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Valets suck.


ClayW

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Saturday before last I left my car at the La Quinta Inn in Austin, TX (late night on 6th st.). In the morning, the valet breaks both the key and the ignition cylinder. I get word today that their insurance company is denying the claim, claiming that "mechanical failure" such as this would have happened anywhere, hence, it was not their fault.

Time to get a lawyer. I might have fixed this myself, but now I want blood. Insurance claims manager blood.

"Cry 'Havoc!', and release the hounds of war!"

ClayW
1967 1600-2 - M42 - 1521145          Follow my project at www.TX02.blogspot.com          E30 DD Project Blog

 

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It should not matter if it was a brand new Enzo or a crappy old Yugo. They are not bonded or covered for any type of damage?

I would say it is time to contact the corporate office of your intentions. See what the corporate policies are. See if the local franchise is operating as they should be. Even if you did not get anything out of it, it could help to put the local guys under the corporate microscope.

Ask them this- You left something in their care, and it was damaged when you recieved it back. They do not feel they are responsible for it.

So, if you checked into a room at one of their hotels and upon checkout, there were damages incurred, whould they hold YOU responsible? Or would you be able to use the same "mechanical failure" defense? If they say yes, you ~could~ use the same defense, just ask them to connect you to the reservations desk ASAP.

Steve J

72 tii / 83 320is / 88 M3 / 08 MCS R55 / 12 MC R56

& too many bikes

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a valet in SF broke my tranny once, and they tried to deny me cause my car was old. I raised hell!!!!!!! I got the owner of the valet company to come out that night and after arguing for a while i got them to replace my tranny. the f-in valet just handed off the car to me like the tranny was not busted!!!!! I tried to put it gear and it grinded and clunked. I was mad!!! But they do need to cover it, no matter what!!!!!!!!!!

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corporate office--don't get mad at 'em, just express disappointment--what good quality service La Quinta gives (true statement), your beloved "classic" BMW, it was fine when you gave it to 'em and you got it back broke--and the broken part was obviously something that the valed did (steering wheel lock and all that) and now their nasty old insurance company is hassling you, a valued customer of the motel chain (not the insurance company) about a relatively small potatoes claim.

Bet they'll listen (like Pep Boys did when they bent two wheels on my '02 while installing new tires...but that's another story)

good luck--be reasonable to 'em and they'll want to protect their corporate image... more than save $200 or so.

mike

'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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It is always best to approach these things calm, cool, & collected and stick with the facts, not allowing emotion to get involved. I wish you the best.

This is the reason I don't let valets, etc drive my 02's. Due to time, I take my 02s to my local lube garage (taking my Mobile1 and filter). They know that I'm the one driving the car into the shop and out. Same thing when I had Walmart put on another set of tires and rims that I had (again, my time is usually an issue).

Again, good luck.

Doug

'72 Ceylon

'73 tii Atlantik

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contact the corporate PR office. Again, don't get mad, but offer to contact the press (be specific -- the business editor of the newspaper, the consumer editor of the TV station, etc.) if the problem isn't quickly resolved. Organizations just HATE bad publicity.

Curt Ingraham

1972 2002tii, 1976 2002

Improved 2002 Radiators

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if he couldnt tell the difference between a 72 and a 73 you shouldnt have let him park it. you should have been like NO 73 asshole just for that your not parking it or getting a tip, next time keep your moth shut! then act all cool like nothing happend even though you made a huge scene.

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The best thing to do:

As you hand over your car, start giving them a laundry list of things.

Oh, be sure to park it on a level surface. If you park on an incline with the nose up, the oil will drain out of the tensioner and cause the timing chain to make a racket on start up...And be careful if you park it on a decline. I don't think the parking brake is holding too well...and it does seep a bit of oil when parked, but that is mostly when the nose is downhill...and the starter likes to be intermittent. If it doesn't want to fire on the first three or four tries, let it sit for about 10 minutes and it should fire right up...Don't be alarmed by the amount of smoke at that point... Oh yes, there is another///////

Right about there, they will stop you and just ask you to park it on your own.

At least that is what they did when I brought my E30 M3 to the House of Blues in LA. Saved me from having to tip someone to park my car 20 feet away.

Steve J

72 tii / 83 320is / 88 M3 / 08 MCS R55 / 12 MC R56

& too many bikes

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