Bolingbrook auto repair shop closes unexpectedly, customers stuck without vehicles
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Some customers of an autobody shop in Bolingbrook are left without their vehicles after it closed with no explanation or warning.
For nearly a week and a half, the lights have been on, mail piling up on the floor in the doorway, and vehicles are on lifts or sitting with the hood open inside the Merlin Complete Auto Care location in the 200 block of South Bolingbrook Drive. On the door is a sign that reads, ‘temporarily closed.’
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Juan Flores said he brought his pickup truck to the shop in early April. He was told it was having mechanical issues and someone would get back to him. When he didn’t get any answers, Flores said he followed up.
“I asked them to leave it out so I could at least have somebody come and look at it, and the next day, they were closed,” Flores said.
It was about a week and a half ago when Flores learned his vehicle was locked inside.
“It’s really frustrating trying to get someone to at least come out and get some answers from someone,” Flores said.
After tireless efforts to get help, Flores received a call on Wednesday afternoon from someone with Driven Brands and Merlins, the parent company of the independently owned location, who said someone would be there to help release the vehicles Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.
A former employee of the business, who had reportedly been making attempts to return his key, came out to help customers. Bolingbrook police were also there at the same time.
Flores’ pickup truck was not able to be driven, but he called for assistance and was able to get it towed away. Not everyone was as lucky.
One woman returned to find her SUV up on a lift, with no tires on it, and the engine out of the vehicle and on the ground next to it. There was nobody present to help get the tires back on and get it off the lift, so she was forced to leave it. The woman told WGN News she has already paid around $2,500 in repairs.
Mike Merkes’ wife came to the shop Wednesday evening and was able to get the keys to their SUV back, but it was also unable to be driven, so they will either need to have it repaired on the lot or towed elsewhere.
Merkes said he brought his car to the shop on April 20th to be looked at and received a text saying the business would close early that day. He didn’t think much of it at the time.
“They told me someone would get back to me on Monday, and Monday came and went, and no answer,” Merkes said. “It’s just a shocking moment where, it’s like, ‘What’s going on? Nobody told me anything.’”
In Merkes’ case, his SUV was outside, with the only keys to the vehicle, locked inside. He said being down a vehicle has had a significant impact for his family.
“It’s a major inconvenience,” Merkes said. “We’ve got extracurricular activities that we’ve got to do for the kids. They’ve got baseball, karate, all this other stuff and we can’t even get to half of them because of it.”
Flores said he works in Hodgkins, about 25 minutes away, so this also has been anything but convenient. Thankfully, he’s been able to borrow his mother’s vehicle to help in the meantime.
“My wife was taking me to work,” Flores said.
Both men said they have reached out to anyone they could think of for help, including local and county law enforcement, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office and contacts with Merlin.
WGN News has also reached out to several people with the company, including its owner and CEO, but has not received a response. The owner of this specific location also owns other locations in Illinois but could not be reached for comment.
“You can’t do this to customers. We’re all hard workers and it takes a lot of a toll on people,” said Flores, who is appreciative for the efforts of the Bolingbrook Police Department to try and help in any way they can.
According to Bolingbrook police, it received two police reports about the situation and is in the preliminary stages of investigating the case to determine the best course of action.
On the door to the business, a sign reads, “Greetings, the Will County Sheriff’s Police is in possession of a court document that must be served to Mitesh Patel,” the business’ owner.
According to the sheriff’s office, this is an unrelated matter being handled by the Sheriff’s Office Civil Process Division, which is tasked with delivering and processing all Will County Civil Court documents.
The sheriff’s office said deputies have been to the location five times and have not been able to reach the owner in the last 30 days. In this case, an alleged victim is suing the shop and its owner, claiming bad repair work was done.
While the reason for the shop’s abrupt closure has still not been confirmed by Merlins, a former employee told WGN News, the shop’s small staff had issues with their last few paychecks.
According to a former employee, who did not want to be identified by name, two of their last three paychecks bounced, and a third, never came. They said there was no other option, and while they were offered employment at other locations, they still have not been paid. The former employee also told WGN News he had not heard from the owner.
WGN News also reached out to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
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