brassplyer

I was reading Google reviews of a place I consider to be the most reliable, honest, competent mechanic shop in the area, it's where I always go when a repair is over my head or just don't feel like dealing with it. The owner's name is on the building, he's still the head mechanic. I was surprised to see a negative review from someone who apparently was a longtime customer whose door got bashed in while on their lot (private, gated lot not shared with other businesses) supposedly by another customer or one of their supplier vendors backing into it - it wasn't known exactly who did it but they didn't dispute that it definitely happened on their lot.

The shop's response was that it's the same as if the damage happened in a grocery store parking lot - you wouldn't blame the grocery store. They offered to pay half the cost of replacing the door but there were additional costs of window tint for the door that had to be replaced and graphics since it was a business vehicle with custom graphics.

What are your thoughts and/or experiences re: this? If your car gets banged up on their lot by a third party would you regard the shop as being liable?

ntfday

Their lot, their responsibility.

Daveinspain

Didn’t the guy have insurance? His insurance should pay for it.... Problem solved.

brassplyer

Don't know what the policy actually covers but I would guess he doesn't want to file claims if he doesn't have to, to keep his rates from getting jacked up.

bfit

Don’t believe everything you read online .
in business there is all ways some one who is not happy one way or another about your work, attitude, etc
If you want to use this business go and talk to the owner your self and get his side of things
bfit

tigertim20

I agree with the shop.

the person who damaged the vehicle should cover the cost of repairs. where you leave it is irrelevant.
do you blame the state if your car is run into while parked on a street?

You should have insurance, and your insurance should be doing the leg work on this, thats what you pay them for.

brassplyer

They pretty extensively explained their side in response to the review - they confirmed that as far as they're concerned it's like your car getting damaged at a grocery store, they felt they were being reasonable offering to pay half for replacement of the damaged door. It's not like some big corporation whose answers are boilerplate copied/pasted by some underling at a corporate office.

My personal experience with this shop has been positive. Complaints about them being "too expensive" I dismissed - they don't give their services away but I've found them to be competent which I regard as more important than being cut-rate. This particular complaint though gave me pause.

Syl1953

It happen to my wife's Blazer at "Rons Automotive " here in Orlando. Best they could figure one of the tow trucks hit it. Ronnie the owner sent it to repair shop, paid for all and said he would deal with whom he believed was responsible. That's how it should be handled on private property.

juggernautZ06

It would be who ever backed into its responsibility. The shop owner had no control over it. If it was in a parking space and no due negligence by the shop owner. If the shop owner agreed to pay half that is more than fair.

derekderek

in Syl's case, The shop owner has a pretty good idea his own tow truck did the damage. Which is a little bit different than a customer backed into it like the other shops problem. In the case of the other shop do they know who hit the car? And since is something that happened to the shop not something that happened to you lightning striking twice ain't real likely.

SteveG75

Shared lot or private lot? My old "go-to" mechanic shared a lot with multiple other businesses. I think the 50% deal is pretty fair.

When my C3 was getting painted (at a local Pontiac dealer, who did great custom work), an insurance adjuster backed into a front fender. Fortunately during the prep phase. Shop made it right at no cost to me with fender replacement and everything. 15 years later and still can't see the repair.

brassplyer

Private, gated lot.

theandies

Most shops that I've ever been to (and I don't take my cars to any shop much as I can do 99% of the work myself in my driveway/garage) have a sign on their property that they are not responsible for stolen or damaged property while parked in their yard. The owner would be a fool not to have such a sigh.

It's good business for the owner to work with the customer but why should the owner be responsible for something he has no control over?

Dirty Dalton

From past experience, if one is not being charged for the privilege of leaving one's car in the lot, there is no, if I recollect, bailment contract, and the lot owner bears no responsibility.

7T1vette

The correct answer is that the owner's insurance should "handle" this problem. The owner's insurance will contact the shop and try to recover the money from them. If the shop owner knows who actually damaged the vehicle, and it wasn't the shop's fault, owner's insurance may file against them...or not.

The owner's insurance will get the funds out of the shop if no other recourse. It was on the shop's property. Unless the car owner stipulated that the shop was not liable for damages when left outside (in writing), it's the shop's 'nickel'.

If the car owner has photos of the car, damage and location, they can be sent to his/her insurer for reference.

stingr69

This. Its called a bailment for hire. No charge, no responsibility.

If the owner has done something negligent, he could be held liable.

Consider it another way...If there was a camera and the cilprit was identified, the culprit would be responsible and you would leave the shop owner completely out of it. Shop owner is not at fault.

7T1vette

File a claim with your insurance company and watch what happens....

BarryB72

I had the stereo stolen out of my truck while at a dealership for service. When I went to pick it up they brought the truck around, ready to go, except no radio. They had no idea it was gone. Unreal. Anyway, my thought was - it's kind of your fault if you don't even lock the cars on your lot , but they said nope. Call your insurance. In the end my insurance paid me for a stereo and for an entire new dash because of 2 screwdriver pry marks around the radio bezel. That put about $1000 in my pocket. Rates remained the same.

brassplyer

Any idea if yours was the only one targeted? Was it some really tricked out system? Was it just the unit in the dash that was taken? How do they know it wasn't an employee who stole it?

BarryB72

It was a JVC single disc player, probably $200 new. They could have sold it for $50 and would have felt like they made out.

Never heard - and I'm sure they weren't telling- if any other cars got hit.

Could have been an employee but that truck sat there for about a month while they figured out what was wrong (something in the ignition made the alarm horn go off for no reason) so it was a sitting duck.