DENVER -- When Derek Stillman dropped his car off at a hail repair shop he never imagined the work would take nearly four months, especially since he said a salesman promised to have the car finished in six weeks.
Stillman's car is still sitting in the lot at Denver Auto Hail Repair. He leased a brand new Mazda and only drove it for two months until a big hail storm hit in May. He's still making payments on a car that he can't even drive.
In the meantime, he's been calling every week asking when his car will be ready. The last straw came when Stillman received a message from Enterprise telling him that he owed $2,800 for a rental car. He has an email saying the hail repair shop would cover the cost of the rental "until the job was done."
He reached out to Denver7 News when he felt like he wasn't getting any answers.
Sean Taylor, President of Denver Auto Hail Repair, explained there was a recent change in management and he's new to the position. Taylor went on to say that Stillman must've received incorrect information when he brought the car in.
"We just apologize for what happened before and try to move forward. I mean that’s the best that we can do is take care of it," said Taylor.
Denver7 asked if it was acceptable that Stillman has been waiting for so long. He replied, "Without me seeing his vehicle prior to I can’t answer that question."
He also explained his business is only a paintless dent repair shop. Stillman's car had more extensive damage and was sent out to a body shop.
"Four months later, I’m still getting the excuse, 'Well, we got the parts in, and we’re working on it.' It’s just really frustrating," said Stillman.
Stillman's car was damaged during the May 8 hailstorm that pounded the Denver metro area. The storm resulted in more than 150,000 auto insurance claims and 50,000 homeowners insurance claims totaling $1.4 billion, which was the state's most expensive hailstorm. Hail repair shops across the metro area were inundated after the storm, causing a backlog of repairs.
As for the rental car, Taylor promised Denver Auto Hail Repair would cover the cost. He said Stillman should have his own car back in one or two weeks.
“I have a really hard time believing anything they say at this point," said Stillman.
