VAL113R

Sorry for the long post.....

I wanted an F355 bodykit fitted to my MR2. A local garage had painted my Subaru and done a good job and had agreed to do the MR2.

I was in a car accident (disqualified driver hit me) and they agreed £1400 of repairs with my insurance company and were going to use this as part payment for fitting the kit.

This was October 2005 and from then until the start of February 2006 I was at them weekly to get the car in. Eventually on the 14th of February 2006 I MOT'd the car (4 months early) and dropped it off to them.

It sat in their yard for 6 weeks till I complained. They moved it inside but it sat for more weeks. I complained again, they finally stripped the car but it was left again.

Small bits where done here and there and eventually last Summer I offered to give them a hand to do the car after I finished my work. I didn't mind and thought if I was there I would be able to see them working on the car and perhaps encourage them to do some work. I was up about 2 or 3 times a week over 4 weeks, a few of the times I turned up and was told they couldn't do any work that night. I was going up at 5:30pm and finishing about 8:30pm. This only lasted 4 weeks.

I was told they were putting 2 weeks aside to do it and even marked it in the diary. These two weeks passed and no work was done. The same happened a few weeks down the line.

In August last year my business partner died and I didn't have the time to go round regularly and chase them. I was in about the end of September and was told they'd have it finished by the end of November and one of their guys was leaving then.

I went up on the 1st of December and they hadn't done anything on the car at all. I got some story about the boss being off for an operation or something, but they'd definitely get on with it.

In two weeks time the car will have been in there for a whole year so I decided to go past and get an update last night. I have not been in since the start of December and no work has been done on the car. It has sat there for 6 months doing nothing.

When I dropped the car off it was probably worth about £2500/£3000. It is a low mileage 1991 turbo, only 50k genuine miles on the clock. The kit cost me £3000, the badges, lights, windows, wheels (genuine Ferrari) and other bits and bobs cost me £3500, so I've got about £10k sitting in there.

At the moment the car has been stripped, there is no panels on the car, no interior, no front window. The interior has been stripped but is in their garage. The back arches have been cut to fit the 265/40/18 wheels that's going on. The doors have been cut to fit the side panels and the tail section cut to fit the lights. The car can't be bolted back together as it is due to the parts been cut.

So I am looking for a bit of advice of what to do? Every time I go passed they tell me they're clearing out work to get on with it, or they'll get it done, but they clearly aren't.

I told them yesterday I didn't want to take legal action over the car, but a year is taking the pi**.

I was going to go passed and tell them I want a signed letter clearly stating the date they'll have the car finished for. If the car isn't finished for that date I will take them to court over the car.

Any advice would be appreciated.

GrantyBoy

tough one. Suppose its a form of theft. Otherthan the usual speak to citizen advice beuru or your solicitor.

Hope it works out for you

simo

Don't do the conversion. Sell the kit, bits, bobs and try and get back some cash. You put all that on the MR2 it will be worth a tenner mate.

johnnyroper

have you payed any money to the garage yet for the small amount of work they have managed to do in 12 months?

RUDDY

go in there and tell them a trailor is collecting the car on say wednesday so get it ready for departure and tell them your not paying them a penny! you have talked to another bodyshop and they couldnt help but **** them selves when you had told them the story so far! and also mention you wont be sending any mates or more work for them to ignore





failing that a petrol bomb would get your money back through there insurance!!

EddScott

Doesn't help you but the fact it took them over 4 months to even start the job meant they didn't really want to do it in the first place.

Dont think you got a choice other than legal mate - you want the car out ASAP.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

do what i did and get a recovery truck and get your car out of there quick as !!!

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

And while you do it make sure you have every single nut and bolt back off them too.

Get it taken to someone who actually wants your money.

Also have a chat with the local press. Get some publicity for you and a lot of negative publicity for them. Some papers even have a "we sort it out" type column you could speak to.

5t.

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

suggest you have a look around, done right (and I doubt these clowns would do it right) they fetch silly money!

Chelspeed

> done right.... they fetch silly money!

Any pickys?