I brought my Nissan 370z convertible to Dick & Ricks on June 14th, 2016. The convertible top latch would not clamp shut. I told the technician upfront that I only wanted a diagnosis of the problem, and I would return at a later date to correct the issue once I was reemployed (I had zero incoming income). It took two days for the problem to be diagnosed, and the call from the technician sort of detailed the issue, but I was cornered into committing to repairs- the technician said at the end of the call that they had to "trick" the top open, and if the top is closed so I can drive it home and wait to repair it may lead to a top that might never be opened again. That was red flag #1, but I still reluctantly agreed to continue with repairs. This decision led to the single worst auto experience I will probably ever face. The faulty part took almost a month to arrive, and the part quote given to me at the beginning, originally $300, was bumped up to $700 two weeks in (red flag #2). During the wait, I spent over $400 in car rental fees, and had no car at all for 19 of the 30 days. While the business contacted me a few times for updates, most calls between us were initiated by me pleading to move the repairs along. I receive a call after 30 days (July 13th) confirming the part was installed, but another part of the same assembly piece is also faulty, which added another $300, and also needed to be ordered (red flag #3). So they secured the top closed and allowed me to drive the vehicle home while we wait for part #2. Today is the 2 week anniversary since picking the car up, and not one call from this business to install the additional part". I actually made two calls to them myself- the first was to the receptionist, who said she would call me back and never did. The second call a few days later was a pick up, hang up. With no proof that any repairs of any kind were actually completed, and $1,243 paid in full to Dick and Ricks, I have disputed the charge to my credit card company as of today, July 26th, and will chalk this up to an automotive swindle.
Side note: I now have minor electrical issues after picking up my car from Dick and Rick's, including non-working interior lights, turn signals with no sound at times, and the alarm occasionally does not beep when engaged.
Updates: 8/4/16- Still no response from Dick and Rick's, which seems to confirm the intent to steal as much money from me as possible, perform zero repairs, and return my car with the hope I do not come back. 8/24/16- Received a call from the business on 8/17/16, 35 days after vehicle pickup, letting me know the second part arrived. You read that right- 5 weeks to get a call from them, which seems to have come in response to my BBB complaint and credit card dispute, both filed a few weeks prior. I RELUCTANTLY agree to stop in, where the tech I'd been working with tried to smooth things over. They claimed to have installed the part that day, even though the receipt shows no part numbers for anything installed (Hmmm). I was also told that the original transaction of $1,243 was reversed (which tends to happen when endless blow-offs and ignorance occur in business dealings)(further proof I was called back so they could get paid), which pissed off one of the owners. Instead of him asking his guys why my car is still not fixed after 10 weeks, he demanded I run to an ATM and pull cash out- which I did before the business closes (it was 5 pm at the time) so they could get paid. You are probably wondering why payment in full would be demanded (twice) before the work is finished? Me too.
After completed work on the 17th, I was again told not to operate the top until they could reset the computer that operates the top... at a later date. This process supposedly can take significant time, and uses a device not easily accessible. I was under the impression at this point that fixing the car was top priority. Today is 8/24/16, and the two days I tentatively planned on getting this done both passed, strangely without much communication. A series of events like the ones occurring here since mid June have ruined my summer and wrecked my attitude. read more