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  #1  
Old 02-21-2004, 08:05 PM
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Location: SW Chicago Suburbs, IL
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Jack/Lift pushed up floor of my car!

Okay, this didn't happen to my MB, but rather to the VW Jetta TDI. I had my car in today to get some suspension work and an alignment done at a local muffler/brake type shop. As I usually do, I dropped the car off early in the morning and picked it up later in the day.

So I bring it home and went to vacuum it out. Low and behold, there's a 4x6" section of the rear passenger side floor that is pushed up about 2 inches. Obviously someone didn't position their lift pads properly and it pushed the floor up.

I was VERY disturbed and went back to the shop. They adamently denied any such incident. Considering there are specified jack points on the car that I'm well aware of, I pointed them out to the shop manager and the wrench that did the work. Again, they claimed there would be no way they would have made such a mistake.

At any rate, I need to get this fixed. What's the best plan of attack and if I have to take it to a body shop or what not, how much do you think I'm looking at. The metal is not broken and didn't look fatigued, but is certainly pushed up and the floor is not flat at all.

Thanks for letting me vent!

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Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

MBCA Member, Chicago Region

Last edited by Lance Allison; 02-25-2004 at 08:39 AM.
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  #2  
Old 02-21-2004, 08:39 PM
sixto's Avatar
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Eastern TN
Posts: 20,841
Document the timeline of events while it's fresh in your mind. Get a reputable body shop to do a repair estimate then get a lawyer involved to send a letter with the estimate to the alignment shop. It's too early to give up on getting the alignment shop to pay for repairs even if all it takes is a good stomp to get the floor back in shape.

D@mmit Lance, mention the Jetta in the subject line so I don't get all worked up while the page is loading

Sixto
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  #3  
Old 02-24-2004, 12:37 PM
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Location: SW Chicago Suburbs, IL
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Okay...I just got back from the body shop and my car is now fixed. The rear and passenger side front seat had to come out, as did the carpeting. They were able to reshape the metal and smooth it out rather nicely.

Turns out there was a large black body plug about 6 or 8 inches away from the jack point The suspension shop mistakenly used the body plug rather than the intended point to position their lift pads.

I have a few pictures of the damage before it was fixed. There is a nice imprint of the checkerboard pattern of the lift pad surface at the highest point of the damage. Interestingly enough, this pattern matches the lift pads at the suspension shop.

The shop is still insistent they did not do the damage, despite the photos and my explanation.

The body shop didn't charge me for the work, as the shop owner is a friend and neighbor...and we usually barter back and forth. I do computer-related work for them and they in turn provide their body shop services to me.

Should I let it drop?
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Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

MBCA Member, Chicago Region
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  #4  
Old 02-24-2004, 01:18 PM
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Location: Ireland
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God thats a tricky one! I guess this shows you should'nt
mix business with er business. If I were you, given that they've repaired the damage which is'nt in a critical spot (by the sound of it), I'd let it drop. However I'd speak to the guy you know and make it clear that you know who made the mistake and that he knows to. Then go somewhere else next time.

Mike.
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  #5  
Old 02-24-2004, 01:43 PM
G-Benz's Avatar
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I accidentally did just that to an 86 Cavalier I used to own...missed the jack point and pushed my creeper jack up and caved in the passenger-side footwell!

Fortunately, being a cheap domestic car, I used a hammer and sometimes stomped the area with my foot to shape it back to normal...no problem!
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  #6  
Old 02-24-2004, 01:57 PM
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That's a tough one. Do you think that if you broke one of his computers when you were doing work on it that he would let it slide and not hold you accountable?

