Maybe I'm overreacting but....

[gav240z]

I left my car at a local workshop for a roadworthy inspection, I dropped it there on Monday. I said I wanted to get it on CH plates etc.. and that I just wanted a list of things they wanted addressed before they'll offer a RWC etc..

 

Yesterday I went past when walking the dog and saw the car was up on the hoist behind the workshop gates etc.. So I thought I'd get a call today to tell me to come collect the car. However I didn't hear anything, so when walking the dog again this evening I walked past again and saw the car was parked in the street (along a main road). It looked like the business was shut, and at first I felt uncomfortable with it just sitting there and thought maybe I'm just being a bit precious, so I continued to take the dog to the park.

 

Anyway on the way back I had another look and I could see the newly installed rally clock ticking away, meaning the battery was hooked up. Worse I found the doors both unlocked along with the rear hatch. I tried to call the workshop number but I could hear it ringing from the street and after 2 tries no answer and no way to leave a message. No after hours number on their website or on the shop.

 

I wasn't sure if I had a spare set of keys, went home and found some keys that looked about right. Came back to the car, and tried the keys, they worked. Fired up the car (which is loud) and waited to see if anyone would come running out while it warmed up. No sight of anybody, so I drove it back home and parked it at my house.

 

Now correct me if I'm being pedantic but on what planet is this guy living? Seriously it's not a mid 90s Corolla, I had my FD RX-7 stolen after leaving it at the front of my house in Dublin for 2 nights (parked in the drive). The thing is the workshop has a big gate and chain + lock so I would have been fine if he parked it in the workshop yard, but he left it on the street. (It was 9:30 pm when I drove it back home). So I doubt he was going to come back and park it behind the already locked gates.

 

I just can't help but think of the Red S30z stolen near Beecroft (NSW) or the other white 1 that was stolen in S.A not that long ago. I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight if I knew it was still there on the main road.

 

After that I don't think I trust him with doing anything else near the car. It's going to be an interesting conversation tomorrow when he gets to the shop to discover the car isn't parked out front.

 

Once again I'm disappointed with a workshop. *SIGH*. Yet I'm not really surprised.

[reverendzed]

Gav - You're not over reacting - The guy would know the uniqueness of the vehicle and the responsibility to make sure it is adequately secured.  This obviously shows that he is clearly not interested in maintaining the interest of his clients or their endorsement.  Yep, you're in for an interesting conversation tomorrow, unless their was some significant emergency which caused this irresponsibility, you're bound to hear a lot of excuses!  Good on you for picking up the car.  The funny thing would be if he thought it had been stolen and has to call you and give you some story that someone had broken in and stolen your car! :-\

[dat2kman]

First off,

No not over reacting,

Seconfd,

What is name of workshop, so we ALL know never to go there!

Third,

Ring them first thing in morning, say, " hi,, it's Gav here,,,, about my Datsun Z,,,,,,"

And just pause, and wait for their answer,,,,,,

Then rip into them.

[gav240z]

The funny thing would be if he thought it had been stolen and has to call you and give you some story that someone had broken in and stolen your car! :-\

 

I'm actually going to wait for him to call me. So we'll see what he says. Thanks for the vindication though, if i was running said business I would treat client cars like my own and only leave them in the street if the premises was full and I had called the owner to ask if it was ok. Especially with a unique vehicle.

 

But I guess I made an assumption and that was my downfall. After having the FD RX-7 stolen there was no way I was going to leave that car over night in that spot. Even if i got an insurance pay out it wouldn't be able to replace my 240z not to mention the headache and run around required in terms of finding another similar car.

 

When I tried to call the shop whilst I was outside, as a couple went past the guy was giving the car a full look over. Probably admiration more than anything else, but it just made me feel even more uneasy knowing how much it stands out.

[gav240z]

First off,

No not over reacting,

Seconfd,

What is name of workshop, so we ALL know never to go there!

Third,

Ring them first thing in morning, say, " hi,, it's Gav here,,,, about my Datsun Z,,,,,,"

And just pause, and wait for their answer,,,,,,

Then rip into them.

 

haha, yep good idea. I'll post name of said workshop once I've sorted this matter out. Gotta give him the benefit of the doubt, even though I'm not sure what story could absolve him of negligence.

[pauly_adams]

ive worked at a few workshops and we would never leave a car out the front, let alone unlocked, wether it is a ford laser or a Ferrari its someone's property and the biggest asset that a lot of people have, its just plainly irresponsible 

[datberger]

Wow, that is pretty irresponsible behaviour on the part of the workshop - you definitely did the right thing taking it home.  Will be interesting to hear the excuses tomorrow...

[PB260Z]

Hi Mate

 

Definitely not over reacting. I just can't believe any workshop would do something like that, makes me wonder how much care they take with the work they do.

 

I too would be calling him and asking when you can pick it up and see what he says.

 

 

 

 

[zed74]

Just pickup your car & say thanks - BUT No thanks...

 

go somewhere else!

[lightmaster240z]

wow some is will to leave your car out on a street with out a care.I dont beleve it. I would have troble paying for the work he has done . and would be going some where they look after your car like it there baby and not some stray dog that they just kicked     

[CroS13]

Honestly at the very least id be leading them on to the car being stolen, in no way shape of form should you take the car back to that workshop, go with the RX7 to pick up the keys and tell them to f**k off. If they don't want to give you your keys, just go home... what will they do? keep the car from you for not paying? oh wait, that's right, it was stolen! The money you save from not paying the workshop a cent, take to get your locks re barreled. It cost me $60 i believe to get all 4 locks on my zed re keyed to the same key.

