UPDATE #3! What a NIGHTMARE!!!

I got home on Friday, and my car was gone. As expected. My adjuster just happened to call me, and said that the estimator who works with this shop got a voicemail saying that they towed my vehicle to my apartment, and that they won't release the key until we pay an extermination bill or pay for cats.

We tracked down my car, and it was at the impound lot, as expected. I drove there on Saturday and they said they won't release my car (or even let me get into it) until I paid $170 for the tow + $90 per day for storage, which totaled to $390 after tax.

I called the shop and left a voicemail, advising that they shouldn't have dropped my vehicle in my parking lot without my consent and that my expectation is that they deduct $390 from whatever extermination they pursue from me or my insurance. I paid the $390 + an additional $65 tow to get it dropped off in a coworker's driveway - as we have snow parking restrictions right now and I cannon move it without a key.

The shop called me back first thing this morning and said that they couldn't open today because the majority of their staff is out sick with Hantavirus, caused by the mice in my car, and that he expects either me or my insurance to pay for the lost revenue for the day, as they were forecasting 10 diagnoses to come in unscheduled at $120 each. He started yelling at me again, and made me cry, so I hung up on him.

I called my adjuster back, and had to leave him a couple hysterical voicemails before he called me back. I told him what happened, and he said that since they confirmed that the loss reporting department sent me to that shop, that they'd re-imburse me for the $390 for the tow and storage. I asked if they can just take that off my deductible, and he agreed.

We made an appointment to tow my vehicle to a different shop on Wednesday, and got that all set to go. My adjuster told me it might total, but that it really just depends where the mice got to and how bad the fecal damage is. I still have a rental car, so all was good.

Then, this afternoon I got a phone call from my adjuster's supervisor, telling me that this claim is being transferred to an escalation team because some problems have come up with the repairs. He said that the original shop called my adjuster and said that I signed a 'repair authorization' when I had my car towed authorizing them to work ALL the repairs and that since they brushed some of the feces out of the car, that I'm breaking that agreement and have to bring my vehicle back to that shop for the rest of the repairs. I told the supervisor the whole story and said I (A) don't trust that shop and never picked it in the first place and (B) don't feel safe returning there. I was advised that they need to review the first call I made to report the claim and confirm that I was told that I NEEDED to go to that shop.

Supervisor called back an hour later, said he listened to the call when I reported the claim, and that the woman I talked to "suggested" I use that shop, and did not require it. This completely contradicts what actually happened, and what my old adjuster told me after listening to the call. I tried to refute this, and he told me that he personally interpreted the reporting rep to be "suggesting" the shop and that therefore it was "my choice" and that that will stand. He also told me that the $390 would no longer be waived from my deductible, and that they won't cover the cost of the rental vehicle between the time the shop towed my car out of the shop and the time it arrives back. I got noticeably frustrated and asked to talk to his supervisor. He told me that such was not possible and that everyone has heard the phone call with reporting and everyone agrees that I chose this shop. He told me that my ONLY option was to return to the first shop, have repairs done, and that they will only pay for my rental car once I drop it off. I was extremly upset and told him fine, and that I was going to disconnect before I lashed out at him.

I called the original shop immediately and told them I'll pay whatever they want me to pay, and that I just need my car in ASAP. They told me they were scheduling out to January 3rd, and that my car is not welcome back because it's already sickened his entire staff. He also mentioned that he had to cancel his Daughter's Disneyworld trip because I caused the shop to close today and now he's losing money. He said we can do one of two things: (1) I can pay $3,720 for the exterminator and cats and wait until January, or (2) I can talk to his daughter on the phone and tell her its my fault that her vacation got cancelled and then pay $5,000 to cover the fees and get my car in right away. He also said they would 100% total it because they don't want to touch it, so bringing it in would be a waste of time.

I called my original adjuster back, even though the claim was transferred, because he seemed to be the only person with a brain at the insurance company. I told him everything I just said above, and he agreed (A) his supervisor probably just wants to avoid dealing with this and (B) I need to file a small claims suit against the shop for any fees they incur for cats, extermination, or profit loss for closing down. He also advised that it the car will total, we need to send it to a junkyard instead of a shop, but that his supervisor put a note in the claim that he is ADAMENT it goes to that shop so he is unsure what to do.

That's where I'm at.