My problem with GoFund me is that they don't take PayPal. This is the 3rd fund raiser that I can't contribute to because of this limitation.... I'm sorry.
If you have the paypal debit card - you can use that. That is what I did.
Originally posted by JohnWPB: I would be very interested in hearing more about this for sure. The $1000 is for the lawyer to get the paperwork going, and is probably gonna cost me a heck of a lot more than that along the way. If there is another solution, and remain out of court, that would be fantastic!
Have you called your insurance company at all about it? I would call your insurance company and see if they can do anything to help you, without just writing it off as a total loss and giving you a check for $2500 that they then try to get back from the MAACO insurance provider. But you're paying for insurance for a reason, and you are clearly not at fault for the damage done here. Maybe your insurance provider will help you with the legal battle to get the issue resolved, as well. If you have comprehensive coverage, or agreed value coverage, rather than just liability, you might be in a better position there too, but it's a good place to start.
Have you called your insurance company at all about it? I would call your insurance company and see if they can do anything to help you, without just writing it off as a total loss and giving you a check for $2500 that they then try to get back from the MAACO insurance provider. But you're paying for insurance for a reason, and you are clearly not at fault for the damage done here. Maybe your insurance provider will help you with the legal battle to get the issue resolved, as well. If you have comprehensive coverage, or agreed value coverage, rather than just liability, you might be in a better position there too, but it's a good place to start.
Yup, the vehicle was damaged while in possession of this company. The insurance company should cover the damages and then settle with the shop's insurance/owner.
Unfortunately ... I don't have on any-longer. I've not had it since it expired some years ago.
Tell ya what, I really want to contribute. Can you pm me your PayPal & I can trust you'll fund it for me?
PM sent. As for the liability insurance - businesses are supposed to have it. I had a garage door company come out to repair my door track, they ended up breaking the top panel of my garage door and wanted to sell me a new garage door (my existing one was put in in 2011). I said no - I want the area repaired that you broke, mentioned about their insurance etc. The door repairman tried saying I wanted a new garage door - I said no I want you to repair what you damaged. Needless to say his manager ordered a new panel and installed it free of charge. So that may be something to check with Maaco as well concerning your car and the damage they did to it.
[This message has been edited by sniper69 (edited 09-11-2014).]
I think going after the insurance angle is a good idea. That is what they have to carry coverage for.
------------------ Is your Fastback GT's trunk seal shot? My Gen IV replacement GT trunk seals with miter double bonded corners are now in production. $95 shipped to the US (contact me for international shipping rates) More info can be found here GT Trunk Seal Project
no2pencil & sniper69 thank you both for going an extra mile to help ...... also all others who have helped THANK YOU SO MUCH.... will be doing the draw for the LED Sidemarkers this weekend ... watch in this thread for the video of the draw by John !!!! THX AGAIN ALL !!!!
Unfortunately ... I don't have on any-longer. I've not had it since it expired some years ago.
Tell ya what, I really want to contribute. Can you pm me your PayPal & I can trust you'll fund it for me?
There is NO need to donate anything, so please do not take this the wrong way.... but Paypal donations can be done at this Link if someone feels so inclined. I do realize that a lot of people do not want to use an unknown / new service like GoFundMe.
quote
Originally posted by dobey: But you're paying for insurance for a reason, and you are clearly not at fault for the damage done here. Maybe your insurance provider will help you with the legal battle to get the issue resolved, as well. If you have comprehensive coverage, or agreed value coverage, rather than just liability, you might be in a better position there too, but it's a good place to start.
Yes, I do have comprehensive / full coverage on the Fiero. This is actually a good idea, as my State Farm office is pretty close to the house. I will stop in and have a talk with her and she what she has to say. Thanks for the idea.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 09-11-2014).]
My wife works in insurance and she tells me that you can file a claim with the garage owners insurance company and be paid fairly quickly. She said she sees it happen all the time.
Leaving the car outside all windows opened near a dusty area was bad enough to start with but then the rain and everything else is just totally... I can't even find a word strong enough to describe!
I've had evil Exes that did nasty things when we split up, but none were nasty enough to do anything remotely close to this. I can't even begin to understand how the heck they keep thinking they're going to get away with every little wrong they do.
