So I called Valley Motors in Baltimore this afternoon to try and get a copy of the service records for work done on my car before I bought it. The conversation went something like this:

"Hi, I'm trying to get a copy of the service history for a car you all used to work on."

"hold on." (me on hold for the next ten minutes) "sorry those have personal info in them and we can't give them to you."

"You mean you can't even say what was done or when, let alone get me a hard copy?"

'no, we can't mail them to you or give any info like that over the phone. if you want to stop by with proof of ownership we might be able to tell you what's been done." Sheesh, there is no way I can make it to Maryland and back on my lunch break.

"I just talked to the PO over the weekend and know he wouldn't mind. What if I have him call and give his okay? How about that?"

"no we couldn't do that either. if you want to have him come in we could show him the records and then he could relate that info to you."

Yeah right, I can see it now: "Hi Robert, we've never actually met and have talked all of once on the phone but would you mind driving the 45 min or so over to Baltimore to get the records on a car you sold over seven months ago, then call me with all that info. That'd be great, m'kay?"

The conversation goes round and around for another five minutes or so until I finally just give up. Am I being unreasonable here? I know that when I bought a used Mercedes about five years ago I called the servicing dealership that was a state away and they MAILED me PHOTOCOPIES of the records (maybe 50-75 pages) on a car they would probably never see again.

So anybody have any ideas? Being the kind of anal retentive freak who saves all receipts (plus knowing the PO had neatly placed all of his copies into the glovebox only to have them tossed) this is driving me nuts!

Very frustrated and pissed off,

Michael