This poor Corvette.......OUCH !!
#16
02-02-2008, 05:28 PM
**** happens, it's very unfortunate. I think Jeff's offer was fair, it's a shame the poster didn't take it (buy a new used car, most likely w/ less miles....and then he would convert everything from the wrecked car onto the new car and replace any aftermarket parts that weren't fixeable....but the OP took the check from her insurance company, giving them ownership of the car and no one access to those parts).
I have a different look on things then most people. When I leave a car w/ a tuner, or a builder, I ENCOURAGE them to take it home for the weekend, spend some time w/ it. Make sure there are no bugs. The 66' mustang we just finished just spent 3 weeks w/ our mechanic makeing sure everything was tip top.....I tell him, drive your kids to school, take it to the grocery store...beat the **** out of it. Basically drive it how I will.
Jeff is one of the most famous LSX tuners in the country, he's probably tuned and worked on well over 2,000 cars...it's really a shame that an incident like this and a stupid employee of his is going to severely hurt his business.
I have a different look on things then most people. When I leave a car w/ a tuner, or a builder, I ENCOURAGE them to take it home for the weekend, spend some time w/ it. Make sure there are no bugs. The 66' mustang we just finished just spent 3 weeks w/ our mechanic makeing sure everything was tip top.....I tell him, drive your kids to school, take it to the grocery store...beat the **** out of it. Basically drive it how I will.
Jeff is one of the most famous LSX tuners in the country, he's probably tuned and worked on well over 2,000 cars...it's really a shame that an incident like this and a stupid employee of his is going to severely hurt his business.
You seriously think Jeff's offer was FAIR? He gave permission to his mechanic to drive it w/out the owners permission. Now if it happened on the initial voyage to tune the car I can then see some negotitions. BUT LETS BE SERIOUS. This CAM guy should have insurance that covers IDIOTS like this Terry guy. And if he doesn't, then he doesn't deserve to be in business. Being a business owner (and other who are can probably agree) the CUSTOMER is the most important advertising tool you can use and once you burn 1 or 2 customers your business WILL suffer. Now I don't know Jeff or how he deals w/ his mistakes but in this day in age where the internet RULES advertising, I would have been polishing this guys wife's toe nails for weeks + have my insurance company replace the car and he would take the time and money to swap out the engine, suspension, etc and replace whats broke out of his pocket. He may be a great tuner and a great guy but he said it himself "Don't put this on the forums", he should have made good w/ the car owner.
I can't see how you think Jeff's offer was fair. Putting all the expense on the owner of the car.
If your asking what I would do if this happened to me, I would say "it has happened to me". About 6 years ago I had a car at a local tuner here in MN and the Shop Manager decided that the only running car that wasn't an employee's was mine and he would take it to get lunch for the shop guys. I was out of town on a trip when I got the call. I believe the first thing out of the shop owners mouth was "we are going to need your car a little longer then expected". After an hour on the phone and me being EXTREMELY pissed off I realized there is nothing worth getting mad over because it's over and done with and lets move on to a path that will get me my car back. This particular shop took 5 weeks to find me a car that was almost exactly like my old one and my insurance covered the car and the shop paid for all new parts regardless if they were damaged in the accident and gave me free Dyno sessions and many other helpful items to ease my pain. I will not name this shop because I don't want it out in the open about 1 bad employee (who did get fired by the way) and tarnish a good reputation.
Please Sue the **** out of this CAM company.
**I also give my shop full access to pound the hell out of my cars, I want them back bullet proof just like you, but that's the thing - - - I WANT IT BACK.
Last edited by kre8ive; 02-02-2008 at 05:38 PM.
#17
02-02-2008, 06:49 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Woodbridge Virginia
Posts: 510
Rep Power: 59 
**** happens, it's very unfortunate. I think Jeff's offer was fair, it's a shame the poster didn't take it (buy a new used car, most likely w/ less miles....and then he would convert everything from the wrecked car onto the new car and replace any aftermarket parts that weren't fixeable....but the OP took the check from her insurance company, giving them ownership of the car and no one access to those parts).
