What kind of rights do you have? If any...

The shop I took my car to last left the bolts off of the exhaust flange, which blew out the gasket. I fixed that. Last night, my air conditioning compressor came completely detached from my car, hanging only by the hoses and resting on the under body pan... They either didn't tighten the bolts, or didn't re-thread lock them. These guys are obviously fuck ups, and I'd never go there again, but if something they did actually fucked up something on my car, do I have any right to sue for the repair bill? Or would they just say "we'll fix it..."?

For the record, this is Independence Automotive in Pineville, NC. I would recommend NEVER going to these guys ever, they've caused me about as much trouble as they've helped...

3/24/2007 1:38:53 PM

Call them and tell them that they suck and that their repairs could've killed somebody.

Then sue them.

Something along those lines...

I guess you could also tell everyone and their mother that that shop broke your car.

3/24/2007 1:57:53 PM

^hahahaha tr00 tr00

3/24/2007 2:10:15 PM

Quote :

"I guess you could also tell everyone and their mother that that shop broke your car."

I've been traveling this road so far.

I don't know that I would sue them even if I could. Would probably be more trouble than it's worth. I was just kind of curious. And I'm getting sick of fixing shit that they messed up.

3/24/2007 4:52:27 PM

see, this is what gets me.

i, along with many other users on here, work at different shops.

now, everyone thinks that a shop should never screw up, so what does that mean? you are comparing shop workers to doctors.

people make mistakes. everyone who works in a shop knows how hectic it is in there. yeah, i use to think the same thing "oh, how could you forget to do blah blah and blah blah".. then i understood that your car isnt the only car in the shop that needs fixing.

go ahead and ask the shop when the last time was when they screwed something up, it was probably a loooong time ago. its not surgery, a hanging compressor is not going to kill you, if the hoses were holding it up, then its on and unless you cut the hoses, its not flying off.

no, you arent gonna sue them because what you are going to do is go back there tell them what happened, and ask them to repair everything and pay for damages, and they will gladly do that.

and if they dont, thats when you goto court for them to fix your car. theres not gonna be any "oh you could have killed me" BS because it wouldnt happen.


and you also do not need to be going around spreading that the shop screwed your car up. thats just not right. those people work just like you. when was the last time you screwed something up???

3/24/2007 5:22:22 PM

but if this is a shop that repeatedly screws up, then you just need to tell someone and stop going there.

3/24/2007 5:23:33 PM

Yeah people screw up, but for as much as it cost to take a car to a shop, they shouldn't miss tightening bolts. Misdiagnosis maybe, but forgeting to tighten bolts that's just neglect. After I had a shop forget to put a nut on my ball joint (broke axle, strut), then overfill my crankcase another time (blew out oil pump seal), I check IF I EVER actually take it to a shop.

3/24/2007 8:24:26 PM

Learn to work on your own car.

don't trust it to the fuckups that work at these shops and could care less about your car.
you know how much you probably get sick of your job... they probably feel the same way about theirs.


and in my opinion you cannot criticize someones work unless you have done it better before.

My history with car shops... I had a flowmaster delta flow put on my jeep wrangler... they put it on backwords... now.... > is much less aerodynamic than this < (airflow from left to right).

And once i had a shop change my oil cause i didn't really have the time... they stripped the drain plug on my oil pan and it developed a drip. i had to order a new oil pan to fix it....

since then NO ONE but myself or my father lays a finger on my car.

3/24/2007 9:55:33 PM

Hell, I don't even let my father lay a finger on my car.

3/24/2007 10:10:54 PM

ive only sent a car to a shop once and that was for a PITA clutch job

and i dont even really know what im doing

3/25/2007 12:47:37 AM

you don't have alot of rights unfortunately unless you can prove very concretely that they have caused the problems, and remember the court is usually in there favor considering they are they pros so you need some solid evidence.

3/25/2007 1:55:25 AM

My car is like my girlfriend/wife, only I get to touch it where the fluids come out.

3/25/2007 8:34:01 AM

Quote :

"Hell, I don't even let my father lay a finger on my car."

\

i've twerked on the diesel before

3/25/2007 12:41:39 PM

Quote :

"girlfriend/wife"

so you aren't sure which one she is?

3/25/2007 12:46:42 PM

The car went to a shop because I didn't have an engine lift, and you have to lift the engine to get the oil pan off. The filter on the oil pump was clogged and needed to be cleaned. It seemed at the time that the shop would be the easiest choice since I work 40 hours a week. Looking back, with as much time as I've spent looking for replacements for the goddamn bolts that have fallen off and finding an exhaust flange gasket, I could have done the original work myself if I just rented a lift at Advance auto or something.

Baonest:

I understand 100% that people screw up. Everyone makes mistakes. But in this case, I'm paying fairly high labor charges, and for my hard earned money, I want the work fucking done right the first time.

It's pretty clear that the mechanic working on the car didn't give a shit about what he was doing. The exhaust flange bolts were left untightened completely. They just threaded them on a little bit by hand and never went back and tightened them all the way. And now it seems they didn't put thread lock on or lock washers/bolts that go into the engine block (assuming they tightened them at all).