There has to be other clients out there that have been screwed over by this garage, only professional crooks would be able to pull this sh*t and then keep haggling about how they are going to fix it.
I hope you're able to pursue the insurance side of things and get enough money to fix everything or get it fixed.
I know there has been other horror stories on here where people lost good chunks of money (and dreams) but this has to be right up there with the worst of them in the hall of shame!
All I can say is, don't give up! We're all behind you, this community will make sure this story ends the right way.
------------------ Ben 87 GT / 88 GT 84 Indy #1863
John - do you have Paypal? Instead of donating through that site (since it broke the goal), I'd like to just drop it to you via paypal. I'm twitchy about how many places I move money through.
Also, did your build thread cover how you took care of the swelling of your center console? I got some of that going on and would like to know how you fixed it!! (and will it work for the radio/hvac surrounding stuff, too?)
There is NO need to donate anything, so please do not take this the wrong way.... but Paypal donations can be done at this Link if someone feels so inclined. I do realize that a lot of people do not want to use an unknown / new service like GoFundMe.
Wow guys, again, I am at a loss for words! Thank you to everyone! I will work on Monday morning to get things going, and to hopefully once and for all get this mess resolved!
With Paypal he is limited on what he can take out each month, so he might not have access to all the funds donated through that source.
Really? I have a Premier account through paypal and don't have any limits on what can be taken out (unless I'm using the paypal debit card - then I have daily limits set on that).
Yea, I have no limits on my PayPal. The max at an ATM for me is $500, but that's the only limit that I know of. The GoFundMe also still works, the $1,000 was the goal, but tons of others that I have donated to in the past have gone way over their goals. We had a very young little girl pass away in my church, they set up a GoFundMe page for $5,000 to help with the unexpected funeral costs. That page went viral, and they raised over $20,000.
This is all just FYI, and not encouraging anything more. I am very grateful for making the goal, and plan to start putting it to work Monday and see what I can get going with tackling Maaco.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 09-13-2014).]
Really? I have a Premier account through paypal and don't have any limits on what can be taken out (unless I'm using the paypal debit card - then I have daily limits set on that).
I don't have a Paypal account, but my wife says she can only transfer $350 a month over to our bank account. Same with the Georgia Fiero Club Paypal account. The club's ATM card seems to be open on the amount it can purchase and my wife's account is open on what she can purchase with it (no ATM).
I didn't realize there were different levels of Paypal. It was just based on what I've experienced. Hope I haven't deterred anyone from donating.
Just got the opportunity to read his post...OMG. Not even a hesitation, how much is John short? How do I donate? Does he need any parts? If I have them I will gladly give them to him.
Here's a thought. Kind of a throw back to kinder, gentler days. With all this discussion about limits and fees for these high tech e-services I would suggest this: Send John a private message via this forum. Ask for his mailing address and send him a check. Cost: the price of a stamp and John gets 100% of your donation. Granted it will take a couple of days to get to him and he has to make a trip to his bank but time is not that critical. Lawyers just don't make things happen that fast and, to my knowledge there has never been a successful engine swap to correct that issue.
------------------ 1988 GT Medium Red Metallic Manual, Gray Leather K Beck LEDs & StuWipes
As above says, Maaco Corp might help... or not. Many stories of bad Maaco Franchisees. Here and on the web in general. This case is not new or unique to Maaco Corp. I've seen so many bad Maaco jobs that I won't take a bicycle to most Franchises to paint. My car needs paint very bad but won't use Maaco when I have money.
You call lawyers for this? If you think lawyer will help... $1000 is only the starting fee.
Most states have $5000 limit for Small Claims Courts. (Called Justice of the Peace Courts in some states) Fees are low to file... < $100. Most SC Counts, you don't use a lawyer.