They screwed up but the fact that you are friends and it was a goodwill repair complicates it. It probably depends how much you value your future relationship and of course how much the repairs cost.
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  #7  
Old 02-24-2004, 02:06 PM
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Go Get Em

It is a matter of principal, if they messed it up, then lied about it then that is even worse. Take em to court and sue them! The fact that your friend repaired at no cost has nothing to do with the damage that someone else did to your car. Have your friend give you an invoice for the repair with a dollar value that you and he understand is compensated due to your work in return. As for the shop that did the damage, that is a totally different situation. I had someone change the oil on my s class and after arriving home there was oil all over the garage. This is the first time it went anywhere besides the dealer and the last. When the dealer came to get the car they repaired it, and informed me it was the fact that they stripped the bolt on the oil filter housing, It took some time, but they paid up. If they are not held accountable for their work they will not improve.
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2004, 02:13 PM
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Sorry, I misread your post. I thought you meant your car was damaged by the shop that did the work for free. Yeah, take 'em to court and do not give up. Sue, involve a lawyer, whatever it takes.

DO NOT LET IT DROP.
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2004, 02:51 PM
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Blood pressure rising

It’s the lying that would make me go after the shop that damaged your floor, regardless of how minor the damage was financially. I can understand mistakes. We all do them now and then, even though screwing up a jacking process which they must do tens of times daily is the ultimate in ineptitude. But if they out and out lie and shrug their responsibility, I’d go after them out of principals. Good thing you photographed the imprints of their jack. Good luck.
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  #10  
Old 02-24-2004, 02:52 PM
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Was it a chain muffler shop? If so, you could have another avenue for complaints even if the shop is individually owned. I'd really consider taking them and the photos to small claims court - they might well come up with some settlement when they receive the notice.
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  #11  
Old 02-24-2004, 03:32 PM
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Lance, I'd press the muffler/brake shop to pay the amount that your friend's body shop would have charged the average customer to repair the damaged floor pan. A reputable muffler/brake shop would have apologized for the damage when you picked up the car and agreed to pay for the repair. It's inexcusable that your shop denied damaging your car when confronted with the telltale impressions of their lift pad. Certainly the tech operating the lift realized he screwed up. Go after them with a vengeance for lying to you.
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  #12  
Old 02-24-2004, 07:21 PM
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Thanks for the responses. However, let me clarify some things. The suspension shop that did the damage is not the body shop my friend/neighbor owns.

The body shop fixed it for me at no cost as a favor to me, not because they did any damage. The estimate to fix such damage was around $450 to a normal paying customer.

The suspension shop is defintely to blame. I called them twice today. Once just as they were opening. I got to talk with the service manager, but he was "busy starting the day" and would get back with me. I waited until this afternoon and called again. I got put on hold for about 10 minutes and was then told he was not available. Hmm...

At any rate, I'm thinking of taking the pictures over there on Saturday to see what they say.

What do you think?
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Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

MBCA Member, Chicago Region
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2004, 07:34 PM
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I would get your friend at the body shop to invoice you for the full amount.

Do you have a 'small claims court' equivalent in the States, Just a judge and no lawyers type thing -
When you win - you decide what to do with the money, your friend can always cancel the invoice.

NormanB
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2004, 07:39 PM
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Hi Lance,

I would also be very upset at first, but because the damage was somewhat contained and fixable, I would try to calm down and get my blood pressure under control, which would certainly be out of the recommended range.
I would get an invoice from your friend, write a letter laying out the events and ask them one more time to pay for the damage with a set date to respond. I would also tell them that I will forward my experience to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) unless I am reimbursed.

If they pay, fine, if not, I'd forward it to the BBB.

Small claims court is an alternative, but you need the letter etc. anyway to make your case there, too.

For a few hundred dollars, my time and blood pressure is probably more important and I would let it go. Being right and getting right are two different things and sometimes the cost of getting right is not worth the effort.

Good luck

Reinhard Kreutzer
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  #15  
Old 02-25-2004, 06:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lance Allison
Thanks for the responses. However, let me clarify some things. The suspension shop that did the damage is not the body shop my friend/neighbor owns.

My bad...sue them to hell!

Mike.

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