Business ProfileforJ.L. Massa Collision Specialist, Inc.

I had a terrible experience with this business. My car was decided by the insurance company, to be a total loss. I was unaware that I couldn't, while waiting for the insurance company to finish my claim, sell my car to a junkyard, and report it to the insurance company, to be deducted from what I'm awarded. The person at the front desk sent someone out, when I was dealing with the tow truck driver, to inform me, that I need to go to the office immediately and then proceeded to raise her voice and tell me that she was owed $2,100 and no one was taking that car, until they got it. This was news to me, because I was unaware of any of this, and if it had been explained to me, prior to what happened, it would have been fine. This establishment knew that I was having someone come to take my car away, that I would have the title, that I would be meeting with them. So, I didn't understand that I was doing anything wrong in their eyes. Apparently, she had me sign a couple of papers that she said were really nothing and it turns out that they were for storing the car in the back of the shop, outside in a graveyard of vehicles that have been there for many years. My car had never been touched, they never did any work and demanded that money. And concluded our interaction with calling me sweetheart. I did not know that they had plans to do this. And the way that I was treated was really beyond unpleasant. and to demand $2,100 for letting my car sit outside in the snow and do zero work is just unbelievable.Be warned if you do business with this establishment, that they will try to slide papers that you really do need to look at by and brush it off as nothing important. They did not make me aware of any plans with my car or that I couldn't do what I thought I was iwithin my rights to do. I didn't appreciate being called sweetheart and threatening me that my car wasn't going anywhere.

OOn January 2, 2024, this vehicle was towed to our lot from the scene of an accident at the customer’s request. At this point, we paid the tow company for the charges. The vehicle was stored in our secure lot while waiting for an appraiser to come out and estimate the damages. The appraiser came on Friday, January 19, 2024, to appraise the vehicle. The customer came in on Monday, January 22, 2024, stating that her insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss and she needed to remove her personal belongings. She was asked to sign a vehicle release form to release the vehicle to the insurance company, which was explained to her before she signed the form. She was also asked to sign a property release form and provide a photo id. We also at that time removed the license plates for her as per our standard practice. What she was told was that she did not need to fill out the top portion of the forms as this is for office information only. What she signed was clearly stated on the forms which she did not read. She was never told not to read what she was signing as she claims. On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, a tow truck, not affiliated with the insurance company as well as the customer were seen driving into our yard. An employee approached the customer and the tow truck driver and told them that they could not just come into our storage yard and tow a vehicle away without first going into the front office to pay for charges. At that point, the customer came into the office and was told that there were storage fees and tow charges that needed to be paid. It was explained that the car could not leave without someone paying for those charges. We deal with total loss vehicles on a weekly basis and have never had a tow truck drive into our storage yard without our permission and try to remove a vehicle without first coming into the office to pay for the charges. The customer was trying to sell her vehicle to a third-party salvage yard for $200 which she had no right to do because she signed the vehicle over to the insurance company.