I have a different look on things then most people. When I leave a car w/ a tuner, or a builder, I ENCOURAGE them to take it home for the weekend, spend some time w/ it. Make sure there are no bugs. The 66' mustang we just finished just spent 3 weeks w/ our mechanic makeing sure everything was tip top.....I tell him, drive your kids to school, take it to the grocery store...beat the **** out of it. Basically drive it how I will.
Jeff is one of the most famous LSX tuners in the country, he's probably tuned and worked on well over 2,000 cars...it's really a shame that an incident like this and a stupid employee of his is going to severely hurt his business.
I have a different look on things then most people. When I leave a car w/ a tuner, or a builder, I ENCOURAGE them to take it home for the weekend, spend some time w/ it. Make sure there are no bugs. The 66' mustang we just finished just spent 3 weeks w/ our mechanic makeing sure everything was tip top.....I tell him, drive your kids to school, take it to the grocery store...beat the **** out of it. Basically drive it how I will.
Jeff is one of the most famous LSX tuners in the country, he's probably tuned and worked on well over 2,000 cars...it's really a shame that an incident like this and a stupid employee of his is going to severely hurt his business.
#19
02-02-2008, 09:17 PM
I really don't know where to begin on this, I did offer to make everything right, and my offer was unacceptable to her.
This is the greatest nightmare of everyone involved, the shop owner, the car owner, everyone. My mailbox is full of hate mail from CF members, and I understand that. My side of the story is that I tried to make everything right, and Melissa chose to go through her insurance company and take me out of the picture of being a part of the solution.
My offer to Melissa, which was declined, was that she take the approximately $40k settlement for the vehicle from my insurance company, and release the vehicle to me so that I could remove the modifications to the car and those that were salvagable could be reinstalled by us on another car, those that were not I could repair or replace to as new condition. If she had cooperated this could have all had a better ending.
Instead she demanded that she file with her insurance company (I've never heard how much they offered) and that NO parts be reused, and that she choose another shop to do all the work and some of the parts (like the sound system for example) be upgraded at the same time. Carolina Auto Masters would pay for all parts and labor. I'm just not going to pay another shop to do the work on the car, and provide all new parts when the original car had much that was reusable.
When we were in constant contact in December, Melissa assured me that her insurance company had not evaluated the car, while in fact, she had already released the car to them and it had been moved somewhere else. I have not spoken with Melissa since that time. I would have to assume that the car has long since been sold as salvage and the reusable parts gone with it.
If the car is still impounded somewhere, I'd still be more than happy to take the parts off it, transfer those to a car that Melissa provides (from the settlement from her insurance company) that are in reuseable condition, repair or replace those that are not and make everything right. But Melissa chose another route, and that was her choice. I'd hoped her insurance company would settle for enough money for her build the car back just like it was. I assume that didn't happen, but have no way to know. Melissa has not contacted me since saying she would let me know when her insurance company got in touch with her, so I've been given no chances since my last offer to do anything more for her.
From the mail I've recieved she has gotten way more than the value of the vehicle and modifications out of CAM already via lost business. And that total will continue to grow, and her nightmare and my nightmare will continue with neither of us finding a way to wake up and it all just be a bad dream.
I've been sick about what happened, I hate that it happened, and I really hoped that my offer to make everything right had been accepted by Melissa.
I do wish her the best of luck dealing with her insurance company,
-jeff
#20
02-03-2008, 12:36 PM
and you think this board is the cream of the crop?
I have yet to see a worse bunch of self indulgent ignorant hypocrites in my life, as i have seen with some of the board members on here.
(note: i said some not all)
Moral of the story: every board is going to have its ups and downs. Deal with it with out making a broad statement of stereotypical accusation.
As for the guy with the vette who lost it all to a led foot mechanic; I hope things work out for him.
I have yet to see a worse bunch of self indulgent ignorant hypocrites in my life, as i have seen with some of the board members on here.
