After Vacation
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My Story - Page 2
After returning from vacation, I tried contacting Winebarger's again. They would not return my calls. Next, I called the Better Business Bureau of NW North Carolina. The lady that I spoke with told me, "You should have called us first - but nobody ever does..." She told me to send in my complaint in writing and they would do what they could to help me.
I mailed out complaint letters to Winebarger's, Ford Motor Company, and the BBB, all by Certified Mail. I received the signature cards back in the mail in a matter of days and waited for any kind of response. It didn't come. Eventually, several months later, I received a letter from the BBB that said they had not received any response from Winebarger's after several letters and phone calls. The case was closed as 'unresolved'.
Not knowing any other way to proceed, I filed in Small Claims Court. The magistrate (whose first comment was, "This is my first day by myself, I hope I do OK,") told me that Small Claims court was for civil cases, and my complaint, as relating to the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Repair Act, as well as negligence, was more of a criminal nature, and would have to be pursued in another court. So, he ruled against my complaint.
At this point I am already out in excess of $2,000 for unnecessary car repairs, the motel room, the mini-van rental, the necessary repair that Winebarger's failed to do numerous times, court fees, attorney consultation, money lost on the vacation rental house, long-distance phone charges, certified mailing fees, time missed from work, time and trouble of setting up this web site... The list keeps going...
If anyone can learn from my experience, at least I'll feel a little better about it.
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