Legal

Terms & Conditions

Effective date: April 22, 2026 · Last updated: April 22, 2026

1. Acceptance of these Terms

These Terms & Conditions (the “Terms”) govern your use of theautolabphilly.com (the “Site”) and any services provided by The Auto Lab (“we,” “us,” “our”). By visiting the Site, scheduling an appointment, authorizing a repair, or otherwise engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree, do not use the Site or engage our services.

2. Services we provide

The Auto Lab provides automotive body repair, collision repair, paint refinishing, detailing, ceramic coating, and custom/restoration services primarily for clients in Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Specific work is identified on your written estimate and/or repair order (together, your “Work Order”).

3. Estimates, authorization & supplemental work

Estimates describe the repair or services we reasonably anticipate based on information available at the time, including photographs or your description. Estimates are valid for thirty (30) days unless otherwise stated.

Hidden damage and supplements. Collision and refinish work can reveal damage that was not visible during the initial estimate. If additional work is needed, we will notify you (or your insurance carrier) and obtain written or recorded approval before performing work beyond what was originally authorized. If we cannot reach you within a reasonable time, we may pause your job until we receive authorization, and storage fees may accrue under Section 8.

Written authorization. By signing or electronically confirming a Work Order, you authorize The Auto Lab to perform the listed work, order the listed parts, and move your vehicle as needed on or between our premises and reasonable sublet locations (paint booth partners, alignment shops, etc.).

4. Insurance claims

You have the right under Pennsylvania law to choose the repair facility for your vehicle. If you are processing a claim, you authorize us to communicate directly with your insurance carrier and provide documentation and photographs consistent with your claim. Any shortfall between the insurer’s payment and the authorized repair cost is your responsibility, including deductibles, betterment, and non-covered items. You are responsible for confirming your coverage before work begins.

5. Payment, deposits & billing

  • Deposit. A deposit may be required for parts ordering and scheduling. Deposits are applied to your final invoice.
  • Balance due on delivery. Unless arranged in writing, the balance is due in full at the time of vehicle delivery.
  • Accepted forms of payment. Credit / debit card, ACH, certified funds, and cash. Personal checks require clearing before release of the vehicle.
  • Late payment. Unpaid balances are subject to interest at the lesser of 1.5% per month or the maximum rate allowed by law, plus costs of collection (including reasonable attorneys’ fees).
  • Non-refundable special-order parts. Custom, special-order, or OEM-only parts are non-cancellable and non-refundable once ordered.

6. Warranty

Subject to the limitations below, The Auto Lab provides:

  • Lifetime limited warranty on workmanship for as long as you own the vehicle that was serviced.
  • Limited lifetime warranty on paint finishes applied by us, covering defects in materials and application for as long as you own the vehicle.

What is covered: defects in our workmanship, including improperly installed parts, seam-sealer/color-match issues on our refinish work, and finish adhesion.

What is not covered:

  • Damage from accident, collision, impact, negligent operation, road debris, vandalism, rodent/animal damage, hail, flood, fire, or other casualty loss after our service.
  • Normal wear and tear, fading from UV exposure beyond typical paint life, chemical etching, bird-dropping etching, tree sap, or improper washing (including automatic brush washes within 30 days of refinish).
  • Components not supplied or installed by us; parts provided by the customer; mechanical/electrical systems outside the scope of the Work Order.
  • Damage from subsequent repair or modification by another shop.
  • Consequential damages (loss of use, diminished value, rental, towing, lost wages).

How to claim: Contact us at info@theautolabphilly.com or 1-800-288-6522 with your name, vehicle details, and a description of the issue. The vehicle must be made available for inspection at our facility. We reserve the right, at our option, to repair, refinish, or refund the affected work.

The warranty is non-transferable, applies only to the original customer, and is void if the vehicle is sold, if the vehicle is modified in a way that affects the workmanship, or if another party performs work on the affected area.

7. Parts, OEM & aftermarket

Where your insurance directs the use of aftermarket, recycled (“LKQ”), or remanufactured parts, we will inform you. You may request OEM parts at additional cost. We do not warrant parts beyond the warranty provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

8. Vehicle storage, abandonment & mechanics lien

Pickup window. Once notified that your vehicle is ready, please pick it up within three (3) business days. After that window, daily storage fees may accrue at our posted rate.

