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Ian
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Joined: August 28, 2002
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Location: 713
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 Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:23 am Post subject: what would you do? |
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ok so i have a customers notchback in my shop. car has been there for a month now. took a week for the radiator shop to clean and coat the gas tank. took me 4 days after that week to finish my work on the notchback as i was installing a transmission in my kombi at the same time. customer doesn't want to spend the money on a fuel pump or injectors so the car is still not running as the fuel pump and injectors both leak like mad. customer's bill is $330 parts and labor. customer was out of contact for the last week, even tho i made multiple calls. finally was in contact with customer yesterday, customer says he has $120 he will try to get to me this week but not $330. i can't release the car until i get paid. customer can't pay until a week from tomorrow (feb 23rd). my shop is a shop not a storage yard. the car is taking up valuable space. what would you do? charge storage for the last week of no contact and then the comming up week?
if this person would have said "hey i don't have money can you work on my car?" or "hey i don't have money can i make payments?" i would have said no
PS i'm new to running a shop so i'm looking for some experienced advice. i have previously paying customers waiting for me to do work but i can't because this car is taking up space
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Bart Dunn
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Joined: May 09, 2004
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Location: Sea level (Mid Atlantic)
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:30 am Post subject: |
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You have a mechanic's lien on the car while it is in your possession. I would hold onto it until you're satisfied with payment for your labor and parts. I run my own business as well and have the opinion that people's promises to pay do not pan out significantly more often than they do.
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volksfahrer.nl
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Joined: September 18, 2003
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Location: Delft Holland
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:32 am Post subject: |
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first: ALWAYS make an estimate on how much time it will take in total
and tell the customer before you start working on the car.
In this case I would call him and say; pick it up and pay or I'll
have to charge you 25 (or whatever) a week for storage.
Explain that you need the space like you just told us here.
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Ian
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Joined: August 28, 2002
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| volksfahrer.nl wrote: |
first: ALWAYS make an estimate on how much time it will take in total
and tell the customer before you start working on the car.
In this case I would call him and say; pick it up and pay or I'll
have to charge you 25 (or whatever) a week for storage.
Explain that you need the space like you just told us here. |
ya, i did that i estimated $150 in labor. total bill is $140 in parts $190 in labor, pretty close to the estimate. we'll see if he shows up with the 120 this week
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Russ Wolfe
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Joined: October 08, 2004
Posts: 25187
Location: Central Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:49 am Post subject: |
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I have the same situation here.
Rebuilt the engine on a 74 Beetle.
Called the customer to tell him it is finished.
I cut him some slack on my estimate, and knocked $100 off the bill. Told him I would give him another 10% discount for cash.
His response that it could sit in a snow drift in my driveway as well as in his. It is still sitting here, 2 weeks later.
Looks like he is not planning on picking it up until spring.
Guess I inform him that I will be charging him storage.
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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wuzmop
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Joined: July 24, 2002
Posts: 339
Location: Garland, TX
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:56 am Post subject: |
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Texas has different requirements for storage than they do mechanics leins. Check with your state and see if a storage charge is even enforceable.
In Texas, to file a storage lein, you have to be a certified/licensed storage facility of some sorts to acheive a lein. A mechanics lien is much less stringent on what is required of the mechanic filing the lien. You would have to file each lien seperately.
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Ian
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:16 am Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Is he a long term historically good customer who has just fallen upon hard economic times? |
No.
| djkeev wrote: |
On the other hand is he a schmuck jumping from shop to shop to shop always looking for the best deal and then beating people up on time and money?
If so, keep it till you have every last penny and send him a certified letter that he WILL be getting a storage charge of X dollars a day from a given date. ALL This money must be paid before you'll release the car.
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I think he might have been trying to get a deal on the work, which I'm cool with cause I like to work deals, but it also seems that magically he is moving while the car is at my shop. He might have just been trying to store it somewhere until he's done moving?? My shop isn't a storage yard.
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Russ Wolfe
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Location: Central Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:24 am Post subject: |
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BTW, IAN, do you know you should not "seal" a T-3 FI gas tank?? There are some small passages/baffles in the bottom that the sealer will plug.