And to say that I shouldn't tell people that the shop does shitty work is just stupid. They do, so why would I let my friends run into the same problems with them that I have? If they want a good reputation, they need to earn it. I'm pretty sure I couldn't single handedly put them out of business...

3/25/2007 2:25:00 PM

talk to the shop and see what they will do to fix the problem

3/25/2007 2:42:44 PM

^I don't trust them to touch my car anymore. They've already proven to me that they are at least semi-incompetent.

This wasn't really intended as a what should I do thread. More as a what could I do if I wanted to. It's kind of gotten twisted away from that.

I finally found the damn bolts I needed after going to three different Lowes'. The actual problem should be fixed in a few minutes...

3/25/2007 4:20:26 PM

From what I've been learning in my Business Law class, you should have a case due to their negligence. They had a job/duty to fix your car. While doing this, they were negligent. You have been caused harm (time & $$). Thus-- you have a civil case. Usually in these cases you would be able to sue for the amount you paid & anything more you have had to pay to remedy the problems their negligence caused (this could possibly include a monetary amount for the time you spent, or any time that you were required to find other transportation to/from work). Unfortunately, I don't have any personal experience persay-- but according to my business professor who practiced law in NC for ~25 years... you could definitely have a case. Some courts might require you to go back to the shop & let them fix their mistakes. (Although, I, too, wouldn't trust them to do so )

I think you'd have more options than anyone on here has mentioned. People definitely make mistakes, and that's fine... but when you make them everyone has to take responsibility for them. That's how it works in most businesses. When a store or restaurant screws up... you're compensated in some way. Services are no different.

3/25/2007 3:38:58 PM

while it may be true that you have a case, no judge is going to waste their time trying to come to a monetary decision on it. all they'll do is tell you to go to another shop and get it fixed and the shop that screwed up MAY have to reimburse said other shop that you get it fixed at, bc understandably so you don't want to go back to the shop that screwed up your car. just bc you have a case doesn't mean you'll get anything out of it. more than likely you'll waste your time and money on something that won't get you anything back out of it.

3/25/2007 3:46:32 PM

you can sue for anything under the sun. doesn't mean you'll win.

as has been established, shops and everyone else is going to make mistakes. the difference comes in how they handle the mistakes. unless i missed something, you have given them no oppurtunity to make good on what went wrong.

[Edited on March 25, 2007 at 3:59 PM. Reason : .]

3/25/2007 3:57:28 PM

Quote :

"as has been established, shops and everyone else is going to make mistakes. the difference comes in how they handle the mistakes. unless i missed something, you have given them no opportunity to make good on what went wrong."

true, step 1 should always approach the company first, they should pay for all damages that fall under what they are liable for under whatever they repair/serviced... etc.

but in business if the seller/provider (meaning you pay for a product or service) makes a mistake they are liable, the only thing the court needs is evidence. it's not that hard to prove when <5 minutes after you pick your car up and bolts fall off, especially when they are bolts that had to be removed to accomplish the repair/service...

if you think mistakes happen, thus they should be dismissed b/c everyone makes them...you better get liability insurance or a good lawyer.

Quote :

"while it may be true that you have a case, no judge is going to waste their time trying to come to a monetary decision on it.... just bc you have a case doesn't mean you'll get anything out of it. more than likely you'll waste your time and money on something that won't get you anything back out of it."

complete crap, you can sue for damages and court costs, most cases include lawyer fees as part of the damages.

you can also make a complaint against the BBB as an option, prolly won't do much though.

[Edited on March 25, 2007 at 5:31 PM. Reason : .]

3/25/2007 5:26:40 PM

Quote :

"you have given them no oppurtunity to make good on what went wrong. "

If I were actually going to take action against them, I would by all means do this first. I decided to fix the problem myself, rather than giving them the chance to make things better. Maybe thats a mistake, who knows what they'd have done for me if I'd talked to them. Or it might have just been "we'll fix it". Either way, cars fixed now.

3/25/2007 10:08:11 PM

hah, sue my butt... you can try.

but you will not win unless you have a STRONG case.

hell, there was a local shop who blew a hole in this guys engine using starting fluid. judge said that the shop didnt have to pay for a whole new engine.


call it a good lawyer or whatever.
but its not easy

3/25/2007 11:10:17 PM

^^i don't think you should even talk bad about them without giving them a chance to do what they can to make up for it. maybe they would have refunded your money, or payed for another shop of your choice to fix it. you never know.

just my opinion...

[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 12:08 AM. Reason : .]

3/26/2007 12:07:04 AM

^Like I said, who knows what they would have done for me? I'll never know.

I do think I still have a right to talk bad about them though, cause they fucked it up the first time. I was paying them to do it right the first time, not to make good on what they mess up. They go on my shit list just by putting me in this sort of situation. I shouldn't have to talk to a manager or take my car back for another day to begin with.

3/26/2007 5:24:26 AM

do you know how many people screw up the first time at different things?

so a teacher grades your test wrong. you gonna go there and tell everyone she is a crappy teacher?

give them a break.

now if it is a continuous thing, then maybe. but shops screw up from time to time. no shop has a 100% error free track record.

