed. If the vehicle and part are available they then remove the partIf parts are superseded or if there are different part variation for the same componentThis is why (as previously stated) we, as well as our vendor, did further research on this part and found that there are many variations. Mrs*** never made an attempt to contact us prior to taking vehicle to the dealershipIf such an attempt was made these parts would've of been installed at no chargeThe re-installation of these parts takes only a few minutes as this is a very simple installationTo once again state, 100% new parts were used on Mrs***'s vehicle once the used option was exhaustedThe reason we were not able to immediately furnish a copy of the invoice is because the parts came in from our California officeThis meant that the paperwork was in CaliforniaIf you look at the paperwork it has the address to our California storeThe paperwork also has the vin for Mrs*** printed on it, proving that the part was ordered for her vehicleI had previously stated that it was our mistake in not updating the description of the new part used in the repair, for this I am very apologeticIf it is necessary we will take the steering column apart in the presence of Mrs*** to once and for all prove that new parts were used in this repairI am sorry for the inconvenience that Mrs*** had to go throughIf you have any other questions please feel free to contact us

We had suggested that the customer replace all four tires since they were bad. It took a little longer than expected for the tires to come in. Once they were in, we put them onto the vehicle right away. Later that day he contacted us and said one of the tires was flat. He asked to be reimbursed for...

the tire. We tried to explain that if the tire was bad we would have no problem replacing the tire free of charge but if the tire was not bad we could not reimburse him for it. However, If there was something else that caused the tire to go flat that we missed we would take care of the repair with a copy of the receipt. He contacted us the next day to tell us that it was bad tire valve and we offered to pay for the repair with a copy of the receipt. He declined and said he was going to contact Revdex.com. We tried to pay for the repair but this customer wants a free tire. I believe we did everything we could do to try to satisfy this customer. We are still willing to reimburse him for the repair with a copy of the repair receipt.