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Ian
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:30 am Post subject: |
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| Russ Wolfe wrote: |
BTW, IAN, do you know you should not "seal" a T-3 FI gas tank?? There are some small passages/baffles in the bottom that the sealer will plug.
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Ya I checked that out. I had no idea what to do man. Unfortunately the radiator shop I took it to wouldn't let the tank out without sealing it, which provides them extra money. I could only find one radiator shop in town that would even consider touching the gas tank. I ran a clutch cable through the little holes and cleared them out after I got the tank back. Best I can do with what I was given. The baffles are the original reason I was trying to find someone to clean the tank, because I couldn't get my chains in the baffles to clean them out like I do on normal tanks.
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Emeritusx
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Location: 12 inches behind the wheel
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:35 am Post subject: |
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My father ran a service station for all the years of my early life. I worked for him until I flew the coup back in the late 70's. He would always give the person a break. I think we got burned a couple of times.
Nowadays? I dunno, litigation is everywhere. Do you take credit cards? You could get him to cough up the cash that way.
Is it too late to undo your repair, even if you lose a few labor hours you get satisfaction. Then just tell him you will let the sheriff know its abandoned, they will tow it away for free..
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Foxx
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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don't let the car go without the full amount.
if he doesn't pay,. start charging storage (after you inform him with a notarized certified return receipt postal letter) and then file for a title with the magistrate.
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TimGud
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Location: Rio Rico Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd call him up and tell him that's ok but you will charge a weeks storage, that may get him in earlier. |
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Major Woody
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Joined: December 04, 2002
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Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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In the future, have the customer sign a work order which states at the bottom that storage will begin accruing at whatever rate you agree on, four days after completion of the work.
Then you have a good solid basis for asserting a lien.
Verbal agreements are of very limited value if the customer chooses not to tell the truth or conveniently "forgets". |
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KTPhil 
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Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Laws vary on enforcing storage charges they didn't agree to ahead of time. Know yours before trying to bill him. At some pint when he wants his car back he may allege you are stealing it. Your paperwork may only jutsify keeping $150 of his money per the original estimate, not your current bill of $330.
Also, in many states, you owe a customer a signed estimate before work is done, and their signature authorizing any charges above that amount (in some states there is a percentage leeway allowed, often 10%). This is for parts and labor.
If you are going to do indefinite work, then look for a contract form that is for a "time and material basis" job, which authorizes you to do any work as needed up to an agreed maximum, with no guarantee of completion on your part.
Lacking that, you may be stuck... in Cali you can only charge your estimated $150 labor and he gets the parts for free. Again, varies by state. |
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obus
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wgargan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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DONT TAKE THE $120!!. tell him to keep it, and pay you in full plus storage fee. Its his problem if he cant hold onto $120 and wait for his next pay check. If it takes too long you have the option of mechanics lean as stated above.
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djkeev
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Vanhag
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Just asking,
Reading your post again you state you have this car taking up space and because of that you cannot work on any other car until it is gone.
I'm guessing that you're not a "real" repair shop? I get the sense this is "extra" income (or all of your income) generated in your garage, possibly not a legal shop? Maybe running an auto repair enterprise in a residential neighborhood?
If so, you can't make a lot of noise or give too much grief for a simple phone call made to the proper local government could shut you right down.
Just guessing, and I may be wrong.
Dave |
probably
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johnnypan
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Location: sackamenna
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:36 am Post subject: |
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| Mechanics lien is a viable solution, storage lien is another...one has to value the car against the repairs,say the customer wants 1900 bucks worth of repairs on a 400 dollar car and stiffs you,your basically screwed...330 bucks against a notchback seems like your not upside down if you go the lien route..some caveats abot using liens...if the customer wants his car back and your win your lien you will have an enemy for life...if the customer disappears and you prevail,they sometime have a nasty habit of turning up at a later date raising hell..,both of which can be hassles worth more than 330 bucks...choose carefully,you only have one reputation,especially in a small town. |
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, the shop owner has a sign stating that storage will be charged after x amount of days and that the car owner will be charged x amount of dollars per day. Maybe something to think of in the future. Anyway, i hope you get your dough.