ComplaintsforWink's Body Shop, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my car in for an insurance estimate. The damage from the accident was well documented. I took my car to them in good faith, hoping they could do all of the repairs. They had my car less than 48hrs and messed it up. My car was damaged by Wink's. My car now has transmission issues, my driver seat is now broken, my bumper has more cracks. My back seat was not put back in properly. My driver seat now moves as though it is off track. When the owner Todd finally deigned to talk to me after several attempts to get the matter addressed, he accused me of lying, told me not to contact his shop, not to bring my car back, and hung up on me. This is the rudest, most destructive auto shop I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. I have never been to an auto shop that acted like it was painful to talk to me. I would advise anyone who wants their vehicle to stay far away from Wink's. I am not trying to be difficult, I am very easy to get along with. I also expect to be dealt with honestly, fairly, and with respect and Wink's has not done so. Usually, if you tell an auto shop something is not right they ask you to bring it in so they can at least look at it. They don't be rude, call you a liar, tell you not to contact them, and hang up on you. This behavior is extremely unprofessional.

  

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  I, the owner was kept appraised of this as it happened but also talked to my staff again after receiving this complaint to ensure accuracy. Customer did not pay shop any money or have any repairs done. No charge for time spent diagnosing issues or helping with insurance claim.  Overview of events concerning interactions with customer: Customer brought 2010 ******** to shop from a minor rear end collision. Visual damage was a cracked rear bumper and bent exhaust. Insurance company wrote an estimate to repair these parts. Customer also had a list of concerns that she said were also related to this collision. She stated that the driver door lock hasn't worked since accident, unable to put key into cylinder. We checked this out and, in our opinion, it seemed like it was from normal wear and tear. The lock cylinder had corroded or seized up over time. Very unlikely that it was related from being hit in the rear, but we submitted to insurance company anyway. Customer also said that the vehicle has been braking funny and noisy when driving. So, our Service shop manager took the vehicle for a short test drive. When he returned, he immediately put vehicle on a lift and decided the wheel bearing was the problem. Again, in our experience, this is a normal wear and tear part that is probably more likely caused by years of use rather than being related to accident. Again, we submitted to the insurance company anyway. While they had vehicle on the lift, they noticed corrosion and a significant leak around transmission. This was communicated to customer. The customer was also told that her issues have been submitted to insurance and that it would be a couple days for them to review and respond. Customer proceeded to call multiple times and then show up at shop the following day. Again, explained to her that we were still waiting on insurance to respond. The customer spoke to our Service Manager and said there was another noise that she heard when driving since accident that didn't seem to be addressed by what we submitted to insurance. Service Manager agreed to go on another test drive with customer. He said that she drove very aggressively, braking hard and accelerating hard. To the point he actually felt nervous driving with her, was thrown around in his seat and felt she was trying to make a problem that wasn't there. Customer also kept telling him that her car never drove this way before and that it was driving rougher then when she dropped off. Customer then asked to speak with another manager who wasn't available at that time, so customer left. The following morning, customer returned. Again, complaining that we had done additional damage to her vehicle. That we damaged her transmission and that her exhaust was louder now and there was other damage that we caused. At this point, another manager stepped in and asked her to take her car and leave. We determined that because of the seeming dishonestly toward what she was claiming to insurance company and then accusing us of damaging her vehicle, it was better for her to take her business elsewhere. We had all been very polite and as helpful as possible through this whole process. But when she started accusing us of doing damage to her vehicle that was obviously not the case, we felt that asking her to leave was best.  To address each problem in this complaint: Vehicle arrived on 10/16 about 9:15am. Customer left with vehicle on 10/19 about 9am. Vehicle actually here closer to 72 hours. We keep track of this on all vehicles.  Transmission issue was communicated to customer. There is a significant leak. The more fluid that leaks out, the worse the vehicle will drive. It will shift harder and sometimes seem to bang and/or lurch as it shifts gears. Photos provided. This is obviously not a new issue and there is no possible way it could be caused by a shop that drove a vehicle no more than a mile or two.  Driver's seat and all seats are leather and showing very obvious signs of wear. This is normal for a vehicle that is 13 years old. Photo attached from when vehicle was dropped off. Due to grainy photo, it is difficult to tell if seat is cracked but you can definitely see that seat is worn and has an obvious stress mark where customer's photos shows it is torn. Customer never complained about this issue until after picking up vehicle. Customer had been in driver's seat on the before mentioned test drive with our Service Manager. Aggressive driving where sliding around in seat can definitely cause the seat to finally crack if it was not cracked already. Regardless of when or where this happened, we did not cause the issue. It is from old age of vehicle. Seat covers needed replacement before vehicle was brought to shop.  We had none of her vehicle apart. All damage was assessed visually without any parts removed. So, the accusation that we did not put seat back in properly is untrue since we never removed it or any other part.  Insurance company has already agreed to fix her bumper and exhaust. We did not cause any more damage, but the complaint seems like a non-issue since this is already being paid for by the insurance company.  When the customer, after she picked up vehicle called again complaining to our staff and being very rude and insulting, I, the owner called her back. I was greeted by a person that was immediately irate. She talked very quickly and did not leave any space for me to respond. Would not listen or consider anything that was attempted to communicate to her. Any time I tried to speak, I was cut off and talked over. It was not the intention for me to come off rude but between the insults and inability to communicate, I could only tell the customer in as few words as possible that we did not do the damage and that I was going to hang up. I did wish her a good day before hanging up though. I am not sure if she heard anything I said because she never stopped talking (yelling) at me. So, in conclusion, we really tried to help this customer and my staff spent a lot of time and was very patient with this customer. Unfortunately, when a customer starts a relationship by being dishonest about things that she tried to claim as part of an insurance claim and then starts blaming us for issues that we pointed out when requested to look her car over, it leaves a business with no other option but to ask the customer to take the vehicle elsewhere. At first, we weren't sure if the customer was attempting to be dishonest with the insurance company or if the issues happened at the same time and she didn't understand that it was coincidental. We were still willing to try to see if the insurance company was willing to pay for them as part of the claim. But when she started blaming us for issues that we didn't have anything to do with, it made it clear that this was not a customer we could work with.  

