Project Thanks Obama update: Still in the shop

"Nibbles" (nibbles) 01/03/2014 at 10:46 • Filed to: project thanks obama, trucklopnik

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I was supposed to get a call from them yesterday. After hearing nothing, I called just a few minutes ago. Talked to Brad, the Operations Manager, who told me that they have had to take multiple measurements because "the laser mounts on the [part in question] control arm mount, so in order to determine where the frame is damaged we have to find other places to measure from..."

I'm thinking they are just attempting every possible avenue to clear themselves. I hope they stop trying to prove it's the frame when they cannot get any evidence showing it's the frame and go ahead and fix the mount like was initially requested and paid for. They've now had it for three days (not including the holiday), does it really take this long to get a frame measurement?

Brian Silvestro > Nibbles 01/03/2014 at 10:49

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fuckin Obama yo

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Nibbles 01/03/2014 at 10:50

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In that time, I have cut off and rewelded an entire crossmember, two front spring perches, a firewall support, a side patch panel, and well over a dozen mounts on a Land-Rover chassis... in my spare time. Most pieces requiring measurement and exact placement.

Bozos, the lot of them.

Nibbles > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/03/2014 at 10:54

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Thank you for the input! My wife was wanting me to ask other shops how long they would take for this kind of work, and whether or not days to get measurements was the norm.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Nibbles 01/03/2014 at 11:01

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In fairness, said chassis has nothing attached to it, is made of mild steel (easy to weld), and has fairly comprehensive measurements for some things listed in the shop manual, but anybody with high school trig and a damn framing square can get a chassis dimension right without needing the precise one. It's not rocket science.

Most likely they have other things to do, and your car is in the disfavored "we won't make money on it"/"have the new guy spend his spare time on it" work pile. Which is understandable, but for something that has an irate customer attached a very bad policy decision.

davedave1111 > Nibbles 01/03/2014 at 11:07

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Why is it your problem that they're having trouble? Bad customer service reps always try and do that, and you have to keep it in mind and tell them that it's not your problem every time they try it. Three days is a more than reasonable amount of time to take any conceivable set of measurements, so if I were you I'd give them a 90 minute deadline to finish up, then go and collect the car.

If at that point they haven't proven their case, and they continue to be unreasonable, they're simply refusing to do work that was paid for. Keep pointing that out and they ought to back down. Can you issue a chargeback on the card you paid for the work with?

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > davedave1111 01/03/2014 at 11:18

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I would also still keep the signboard option open, assuming it warms up a little anyway. The death knell of smaller shops is bad publicity.

davedave1111 > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits 01/03/2014 at 11:23

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Unless they're deliberately screwing people, it's better to make them understand that they're being unreasonable. Often it's just some dickwad too stupid to realise that what he's suggesting as a remedy to a problem is manifestly unacceptable. If you can get him to understand that his proposed method of rectification does not in fact resolve the actual problem, but is instead exacerbating it, then he's more likely to come around.

As soon as you go and stand outside with signage, you're making it a head-on fight. And, frankly, if you have the evidence to back it up, you're better off just calling a lawyer.