Back in September my car was at Collision Authority at their Henderson location for just a little damage done to my back bumper - they'd previously done repair work on my front bumper (which had a lot of damage), and the work done was excellent. I had no idea what was going to happen next... I'm going to share my story with you readers, as consumers - and Vegas valley locals can make your own decision on whether or not you'd ever give them your business.
The car was returned to me with the bumper repaired, but my custom-made Cowboys shift knob had been shattered and an attempt to repair it was done. See for yourself:
The explanation I was given was that the worker repairing my bumper had a tool in the car which bumped my shift knob and subsequently shattered it. This shift knob is basically a resin cue ball - so "shattering" it would have taken some effort and force. Additionally, why would any tools would be inside my vehicle as the repair was outside? Ummmm, ok. I explained this was a custom item and would be difficult to replace - and he asked me to find one from where I'd originally purchased, and they'd pay for it. After getting home, I realized my glove box had been rummaged, it was a complete mess. Maybe they were panicked and looking for a receipt for this shift knob, right? Well, then I realized a change purse that was hanging next to the shift knob was missing. It had no more than $5 in change in it and that wasn't the big deal - the change purse was the shape of a vinyl record and had real sentimental value. I know that I shouldn't leave anything valuable in the car, but it became very clear to me: Someone was attempting to steal the shift knob and it broke in the process. My husband had used an epoxy to make sure this thing never came off, but they hadn't counted on that. You can see in the first picture the large chips missing from the bottom. It didn't look like that when it was mounted. Someone was clearly trying to pry or twist it off.
When confronted with this, Collision Authority assured us nobody in their shop would ever do such a thing, but they'd make inquiries. Seriously, do you think anyone is actually going to confess? This is supposed to appease me?
So, I attempted to contact the original maker of the shift knob, but no response, and no real internet presence. I could only assume he was no longer doing business. About one week later Collision Authority informed us they'd found another company who makes these and would order one immediately, and even offered to mount it. No thanks. Just order it and I'll pick it up.
So this was the end of September - we're now at the end of November, and I STILL do not have my replacement shift knob. It's been over two months, and as you can see by the photos above, it doesn't stay on the shift assembly - so it's real safe, too. All I want is the replacement knob - and they don't seem to be in any hurry to provide any customer service. Nobody has called with a single update or apology in the delay, all inquiries as to the status are initiated by us, and there is never any follow-up on their part. I'm tired of the crappy customer service - so I'll be using all of my social media possibilities to let other consumers know of my experience.
I would discourage anyone from using Collision Authority in Henderson or Las Vegas. It's too bad, too, because the work they do is actually really well done. I can assure you that I will never, ever, be giving them my business again.
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