I recently brought my car to the Maaco at 6398 S. Hulen, Fort Worth, TX 76133-6618 Phone: (817) 263-6398 for a collision repair estimate for my insurance company which is State Farm.
I specifically told both Greg Welch and Chad Dingman when I brought the car to Maaco on August 7th that it was for an insurance estimate because I had been rear-ended. I turned the Maaco estimate in to my insurance company, but they thought it was too high so they sent an adjuster to look at my car. Friday morning (8/15) the adjuster came to look at my vehicle and gave me 2 copies of her estimate.
I brought the car back to Maaco on Friday afternoon (8/15) to drop it off for repair with the copy of the adjusters estimate. I asked if they (Maaco) could do the work for the new price. The Maaco employee (Chad) chuckled and said that they would call the insurance company and work it out with them if costs went over and that I didn't need to worry about it. Then he paper clipped the insurance adjuster's estimate to a blank work order and had me sign it.
Chad also recommended that I come back the following Monday (8/18) to drop the car off instead since they wouldn't get to the car over the weekend and my insurance provided rental would run out.
I specifically had to remind Chad again on Monday (8/18) while dropping the car at Maaco that I had been hit and the estimate was for an insurance claim because a weekend had passed and he did not seem to remember me.
I received a call (Thursday, August 21st) that my car was ready and Chad asked me; "by the way, how do you start your car? We have to push it around the shop to work on it." I told him that if they had a problem he should have called me and I would have come and taken care of it. When I went to check the car over the key was twisted and bent, the automatic transmission had been manually released and the cover missing, the steering lock and ignition lock were both broken and I could not start the car or even turn the key.
I refused to pay for a damaged car and attempted to leave (on foot) and the owner (Mark) ordered Chad to call the police. I told them I would not pay, but I was not going to leave with the car because it won't even start. They still insisted on having the police come. So I sat down and waited. The police could do nothing for them since this is a civil matter and asked what the charge on the car was. That's when I found out that the original estimate was what they were attempting to charge me. I asked about the adjusters estimate that I personally handed them on Friday and they said they didn't know what I was talking about and Mark said that I better pay because in three days they would start charging me storage fees. I then left on foot and walked home without my car.
I never threatened the Maaco employees or called them bad names. The owner (Mark Medina) himself even stated in writing that; I need to be clear that although we were totally frustrated with each other, Mr. Wolf never acted inappropriate; we both remained calm and level headed. However, I would disagree. Mark Medina called the police on me, threatened to keep my car, charge me storage fees and called me a liar. That is inappropriate!
I only ask that the collision damage be repaired according to the insurance company estimate and the rest of the car to be in the condition it was when I dropped it off. To be treated like this because Maaco damaged my car and to be called a liar by the franchise owner and an employee because they did not want to take responsibility for the damage to my vehicle is unacceptable. Then to have the police called on me when the owner himself said I was calm and level headed is absolutely outrageous.
At this time Maaco is still in possession of my vehicle, so I am without transportation.
Peter
Fort Worth, Texas
U.S.A.
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