I was the victim of a rear-end collision that was clearly not my fault. Based on the recommendation…read moreof RBM Mercedes-Benz, I brought my Mercedes GLC 300 to Sports & Imports Collision on June 2 for repairs. I finally picked up my vehicle on July 16, a total of 44 days later. During that entire period, I had to rely on a rental car, and in my opinion, much of the delay could have been minimized through better communication and more efficient handling of the insurance process.
Throughout the repair, the body shop occasionally contacted me regarding insurance matters. Each time, I reminded them that I was represented by an attorney and asked that all insurance and payment-related communications be directed to my legal representative. I wanted to avoid confusion and ensure everything was handled properly.
On July 10, Bryanna left me a voicemail informing me that my vehicle was finally ready for pickup. However, she also stated that I would need to pay $1,064.94 out of pocket because the insurance company had declined to cover that portion of the repair. This came as a complete surprise.
If there was a dispute regarding the insurance payment, I believe the body shop should have discussed the matter with my attorney before informing me that I owed the balance. I was left wondering whether the repair shop had failed to negotiate with the insurance company, whether they had accepted charges that were never approved, or whether they had simply bypassed the legal representative I had instructed them to communicate with.
I immediately forwarded the voicemail to my attorney.
On July 13, my attorney formally disputed the outstanding balance and demanded the immediate release of my vehicle. The disputed amount consisted primarily of unapproved diagnostic sublets, electronic scan markups, paint material rate differences, and miscellaneous labor and administrative charges that had not been expressly authorized as my personal financial responsibility. The demand letter argued that these charges were neither approved by the insurer nor properly disclosed as out-of-pocket expenses under Georgia law.
When the collision center failed to respond, my attorney had the letter personally served by a professional process server on July 14. Even after receiving formal legal notice, the shop never replied.
At that point, my attorney advised me that, to avoid additional storage fees, continued rental car expenses, and further inconvenience, I should pay the disputed amount under protest simply to recover my vehicle while preserving my legal rights.
When I arrived to pick up my car, several employees, along with the owner, Michelle, were waiting with a thick file containing my repair records. Michelle spent considerable time explaining why the charges were justified. However, that wasn't really the issue from my perspective. My concern was not whether they believed the charges were reasonable. It was why my attorney had been excluded from the discussion despite my repeated instructions.
Michelle also commented that I never returned Bryanna's voicemail. I explained that this was intentional because I had already retained legal counsel and had specifically instructed the shop to communicate directly with my attorney regarding any disputed payment issues. I wanted to avoid creating conflicting communications while a legal representative was handling my case.
Michelle repeatedly suggested that I should direct my frustration toward State Farm, explaining that the company is known for disputing or underpaying certain repair costs. While that may or may not be true, it did not answer my primary concern: why was I required to pay over $1,000 out of pocket to retrieve my vehicle when I was the innocent party in the accident? Ultimately, I paid the entire $1,064.94 simply to get my vehicle back.
As if that wasn't frustrating enough, Bryanna then informed me that using a credit card would incur an additional 3.5% processing fee. After everything that had already occurred, hearing about another charge was extremely disappointing. At that point, I simply told them to do whatever they needed to do because I just wanted my car back. Fortunately, Michelle later agreed to waive the credit card processing fee.
While the repair work itself appears to have been completed satisfactorily, the overall customer experience left me deeply disappointed. The lack of communication with my attorney, the unexpected out-of-pocket charges, the absence of any response to formal legal correspondence, and the manner in which the final payment was handled created unnecessary stress during an already difficult situation.
I still do not believe I should have been responsible for these disputed charges, particularly since the accident was caused by another driver. If this matter cannot be resolved appropriately, I intend to continue pursuing all legal remedies available to recover the amount I was forced to pay.
