How not to save money on car repairs.

In 2006, my car was towed.  It had broken down and the key was jammed in the ignition.  I found a guy on Craigslist that said he would fix it. It went on for weeks and didn't get fixed. So the company that tows cars from that lot was called.  I coudn't afford to pay a lot to get the car out. The place was nice and cut down the fees. Also the guy that worked on a lot of their cars fixed it.

So we needed to have the other car fixed. He said he could do it.  He fixed some stuff, but we had to wait for a part.... and wait ... and wait.

Finally, the other car died on the freeway at the beginning of October 2007.  Thinking it might have to do with a starter that he replaced a few weeks before, we had it towed to his place.  Another guy there figures out that it is actually the battery.  The guy looks to see if he can find a battery, but the spare batteries were just picked up from the yard.  I can't afford to get a battery at the time. I try to call the guy but either get no connection, voicemail box full, or just voicemail.  I go in about 2 weeks later and tell the other guy that I can't find a cheap used battery and that I was thinking of switching the battteries out with my other car for now.  They still haven't gotten the part from awhile ago, but expected it soon, so I left the car and was going to pick it up when that was done.  I call to ask about that. I get nowhere. My ex-wife calls and the first guy says that their lot was broken into and the window smashed so they got to get it fixed first.  Then over the next few months, we get all sorts of excuses on why it isn't ready, given times to pick it up and it isn't ready (or stuck behind too many cars), we are told that ti will be left on the street to pick it up late one night (since they are open 9-5 M-F)..and it isn't there.  I finally go by and everything is closed (the bay door is closed) so I continue on to where I had to be. My ex-wife calls and he says that they are there and I should have knocked on the door. Ok. Yeah.  And the car isn't ready yet, but will be soon and they will call back.  We hear nothing. I keep trying to get ahold of the guy and nothing. Finally my ex-wife calls the main number of the place that is subletting the space and they get  us in touch, he says it isn' t ready but we can pick it up on Friday. My ex-wife says that my car is basically dead and I need it ASAP. He agrees to Tuesday (the next day) after 1pm. and that she could pay the $50 when she gets paid later in the week. We get there the next day. He isn't there. The car isn' ready. We (as in my ex-wife, 3 kids and me) spend a few hours waiting. No go. So we are told it would be ready the next day. No go. We are told it will be ready to be picked up after 4pm on Thursday. So I get a friend of mine to drive me over. As we are driving over, I call to let them know I am on my way. It is about 4:30-4:40p and they close at 5pm.  I am now told that the car isn't ready and I have to pay $30 for the window and battery replacement. WTF?  Well, I am not happy on various levels as I don't have ready access to transportation (and this location is in an area without sidewalks or bus service.)  So I am told to call around 9:30am on Friday.  I call and they are not sure what is going on, so I am told to call back in 15 minutes. I call back in 20.  Not done yet, expected to be at 1pm. Call back then.  I call then... still not done, but should be in 5 minutes, so I tell them that I will get a ride over there (somehow!) I arrive around 4pm and the car is just being finished up! WTF?

Now, I am told that I have to pay $30 to get the car. I try to explain that I don't want to pay for the window replacement. I gave them my car to use the battery and even the window! The guy goes ballistic.  We starts going off on me,and unfortunaty I start to yell back trying to explain that the window problem was his fault. not mine... as he tries to make it seem like.it was my fault for leaving it there so long, I try to explain that it was there because he kept pushing out when it would be ready.

We get into the back lot where the car is, he goes off on me some more and won't listen to anything.  We ended up face to face and I said "[Named Withheld], shut the F*** up!" and he hit me.  I went flying, glasses flew off, cell phone skidding across the way, and I smash into the wet ashpault , hitting my head and the wind knocked out of me.  My head is scraped up. I was just dazed by that.

Another guy that works there helped me up and said "Take the car and leave." as in I don't owe the $30 or $50 or $80 or whatever.

It really sucked.

Now the other problem was that my other car was still there. I didn't want to get charged storage or other stupid fees. I was giving the car to the tow yard anyways.  I called there and the guy that has been nice to me all along from the tow yard fortunatly answered the phone. We worked it all out on the old car so that I don't have to step foot into that place again.  We talked briefly about the incident and he wanted to assure me that the guy was not an employee of his and that it was totally unacceptable what that guy did.  He also told me that the guy was basically banned from that location.

So, I hurt all over... kinda like being in a car accident.  I did go to sleep earlier, but woke up with a foot cramp (which I haven't had one in years)... therefore I thought I would post  the latest in the complicated life of teh Moger.  Sorry for the rambling post.