3/26/2007 8:04:41 AM

http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=451488

3/26/2007 8:08:01 AM

they should fix it for you for free though (labor anyways)

3/26/2007 8:48:06 AM

Quote :

"so a teacher grades your test wrong. you gonna go there and tell everyone she is a crappy teacher? "

I never went anywhere. What the hell are you talking about? If a teacher messed up my grades, I would tell anyone who asked me about that teacher exactly what happened. This is different though imo.

Quote :

"give them a break. now if it is a continuous thing, then maybe. but shops screw up from time to time. no shop has a 100% error free track record."

Leaving the first two nuts/bolts loose and having the exhaust come apart was an error. Leaving the the AC Compressor bolts loose or not secured against vibration in a very high vibration area is pure fucking negligence. When you fuck up 2 different things on one car, what are the chances this is an honest isolated event? Get off your fucking high horse man, I don't give a shit that you're a mechanic. All of the arguments you've made have been strongly biased to the fact that you're a mechanic and that mechanics can make mistakes. Thanks for the heads up. Like I said, I was paying them to do it right the first time, not the second. I did it right the first time when I fixed their mistakes. It wasn't hard, all I had to do was pay a little attention to what I was doing. Apparently that's too much to ask for a couple hundred dollars.

Would you be pissed if:
The bank lost your money the first time you deposited it?
A mail order company sent the wrong item the first time?
The electrician made a mistake and you're house almost burned down?
The hotel made a mistake and you lost your reservation?
The mechanics left bolts loose on the airliner you're flying on and you diverted because of it?

Come on man, most of the world gets things right the first time, it's not that hard. Like I said, it just takes a little attention to detail, which is what I expected and did not get from them.

3/26/2007 5:38:28 PM

so let me get this straight fucktard, there was a problem, you didnt take it back for them to correct the problem, and you are bitching about it? sounds like you are just a moron

shit happens, jobs get switched from person to person and sometimes things are overlooked, hell i've had my share of fuckups, one or two a month that i would get blown out for, but i damn sure never got a pat on the back for the other 400 jobs i got out the door during that time that were perfectly fine

i've had 6 surgeries on my knee and it still feels like shit and isnt right, one of those was to remove a fragment of bone they didnt get out during a previous surgery, should i tell everyone not to go to the best orthapedic surgeon in the country at duke, who pioneered 2 of those surgeries and i was the second person ever to have one of those procedures done? hell no, i'm glad that i can even walk on it and i will go right back to him if it gets worse again

get over it

3/26/2007 7:10:54 PM

I wasn't bitching, I was asking a question. The whole idea was not "what should I have done in my situation", it was an example of a time when a shop screwed up which brought the original question to mind. Baonest took it as an opportunity to get on his fucking soap box like I care. You're right, I didn't give them a chance to fix it, nor did I ever mean to imply that I wanted them to. See Baonest's worthless ass post to see where this shit all got twisted the wrong way...

With that, I'm done. ncsukat pretty much answered my question a while ago.

3/26/2007 8:16:36 PM

what it comes down to is that you are an asshat

3/26/2007 8:32:18 PM

come fix my car plz, kkthxbye



[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 8:35 PM. Reason : *]

3/26/2007 8:35:37 PM

Quote :

"The bank lost your money the first time you deposited it? -not a prob because i have a reciept and it will go back A mail order company sent the wrong item the first time? -then there is a second and third time The electrician made a mistake and you're house almost burned down? -well it didnt burn down, but id make him come back and fix it The hotel made a mistake and you lost your reservation? -have reciepts and proof that i made the reservation The mechanics left bolts loose on the airliner you're flying on and you diverted because of it? -id ask for a complimentary flight because of it"

fact is, companies are out there to make the customer happy and will do a hell of a lot of things to make you happy and get their rep back up. which means, if you take it back they will fix it and make you happy.

and you need to tell them how many times they have messed up. maybe its the same person who has worked on your car and they can get rid of him.


[Edited on March 26, 2007 at 8:44 PM. Reason : ]

3/26/2007 8:43:11 PM

I can definitely tell you this: shit like this happens to every shop. If it doesn't, then:

1. They only work on one car at a time, and have customers that are happy to wait a week to get their car back.

2. Their parts suppliers get the parts they need in 15 minutes or less EVERY TIME THEY NEED IT.

3. They have a bay and a mechanic for every car waiting in the parking lot.

If you need a lift for a job (or even for about 5 jobs waiting), and a car is sitting there, torn down waiting for a part that might not get there for a couple of hours or even days, you push that bitch out...especially if one of the jobs waiting is an emergency for one of your best customers.

This kind of stuff happens. Deal with it. You should have taken the car back when you discovered problems. Give them a chance to fix their mistakes.

You now have no documentation (except for maybe your gasket receipt) that any of the above even happened. I call that just dumb as fuck.

3/27/2007 7:37:40 AM

yeah, you dont come post about it on here.

maybe after everything has been taken care of, but def. not in a bitching way

3/27/2007 9:41:42 AM