You have insurance? Claim to SF and other car insurance will likely Total your car. (Maybe label as flood car.) Total and you accept that... Insurance owns the car. If you buy back the car, car will likely get Salvage Title. Many states need to "re-certify" the car before state will license it. This can be hard to pass in some states. If you don't have garage space... Note that Many HOAs, cities, etc restrict no tag, wrecks, projects, etc cars. They can tow them in a day or two in many places.
quote
Originally posted by fierofool: The top of the line paint job I got had a 5 year warranty and after 3 years, the paint started to chip off. They denied warranty, saying that it was stone chips. It looked like the front, hood, and even deck lid has been sprayed with pea gravel. Just sitting in my driveway under a cover hasn't stopped the paint from continuing to chip off.
Many Franchisees will deny Warranties for this. Is very common problem. One reason is they can't be bothered by using wax strippers etc before they paint. Good prep'ing takes time and some money and many Franchises won't spend either.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
It has always been my experience that when handling problems like this you must always go to the top. I've had meaningful conversations with CEO's of Tire Kingdom, Hooters, Truly Nolen, Roland-USA and Verizon and have ALWAYS gotten a fair resolution when their retail level management has failed to do what's right. Their way of thinking is that "If it gets to me then its free" and although allot of barriers and roadblocks are in place so it doesnt get to them there are things you can do to talk to them or at least their secretary who will DEFINITELY get things right for you. To contact JONATHAN FITZPATRICK, MAACO CEO, dial 610-265-6606 and either ask for him directly and say its a personal matter or search the automated directory if there is one. Be very polite but very determined to be heard and let them know that you would not be calling if it werent for the gross treatment you have received so far coming from the MAACO brand. Ask to send before and after photographs DIRECTLY to his email and let him know that you are acting in good faith and rather resolve this without having to take legal action. If after that nothing gets resolved then file a small claims suit if possible and take all your evidence to the judge to see, I dont see how you can lose. Why small claims? Because you can resolve it quickly. If the damage is far beyond the small claim limit then you would have to file suit but that will carry a costly legal bill and there is no guarantee you will get that back. Hope this helps and my donation will be sent shortly. Good luck
Maaco are all independent franchises. You will have to deal with them directly. Corporate may or may not do anything. Their name is the Rampat Corporation. Your insurance company would be of no help unless the work was done under their insurance coverage. I do hope you sue them in court for ALL the damages and win. Not all these franchises are the same. Their work varies from garbage to great. You have to check out each ones work in advance. With ANY shop, you have to detail what will be done in writing. Any guarantee must be detailed in writing. I wish you good luck...I know what its like to work on something only to have it screwed up by unscrupulous others.
Roger, I respectfully disagree. When I sued MAACO, I found the corporate location, went to the Secretary of State's website and found the contact information of the CEO and their Business Agent, or Legal Service Representative and contacted them. The local operation reacted similarly to John's local franchise. I filed suite in Small Claims Court in Georgia, which allows the plaintiff to recover all fees associated with bringing the case if they are successful in winning the case. Most states allow recovery of costs.
The local franchise was taken out of the loop before the court date when Corporate stepped in and directed the local franchise to make payment of my full claim. I only lost the $50 filing fee, but recovered 100% of my claim.
Every one of the franchises are run differently, depending on how theyre set up. Like I said, the original corporation may or may not be in the position to order that particular one to do anything. I have a friend next door that owns the Columbus, Ohio franchise and operates 4 shops. He solely operates his as he sees fit...even to what brands of material he wants to use. He currently uses PPG paints. Franchises operate all kinds of ways. Hooters is franchised and basic operation is dictated by corporate offices. Everyday business is operated at the franchises whim. The ones who ran the Ohio franchise elected to run it they way they wanted and run it out of business. As far as I know, as of now there are no active Hooters in Ohio unless someone has picked up a franchise license for a specific city. There were a few local lawsuits here in Columbus that were settled at the franchise level and never had anything to do with the corporate office. (they were due to falls/injuries of customers.)
At this point, it is not the best thing for me to post in a public forum the steps that I am taking.... I hope everyone understands. I will post what I can, when it is appropriate. Just keep in mind, this stuff can take quite some time to come to fruition.
At this point, it is not the best thing for me to post in a public forum the steps that I am taking.... I hope everyone understands. I will post what I can, when it is appropriate. Just keep in mind, this stuff can take quite some time to come to fruition.
Very wise. Don't break that rule, regardless of how loud we may scream for information.
