Woman says car has been at auto shop in Redford Twp. for 6 months
REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJBK) - Customers at an auto repair shop are furious after their cars have been in the shop for months -- and they still have no repairs to show for it.
Diane Ramsey took her car into the Krucial Kustoms Body Shop in Redford Township after her daughter was in an accident last fall. She was told the repairs would take a couple of days -- but it's now been six months. Ramsey says the repair shop owner continues to give one excuse after another.
"I am beyond upset - I am way beyond upset," she says.
She says the owner, Deon Thomas, had no problem cashing the nearly $6,000 check from the insurance company - but six months later she says she continues to get the runaround.
"The accident happened on the 13th of October," Ramsey says. "He came to pick it up that Saturday. I told him to take his time with the car, but I thought 30 days would be good enough and now we're at six months."
Her insurance company paid for a rental car for the first month. Then, even Thomas covered the cost for the next month, but now the Ramseys, who both work, are down to one car which is a lease and is now over miles.
Ramsey says she is in constant contact with Thomas, who told her most recently the car would be ready on Monday. He gave the vehicle a new paint job and it needed to dry, and then he sent her photos.
"'No I need until Monday because the parts have to dry because I painted it,'" Ramsey says she was told. "I got these pictures today and it is not painted and the car is not together - what do I do?"
When FOX 2 called at 4:45 p.m., an automated phone message said: "Our business hours are Monday through Friday 8-6 and Saturday 8 to 3. Thank you for calling Krucial Kustoms where everything we do is crucial.'"
Apparently not that 'Krucial.'
FOX 2 went to the shop to ask the owner what was taking so long, but he was long gone and the only thing found was a lot filled with broken and busted cars -- as well as a young woman who appears to be in the same predicament.
"My car has been here for almost two months," Rajanee Posey told us. "I told him do the airbags. As you can see neither one of my airbags are done. The front end is supposed to be done."
"What does he say is taking so long?" FOX 2's Taryn Asher ashed Posey.
"It is a different story every time," she says.
Ramsey says she is still paying hundreds of dollars a month for her lease and insurance on the car, and has nothing to show for it. Looking at the pictures - if she ever gets it back - she's not sure the car will even be safe to drive.
"I don't have a route to go. I'm at his beck and call right now because he's got my car," she says.
When Ramsey contacted FOX 2 last month, we called the shop owner, Deon Thomas, and he said his air compressor broke down in December and he was behind. He promised to have the car fixed by the next week. That was three weeks ago.
We are waiting to hear him respond.