I decided to the settlement negotiations with the lawyer’s. So the insurance company stay hands-off until the negotiations were over, which would cause inconvenience to the shop… So, I decided to contact a scrap car dealer and have them pick it up.
I had a rough and sloppy image of scrap car dealers, so I got nervous about this day. However, thanks to choosing a reliable scrap car dealer, a very polite and pleasant person came, and the procedures went smoothly, which made me relieved.
On the other hand, the shop’s salesperson from ○-○○SH Chiba, whom I had been relying on for maintenance until now, suddenly changed his attitude from his previous behavior and said something like, “You’re not a customer, you piece of shit,” which shocked me.
While I have a desire to own a cool car, I also feel strongly that I don’t want to deal with unpleasant things related to cars, so I’m starting to think that maybe I shouldn’t buy one… at least for now.
Specifically, what happened… it’s still shocking. I want to forget it quickly, but there may come a day when I have to remember it, so I’ll write it down before forgetting.
First, the outline… On 12/1, there was an accident, and the next day, 12/2, it was brought in for repairs with the assumption that it would be repaired. On December 8th, the shop contacted me saying it was a total loss.
However, since there was no specific offer of total loss from the other party’s insurance company, I couldn’t dispose of it on my own… Finally, on January 10th, there was an offer of the total loss amount.
What should I do here? That’s when I decided to try settlement negotiations instead of relying on vehicle insurance.
Then, when I went to consult with a lawyer on January 12th, I asked if I could claim for parking fees and towing fees for storage during the dispute. The lawyer told me that it might be possible, but if I negotiate, I may not even need to store it in the first place, and I learned that I could dispose of it even before reaching a settlement.
That’s why I arranged for a scrap car dealer as mentioned earlier and had them pick it up on January 31st. It took two months. There were also business trips in between…
On the other hand, I was also struggling with what car to buy next, and I settled on the Z4 in early January.
Around January 8th, when I sent an email to the shop reporting that I had started arranging for the purchase of the scrapped car, I mentioned that I was considering the E85 Z4.
The person in charge at the shop said that they didn’t handle the E85 Z4, but they had a good one if it was the E89 Z4. I was tempted by that. It’s true that I prefer the style of the E85, but it’s old. The soft top looks “very cool”, but it will be “not cool” in the summer. Of course, it’s inferior in terms of weather resistance, and it would need to be replaced every few years. Considering maintenance costs, it might be better to go with the E89 suggested by the shop.
Also, there is a history of dealings with this shop. The shop was not the cheapest, but the mechanics were reliable, they used OEM parts, and they accommodated my requests. It was a good shop in terms of maintenance. Oil changes were also cheaper if I reserved in advance. When it comes to driving an old import car, it is invaluable to have a relationship with a reliable shop.
So, while I had the desire to ride the E85, in my mind,
Reduce the number of cars and not buy another one… [10%]
Buy the E85 Z4 from another shop… [40%]
Buy the E89 Z4 from ○-○○SH… [40%]
Have ○-○○SH find an E85 Z4 even if it’s expensive… [10%]
I was wavering between these options.
However, when I mentioned that I was undecided about buying a new car and that I wanted to dispose of the scrapped car first, the email replies suddenly stopped.
And that brings us to today. Today, the scrap car dealer I arranged for went to pick up the car, so I couldn’t just leave it to the shop. Therefore, I took a day off and took the initiative to handle the pickup myself…
As soon as I entered the shop, the salesperson who greeted me had an unhappy face and said, “Are you going to buy a new car? Aren’t you buying?” “If you’re not buying, we’ll charge you storage fees. That parking lot over there is not free.” ”We pay 170,000 yen a month to rent it!” ”It costs money to store a car that can’t drive!” ”We’re also holding another Porsche, which is also a total loss. We’re having a dispute. Although, unlike yours, it’s worth 8 million yen, so it’s completely different.”
Um, first of all, if you’re a salesperson, listen to what the customer has to say. The only words I could reply with were, “I still haven’t decided which one to choose,” and “I’ll consult with the insurance company about the storage fees.” I couldn’t say anything else because he was just ranting on his own. I’ve learned to keep quiet when I get angry because it will be disadvantageous later.
Then, the scrap car dealer arrived and said, “Oh, the person from the shop tidied up so that it’s easier to load, huh?” while waiting on the road in front of the storage location.
Then, that person who was in charge earlier came speeding in a Mini Cooper and shouted, “Don’t put the loader on our parking lot! It will scratch the other cars!” “We don’t care anymore, whether it’s an accident car or not, drive it out by yourself!”“Park the loader in that vacant lot over there and do it outside.”
The scrap car dealer was surprised too and said, “Was the shop always like this?” They could only offer a follow-up like, “No, no, it wasn’t like that before… maybe they’re just in a bad mood today…”
Actually, I was worried because I didn’t receive any replies to my emails, so I called the shop in the morning of the same day. At that time, someone other than the person in charge answered the phone and said, “It’s about the pickup, today? Understood. We’ll move the surrounding cars to make it easier. ”
Indeed, the other cars were pushed to one side, and only the area around my car was completely empty.
I thought that the person who answered my call probably moved the cars to make it easier for the loader to get in…
Thinking about these things, although they said the car couldn’t be driven, I drove the car that could be driven out of the premises. As soon as I did that, that person popped out of the Mini’s window and said, “Well then. Also, that land over there is not ours, so I don’t know even if you complain, so finish it quickly,” and then drove away while leaving that remark.
Honestly, I thought, huh, is that the kind of attitude they have? Is that normal?
I’m not asking them to be polite to me anymore. Of course not. But, do you treat someone in an equal position with yelling and entering someone else’s property illegally? It’s just…
So, I calmly completed the retrieval work in “someone else’s property” and bid farewell to the scrap car dealer.
I thought about just going home like this, but I wanted to properly report that it was finished, say thank you, and end it with a phone call.
However, I was surprised again when I made the call. Just as I was about to finish saying that I had called to report that it was done, they abruptly said, “Yes, yes! Bang!” What was that?
At this point, I started feeling really unpleasant, and I started to not want to be involved with the shop or cars themselves. I’ve started to feel a sense of distrust towards places like Big Motor or Sonpo Japan in the used car industry, and even shops I trusted are like this…
As of 2023, the largest used car dealership in Japan was named “BIGMOTOR.co.ltd” (https://www.bigmotor.co.jp/). They were suspected of fraudulently receiving automobile repair insurance in 2023. Specifically, they would increase the scope of repairs by hitting cars that came in from accidents or repairs with golf balls in socks, poking them with screwdrivers, and causing damage. The problem was not an personal crime, it was corporate crime. For example the company had prepared manuals “how to make fake damage what looks real damage”.
In addition, there were various fraudulent transactions prioritizing money that came to light one after another. For example, they would spray herbicides on the trees planted by the government to make the display cars more visible, causing them to wither. They would also hide malfunctions when selling cars or deceive customers during trade-ins.
An item called the ” Big Motor starter kit ” as a meme. ·Golf ball + Socks ·Screwdriver ·Herbicide It is.
I just can’t take it anymore.
Well, many people, such as the scrap car dealer and the mechanic, were very considerate, and the salesperson wasn’t like this the whole time. Sometimes…
Well, forget it, it’s over.
Although I had an unpleasant experience, it also narrowed down my options. I can say that my worries have decreased.
The fulfillment of my life so far has been thanks to cars, and I think I wouldn’t be who I am today without cars. But maybe that era has come to an end. I have to adapt to the changing times.
But now, there are no more time-limited matters. Honestly, I’m relieved.
