I dropped my car off to get my muffler replaced at the sister company, El Paisa II, located at 109 South Lincoln Avenue, Aurora Illinois 60506, on 4/17/09 at 8:15am. I returned at about 4:30pm that same day to pick it up. When I got to the shop, a shop that I had done business with on 3-4 prior occasions, the owner/operator said he had to take the car to the other shop, El Paisa, at 712 North Lake Street, Aurora Illinois 60506, to have some welding done, as he did not have a torch. Upon or arrival he informed me there had been a "Little accident" with my car... And that the receptionist would speak to me. (Note: I had ridden in the car with this man for 10 minutes yet not once did he mention this UNTIL we pulled up to the garage door at the parent shop!) The receptionist came out of the office and began telling me the horror story of what had taken place in their shop earlier in the day. Apparently while my car was up on their hoist... The hoist malfunctioned and began dropping, they were not able to stop it, it subsequently came down onto the gas welding tank, snapped off the release valves and then the tank pushed my car off the hoist. I said ok give me the name of your insurance company and I'll call them and we'll resolve it. They refused... They have refused me any type of payment for my car. This was a 1995 VW GTI, which even in fair condition had a Kelly Blue Book of 2300.00. The choices I was give were 2, they would give me a car that they choose, OR they would take my car to their "Bodyshop Friend" and he would fix it. Hmm last I knew in Illinois we could choose our own bodyshops. The frame is twisted the car had not a single dent in it before I dropped it off for a muffler, now it is totaled. Because I needed the car to get to my job there was a limited time frame in which for me to make a decision I opted to take a car... Of course it's a piece of junk. My car had only 130,000 miles had just had new shocks/brakes, new rotors all around and pads and a tune up. My lovely replacement... A 1992 Mazda Protoge' with 180,000 miles and sounds that are so scary, sounds that I've never heard come fro a car. I have asked them to fix these noises before I finalize this..."Deal of the week" but they don't fix them. What recourse do I have... Absolutely NONE! Illinois apparently allows Auto-repair shops to do business with no type of insurance to cover the customers cars. Even if I sue them there is no single entity that Makes them pay... It's stand in line... Meanwhile I would've lost my job and who knows what else.
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