Fuming

On Monday, Oct. 13, I dropped my car off at the body shop. The man who did my appraisal told me the car would be finished on Friday, Oct. 17. "You'll have my car done on Friday? Really?" He nodded. Sweet.

So Thursday afternoon, I called so I'd know what time I should pick up my car. Of course it wasn't ready. The same man told me it would be ready "the tail end of next week." (Oct. 23 or 24)

Late afternoon on Wednesday, Oct. 22, I called to see find out if things were still on track. Of course not! The receptionist told me it would be put together on Thursday, then painted on Friday. It would be ready for me on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 28).

So I called Monday afternoon to make sure things were still set for Tuesday. No surprise -- it still wasn't ready. The receptionist told me my car would be going to the paint shop on Tuesday, so it would be ready Wednesday or Thursday. "I thought it was supposed to get painted on Friday," I said. The receptionist answered that that was just what she'd been told.

Well, since today is Wednesday, I called the body shop to see if I'd need to pick up my car today. The man who'd done my appraisal had answered the phone. "Didn't you speak to Liz on Monday?" he asked me in an icy tone.

Are you serious?! I was being polite, and this guy is giving me an attitude because I'm calling to find out if my car will be ready because he originally told me it would be done a week and a half ago!

I said, "I don't mean to bug you guys with phone calls, but it's just that I have to return the rental car clean and full of gas, so I'll take care of those things right before I drop it off. I just want to know when that will be beforehand so I can tell my boss."

The man told me my car might be ready tomorrow. That's what he's "shooting for."

After we got off the phone, I called my dad to vent. I was frustrated that I kept hearing dates, only to find out when those dates arrived that they needed more time still. And the man at the shop is getting fussy with me for calling?!

My dad that in the 34 years he's been driving, when he's had a car in the shop for body work, they've always just called him when it was ready to be picked up.

I reminded my dad that the boneheads at the shop (I used a more colorful word this morning) had told me my car would be ready almost two weeks ago. "What am I supposed to do? Sit around and hope they haven't stolen my car, sold it or closed up shop?"

So now I'm even more frustrated. I'm angry that my car isn't ready yet, I'm tired of driving a rental car, and I'm worried that I've made the stupid shop people angry so they'll do a shoddy job on my car (if they ever finish it).

I miss my car. I just want it back! Sometime this year, please!