Below is a letter I wrote and sent to some of the leaders of the Chamber of Commerce in Gallup, New Mexico. I tried to explain things as best I could. Despite my frustration, I do believe that there is a blessing in every situation.
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To Whom It May Concern,
We are so disappointed with how we were treated by the business community in Gallup.
On February 16th we flew from Kansas City into Orange County, California to pick up an RV that was being donated to us for our upcoming 3300 mile walk across America for Christ. On Thursday, February 19th our RV broke down outside of Gallup, New Mexico. My wife and two sons were with me. The radiator blew and we knew it would take nearly a week to get it fixed because of the proximity of the weekend..
We were relieved to see a Budget car rental office in town. Our plan was to rent a car, drive my family home to Kansas City and then I would return when the motor was repaired. The Budget representative picked up my wife and I at the Motel 6 and drove us to the rental agency…..then shock set in. We were told we could rent a car for $229 a week…plus $10.00 for every state line we crossed…plus 29 cents per mile. She calculated that it was 2,058 miles from Gallup to Kansas City roundtrip so the cost of renting a vehicle in your town was in excess of $800.00 before gasoline!
We elected to stay at the Motel 6 until the vehicle was repaired. The radiator was repaired in 7 days at a cost of $1122.46. But now A.J. at Augie’s Truck Service said we needed a new engine. The main bearing burned out and there wasn’t any oil pressure. He was going to call around to see if any one had a V-8 455 Oldsmobile engine. By this time it was February 26th and I had to return to Kansas City for a speaking engagement. Before I left I asked A.J. for an estimate on “the damages” and he said about $5,000.00.
Monday March 2nd, I called A.J. and he said he couldn’t find an engine and that we would have to send it out to be rebuilt…the estimate was now in excess of $12,000! I told him that made my decision making easier because I didn’t have $12,000. I spend the rest of the day Monday making arrangements to transport our RV to another location. I then called Carol Cordova at Augie’s Truck Service to pay the bill for the radiator so they would release my RV the following morning. Ms. Cordova informed me that she could not take my payment by credit card over the phone.
I explained I was over a thousand miles away and she said that there were no exceptions. I asked to speak to the owner and she said the owner wasn’t available. I asked for the owner’s phone number and I was told the owner doesn’t speak to anyone. I inquired about wiring funds from our bank to theirs but Ms. Cordova said that that would take 2-4 days. I explained that the vehicle was being picked up the next day. She said I could send the funds by Western Union.
Now Western Union charges about 8% and so because a business tool as simple as PayPal wasn’t in place, it cost us another $89.00 to pay our bill. I sent the money to Ms. Cordova’s attention and called her to give her the control number she would need to pick up the money.
Earlier in the day, I asked A. J. if the RV could be driven up on the ramp of the truck that was going to haul it away and he said that it could go up the ramp but probably not much farther. I asked if he was sure it go up the ramp and he said yes.
Tuesday, March 3 I received a call from the transport company that said the RV wouldn’t start but a towing company in town (A-1 Towing/Ted’s Towing who share the same office & receptionist but different phone numbers) could tow our RV from Augie’s Truck Service all the way to the truck’s flat bed for $350.00! I had no choice and authorized the service. Thankfully, I was only charged $237.46. for the 50 feet of towing.
The time spent in your town was unnecessary. The customer service was poor and the cost of services was exorbitant with the exception of Motel 6 where my family and I were treated well and charged appropriately for services rendered.
As leaders in your Chamber of Commerce, I realize you are concerned with the image of your community and the business practices within your city. I realize there is nothing you can do for us nor do expect anything. My purpose in writing this letter is two fold:
1) To release the pent up frustration and feeling of being taken advantage of
2) To create an awareness of the disservice being done to the reputation of your
community by your marketplace peers.
I understand the law of “supply and demand” economics but I feel the profits sought on a car rental and mechanical repairs were excessive.
Disappointed in Gallup,
Nick Della Valle
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