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Import Doctors damages car left for repair-- over $3500 in damage! Shop owner claims no responsiblity for cars left in his care.
My car is a very rare classic cara 1967 Lancia Flavia. It was recently restored with new paint and chrome. The interior was original and like new. My car was recognized by the officers of the American Lancia Club as the most original and pristine example of this model in the US. The car is a show car and was shown at the following car shows:
Concorso Italiano, 1999, 2000, 2001
Newport Beach Concours, 1999
Santa Barbara Concours, 1999
Best of France and Italy, 1998, 1999, 2000
Malibu New Years Day Run, 1999
I needed to have a rear spring replaced and selected this shop based on endorsements by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club. I also selected the shop based on the statement of shop owner, Bob Wandell, that he would store my car indoors. Indoor storage was very important to me, as the car's windshield seal leaked slightly and the driver's window did not roll up all the way, not to mention that I have incurred great expense to restore the car and to store it indoors myself since acquiring it in 1997. Bob Wandell that he would keep the car indoors. I was very clear that this was crucial to me, as I had just had the car painted and the chrome re-plated recently and wanted to protect my investment and that the car leaked. I also told him that he should call me if unable to continue to keep the car indoors.
The car was at Import Doctors for over two months while we searched for the correct replacement parts. Bob Wandell at no time made any effort to help find the parts, leaving it to me to do so.
On January 15, I found that my car was left outdoors for at least two months, one of which was the rainiest December in recent history. I found standing water in the car's interior over 4 inches deep at the driver's pedals. The interior, formerly pristine and very original is now largely ruined. Additionally, the shop placed my non-waterproof car cover on the car and left it there on for an extended period during several rainstorms. The cover was left on while both it and the car were damp, causing the recently re-plated chrome trim to rust heavily and the new paint to become water damaged. Any knowledgeable automotive shop owner knows that a wet car cover left on for an extended period will likely cause water damage to the cars paint and promote the forming of rust on bare metal surfaces, such as chrome trim.
Bob Wandell failed to perform as agreed on the following points we discussed prior to trusting him with my car:
The throwing away of my original parts without my permission and prior to my inspection. A phone call would have been sufficient.
o This resulted in me being forced to locate used replacement parts in Europe instead of using the original parts to fabricate replacement parts locally, which would have been a quicker solution and gotten the car out of your shop faster.
Failure to store and maintain my car while in the shop's possession per the terms that the shop agreed to prior to leaving it in the shop's care. Also, failure to contact me when unable or unwilling to store the car as agreed.
o This has resulted in a large amount of water and weather related damage to the car and an anticipated large expense to correct the damage, and in turn, a diminished value of the vehicle (it will never have the original interior wood trim or special original factory mats againthey are just no longer available for such a rare car)
The following damage was caused by Bob Wandell leaving the car outdoors :
The dashboard wood inserts and trim (damage from moisture and direct contact with water)
The factory original sisal carpet (damage from being saturated and immersed in water for extended period)
Mold growing on many interior surfaces (requires further inspection to assess full extent of damage)
Water/moisture damage to door panels and other interior trim.
Possible rusting of the floorboards, which were repaired and refinished at the time of the paint job in 1999
Extensive rusting of the exterior and interior chrome trim, also all recently re-plated
Flat front tire, a new tire, with less than 4000 miles on it, (tire is damaged if it's been sitting flat for more than a month)
When asked to cover the damage caused by his failure to comply with his promise to store the car indoors, Bob said that he's not responisble for cars left in his care, and that the car was at his shop too long anyways. I then asked him why he didn't call to tell to come store the car myself and also why he didn't help find the parts to get the car out of his shop faster, and he had no answer-- he said nothing. All he had to do was call me, and all of this could have been avoided.
I've had a classic car restorer give an estimate to repair the water damage, and it will run between $3500 and $7000 to repair, depending on the amount of rust discovered, difficulty in securing replacement parts, and amount of required labor!
In all fairness I should mention the following:
I have been an automotive journalist for over seven years, and I've been published in the following publications:
European Car magazine, 1994-1998, author of the GTV-6 project car series and various feature articles
Robb Report magazine, 1995-1996, various automotive feature articles
Sports Car International magazine, 1998-2000, various automotive feature articles
Productopia, 2000, new car analysis and reviews
Auto Talk, KUCR 88.3 FM, 1995-1998, contributing journalist
I have owned over 40 cars in the last twenty years, over 30 of which were Italian sports carsAlfas, Lancias, and Maseratis. I did much of my own work, and continue to participate in many events and clubs. Over the years, I have taken my hobby seriously enough to turn it into a source of income as a journalist.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jennifer
Hwy 1,California,
U.S.A.