  Customer response

  11/06/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. In regards to complaint #********, I reject the company's solution for the following reasons: The vehicle in question is a well maintained luxury automobile. This particular make is known to be extremely durable. A small amount of wear  on one seat does not justify my car being so severely damaged while in your care. In fact, nothing justifies my car being so severely damage while in your care. I never said the missing or jammed door cylinder had anything to do with  the collision or was caused by it. What I said was AFTER the collision the lock system begin being triggered to lock by reasons like rain  falling, walking pass the car. It was not doing that before the collision. I thought I explained that several times. I even wrote on the invoice: DO NOT LOCK THE CAR. I explained the reason why to the lady at the front  desk. I told her why I wrote that. I explained it to you. I asked since  the locking system is acting up can a manual key system be installed to  by-pass what it is doing now. The day we and my daughter drove the car to **** food store parking lot and back to the shop is when I discovered my car now lurches when it accelerates and sounds as loud as an old fashioned diesel truck. I told you it was not running like that when I bought it in. I told you about the tires on the hit side were losing air. I told you I was aware of an oil leak but I was not aware of a transmission leak. The picture I was shown was of the yellow valve I had never seen. I asked you to show it to me but you refused. All you had to to was raise the car and show me where it was leaking. That would have taken less than fifteen minutes. Everything I tried to say was met with resistance. All I wanted was my car back in operation so I could go on about my daily life. Instead, I was insulted and smirked at. And had the driver seat been broken when I drove it that day with your employee in the front seat I woud have said so because you couldn't miss  it. Its huge, sharp and jagged. It would have cut your clothing or flesh. It was not there the day we test drove the car for me to explain  to you as to what I knew was wrong with it. The jagged edge cut my thigh when I got in to drive the car home is how I discovered it was broken. I am not aware of any controls being under the driver's seat other than the seat warmer and motion to move the seat. I know you had to take out the back seat to look at the lock issue. I am  aware the lock control is back there where the collision took place, but the back seat was not put back on properly. There is a huge gap back  there revealing the metal frame. It was not brought into your shop like  that. I mentioned the lock malfunctioning because its port took a direct hit. And you knew for a fact the back passenger door won't open. You tried to  open it and I told you it won't open. Prior to the collision we were able to open that door but afterward it locked up. They both did open prior to the collision. We were eventually able to get the back door on the driver's side open but the back passenger door is still locked. This  is what I was trying to tell you is what happened and you said it had nothing to do with the collision. How was that so when l had just opened  the door to put my cane and purse back there about twenty minutes before that man slammed into me? And afterwards it wouldn't open. That  is cause and effect. My last words to you before leaving it a second time in your care was please put it back the way you found it. The damage to my car had already been well documented so I knew this was something new. The only one who had access to my vehicle besides the independant appraiser was you. And in the short period of time you had my vehicle, you damaged it. And to add insult to injury you attempt to accuse me of comitting insurance fraud. But what you did not know was that the adjuster, appraiser, and I were in constant contact with one another throughout . So they already knew of the damages I was aware of. There was no need for me to try to inflate, exaggerate, or lie as the damage had already been documented by myself and the insurance company. The only one who has been dishonest in this situation is you. Instead of behaving like a responsible business owner, you have chosen to be  deceitful and lie on me, saying I said things I did not say and committed acts I did not do. The brand new damages to my car are the things I was trying to bring to your attention and you kept denying them as if I had a personal reason to accuse your team of damaging my car. I don't know you. Therefore, why  would l just say these things out of the clear blue sky? I told your emloyees several times I had a speech and hearing impediment. My daughter did as well. I also asked your employee who rode with me to speak up and look at me when I am talking to you so l can read your lips but they didn't do either. Instead, they behaved like  it was painful or annoying to them to talk to me. And the accusation that I did not let you get a word in is simply untrue. I gave you ample opportunity to explain how my car received so much damage while in your care for such a short period of time. Instead you chose to insult and belittle me and my interpreter. I did not go there for your company to be responsible for the monetary cost of the repair of my car. I went there for my insurance company to be responsible for these repairs, not you. I want your company to do the right thing be responsible, and pay for the cost to fix the additional damage you caused, the things that were not wrong with it when I bought it in. Things you and I both just looked  at the day before and they were not there. Yes, I knew there would be hidden damage I could not see. I was fully aware of that, but a piece of  broken seat cutting you is hard to miss. So are additional dents and scratches. An improperly placed backseat and brand new transmission problems are hard to miss as well.  Regards, *** ******

  

  Business response

  12/01/2023

  BBB spoke to the business and the following was relayed: There were no repairs made and the customer was never charged anything for the hours we spent working on her insurance claim issues. The seats were never removed. The customer can bring the car to another repair shop and have the insurance covered issues addressed.

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