Shop Policies & Disclaimers
Estimates & Repairs -
Authorization Required: No major repair work will begin without your explicit approval. We provide clear, itemized, estimates detailing parts and labor before touching your car.
Unforeseen Complications: If additional hidden damage or related issues are discovered mid-repair, we will pause and contact you to discuss options and get approval before proceeding.
Price Overrun Threshold: No work exceeding the authorized estimate by more than 10% (or an authorized revised threshold) will be performed without your prior verbal or written consent.
Electronic Authorization: Text message (SMS), email, and digital signature signoffs are legally binding authorizations to perform agreed-upon repairs.
In Progress Work Cancellation: If a customer approves an estimate or repair service and subsequently requests to halt, cancel, or decline completion of the work mid-repair, the customer remains fully responsible for all the labor accrued up to the point of cancelation and labor if car needs to be put back together at our standard shop rate ($150.00/hr), as well as any non-returnable parts or restock fees incurred.
Road Testing & Vehicle Operation -
Test Drive Release: Dropping off your vehicle grants Bauer Automotive technicians’ permission to operate your vehicle on public roads and highways for the purpose of diagnosis, road testing, and post-repair quality control.
Pre-existing Conditions & Damage Protocol -
Digital Inspection & Condition Photos: Upon arrival at our facility, all vehicles undergo a preliminary digital walkaround inspection. To protect both you and our shop, our technicians capture high-resolution photos and notes documenting the vehicles exterior condition, paint, glass, body panel gaps, interior state, and pre-existing wear or damage prior to any service or movement on shop property.
Pre-existing Mechanical & Body Damage: Bauer Automotive is not responsible for repairing or replacing pre-existing interior/exterior damage, prior bodywork defects, frame rust, or underlying mechanical failure that existed before your vehicle was checked into our shop or that is unrelated to the authorized repairs.
Corrosion & Aged Components: Vehicles with significant rust, corrosion, or dry-rotted plastic/rubber components carry an inherent risk of hardware shearing or bracket failure during standard teardown. If severely corroded parts break during routine removal, additional labor and replacement hardware required to extract and repair those components will be quoted before proceeding.
Diagnostic & Tear Down Policies -
Diagnostic Fees: All diagnostic work requires an initial diagnostic fee to cover technician time, specialized scan tools, and testing procedures required to isolate the root cause
Tear-Down Authorization: For complex internal engine, transmission, or electrical issues, a physical tear-down may be required. If you choose to decline repairs after a tear-down has been performed, reassembly labor charges will apply.
Customer-Supplied Parts & Aftermarket Equipment -
No warranty on Customer Parts: We strongly advise against customer supplied parts. If you do proceed to supply your own parts, we offer ZERO warranty on the parts of installation labor.
Defective Customer Parts: If a customer-supplied part fails, is incorrect, or does not fit, all diagnostic, removal, and secondary labor required to replace it will be billed at our standard shop hourly rate ($150.00).
Aftermarket Modifications: We are not responsible for compatibility issues, fitment errors, or premature failures caused by pre-existing aftermarket modifications or performance tuning.
Facility Safety & Visitor Liability -
Restricted Area Policy: For safety and insurance reasons, customers and visitors are strictly prohibited from entering active work bays, shop areas, or passing designated “No Customers/Authorized Personnel Only” boundaries.
Premises Liability Waiver: Bauer Automotive LLC assumes no responsibility or liability for personal injury, accidental slips, falls, or property damage sustained by customers or visitors while on shop premises, especially those arising from unauthorized access into designated working areas.
Personal Property & Valuables -
Personal Belongings: Bauer Automotive is not responsible for loss, theft, or damage to personal items, tools, electronics, or valuables left inside the vehicle. Please remove all personal belongings prior to drop-off.
Loss Outside Control: Our facility is secured, but we are not liable for vehicle loss or damage resulting from acts of nature, fire, severe weather, vandalism, or third-party theft beyond our reasonable control.
Limited Parts & Labor Warranty -
Standard Coverage: Unless otherwise noted on your invoice, qualifying shop supplied new parts and associated labor are backed by our standard 12 month/12,000-mile limited warranty (whichever comes first).
Warranty Exclusions: Customer supplied parts, commercial vehicles, modified applications, or damage resulting from abuse, lack of fluid maintenance, or off-road driving, carry no warranty.
Warranty Claim Procedure: All potential warranty issues must be reported to Bauer Automotive immediately and inspected at our shop before any third-party repair facility touches the vehicle. Unauthorized third-party repairs automatically void our warranty.
Payment Terms & Mechanic’s Liens -
Payment Due Upon Completion: Full payment for all authorized parts, labor, shop supply fees, and applicable taxes is required prior to vehicles release.
Express Mechanic’s Lien: An express mechanics lien is acknowledged to secure payment for all authorized repairs, diagnostics, and accrued storage fees. Unpaid balances will result in enforcement of lien rights to the full extent of state statutes.
Replaced Parts Policy (State Disclosures) -
Return Of Old Parts: In accordance with state consumer disclosure regulations, you have the right to request the return or inspection of any replaced parts. This request must be made in writing or verbally at the time repair work is initially authorized.
Disposal Of Unclaimed Parts: If you do not explicitly request the return of replaced parts prior to the start of repairs, or if the part is subject to a core exchange/charge/warranty return to the manufacturer, all removed parts become shop property and will be recycled or disposed of safely upon job completion.
Shop Supplies & Environmental Disposal Fees -
Shop Supply Line Item: A standard shop supply and hazardous waste disposal fee (calculated as a small percentage of total labor costs) is applied to repair orders. This fee covers non-itemized cleaning solvents, brake cleaners, rags, fasteners, anti-seize, diagnostic spray, and the compliant recycling of toxic fluid waste (used engine oil, coolant, gear lube, and batteries) as mandated by environmental protection law.
Storage Fees, Abandoned Vehicles & Towing Policy -
24-Hour Pickup Window: Once you are notified by phone, text message, or email that your vehicle service is complete (or that as estimate was delivered and work was declined), you have 24 hours to pick up your vehicle or arrange a retrieval.
Daily Storage Charge ($100/day): Beginning precisely 24 hours after service completion notification, a non-negotiable storage fee of $100 per Calander day will automatically accrue on your account. All Accrued storage fees must be paid in full before vehicle will be released.
15-Day Towing & Abandonment Threshold: Any vehicle remaining on shop property 15 calendar days after completion notification without full payment and retrieval will be declared legally abandoned. On the 15th day, the vehicle will be impounded and towed off shop premises by a licensed commercial towing service at the vehicle owner’s sole expense.
Lien & Storage Recovery: Bauer Automotive is not responsible for any towing, daily impound, or storage fees incurred once the vehicle has been removed from shop property by the towing company. Unpaid repair balances and accrued fees will remain subject to legal mechanic’s lien enforcement to the full extent of state law.
Media & Photo / Video Release -
Shop Photography: During work, technicians routinely document vehicle conditions, wear patterns, failed internal components, and completion progress through photographs and digital video inspections.
Marketing Use Waiver: Bauer Automotive reserves the right to share anonymized repair photos, diagnostic videos, or project showcases on our official website and social media channels. All license plates, registered names, VINs, and identifying customer details are strictly redacted or omitted prior to publication. If you prefer your vehicle not to be featured in any shop media, please inform us upon drop-off.
Severability & Governing Law -
Validity Of Terms: If any provision these shop policies is found to be unenforceable or invalid under local or state law, that specific clause shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary, while all remaining policies and disclaimers shall continue in full force and effect.