Its amazing how many thoughtful responces, and how much good advice I have gotten with this thread. You guys are great!

I will be talking to a lawyer friend to get advice, and figure out what I should try for exactly in court, or in a settlement. It is going to cost me nothing to trailer the car home because a friend has a trailer. I'll keep you guys posted!

**Update** I am disputing the 1300$ charge on the credit card, this will immediately take the money back from the shop and the credit card company will act as a mediator between the shop and I. The shop charged me for "defective" goods and services. We'll see how the shop likes this.

Thanks Guys :chevy


[Modified by inqbus383, 4:31 PM 5/5/2004]

 

Good for you :thumbs:
Gary

 

excellent strategy! once visa sucks out the money he will have to beg and tell quite a story to get any back. :cheers:

 

Sounds great let us knowhow it goes :thumbs:

 

I had to follow the same procedure recently with a very disreputable Corvette shop in KIRKLAND Washington. The twit changed the oil in my car after air-chisseliing off the old filter and damaging the little aluminum pice onto which the filter threads. This wouldn't have been a big deal if he just replaced the $9 part. Anyway, after paying for work being done $1400 which was estimated to renmain under $500 I went outside to collect my vehicle to see one it getting pushed out of the street. The car had been taken for a test drive while I was paying the bill, the oil pressure went up, blew of the fractured part still attached to the oil filter and seized my fresh 427 on the street. Owner said "Not my fault, it is the fault of the last guy who put on the filter too tight" I threatened to suspend the Visa charge and requested a letter from him stating that if he took responsibility we could perhaps work it finding a mutually agreed upon machine shop to perform the work. He refused, so I cancelled the charge and contacted my lawyer. Visa ended up again reversing the dispute paying him after a couple months given that he lied to them stating he had made an offer to repair the damage. In short, you can delay payment too him but they always end up getting paid in the end. Just be prepared to have the bill go through at some point and possibly even unxepectedly.

My insurance ended up covering it and they will simply sue him so I don't have to. I didn't anticipate they would but they did. In this soert of circumstance don't discount what they may have to offer for you. In my case it saved the day except I wouldf like to have seen the imbecile in court myself given his incompetency, rudeness, lack of integrity, bad businees and criminal behavior. In short, if you ever need to have a Corvette fixed Washington, keep away from Kirkland. Nothing but bad news!!

Good luck with it and call your insurance company. I had full coverage (farmers) and they were awesome about dealing with the issue!

Cheers
-Andre

 

When I picked my diff up from Dan at Van Steel, it had no rear cover on it because I reused my old one. Right next to the new one was a gasket, 2 bottles off gear oil and a bottle of additive, supplied by Dan. My situation was pretty obvious.
But in your case, if the mechanic only filled it with the additive (why bother if you're not going fill it completely) and not explicitly tell you or even make you sign something that you understood that it needed oil, I'd say he was liable. Sorry to hear about your problem, I know first hand that it was a LOT of work :smash:
I hope you get it worked out with the shop.

 

AndreG: What corvette shop was that? I'll have to avoid that like the plague. I hope mastercard doesn't listen to the shop's lies in my case.

 

RSE (Rick Stark Enterprises). I felt like such a fool because I should have known better. Everyone told me not to go there but he had the parts I needed in stock (suspension pieces), promised to have it ready for me in a day and I was in a hurry to go to a track event in Portland. I figured it would be safe given he wasn't touching anything really mechanical given the oil change was a very last minute thing which just turned into a nightmare. I knew I was in for bad news as when I was getting ready to pay for the work Rick was having an argument with a customer whom he built and engine for a month or two prior who said it was smoking. The customer was a complete gentleman and was simply asking questions. Rick blew up, told him he was an idiot, and that HE thought it was a mistake to have ever built an engine FOR HIM! I watched this conversation in absolute astonishment! The customer was chased out of the shop, then I received and had to fight about my own bill which was 3 times my estimate, to then go outside to find they had just seized my motor. The whole experience had it not been so financially and personally devastating would have actually been funny to see in a movie. I just can't understand how someone/anyone can possibly remain in any business lacking all professional skills, social graces and integrity. Absolutely remarkable. Keep away, I am surprised I haven't heard of him on this forum. You have to only experience this guy once to remember him forever. Live and learn I guess, even though I have spent a bunch of money doing things I shouldn't have had to have done I will be getting back a better car at the end given that since the motor had to come back out I have done a lot of other things to the car I wouldn't have had the excuse to otherwise.

Cheers
-Andre

 

Good question on how he can stay in business?