Good Idea Bob
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, October 31, 2006
"In the future I will be more selective with dealing with customer's who supply parts for their cars, I will not be so eager to please, but protect my company by sending registered letters for cars abandoned, and then "lien sale" to recover lost revenue on abandoned cars."
I think we all have to learn that the hard way! You be nice to customers, let things slide way too often, costing you money! But you don't want to be the bad guy, until one day some customer just screws you good. We had that happen once too, so now it's stick by the rules (storage charges and a lien if necessary) no matter who the customer is. If they don't respect the fact that you have a business to run and other customers to please, then it is only fair that they pay for all the time you have spent on them (or moving thier vehicle around daily)
In fact, we just decided on a new rule that if the customer supplies thier own parts, they have 1 business day to get the parts to us, after that they will be charged storage fees until the part is supplied. That came about because a man decided he wanted to buy a cheaper part, but took an entire week to get it. Meanwhile, he had already authorized the repair and we had taken the vehicle apart on a lift. So the car sat there a week, using up the lift while we waited. Then he wanted the repair finished the day he brough the parts! He called 3 times checking to see if it was done. (No rush when he lagged on getting the part!)
Anyhow I understand what you are talking about, although I don't know the complete situation here, it sounds just like one we had with a customer that kept disappearing in mexico for weeks at a time. Then paid us a partial payment with a bad check! When we informed him that we would file a lien on it (2 1/2 months after the repair was made, that we had put money out on) he tried to say we scratched his car!
Bob
San Ramon,California,
U.S.A.
Owner abandons car!
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, October 31, 2006
In October 22 2001, Mr. --- came to my shop to have a broken left rear leaf spring installed on his Lancia Flavia. Mr ---- was suppling his own part! At the time he was informed of the cost to install his part, and how long the repair would take. He requested that we keep the car inside while doing this repair because his windshield leaked. (We have a sign in plain sight that states a storage charge of $15.00 a day will be applied 48 hours after completion of work, if it is not picked up.)
He left his car, and we commensed the installation of his part, only to discover that he supplied us with the wrong part causing a uneven ride heighth! (At no time did Mr. --- request his old part be saved!) We immediatly tried to contact Mr. -- by phone to let him know that we were done and that he had supplied the wrong part! We continued to call for 2 weeks, leaving many messages, but were unable to contact him .
He showed up at the shop 2 weeks after the repair was finished. We informed him the part was wrong, but the car was drivable. He asked if we had kept his broken spring so he could have one made using it as a template, he was informed that we threw the old part out a week before because HE DID NOT REQUEST WE KEEP IT. Mr. --- became quite enraged because we hadn't saved the old broken part, and stormed out of my shop without discussing his plans, paying for the work that was done, and left the car at the shop.
At no point was I asked to help him locate a part or to continue storing his car while he tried to find a new part. This was the first week in November. We tried to contact him by phone through November, December, January and into February but only got his answering machine.
Finally on February 22, 2002 I left a message on his answering machine the car was going outside, and I was going to start charging storage from that point on. Mr. ---, finally showed up 2 weeks later with a pair of used springs to have me install and save the first spring he supplied. He asked if the car had been outside, I informed him YES, I had NEVER agreed to store his car until he found replacement parts.
He checked his car at this time and complained of water standing inside the car, but had me do the spring replacement anyway. I finished the repair and called him to inform him the car was finished, and to come and get his car.
He complained of the water damage, but paid his bill (which did NOT include any storage for 3 months, only for the work that was performed on his car!)He took the car but was very disgruntled. He got a estimate for the water damage, told me to pay for the damage or he would take me to court!! I turned it over to my insurance company, and we decided not to spend anymore time, money and effort to fight this in court (days off of work, etc!)it was best to just pay him off! He was paid in full for the water damage! At no time did Mr. Mitchell take any responsibilty for just abandoning his car for 3 months at my shop!
In the future I will be more selective with dealing with customer's who supply parts for their cars, I will not be so eager to please, but protect my company by sending registered letters for cars abandoned, and then "lien sale" to recover lost revenue on abandoned cars.