(note: i said some not all)
Moral of the story: every board is going to have its ups and downs. Deal with it with out making a broad statement of stereotypical accusation.
As for the guy with the vette who lost it all to a led foot mechanic; I hope things work out for him.
The reality of the whole situation is basically a wrecked vette with an aftermarket supercharger. Its not like this was a Lingenfelter twin turbo or a factory Callaway. The insurance companies didn't add any additional value to the vette because of the mods and I doubt any bank would either. Seems to me the owner thinks this Vette is woth a lot more than what market dictates. Hate to say it but as many of us here now mods will bring maybe pennies on the dollar if even that. This is coming from someone that has found that out the hardway with a supercharged C5 and Hummer H2. Don't get me wrong there are some amazing tuner on that forum but unless the owner is selling to someone looking for that exact same setup its not worth much more.
Unless I read it wrong the owner of the shop offered to have his insurance company pay market value of the Vette. Didnt he also offer to remove and reinstall all parts for the owner on a replacement vehicle? Now are you telling me if you had an accident with this car and your insurance company was willing to pay book value or fair market value but the owner wants an addition 15 or 20 thousand dollars because it has a supercharger or other mods you would be happy? It's like comparing a 996 with aftermarket turbos to a Ruf car. Should they be valued the same?
I also hate to say maybe the vette owner should have consulted an attorney immediately instead of wasting weeks using advise of the legal genuises of corvetteforum. The Vette owner threw up the "Give me what I want or I will bash you on CorvetteForum" threat and it didn't work for him. Do you honestly think he is entitled to pain and suffering because he is with a car, like some have suggested? More importantly why didn't the vette owner remove all his mods before settling with the insurance company?
#21
02-03-2008, 03:14 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Woodbridge Virginia
Posts: 510
Rep Power: 59 Actually I do find this board a hell of a lot better than the Corvetteforum of lately. Guess you haven't spent much time in their offtopic or C6 general discussion lately. How many post do you need to read about being harassed by cops for no front plate. Cops are jealous of Vettes, every other car just can't compare to the awesomeness of a Corvette. It also seems like a third of all the posts are complaining about everything in general. Don't even get me started with all their prayers needed because my cat is sick or someone parked next to my Vette crap.
The reality of the whole situation is basically a wrecked vette with an aftermarket supercharger. Its not like this was a Lingenfelter twin turbo or a factory Callaway. The insurance companies didn't add any additional value to the vette because of the mods and I doubt any bank would either. Seems to me the owner thinks this Vette is woth a lot more than what market dictates. Hate to say it but as many of us here now mods will bring maybe pennies on the dollar if even that. This is coming from someone that has found that out the hardway with a supercharged C5 and Hummer H2. Don't get me wrong there are some amazing tuner on that forum but unless the owner is selling to someone looking for that exact same setup its not worth much more.
Unless I read it wrong the owner of the shop offered to have his insurance company pay market value of the Vette. Didnt he also offer to remove and reinstall all parts for the owner on a replacement vehicle? Now are you telling me if you had an accident with this car and your insurance company was willing to pay book value or fair market value but the owner wants an addition 15 or 20 thousand dollars because it has a supercharger or other mods you would be happy? It's like comparing a 996 with aftermarket turbos to a Ruf car. Should they be valued the same?
I also hate to say maybe the vette owner should have consulted an attorney immediately instead of wasting weeks using advise of the legal genuises of corvetteforum. The Vette owner threw up the "Give me what I want or I will bash you on CorvetteForum" threat and it didn't work for him. Do you honestly think he is entitled to pain and suffering because he is with a car, like some have suggested? More importantly why didn't the vette owner remove all his mods before settling with the insurance company?
