Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my convertible in to have the top replaced. Paid for the repairs in full. I had to take my car back 6 to 7 times and each time the owner would come up with a reason on why the convertible top would not open properly and charged me more money for something else that he stated was causing the problem. I took my car to him in January 2022 and was promised it would be ready by February 15, 2022 my daughter's birthday. We did not get a phone call or anything until we reached out to him and the date would always change. The day that my son picked the car up he was told that we could not open the top for 7 days. We did not open it for ************************************************************************** on her but she was not able to open the convertible top all the way. I call **** and left a message and sent him pictures. I did not get a call back for 3 days and when I did get a call back it was not **** it was his co-worker. He told me to bring the car back in and it look like they had forgot some clamps that hold the pieces together that fell. So I went back and he tried to fix it but could not and informed me that I would have to wait for **** to return from vacation. So, I left and parked my car until I heard from ****. I have taken my car back there over and over again and each time something else is wrong. I do not feel comfortable or pleased with his service. I paid him what he asked and I did not get the services that I paid for. I have still not been able to use my convertible top as of today. He refused to give me a refund and insisted that I bring my car back to him again. Please help me get my refund.

  Business response

  08/24/2022

  Aloha,

   This complaint was just brought to my attention today because the previous email(s) that was on file were incorrect/invalid.  I will respond to this complaint once I gather the documents together.  Now that you have my correct email address, feel free to contact me if there are any questions.  I'm looking forward to resolving this issue as soon as possible.

   

  Mahalo,

  ****

  Customer response

  08/31/2022

   
  Complaint: 17635572
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have not been able to put the convertible top down since the so call repairs have been done on my mini coop.  I have tried to work with ************ and if he is going to show pictures of a video please show all of the video and all of the inconsistencies of the repairs and payment and receipts of all of the work and all of the time that I had to do that was an inconvenience and not professional at all.  I paid for a service that I did not get and I was trying to allow him to fix what he broke that was not broken before he replaced my convertible top.  I do not feel comfortable taking my mini back to him after seeing that he is not willing to take responsibility for his own actions and to be honest and fair.  I have paid more than I was quoted for the replacement of the convertible top and it was not due to my neglect but his and I had to pay the cost in time and money and still can not put my convertible top down and had to purchase my daughter a new car in order for her to go to and from college safely without the top falling apart.  Bottom line is that I did not get what I paid for and that is not fair to me as a customer.  I am not asking him for anything but to refund me my money and he can have his top back and I can take my car to the mini dealership which is what I should have done in the first place but ************ told me that he does this kind of work all the time and that it would not be a problem.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Rhasied ******

  Business response

  09/05/2022

  Aloha BBB,
  Thank you for bringing this complaint to my attention.  **************** came in to replace the convertible top on her 2013 Mini ****** on 1/11/22.  Since the manufacturer was experiencing supply shortages (COVID) at that time, the top didn't arrive as quickly as we expected.  I was in contact during the delay with updates.  We both had schedule conflicts once the top was delivered because she was traveling out of town for weeks at a time.  Installation was finally set on March 18,2022 at 8:30am and completed that same day before 4:00pm (normal time frame to complete this job).  I was out of town visiting my daughter in college, but got her in the first chance we had.  ***** (my employee) is a master convertible top installer with over 20 years of experience and completed the work.
   **************** texted on Sat. 3/26/22 to let us know the horizontal interior plastic trim fell off.  We've seen this happen on other Mini convertible tops and is a result of the manufacturer's design.  Two small screws (just a little bigger than one used on a watch strap) and a few clips secure this trim overhead.  The plastic becomes brittle over time (the car is 9 years old) and sits directly under the convertible top canvas into a metal convertible top frame.  They all become brittle over time from exposure to sun/heat.  This trim must be removed to attach a pulley underneath which helps fold the canvas during operation.  Our modification includes replacing the plastic retainer clips with new ones and screws on each end are replaced with rivets to reinforce repair.  This modification has worked on 90% of Mini ****** top replacement which had this falling trim issue.  In this case, the plastic was just too brittle and cracked outside the riveted tabs.  This modification was done on 3/24/22 and I was contacted on 3/26/22 via text. After returning from my trip by then, I met with **************** to get an exact scope of what was going on.  I explained the brittle plastic and suggested replacing them all since the two outer trims are the same age.  She became upset at pick up and felt that I was responsible for replacing these trims.  As a curtesy, I replaced all 3 of these plastic trims at no cost to her.  I ordered from the dealer and installed them on 5/20/22.  She INSISTED on paying $400.00 for these parts despite me telling her it wasn't necessary.  The convertible top was raised and lower NUMEROUS times throughout this installation to ensure it would not fall off. Top and windows worked flawlessly and trim was secure.  *Surveillance video is available of this day at pick up upon request.
   At 5:35pm on 5/24/22, I received a text from **************** saying her driver's quarter window is unable to roll up completely. These are the videos she included with her original complaint. I found this alarming because we just cycled the top multiple times (in front of her and her husband in our parking stall), just an hour before, when she left my shop to show her the plastic trims were solid (surveillance video available).  The angle of this video also shows that she actually rolled that window up completely before pulling out into the driveway.  Although completely unrelated to the convertible top replacement AND interior trim we just replaced, it appeared the window is clipping the weatherstrip when rising from the door *****.  It looks like the weatherstrip may simply need to be adjusted, but **************** again went on a rant about how it was such an inconvenience to bring the car back in again (see text after our phone call from 5/24/22 @7:08pm).  I responded to her text on 5/25/22 at 12:32pm explaining how the plastic trim and driver's quarter window issues are unrelated and is a result from the age of this vehicle, not convertible top replacement.  I was accused of breaking something new after each of the FOUR TIMES she brought her car back to us (not 6-7 as she claims in her complaint).  After I offered to come to her to take a look at the driver's quarter weatherstrip, she now claims she's not comfortable with me working on her car. 
   ******************** complaints aren't completely accurate or entirely true.  It also fails to show that her convertible top in unable to raise and lower, nor proves that the convertible top replacement caused her window to be inoperable.  I would never return a vehicle to a customer (especially for a convertible top replacement) if the top was not working during or after installation.  She did pay for the convertible top that we installed and $400.00 for the plastic interior trims, however none of the additional time spent was ever billed out, but we stand behind all of our work.  We still pride ourselves on customer service and carryout business in "the old fashioned way".  Our company reputation and track record proves this.  I cannot refund a customer for a job that was completed satisfactorily and be held responsible for aging parts (wear and tear).  This is like asking a tire shop for a full refund of 4 tires when a rusted lug nut broke removing the rim off the car.  The lug nut has nothing to do with the tires.  
   NOTE: I do have additional information that support my response, however your portal has a maximum limit of 4 uploads.  Please contact me directly anytime if you need more evidence.

  I appreciate your time looking into this.

  Mahalo,

  ******************

*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. ↩