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Car stereo installation one month late - car held hostage!

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fcarpio

Junior Member
Hello all,
I live in South Florida - Broward County. On June 7th I delivered my car to get a stereo system installer. The installed works part time and we agreed that he would not take longer than 60 days to complete the job (I have it in writing). Today is September 7th and he is one month late to deliver my car. For what I have seen he is not even half way done and my car is in pieces. The installer keeps promising delivery dates that depend on something and he never delivers. The last date he promised was to deliver the car today, and again, he is nowhere near completion. Instead he has pushed the delivery date back to two weeks from today (for the 5th time). I have already paid him most of the money I owe him (I know it was a bad idea, but I though that would speed things up). I made one payment when I delivered the car and the other six weeks into the two months when he had almost nothing done to the car (again, I know it was a mistake). I have been very patient until today, which I lost it when he threatened to return my car to me today as is (in pieces).

At least not everything is bad, he gave me a loaner car (a beat up vw bug) that is nothing like my much nicer car. The installer thinks that because I have something to drive he can take as along as he likes to deliver my car. What is getting me really irritated is his attitude, he does not care and he blows his own set deadlines as if they were nothing. He has even tried to make me think that he is doing me a favor! I cannot believe anything he tells me anymore. He told me that the car will be finished in two weeks from today, but this will be his 6th delivery date. To me this date is just another deadline for him to blow.

What do I want to do? I want to scare him real good, I want him to have a REAL deadline to deliver my car. I want him to be penalized for his tardiness. I want to make sure he finishes the work right. I want to get an assurance that he will fix the car if anything goes wrong with the installation for one year. I want him to know that I am done with him dogging me around and I do mean business this time.

Is what I want unrealistic or fair? EVERY DAY I drive the bug I get so upset...

Please help.
 


justalayman

Senior Member
I want to scare him real good,
how about just getting your car back

I
want him to have a REAL deadline to deliver my car.
then give him one and stop taking the delays without repercussions to him

I want him to be penalized for his tardiness.
Not going to happen

I want to make sure he finishes the work right. I want to get an assurance that he will fix the car if anything goes wrong with the installation for one year.
that would be up to you and any warrantee you can negotiate.

I want him to know that I am done with him dogging me around and I do mean business this time
.then quit screwing around and allowing him additional time

call him up. give the time limit you wish to impose. inform him regardless of it being done or not, you will be there to pick up the car on that day. If he is not finished, you expect a refund commensurate with the amount of actual work finished. If he refuses, take the car and go to the courthouse and file a small claims suit against him.

Take it to another shop and have it done. If additional work is needed due to what the first guy did, send him a bill with a time limit to remit payment. If he fails to pay, go to the courthouse and file a suit to recover your damages.
 

fcarpio

Junior Member
how about just getting your car back

My car is not drivable at this point, it is totally gutted and does not even have the seats. Everything over the carpet had to be removed to get the sound deadening put on.


Ithen give him one and stop taking the delays without repercussions to him

I did, but the car is still gutted! THAT IS MY MAIN PROBLEM.

Not going to happen

I can live with that.

that would be up to you and any warrantee you can negotiate.

OK, chances that I do not want to see this guy ever again.


.then quit screwing around and allowing him additional time

Again, the car is gutted, regardless of my deadlines. This guy does not give a hoot.

call him up. give the time limit you wish to impose. inform him regardless of it being done or not, you will be there to pick up the car on that day. If he is not finished, you expect a refund commensurate with the amount of actual work finished. If he refuses, take the car and go to the courthouse and file a small claims suit against him.

I may just do that, as soon as my car is drivable.

Take it to another shop and have it done. If additional work is needed due to what the first guy did, send him a bill with a time limit to remit payment. If he fails to pay, go to the courthouse and file a suit to recover your damages.
Please see my comments above.
 

fcarpio

Junior Member
Does this cretin installer really has the upper hand??? I cannot believe that, there has to be something I can do!!!
 

justalayman

Senior Member
They make flat bed haulers for this purpose. If you allow the fact the car is in the condition it is to alter your actions, you are simply going to have to wait until this guy is done playing with you.

how about just getting your car back

My car is not drivable at this point, it is totally gutted and does not even have the seats. Everything over the carpet had to be removed to get the sound deadening put on.
who said anything about driving it away

Ithen give him one and stop taking the delays without repercussions to him

I did, but the car is still gutted! THAT IS MY MAIN PROBLEM.
then no, you did not give him a firm deadline. You are obviously swayed by his ability to convince you you must wait until the car is finished.





.then quit screwing around and allowing him additional time

Again, the car is gutted, regardless of my deadlines. This guy does not give a hoot.
then pick up the dang car and let somebody else finish it.

call him up. give the time limit you wish to impose. inform him regardless of it being done or not, you will be there to pick up the car on that day. If he is not finished, you expect a refund commensurate with the amount of actual work finished. If he refuses, take the car and go to the courthouse and file a small claims suit against him.

I may just do that, as soon as my car is drivable.
if you are willing to wait until it is drivable, you might as well just start twiddling your thumbs and hoping.

It's your choice. Either remedy the situation or quit complaining about it.
 

fcarpio

Junior Member
Any other options that do not require me to spend a substantial amount of money? I lost my job a couple of weeks a go. That is why I am here, in the free section. :(
 

fcarpio

Junior Member
That is not what I wanted to hear, but you seem to be correct. I do appreciate the time you took to respond to my postings, thank you.
 

fcarpio

Junior Member
justalayman:
It turns out that your advice was right on. Now I am going to take action. I did something I have not done before and that is giving the installer a FINAL date, whether the car is done or not I am picking it up. Now, I may have to take him to small claims court if my car is not put together. Do I now have to hire a new installer to finish the job and pay him before I get my money from the old installer? I was thinking, since I do not have the money to pay someone else to finish the job, can I bring a new installer with me to court and have the court make my old installer pay the new installer directly to finish the incomplete job? That is assuming I do not get my money back. What are my options now?
 

justalayman

Senior Member
the current installer will most likey be allowed to keep the money that represents the value of the work already performed. He should be required to refund anything above that amount.

at that point, you are without injury which means you have what you paid for and the installer has been paid for what he did.

From that point forward, you will have to pay whomever you want to finish the car.

If you end up having to hire a hauler truck, I would include that in your suit. If the car is undrivable, I would include a rental car in the suit as well.
 

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