The reality of the whole situation is basically a wrecked vette with an aftermarket supercharger. Its not like this was a Lingenfelter twin turbo or a factory Callaway. The insurance companies didn't add any additional value to the vette because of the mods and I doubt any bank would either. Seems to me the owner thinks this Vette is woth a lot more than what market dictates. Hate to say it but as many of us here now mods will bring maybe pennies on the dollar if even that. This is coming from someone that has found that out the hardway with a supercharged C5 and Hummer H2. Don't get me wrong there are some amazing tuner on that forum but unless the owner is selling to someone looking for that exact same setup its not worth much more.
Unless I read it wrong the owner of the shop offered to have his insurance company pay market value of the Vette. Didnt he also offer to remove and reinstall all parts for the owner on a replacement vehicle? Now are you telling me if you had an accident with this car and your insurance company was willing to pay book value or fair market value but the owner wants an addition 15 or 20 thousand dollars because it has a supercharger or other mods you would be happy? It's like comparing a 996 with aftermarket turbos to a Ruf car. Should they be valued the same?
I also hate to say maybe the vette owner should have consulted an attorney immediately instead of wasting weeks using advise of the legal genuises of corvetteforum. The Vette owner threw up the "Give me what I want or I will bash you on CorvetteForum" threat and it didn't work for him. Do you honestly think he is entitled to pain and suffering because he is with a car, like some have suggested? More importantly why didn't the vette owner remove all his mods before settling with the insurance company?
#22
02-03-2008, 05:35 PM
The shop offered to pay replacement value for a 2005 corvette. The owners insurance paid for a 2005 corvette. Sadly the Vette owner thinks he deserves more. Don't get me wrong the shop screwed up no matte how you look at it. Still don't understand why the Vette owner settled with his own insurance company and remove the supercharger and the rest of the mods. I still think the Vette owner had an unrealistic expectation to the value of his car.
#23
02-04-2008, 09:11 PM
The shop offered to pay replacement value for a 2005 corvette. The owners insurance paid for a 2005 corvette. Sadly the Vette owner thinks he deserves more. Don't get me wrong the shop screwed up no matte how you look at it. Still don't understand why the Vette owner settled with his own insurance company and remove the supercharger and the rest of the mods. I still think the Vette owner had an unrealistic expectation to the value of his car.
Secondly, As far as the car ordeal went, Melissa decided to go a different route than what CAM offered her. But from where i sit this is how i see it; and i think it might have something similar to what the vette owner is thinking.
- 40k settlement on the car is fair I would probably settle for this but a new vette today is well over 40k. So theres a percentage of the money i will have to eat for no fault of mine. If i go used; I am getting something that is close to what I had but then I am hoping and praying that the used car was not abused or man handled by the previous owner. Yeah i Know they have all those Certified used cars; then again why should I be going through all of this trouble for no fault my own. Let CAM do this work; she already stated that shes is a very busy person; where is she going to find the time to start fitting car shopping into all of this again for something that was not her fault.
- salvageable mods are transferable. This is where things don't sit well with me; whose calling whats salvageable and whats not, obviously CAM. This leaves the owner of the vette at CAMs mercy even though all this aggravation was not the owners fault. If CAM agreed to setup the new car just the way the old one was setup this would be a fair deal.
- Melissa does not trust CAM; and frankly i would not to; I would want a another shop to do all the work on the new car; not CAM. And this is not agreeable by CAM.
And again whats to say this shop will do a decent job on the refit of the new car; and the new car would not be abused by the mechanic or another shop staff after its completed? They have already come off as a shady bunch; who test drive customer cars for 100s of miles without consent and with no regard to what the customer is paying or has paid for the car and then in this case resulting in crashing and totaling the customer's car. Frankly CAMs credibility is just not looking too bright; i sure would not trust that shop or any other shop that conducts business like they do.
You think this is an easy take the deal and walk; but in the end the owner of the vette is loosing out more for actions that were by no means her fault.
#24
02-05-2008, 12:58 PM
That is the most unprofessional thing that i have ever heard. This is why i do all my work my self and let no one touch my cars. I've worked at mutiple speed shops as a tech, and owner after owner would drive these cars around like they owned them. I understand when we have to drive them to check some things, break in things like brakes and fresh motors, but joyrides are not the same. They take the cutomers trust and throw it out the window or in this case back in the customers face. Not all shops are like this, but when someone puts a $65000 car in your hands it better return just the way it was recieved. I hope he gets it all worked out, but man what a bummer.
