Fishing equipment stolen from repair shop-Opinions Please

[Bushwacker]

Late last fall I fried the mother board in my 2 year old Minnekota Powerdrive 55lb. I took it in to a Minnekota authorized repair shop in Alexandria to have it fixed. They fixed two weeks ago after having it all winter. I took it out crappie fishing and the same exact thing happened right when I put the motor in the water. It would only go full speed. I had my father drop it off at the shop for them to take another look at it last Thursday. They fixed it in one day and said the new mother board must have been faulty. No charge, which is great. Now comes the good part, we were going to eat in Alexandria for a birthday party on Friday night. Our reservations were for 7:30pm and the repair shop closed at 6:00pm. My father asked if they could just leave it outside in there blocked off storage area that has many different appliances in it. It is up steps, behind a partion. They said they would and do it all the time. We pick it up at 7:20pm and there is only a trolling motor there. No foot control and no co-pilot remote. I just thought they forgot to put it out so I left a message from their parking lot to hang on to it and I will pick it up next week. He calls Saturday and says he doesn't have it. The stuff was all sitting together outside. So he says that they stole the foot control and co-pilot remote, but left the trolling motor with a co-pilot reciever attached?? Either way, the foot control($69.99) and the remote($39.99) are gone. Do you think I have any recoarse against them to replace them, or at least split the cost of the replacements with me? Or at the very minimum sell me the replacements for his cost. What do you think I should do?

[JP Z]

Sadly, I don't think you really have anything that you can do as you gave them permission to leave it outside. Whether it was stolen, or an employee thought it was trash so they took it I don't know. But the repair shop may as a good guy go halfsies with you but I don't think there is anything except his conscience that would make him.

[nitroant]

I don't think you have anything to go back to them on. You requested it be set outside so it was your risk. Sure, they may do it all the time and it goes unnoticed, but somebody caught on or saw them put it there. If the item was stole from inside the store then its a different deal. I guess it didn't work out this time. I trust nobody for just this reason. Small town or not. Sorry to hear of your loss.

[guideman]

If the repair shop owner parked his truck in your driveway and a tree fell on it, wouldn't you be liable??

As long as it was on his property, I think he is responsible for damage or loss of property. Ask a lawyer instead of us laymen, he'll know for sure.

"Ace"

[Ole1855]

Guideman,

To answer your question regarding the truck in the driveway, insurance follows the auto, so the owner of the trucks insurance would cover any damage done by the tree. Here's another one for you, if a tree in your yard falls on your neighbors house, who's insurance covers it?? Your neighbor's.

I believe that since you asked him to put the motor outside of his locked place of business, it's your nickle.

Ole

[ChuckN]

Quote:

"My father asked if they could just leave it outside in there blocked off storage area that has many different appliances in it. It is up steps, behind a partion."

I think it's your father's problem.

That sucks it happened and it sounds strange why someone would not take the whole meal deal. I'm afraid the customer consented to leaving it outside the business for pick-up and at that point it's like finder's keeper's, even though it is theft when a stranger takes something that doesn't belong to them.

[ZapBranigan]

Ask a lawyer ha. That bill will run you 100.00 even if he agrees that shop is liable by the time the lawyer gets his you will pay 700.00 to get the peices replaced. That shop will have nothing to do with you ever again. Lots of bad feelings all around. Uugh! Cheap lesson at just over 100.00 bucks. Write it off and move on.

Sorry for the loss I agree strange that someone would take just the parts and not the whole shooting match.

[Jarrod32]

I don't think you have a whole lot of leverage here...not a lot of recourse. However, I can't really think of a good reason that the shop wouldn't get you the parts at their cost...it won't cost them anything. That is probably your best bet.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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Late last fall I fried the mother board They fixed two weeks ago after having it all winter. I took it out crappie fishing and the same exact thing happened right when I put the motor in the water.

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So in others words they did not fix it at all the first time even though they had all winter.....Hmmmm.

I'm do not believe the items where left out and stolen... ..if they were it was an inside job.

I would call them again and make sure they were not misplaced in their repair shop and being they are Minn Kota authorized repair shop they should replace those item's for FREE or the very minnimum at/below cost.

And depending on how that goes you could call Minn Kota them selves.

As a business owner my self I would never leave something out that could be stolen and if I did it would be replaced by ME not the customer.....

[Guest]

The least the company could do is replace the parts at cost,wouldnt cost them anything and would at the least help you some.If they wont even do that,I would never walk in that door again,bad people.Take them to small claims court,you might be suprised what the judge might say.Costs are very little in dollars and time,worth a try.You just wont make any friends,but then if they wont even sell the parts for cost I guess who cares.

[Pherris]

There is no question that if you were to pursue this through the court system the business owner would be liable. Even though you asked them to leave it outside they have a responsibility as a business to excersise sound judgment,it was very poor judgment on their part (not to say whoever told them to leave it outside also used bad judgment) to agree to do that. Also their business insurance would cover this type of loss. Sorry to hear about your dilemma.

[efgh]

The old saying, you are between a rock and a hard place, is probley true in this case, I would ask the repair shop if they put the motor, the foot pedal and the remote out for you,if they did, and won;t replace it for their cost I would go some place else and get the parts missing and not go back there again, charge it up to a hard lesson learned.

[ozzie]

This is a sticky situation!! I have had local businesses do this for me in the past but they have always told me that they are not held responsible if anything happens to the items. This being said it is a bad expierience ask the shop what they can do for you if nothing bite the bullet replace the items and move on. I wouldn't hold anything against the shop unless they treat you poorly which taking all winter to fix a problem and not fixing it probably would count as treating you poorly. Good Luck but learn from lifes misshaps and move on.

[jerkin'm]

I have had my trolling motor worked on at the same shop. Didn't get it right in 3 times trying. Brought it to fishlectronics in the cities. The shop in Alex was not putting the updated parts in the unit to fix it properly, so it kept breaking. Good luck with getting your stuff back.

[Bushwacker]

UPDATE:

The owner sold me a new foot control for his cost, $34.00. He is researching out how much a new remote transmitter would be as his cost. I didn't push the issue too hard because of the circumstances. My dad picked up the new foot control this afternoon. So lesson learned, and the damage was not too bad, just hopefully my trolling motor keeps working now

[Guest]

Its good to know the dealer helped you out,it was a bad deal for everyone involved.