ComplaintsforPowell's Body Shop & Towing Inc

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my car to Powells in Blackfoot for a minor front fender repair.****** kept my car over 7 weeks, changed me for rental car fees, storage fee, and towing fees, that are above and beyond the standard. ****** is slow to return phone calls and or emails from insurance companies, resulting in over charging for car rental and storage fees. My car needed a repair of exterior detail from IF Signs in ***********. ****** towed my car to IF on April 11, left my car in the parking lot, as he did not make an appointment with IF Signs. My car sat in their parking lot until April 19, when the job was started and completed. During this time, ****** continued to charge me storage fees of $100.00 a day along with car rental fees. I noticed my car sitting in the parking lot, completed and called Powells. ****** was rude, condescending and told me I had s**** insurance, this was the reason why it was taking so long to repair my car. ****** charged me $525.00 to towmy car to and from ********* to ************Because of ******* poor business practices, my insurance refused to pay for the excessive car rental, storage fees, and towing fees, I was forced to pay $1,000.00 above my deductible.My husband was in constant communication with staff at Powells, giving them up dates on e-mails, asking ****** to respond to e-mails and requesting updates on repairs. Each time he was given the standard answer of we expect your car to be done in a week.

  Business response

  05/02/2024

  In the matter of ************************************* **** Explorer 
  

  We had her vehicle for 48 days she was in a riverbend rental car for those 48 days 3/8/2024 - 4/24/2024 the rental bill total was $2,798.40 we were told we would be getting a total of $1,200.00 for her policy limit we ended up getting $900.00 for the rental we wrote off the difference $1,898.40.We did not charge them any amount or fees for the rental.  This must have been a misunderstanding on her part she was never charged. 
  

  As far as the storage fees there was never any storage fees from day one or a bill generated for storage for $100/day. The customer was never handed a bill for storage. I am unsure where the misunderstanding is. 
  

  The appointment with IF Signs we have a documented text message on April 9, 2024, making the appointment for the decals. Once we were informed on April 19, 2024, by the customer that she was sitting by the vehicle we had reached back out to the owner **** at IF signs they had gone home for the weekend and went back and put the keys in the vehicle for our guys to tow back that evening. We are unsure why we were not contacted that the vehicle was done. We have a documented text of that conversation as well. ******** body shop does not have any control over other businesses.
  

  As far as the $525.00 Tow Bill to get the Explorer to and from IF Signs there was never a tow bill generated or given to the insurance company or the customer.  This is again another misunderstanding. We did ask the insurance for $240.00 for transportation time it is 42 miles one way. Upon doing so the insurance did not pay and the customer did not pay anything for this. There was nothing collected for transportation or towing fees on this vehicle.
  

  As for the repair time this was a $9,448.29 repair in which should have required two inspections and 2 checks. Due to the delays with liberty mutual this repair became 6 inspections and 6 checks. We cannot continue repairs without approval therefore we would have to stop repairs and wait for the inspection to be completed and approved. We communicated this with ************************ he was involved with the phone calls and the emails. He stated that he understood.When he left that evening on April 24, 2024, He had stated that he was happy with the repairs. 
  

  Now to the $1,000.00 that ************************ has paid the bill was $1,800.00 we had written off the $800.00 The $1,000.00 was for the aftermarket accessories on the explorer that their insurance policy would not cover due to a $500.00 limit. He was made aware of that and what he was paying for was accessories not a tow bill or storage or any rental fees. 
  

  Inconclusion with the comment as far as what insurance company they have "shitty"they must have agreed with the Body Shop Owner ******'s remark because they changed their insurance to FARM BUREAU due to the complications and the handling of this claim with Liberty Mutual/Safeco he had changed to *********** was the statement made by ************************ at the time of picking up his completed Explorer. 
  

  ******** body shop employees were very surprised in receiving this letter at 4am because everything stated is untrue. At 8:00am a call was made to ************************, and he was unaware of any of this, and he stated he was going to talk to his wife when she got off work because there must have been some misunderstanding as ****** had stated in the beginning ************************ was the sole communication from the ********** family to the insurance and the Body Shop. 
  Attached please find some of the supporting documents we have. 
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call ************************* the Body Shop Owner at ************

  Business response

  05/02/2024

  Attached are the two additional attachments that were unable to be sent. 

   

  The insurance estimate- supplement - final bill. 

  The Conversation had with **** at IF Signs. 

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