#25
02-05-2008, 01:15 PM
The shop offered to pay replacement value for a 2005 corvette. The owners insurance paid for a 2005 corvette. Sadly the Vette owner thinks he deserves more. Don't get me wrong the shop screwed up no matte how you look at it. Still don't understand why the Vette owner settled with his own insurance company and remove the supercharger and the rest of the mods. I still think the Vette owner had an unrealistic expectation to the value of his car.
#26
02-05-2008, 04:52 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Woodbridge Virginia
Posts: 510
Rep Power: 59 First off I have spent time on the vette forums; I dont find this so called whining, *****ing and complaining and thinking that the corvette is the end all and know all of the automotive spectrum in all the users as you have suggested. Yes there are some characters on there that are annoying but then the same thing can be said about this board; its no exclusion to the fact that there are fanboy(S) who have utter and absolute negative bias towards anything that is different from their preferred brand. And trust me we have quite a few of these people on this board as well.
Secondly, As far as the car ordeal went, Melissa decided to go a different route than what CAM offered her. But from where i sit this is how i see it; and i think it might have something similar to what the vette owner is thinking.
And again whats to say this shop will do a decent job on the refit of the new car; and the new car would not be abused by the mechanic or another shop staff after its completed? They have already come off as a shady bunch; who test drive customer cars for 100s of miles without consent and with no regard to what the customer is paying or has paid for the car and then in this case resulting in crashing and totaling the customer's car. Frankly CAMs credibility is just not looking too bright; i sure would not trust that shop or any other shop that conducts business like they do.
You think this is an easy take the deal and walk; but in the end the owner of the vette is loosing out more for actions that were by no means her fault.
Secondly, As far as the car ordeal went, Melissa decided to go a different route than what CAM offered her. But from where i sit this is how i see it; and i think it might have something similar to what the vette owner is thinking.
- 40k settlement on the car is fair I would probably settle for this but a new vette today is well over 40k. So theres a percentage of the money i will have to eat for no fault of mine. If i go used; I am getting something that is close to what I had but then I am hoping and praying that the used car was not abused or man handled by the previous owner. Yeah i Know they have all those Certified used cars; then again why should I be going through all of this trouble for no fault my own. Let CAM do this work; she already stated that shes is a very busy person; where is she going to find the time to start fitting car shopping into all of this again for something that was not her fault.
- salvageable mods are transferable. This is where things don't sit well with me; whose calling whats salvageable and whats not, obviously CAM. This leaves the owner of the vette at CAMs mercy even though all this aggravation was not the owners fault. If CAM agreed to setup the new car just the way the old one was setup this would be a fair deal.
- Melissa does not trust CAM; and frankly i would not to; I would want a another shop to do all the work on the new car; not CAM. And this is not agreeable by CAM.
And again whats to say this shop will do a decent job on the refit of the new car; and the new car would not be abused by the mechanic or another shop staff after its completed? They have already come off as a shady bunch; who test drive customer cars for 100s of miles without consent and with no regard to what the customer is paying or has paid for the car and then in this case resulting in crashing and totaling the customer's car. Frankly CAMs credibility is just not looking too bright; i sure would not trust that shop or any other shop that conducts business like they do.
You think this is an easy take the deal and walk; but in the end the owner of the vette is loosing out more for actions that were by no means her fault.
As a matter of fact if I found out my car had been taken on a 500 mile weekend drive without being involved in an accident I would sue them for unauthorized useage!
#27
02-07-2008, 09:08 PM
I do believe the girl should have consulted an attorney right away depending on an immediate offer from the shop owner. To do that and then waffle about what options to pursue is just ridiculous from a business owners perspective. Make it right (including after market parts and labor) or be prepared to face the consequences.
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