 

The bloke i use for pink/blue slips, and jobs i really cnbf'd with, keeps all his cars in his workshop. The complex is secured by a locked gate (an industrial park estate) and there is plenty of parking behind the security gate, but even so, the cars are all taken inside the warehouse building over night, that includes mum and dads camry too. Even the place that blue slipped my Zed when i bought it, i checked up on it a few times before i paid the old owner, and the workshop was pushing all the old shells and rusted parts cars inside regardless.

 

A friend has a VL Callis, its a summernats show quality car, v8 the whole 9 yards, worth probably 70k or so. He had his car at a workshop, and got a phone call in the middle of the day from said workshop. Some seedy looking people had been driving back and forth past the workshop scoping out my mates VL, pointing to it, and talking and making a phone call, could have been something, could have been nothing, either way the workshop owner rang my mate and told him to take the car home that night and to bring it back in a week because he had a bad feeling about them. He knew that insurance would cover the car, but could never replace the 7 years and late nights my mate spent building it.

 

What you experienced was in no way acceptable, and i wouldn't pay a cent to them.

 

Rudolf.

 

 

[gav240z]

Just to clarify.

 

1. I already brought the car back home, they just have the keys (but I've got a spare set).

2. I haven't paid him for any work. He hasn't done any work. It was just a simple inspection for Road Worthy Certification (Blue Slip in NSW).

 

You know you should always go with gut instinct, when I got there we didn't shake hands. I thought it was a bit of a faux pas, since I always feel odd if I don't shake someone's hand the first time I meet them.

 

However he seemed genuinely interested in the car and said it looked good so I thought maybe he'll look after it. He better have a pretty good story for me tomorrow.

[CroS13]

he will blame it on an apprentice.......

[garvice]

Update Gav? I how you waited till he called you. Sorry foiled by your day light savings. Today here is yesterday there.ha.

 

Let him call you to say sorry it's been stolen. Wonder how long it takes for him to notice.

[peter t]

This is going to be interesting. Might have to take the day off just to see what excuse is offered. Good to see you still have your car though Gav.

[andyk_79]

Far out that is crap!!  From memory when I was living down there VIC roadworthies only take one or two hours don't they ?  So why they needed the car overnight is crap to start with ! Definitely not a 3 day job that's for sure.

[260DET]

Wow, I'd be spewing if my Z was left out like that. Yeh, keep the car, take it somewhere else.

[gilltech]

No you're most definitely NOT overreacting! It's your car, your property, he has a duty of care to you when he is engaged by you to perform a service.

Unbelievable that it would be left parked in the street unlocked for 5 minutes let alone overnight. Lucky you decided to take a wander past.

You give him an earful big-time.

[gav240z]

It's 10:25 am, no call yet. Hope he's sweating it out.

[Riceburner]

It's 10:25 am, no call yet. Hope he's sweating it out.

 

Haha, funny stuff and I be the is!

 

Luck is on your side, if you didn't walk past we may have been looking at another horrible stolen post.

[oldmates260z]

Unbelievable circumstances, I would not be surprised if you never hear from them 

[Enzo]

Come on Gav, admit it. This is just a scam to get the hottest topic on the forum and clock up the most responses.

        Just think. If you had a cat you wouldn't have been out walking with the dog and the car could have gone walkabout.

Anyway, sounds like you dodged a bullet. Rip into the workshop owner.

I hope the newspaper headlines don't read like this.

 

STOLEN 240Z LOCATED.

A Datsun 240z removed from a well known workshop was located in the underground car-park of the Sydney Google headquarters. The vehicle was covered with a car-cover and parked in a dark corner. A young Google employer was taken into custody claiming his innocence stating that the car was his.

 

Hope your day gets better.

David (Enzo)

[gav240z]

11:50 no call...

 

I was going to call a tow truck driver if i didn't have a spare set of keys. I figure a couple of hundred bucks for a tow truck is cheap insurance against it being stolen. I would have made the workshop pay for it too if I could of.

 

I was thinking how can I prove to the tow truck driver it's my car (if I didn't have the keys) and I thought to myself who else would call the dog "Datsun", besides I also had albums of photos of the car on my phone so the tow truck driver wouldn't have had any doubt.

 

Going to call at Lunch if he doesn't call first.

[MATTY]

That is just plained F*&^ED! 

 

id be all about naming and shaming this workshop to warn others Gav. ive delt with a few shady workshops before myself and it makes it hard to trust others.

 

at least you didn't see it on the news being taken for a joy ride or anything like that!

 

be interesting to see what this guy has to say......

[gav240z]

Well I spoke to him, I think he was trying to hide his incompetence. I am somewhat disappointed that he didn't just admit he fudged it and took ownership of it.

 

He sort of rattled off about how he came past my place earlier this morning and saw the car in my drive and hadn't had a chance to call me etc.. Was busy with book keeping work from end of last year and that he had to leave last night for his wife's Birthday and he had intended to come back later and put some cars back in the workshop etc..

 

Then he said "I don't know what time you came by", see where this is going?

 

He then tried to change the topic to say I've got a report here for you and your car, there isn't much that needs to be done etc..

 

Anyway I'm not the sort of person to fly off the handle at someone. Even if he might have deserved it, I just don't see the point in getting all wound up and angry when no harm has been done thankfully. So I was very calm and said I'll come by later to get the keys and report.

 

Name of business is: ADM Motors Caulfield http://www.admmotors.com.au/

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Adm+Motors/@-37.8997992,145.0195511,3a,75y,-81.1h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1swczDhvcLVR246X1PEDygjw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xc8bd47d9bfeceb8e!6m1!1e1

 

Car was parked where Blue Hyundai is on Google Maps. The gate was locked and business was shut.

 

I'll use the list to address the items, then take it to him for a visual inspection (no work) while I'm there and hopefully he can just write up the pass. I won't be leaving the car there though or getting him to do any of the work.

 

I'll start a new thread about the items that need attention for RWC.