Complaint Review: DON WHEATON - Edmonton Alberta

Your situation does sound desperate and, frankly, ugly. I am a former auto dealership service manager (Not GM or associated with the Wheaton Group of Edmonton) and an experienced AAA automotive arbitrator. You, dear customer, need to learn how to protect yourself as a consumer. The first thing goes to what you had asked the service department to do on your behalf at the get-go. You state "We brought in our car for engine repairs. It was working fine when we went in." Why then did you take it there? To be fair, if you are going to complain, then please provide all the facts. There must have been something wrong for you to go there in the first place. Second thing is to use the Repair Order/Work Order to limit what is done on your behalf. Indicate the work that you need done or the diagnostics you are requesting and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS write on the work order to call you for authorization before commencing any work or before going over a certain spending limit. In Alberta, there is a piece of law called the Garageman's Lien Act. It allows a repair shop to place a lien on your car for the work they have done if you refuse to pay. The ONLY way you can refuse to pay is if the repair shop did work that you did not expressly authorize on the repair order. See how it works? The work order does protect you. After the fact, as in your case, it's nearly impossible to resolve without an arbitrator. My suggestion? If you are an AMA/AAA member, you can formalize a complaint through the Approved Auto Repair Service of which Don Wheaton's Auto Body shop is a participant. If the extra charges you refer to at the end of your complaint are about body work, then AMA will arbitrate a solution to the problem. I don't know the responsibilities of your car having been stolen from their lot but repair shops who have 'care and control' of a customer's car do bear some responsibility for it. Ask your own insurance agent how that works because if your insurance company can point the financial responsibility at someone, they will for sure. Good luck and please GET IT IN WRITING BEFORE YOU get into trouble :-)

I took my car in there for some body repair. My insurence company told me to go there...I later find out that both companies are owned by the same guy...millenium insurence and don weatons. So anyhow I had someone key my car..they painted it. and when I got it there was paint drips all along the door and they painted it the wrong colour. not to mention they lost decals off of it. This was a huge pain in the a*s. It took so much bitching but I got my money back, and took it to someone else to fix it. I will never deal with either company again! they are crooks. they tried to tell me that they couldn't match the paint and the car was too old. it was a 95! and I had just had the same thing happen 6 months ago and the awsome guy at dougs place( trevor) could match it! NEVER GO THERE!!!GO TO XXXXXXXX

I can't believe that you are putting up with this. Why on God's green earth have you allowed this business to still have possession of your property? My experience with Canadians is that you are just too nice. Grow some testicles, (pardon me ma'am)or rent some. Get your car out of there and demand your money back. Then when you get your car fixed present them with the bill. They are responsible for your car while in their care. I am sure there was something wrong with it, but I'll bet a good portion of the problems are due to the abuse to the car while stolen, which stemmed entirely from Don Wheaton's negligence. I wouldn't pay one dime for getting my car fixed after what you've been through... at the very least! In fact, you should have some consideration for your trouble.