To paraphrase Austin Powers, there are only two things I dislike in this world: nuclear war and shady-ass shops. Unfortunately, the latter abounds throughout the world, and especially in the United States. And they can be everything from small mom and pops to those run by large, corporate dealerships. The problem is you just don't know who's the good eggs versus the ones that'll rip you off.
You just have to roll the dice, but you're rolling said 20-sided die with what could amount to thousands upon thousands in repairs, or not having your vehicle fixed in a timely manner. Add how complicated manufacturers have made modern vehicles so complicated you likely need an advanced degree just to figure out how to replace your vehicle's brakes, and you get a system that's basically designed to screw the consumer over.
But none of that excuses these shops for their behavior.
And the following allegations, one that involves a Can-Am side-by-side, which was damaged, sent to Jeffries Performance in Cave Creek, Arizona, had the insurance pay out a whopping $26,000 quickly for repairs, but hasn't yet seen the UTV returned to its owner after 17 months in a repair bay, well, that's just absolutely ridiculous.
Dustin Amann is the owner of the Can-Am Maverick X3 Max, the same model the author currently owns, and explained to Arizona's Family that the side-by-side had been damaged after he took a turn too quickly, hit a boulder, and tipped the UTV onto its side. "It tipped a little bit, but it didn’t actually tip all the way over. But it was it was pretty cool. I was looking at the ground right out my window and then it fell back over," said Amann.
However, the side-by-side was damaged enough that he had to get it repaired, and after sending the Can-Am to Jeffries Performance, his insurance paid the local shop a whopping $26,000 for the necessary repairs. However, it's been at Jeffries Performance for over 17 months now, which is frankly ridiculous. But it gets weirder.
According to the outlet, after returning Amann's texts and tell him that his side-by-side was next up on the list of repairs, and after they'd accepted the full $26,000 from insurance through a wire-transfer, "Out of the blue, Amann says Jeffries told him a few months ago that he had closed down Jefferies Performance and moved Amann’s wrecked vehicle to a place called Luxe Motorsports. The shop is located just a mile and a half away and is where Jefferies currently works. Once there, Amann says Jefferies even sent him a picture of his wrecked side-by-side, with a Luxe Motorsports sign behind it, proving the vehicle was there."
Arizona's Family then sent out a reporter to Luxe Motorsports to inquire about Amann's side-by-side, but after a short conversation with an employee there, who stated that Richard Jeffries, the owner of both shops, was in fact there and went to find them, was told that he wasn't available. The outlet then got an email a short while later, stating, "Mr. Jeffries does not wish to engage in any conversations or provide any statements to AZ Family... be advised that neither he nor I will be offering any comments or interviews relating to your inquiries."
That, however, was a few months ago.
In Arizona's Family's more recent coverage of Amann's situation, the side-by-side's owner told the outlet that Jeffries is "holding the vehicle basically hostage," and that "He’s added in a bunch of random parts and random items and another 25 hours of labor. He’s now added in about $11,500 worth of other charges." That's on top of the $26,000 that Amann's insurance already paid the shop owner for repairs. At present, you can buy a brand-new Can-Am Maverick X3 Max DS Turbo for $28,699. That's the base model, but still.
When the news agency once again returned to the shop to speak with Jeffries, but was ultimately denied, Arizona's Family states it "was immediately contacted by his attorney, who demanded that we not visit Luxe Motorsports or try to contact Jeffries again."
That, however, leaves Amann without a side-by-side, already out $26,000 from insurance, with a shop that's demanding more money, and still paying off the vehicle itself. "I don’t know why he can’t just do the right thing and get me the car back like we had always discussed," said Amann to the outlet, "I don’t understand it. I don’t know why he’s wanting to do this. It’s his own reputation."
