Date:         Thu, 13 Aug 1998 15:53:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Mark Gajewski <mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Gajewski <mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM>
Subject:      Re: Suing Repair Shop
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I have some experience...The key is that if your dispute is less than $1500
small claims court is real easy.  Call up the court house in the county
where the crooked shop is located and request a small claims court form.
Fill it out and mail it in and they will set up a court date and send notice
to the shop.  Probably, if the guy is a real crook he will not even bother
showing up in court in which case you win.  He can appeal however in some
states, which to me seems unfair.  Once the judgement is in your favor it
can still be hard to collect though, and you may need to sick the county
marshall after him.  This is also easy and just requires filling out a
form.  The marshall can actually pull funds from this garage's bank if the
garage refuses to ante up.  So, if the garage really did screw you, you will
probably make out OK with a little effort.
As for disputing via credit cards...It don't work except in the case of
fraud (i.e. someone charges on your card without your authorization).
Reminds me of a very ugly situation in Stowe, Vt.  I'll spare you the
details, but if you break down in Stowe, walk home with your bus on your
back before going to Stowe Auto on the Mtn. Rd..  The man is an outright
thief!!!!

James Wagner wrote:

> For those of you in the Washington DC area, I hope non of you have had
> to deal with The Buggy Barn/Auto Motor Und Sport now in Alexandria, Va.
> I think they were in Arlington up to a few years ago.  I am at the end
> of my wits, have spent nearly all of last Spring and Summer trying to
> get them to competently fix by 85 Vanagon, which ended up breaking a rod
> and stranding me in Massachusetts.
>
> Now my credit card company has failed to support my claim against them
> and I am forced to go to court.
>
> Has anyone any experience disputing a repair shops work?
>
> Sorry for straying from the Vanagon topic.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> James Wagner
>
> --
> James Wagner