ComplaintsforIn the Garage AG

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased the In the Garage 18’ Ultimate Outdoor Car Shield inflatable car cover from IntheGarage.com. The inflation pump had issues causing it to continuously run, risking the pump overheating and cover bursting. The replacement pump frequently failed to inflate when air pressure was low, resulting in scratches on the car. My cover developed more than 12 holes in the PVC material within 1.5 years of light driveway use. Below are my attempts at getting the cover repaired within the 2 year warranty. Attempt #1) I contacted the owner of the company, and he suggested I purchase various glues and watch YouTube videos on how to repair PVC. His suggestions did not work despite multiple attempts using various glues and methods. Attempt #2) Next, he requested I bring the cover to some local PVC boat repair shops he suggested. I reside in the most tropical state in the USA with a multitude of boat shops, yet none of his recommended shops could repair the cover. Attempt #3) Next, the owner requested I ship the cover in for warranty repair. I asked for the phone number and address to ship to. The seller was unable to provide this, as he has zero physical support presence in the USA, nor does he have dedicated subcontractors he works with. Their website claims to have support in Knoxville, TN, but that turned out to be a warehousing service that stores and ships goods for a fee. The owner eventually claimed to have located a shop in Los Angeles capable of performing the repair, or alternatively I could pay to ship the cover to his actual place of business in Europe. By this time, my car had already been sitting out in the sun and rain for 3+ months and I’d lost confidence in the seller’s ability or knowledge in repairing these covers. The last thing I wanted to do was to pay for shipping only to discover the next shop was unable to repair it, similar to shops local to me. I requested a refund as a final attempt at resolution, but the company owner refused.

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  Dear BBB, Firstly we would like to point out that we take customer complaints seriously and try to find solutions.  We tried several times to find a solution for this customer in line with our warranty and general common-sense good customer service.  The apparently defective pump was replaced promptly and free of charge.  The pump cannot over-inflate or cause the product to 'burst' as there is 1) an air-pressure monitoring sensor with a maximum pressure beyond which is shuts off  and 2) and overheating safety mechanism on the pump.  The punctures in the product were apparently caused by the rubbing of the base on a non-smooth surface.  Our instructions for use state: "It is recommended to protect the device with a protective material (i.e. foam or rubber layer) underneath and/or on top of the floor to avoid punctures from pebbles and other sharp objects"  We provided patches for repairs which were apparently ineffective so we offered to have the product repaired..  The warranty provides for repair of defective items but the product needs to be shipped to us in Europe or a local repair shop. The customer lives in Hawaii and so in order to keep the cost down for the customer we suggested a local repair shop.  They were apparently unable to do the work so we found another solution for them on the mainland.  As you can see, we made a very reasonable effort to accommodate the customer and deal with this issue.  We would still be happy to repair the product as per the warranty.  Kind regards, In the Garage.
  

  Customer response

  04/29/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because

  I originally was using a heavy duty protective tarp under the inflatable car cover, and the seller stated it was not necessary.  The cover lasted less than 1.5 years.  My exact question and his response is below, and the pdf showing this email text is attached to this message as well.

  Hi ****
  Yes try that and see if the pump switches off by itself. 5 minutes should do it.
  If there are no sharp objects or stones then you do not need a tarp
  We have users for about five years up to now without problems
  Kind regards,
  ******* *******

  Hi *******,
  Ok, so let the pump run for 5 minutes on the outside valves and see if the pump turns off by itself?
  I am using the garage on a concrete driveway and placed a tarp under the garage. It’s pooling a lot of water between the tarp and the garage and gets your clothes wet when sitting inside the garage. If I remove the tarp, do you think the PVC material will rip over time?
  What’s the longest you’ve had a customer use the garage outdoors without issue?
  Thanks,
  ****

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