I brought my car back to a shop in Maine, after brake work was done, including state inspection. The front wheel had nearly come off at highway speed, and I wanted to speak to them about this. They had trouble with a new caliper and forgot to tighten the wheel nuts! As I started to explain this, the owner became agitated, berated my car as worthless junk and started walking away. As I stood in the doorway of their shop, two mechanics forcefully grabbed me and tried to drag me into the repair bay!
I have now contacted town police and wonder how far to take this ??
Legally you could file criminal charges. They stepped over the line when they grabbed you.
The real question is, how far are you WILLING to take this? If you’re not comfortable filing charges, you might be better just walking away and filing a complaint with Better Business Bureau.
That’s called physical assault.
Anytime someone touches you without your consent, they’ve broken the law.
Tester
That is my ? The police are reviewing the security tape , I feel the mechanics intended bodily harm, with out just provocation and I’m not sure I want to let that go. I had a valid complaint , tried to be civil…
Talk to the police and get them arrested for assault. Then get a lawyer and prepare a civil case for damages. Sue them out of business. You gave them a chance to make it good, and they decided to get physical. That’s inconceivable.
The definitions may vary by state but here in OK an assault and a battery are 2 separate crimes. They are often mingled in a single charge. By the definition here, what they did is assault and battery.
A&B is a criminal matter. Any injuries you suffer, etc is a civil matter.
I’m a bit hesitant to get fully on board with this due to the possibility that there may be some missing story.
If the story is as you say it is and the security tape backs it up then that’s a strange, strange shop.
Why in the world would the mechanics try to drag you INTO the shop?
Sorry you had this experience Geo Mac. Good advice above. One other thing I’ll add in the way of being proactive when you get future work done, quite a few of the regulars here, including myself, say it’s a good idea to check the lug nuts yourself whenever the wheel has been removed at a shop. Usually the problem isn’t what you had, loose lug nuts. Instead usually the problem is the shop has over- tightened the lug nuts. Either way, it is just common sense to check the lug nuts yourself after wheel work is done. I always keep a breaker bar with the appropriate size socket easily available in the trunk, which makes doing this a simple, 2 minute/wheel thing to do. A breaker bar and socket can be had for less than $25.
In Connecticut the car is fixed right but we hire somebody to rob you at the restaurant we recommended. After all, we have your money and license plate number. We fix you twice. Claude and Peewee were amateurs. They might have whacked you with a torque wrench but they couldn’t find it.
Thanks !
I did have the shop owner double check the car before I left the first time.
All four tires were removed and only one came undone, one lug nut was stripped.
I guess I’m puzzled how things got that out of hand so quickly ? I don’t feel I was out of line,
I had a ligitimate complaint.
Like I said the police will review the tape, they said I can press assault charges or just file a complaint, we’ll see.
Press charges on those pieces of sh*t.
“You should report them to the bar.ca.gov/. The BBB is pretty much worthless in my experience.”
Huh?
The OP’s problem is with a repair establishment in the state of Maine.
How would a complaint to a state agency 3,000+ miles away have any relevance to his situation?
I agree that the BBB is essentially worthless, but your suggestion of filing a complaint with a California state agency just makes no sense.
I saw that the police are reviewing the tapes. Outstanding. These guys deserve to be criminally prosecuted.
OK4450, it’ll vary by state, as you said, but criminal courts have awarded damages as a part of criminal sentences in states where the law allows for such.
For the record, I too consider BBBs to be often useless, but they can provide a sense of having done something for those who just want to put the incident behind them. That was the basis for my suggestion.
I fully agree that if the situation is exactly as described charges should be filed against the shop owner and mechanics.
What gnaws on me is that the OP says they were civil through all of this and it boggles the mind that not only a shop owner but 2 mechanics would essentially resort to threats and physical force without being provoked in some way.
Once again I think something’s missing here.
I will talk with the police on Sat.
thank you for your thoughts.
All I can add is that this is a family buisness, Americans, originaly from the East. I have delt with them for years, no problems.
l felt I was civil, but the owner immediately snapped, saying my car was a piece of junk, that I waited too long to report the problem. I was talking with him in the office, when he walked to the repair bay. he then shut the door in my face saying I couldn’t come in. Then flung the door open, he and his son forcefully tried to drag me into the repair bay. his wife stood between us saying they made a mistake, only God don’t make mistake. …
2 thoughts:
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While it may seem like a good idea to point out other people’s errors, many folks do not react well to this sort of thing. On the one side, there was always the possibility that the shop owner might offer some sort of compensation, but it is countered by the possibility that the shop owner will just get angry (One has to be prepared for such an event).
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Not only do I get the impression that the OP wasn’t prepared for such a reaction, but he is continuing to press the issue in spite of the reaction. I suggest rethinking this. I’m not thinking this gets anyone where they would like to be.
“Once again I think something’s missing here.”
+1
I also believe that there is a bit more to this story than has been revealed so far…
Probably as much as anyone, if not more so, I’m always a proponent of hearing the details behind a complaint and have a nagging feeling something has been omitted here. As I stated, it just boggles the mind that someone who enters a shop in a civil manner is met by a bunch of psychopaths.
Some may remember the Burning Man van story from a few weeks ago. It took me an entire day to remove my foot from my mouth after jumping the gun on that one… 
Not tightening lug nuts is not an uncommon mistake. What exactly were you asking of them in compensation for their mistake?