Auto body shop owner drove my car instead of fixing

[nina120]

Need some advice and what I should do for this unusual situation that I still can't believe happened. I dropped off my car to a body shop a few days ago. Had minimal cosmetic bumper damage (scrapes) and was told wouldn't take more than 2 days, even that. Instead of fixing it, owner drove my car over 45+ miles for the 2 days at his leisure like it was his own personal vehicle; accumulated trash, sandwich wrappers, splotches of green paint. Have insurance with snapshot that tracks my driving mileage. When I got back into town and called to know the status he said couldn't repair it within allotted time, needed it for the weekend. Told him I don't want excuses, picking up the car immediately, he said "not liable for the state its in", asked him how many times he drove and claimed twice only. When I told him about the app, he became aggressive, cussed me out and began yelling to get my car the hell out of his garage. It was scary at how confrontational he was. Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated!

This took place between August 21-23, 2019 in Long Island, NY

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state?

 

[nina120]

New York

 

[not2cleverRed]

Ask around for a more reputable shop, get an estimate, get it fixed. If there was any damage to the car beyond what it had when you dropped it off the first time, ask if that damage added to the cost of touching up. I do not mean trash, I mean stain/paint removal. If you believe that you have proof that this additional damage was caused by the body shop, you could try being reimbursed for the fix through small claims.

Was this a NY Registered motor repair shop?

According to the Motor Vehicle Repair & Body Shop Regulations 82.10 (page 12) you can file a complaint with the commissioner.

For specifics, refer to: https://dmv.ny.gov/contact-us/report-problem-dmv-regulated-automotive-business

In my community there have been cases of repair shops also running drugs. The irrational threatening behavior you describe sounds like someone on bad drugs. If you believe this to be the case, you might wish to express your concerns to local police. If you felt he threatened your physical person, you should file a police report.