When we take our vehicle in for service, we expect them to be treated with the utmost care and professionalism. Although accidents do occur, one of this scale certainly cannot be overlooked.
According to an in-depth report and investigation by NBC Bay Area of California, Albert and Michelle Delao knew something wasn’t right when picking up their 2002 GMC Yukon from a San Jose area Midas facility.
When the wheel was turned, the couple could hear cracking, and mismatched paint and dents were present on the GMC. Days later, a former Midas employee, the whistleblower, contacted the couple stating the 2002 Yukon fell from the mechanical lift and crashed on its side while piercing the bottom of the SUV and shattering its front-passenger window. The cracking turned out to be bits of glass still present inside the vehicle.
The Midas shop denied any wrongdoing when hearing from the couple, but the whistleblower provided photos of the 2002 Yukon after the accident. The vehicle has been estimated to have $11,000 worth of damage.
Now, the mess heads into a legal battle, and the couple are considering a lawsuit into Midas to pay for the damages done.
Comments
Good for the whistleblower. That said, shocked that the thing didn’t fall apart, nevermind some odd creaks.
Plus, good chance that insurance is writing that a 15 year old SUV rather than fixing $11k of damage…but the owners should get every dime and more from Midas.
Certified Service at work!
The shop owner should have “owned” this from the start. As a past business owner I know you’re carrying insurance to cover these things when they do happen. Had the shop owner just been honest, done the right thing (replace a ’02 with a comparable ’02 model) the shop manager would have been everybody’s hero, an very likely would have gotten ten times the dollar value in advertising for doing the right thing. As it is now, the manager has hurt ALL the Midas franchise shops as people (to include myself) will now think .. won’t go there they won’t tell you if something happens to your vehicle.
The backlash should be putting him out of business for being so untrustworthy.
That was the goal. That wasn’t the only shady business going on there – Whistleblower
This stuff happens all the time most customers never even know it happened until years later because most owners never look under their cars or trucks
True. A long time afterwards It’s like: How’d that happen? all the while scratching their head and wondering what they hit or ran over.