8/6/02 contract 7611 was signed by parents to deliver 1998 toyota corolla from CA to IL. Company came out for prediagnosis of car condition (all scratches noted). Company states that it has insurance to cover for damages in transport. Promised delivery date is 8/12-16 with 24 hr notice before arrival. Dave (driver, 760 861 1182) leaves message saying that can't deliver on promised date will deliver sometime next week.
8/20/02 leaves message (I'm about 10 minutes away from your home, come pick up your car)... Complaint one: driver should've called 8/19/02 to tell me he will be here 8/20/02. I work in the evening that day. 8/21/02 6am: I call friend to take me to Bolingbrook (30miles away) to pick up car, otherwise Dave will leave. I miss the whole morning of work to pick up car.
8/21/02 car picked up: Has large long continuous scratch marks on top of car, on front hood, trunk and both sides of car. Dave states that my car was at the top of carrier when he drove through small residential street to deliver car to another owner. Large rows of dried, trees with overhanging branches were on both sides of narrow streets so my car got majority of the scratches (top and both sides) as he drove down the residential street. Dave tried to use commerical wax to cover up the long streak/scratch marks. Marks still there after. Told me to wash car, should be gone. I washed the car, and the marks became more pronounced.
Called A Plus: 800 349 6518. Talked to Karen Jaeger about situation. Told me to get two estimates of damages. 8/23/02: Went to Midwest AutoBody 630 971 3010 and Bob Carter's Auto Body 630 852 3578 for estimates. Similar estimates of whole body paint job since scratches were deep scratches. Estimate $2811.88. Faxed report to Stony, the manager. Refused to pay for whole body paint, but states that he will pay for a new detail/rebuffering job in three days and told me to get two estimates.
Even though company is insured, refused to go through insurance b/c not want to raise its premiums or be dropped from coverage, so will pay out of pocket. Estimates: Midwest AutoBody $225. Downers Grove Auto Rebuilders Inc. $250, but haggled to $225 (even though it won't fully cover the scratches per midwest autobody employee).
Called/Faxed Stony the estimates. 3 days later, no answer. Midwest Autobody, and DG AutoRebuilders informed me that Stony has not notified them. Call Stony, secretary says not available, so I leave message to call back. This goes on for 1-2 weeks (Stony never called back). Finally talked to Stony again, he states that he's waiting for Dave the driver to come back from delivery, make him pay b/c it's his fault. 2 weeks later, still no returned call with answer. Called Stony, says forgot to ask Dave.
Wait 2 more weeks b/c Dave back out on the road, no answer. Call Stony ask why not call back and if he can take $225 away from Dave's paycheck and just pay me now before snow and salted streets hit Chicago, says he'll handle it in a week. I call in a week, secretary tells me he's out on a conference (business expansion seminar) for a couple of days.
I call Dave, he tells me that he's not going to pay for it. Called Stony 3 days later and told him that it took me 5 minutes to reach Dave and him over 4 weeks to "reach" Dave. Told him that Dave refused to pay and that Chicago will be snowing soon. Stony tells me that he will handle it and get back to me. I ask "when?" gets agitated..."I don't have to tell you my life schedule of when I will do things." I ask him to at least give me a timeline so I know and that over 8 weeks has passed and there seems to be no progression. Says he'll call me back in 1-3 days and hangs up.
Three days later, Stony not call back. This goes on to: 12/10/02, snow and salted streets have already passed, salts get into the scratched surfaces, will increase chance of rust at those spots in the future. Call him, forgets who I am, then remembers (since so much time has passed without me calling him), says he'll call me "tomorrow." Again, no callback.
My last call to him is that I was willing to go to court for breach of oral and written contract and false advertising of "insured delivery." 3/29/03 still no call from Stony, winter has passed, spring has begun. Dont go with this transport company. They do not take responsibility for delivery of damaged goods even though they claim that your car will be insured.
Stony the manager is very very hard to get a hold of he's there maybe 2 hours each day at random times. If you leave message with the secretary, Stony will never call you back, except if youre a new customer wanting his service, then of course hell be courteous to you and call you back. He's constantly worried about business expansion but not individual business completion especially when he is at fault. He wasted my time telling to go out and get 3 estimates and then ending up not paying for anything.
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