Held Mechanically Hostage...

Hello, Pilgrims and Indians - can I even say that these days since the Pilgrims were imperialists simply trying to steal land?  Regardless, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!   

I've been working on a post about why we get sick.  But, this event JUST happened and I wanted to share a post about it.  I won't mention any names at this point, because the business has offered a resolution after a very heated phone call. 

Five days ago my brother had his motorcycle towed into a shop.  He requested a QUOTED $170.00 diagnostic to see why the engine was trickling gas.  The shop called back three days later and quoted $2200.00 to CLEAN (for 8 hours labor at $109/hour) the carburetor and for some miscellaneous preventative maintenance.  My brother looked up the price of new carburetor and it was $350 + install (1.5 hours).  He requested the shop return the bike with the printed diagnostic HE PAID FOR to his home.  

The bike was just dropped off at 10 a.m. this morning IN PARTS!  I will show the pictures below of how the bike was disassembled and returned in literal zip lock baggies with no diagrams or any clue of what goes where.  We were eating brunch at the time and understandably the entire event disrupted an otherwise peaceful morning.

My brother made a call to the shop and spoke to the Manager and disclosed the call was being recorded.  Throughout the call, the manager confessed that bikes are never returned in parts unless specifically requested by the customer (this story later changed when we spoke to another manager later who stated that my brother declined a $100 reassembly charge - when you see the pics, you'll understand that $100 is a complete joke for the 3-4 hours of reassembly - they charge $100 to change wind shield wipers).

Can you imagine driving your car into the Subaru dealership for a diagnostic, and eating the granola bars and having coffee and then getting your name called for them to open the garage and you find your car in parts in zip lock baggies?  This is essentially what happened, except a tow brought and rolled it out in parts.

Basically the motorcycle was initially picked up with a worth of a certain amount and then delivered back worth absolutely nothing.  According to the State of Florida per the Florida Motor Vehicle Repair Act (and this take quick research on your iPhone):

• If a repair will cost more than $100.00 a shop must give you a written estimate and notify the consumer before the repairs are done (or if the repairs exceed more than originally discussed.  You must sign and date said estimate before work begins.  
• Now in this particular circumstance, the shop told my brother that the minute they picked up the bike, he agreed to the diagnostic of the bike.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Know more of your rights:

• When a written estimate is required for all repairs, because let's face it...when's the last time you've seen a mechanic's bill for under $100?
• You have the right to ask if the parts are new, reconditioned/rebuilt, or used parts.  Make certain your estimate states the condition of your parts.
• The repair shop must get your approval on any increase.  In other words, a lot of times a mechanical may get inside in the car and find more damage.  The shop must get your approval if their original estimate exceeds $10 or 10%, whichever is greater.  So it's important to make sure the shop has an updated phone number on file.
• You can completely cancel repairs if they exceed the estimate and the repair shop MUST reassemble the vehicle, unless it is unsafe to drive.  The shop may charge you for tear down and reassembly only if you were given notice of that charge on the estimate.
• And, finally, you are entitled by state law to get back any replaced parts if you requested them initially.

What all should you look for in any repair estimate in the State of Florida - which my brother did not receive prior to the shop disassembling the bike?

• The shop's name, address and phone number
• Your name, address and phone number
• The date and the time of the estimate
• The year, make and model and odometer reading and license tag number of the vehicle.
• Proposed work completion date
• Description of the problem or request
• Labor charges based on a flat rate, hourly rate or both
• Estimated cost and charges for repair
• Charges for shop supplies or for hazardous or other waste removals 
• Charges for making an estimate and the basis for the charge
• The customer's intended method of payment
• Name and telephone number of any alternate person teh customer would allow to authorize the repairs
• terms of the parts and service guarantee
• notation if customer wants replaced parts returned
• Charge for daily storage.  Shops notify customers after repair work is completed customer will then have three working days to pick up the vehicle before storage fees may be charged. 
• Disclosure statement

At 11:30 a.m., the repair shop, again after two heated phone conversations, picked the bike BACK up and are reassembling it back in the condition in which they accepted it.  This time the manager was there and was taking pictures of everything.  In three days my brother will be getting back the exact bike he left in their fiduciary care.

Why did the shop return the bike back in parts?

Were they pissed that my brother would not agree to a $2,200 repair?

Were they already balls deep in the repair when someone said, "Hey did you get the owner's approval from a $170 diagnostic to a $2200 repair?"

Did they think returning the bike in parts would push my brother into the repair?

Regardless, it's not YOUR job to make sense of why people act retardedly.  BOTTOM LINE: You do not return a bike in any LESS THAN condition than it was prior to leaving it in a mechanic's possession.  The bike was Kelly Blue Book value at $6,035 and returned worth absolutely nothing.  Essentially, this shop CHARGED $350 to make his property worthless and make him even more reliant.  The next closest repair shop is 480 miles away.  That's called being held mechanically hostage and it's illegal to treat a consumer that way.

Keep a big heart, but take no shit,

Kimmie