The owners of this 1999 VW Golf GLS-TDI were irritated, and rightfully so, at their whole sour, frustrating repair experience at a Northeast Georgia collision shop they'd entrusted to repair their vehicle. They have filed their experience in their personal files as "Our Golf Nightmare." 

Strom

The nightmare began for the Thomases soon after their Golf was rear-ended just one month before they were scheduled to move their family and possessions from Georgia to the North-west. Having had a great previous repair experience at a Georgia collision shop, they felt comfortable returning there. And when a representative of their insurance company mentioned that this shop was on their "recommended" list, their confidence increased.

The insurance company's appraiser wrote a sheet and cut a check that the Thomases deposited in their personal account, along with a supplemental check the repairer had submitted to the insurer, fearful they might lose these in the shuffle of preparing to move. They would write a personal check for the full amount upon delivery of their vehicle, repaired to their satisfaction. Then they contacted the shop owner, again stressing the very tight timetable they were under, and were assured that the shop could finish it before the move. On his word, they had their Golf towed to the repair shop.

Out of the frying pan...

But soon things began to deteriorate. For starters, they discovered that ownership of the shop had changed hands since their former good experience. And as the Thomas family busied themselves with packing for their 3,500-mile cross-country move, back at the repair shop their damaged vehicle sat, and sat, and sat some more. With each progress check, it became more obvious they'd made a huge mistake in choosing this particular shop, not made any easier when another representative of their insurer mentioned that this shop had been removed from its "preferred" list. Little noticeable work was performed on the vehicle until just days before the Thomas family left Georgia. According to the insurer, since the shop had no DRP contract with them, they were no longer responsible for repairs and the owners were on their own.

...into the fire

Just one day before their move, the Golf was still in shambles; the rear of the interior gutted, parts strewn about, virtually nothing yet assembled. And the engine would not run… forcing them to bear the added expenses of additional fuel and rental of a car-trailer. Shop personnel apparently stayed late into the last night in a futile effort to pull one over on the Thomases. But to no avail, for though not trained in detecting shoddy repairs, the owners were appalled that the shop would attempt to deliver a non-running, filthy, not fully assembled car that now was also cursed with a strong odor of diesel fuel.

Out of time and patience, as the shop owner held their car hostage for the full amount of the insurance checks, with no other option the Thomases wrote a personal check, loaded their car on the rental trailer, and began the long drive to the Northwest.

Once on the road, though, they decided to cancel the check until the mess was straightened out, which instigated a threat of lawsuit for damages from the shop. As attorneys for both parties sparred, the attorney representing the vehicle owner plus several other individuals suggested they bring it to our shop, which they were assured could be trusted for a fair appraisal, and a quality repair if it was still repairable.

Enter the experts

With the Thomases permission we contacted Mark Olson, co-owner of Future Forensics and Integrity Automotive, (www.integrityauto3i.com), who specializes in Post-Repair Re-Inspections (PRI). When Mark arrived to inspect this vehicle, we had it on a frame rack with our Genesis calibrating and dimensioned system in-stalled and all trunk-area coverings removed. With a video camera rolling, using no tools other than a dull 24-inch pry-bar - and without even breaking a sweat - Olson easily removed the entire trunk spare tire-well portion of the rear floor, the rear panel assemblies and the like - all within half an hour!

What the shop had attempted to do as time ran out, was to cut out only the damaged rear panels and tire-well portion, and glue in its place a new panel. Totally dismantled, we counted only four spot-welds holding the entire rear panel assembly (tire well, rear panel assembly pieces, etc) of this vehicle together. The only other solid support was the mounting plates of the rear bumper shocks where they bolted thru the rear panel to the rear frame members, one of which had been hacked off and improperly welded in place before being measured and pulled into rough alignment, the shop apparently figuring they didn't have time for complete replacement of the rail. In fact, the only thing remotely holding the rear of this vehicle together was some form of black adhesive that was improperly and insufficiently applied where factory spot-welds were meant to be.