Abandoned vehicles. A vehicle left on our premises for more than thirty (30) days after notification of completion, without communication, may be deemed abandoned. We will follow Pennsylvania law (including 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 7301 et seq. and applicable lien statutes) for notice, lien sale, or other disposition.

Mechanics’ lien. Pennsylvania law grants repair facilities a lien on vehicles for unpaid repair charges. We reserve all rights to assert such a lien, and to recover reasonable storage, legal, and collection costs.

9. Personal property in your vehicle

Please remove personal items before intake. We are not responsible for loss or damage to personal items left in or on the vehicle (including removable electronics, aftermarket dash cams, cargo, tools, sunglasses, child seats beyond the seat structure itself, and cash). If items must remain, please list them on the intake form.

10. Cancellations & rescheduling

You may cancel or reschedule an appointment up to 24 hours before the scheduled start without charge. After that, we may retain any deposit equivalent to our parts ordering and scheduling costs. Special-order parts are non-refundable once ordered (Section 5).

11. Your representations & responsibilities

  • You represent that you are the lawful owner of the vehicle or are authorized by the owner to engage our services.
  • You will provide accurate information about the vehicle, the claim, prior repairs, and any known pre-existing damage.
  • You will maintain active insurance on the vehicle while it is in our care, or you acknowledge that we cannot insure your vehicle against casualty loss while on premises.
  • You will not direct us to perform any illegal modification or safety-compromising work.

12. SMS / text messaging (A2P 10DLC)

By providing your mobile phone number and checking the SMS consent box on any form on the Site — or by texting us first — you expressly consent to receive non-marketing transactional and customer-service text messages (SMS/MMS) from The Auto Lab.

Program & purpose

Messages may include: appointment confirmations, reminders, status updates on your vehicle, requests for photos, estimates, invoice notifications, satisfaction follow-ups, and service reminders.

Frequency

Frequency varies with your service event. Expect approximately 2–10 messages per service event and occasional periodic communications.

Carrier fees

Message and data rates may apply. Your mobile carrier may charge for SMS and MMS. We are not responsible for carrier charges.

Opt-out

You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. You will receive one confirmation and then no further messages. To re-enroll, text START, check the consent box again on our Site, or contact us.

Help

Reply HELP for help, or contact info@theautolabphilly.com or 1-800-288-6522.

Supported carriers

Supported in the U.S. on major carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Boost, U.S. Cellular, Metro PCS, Virgin Mobile, Cricket, Alltel, and most MVNOs. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Privacy

We do not share mobile opt-in data or phone numbers with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. The only third parties that process your phone number are our messaging infrastructure providers solely to deliver messages on our behalf. See our Privacy Policy — SMS section for details.

TCPA notice

Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of purchase. You may still receive services without opting in.

13. Use of the Site

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and not to (a) attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site or its systems, (b) introduce malware or harmful code, (c) interfere with other users’ use of the Site, (d) scrape, crawl, or harvest data in a way that violates our terms or technical measures, or (e) misrepresent your identity when submitting a form.

14. Intellectual property

All Site content — including the “The Auto Lab” name, logo, marks, text, graphics, and original photography — is the property of The Auto Lab or its licensors and is protected by U.S. and international intellectual-property laws. You may view and share links to the Site, but you may not copy, modify, distribute, publicly display, or create derivative works without our written permission.

15. Disclaimer & limitation of liability

THE SITE AND OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN SECTION 6. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AUTO LAB DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTO LAB OR ITS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, OR DIMINUTION IN VALUE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR OUR SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR OUR SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SPECIFIC SERVICE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Auto Lab and its owners, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to (a) your breach of these Terms, (b) your misrepresentation of ownership or authority, (c) items or substances left in your vehicle, or (d) your violation of any law or third-party right.

17. Dispute resolution & arbitration

Informal resolution first. Before filing a claim, please contact us at info@theautolabphilly.com. Most issues can be resolved quickly. You and The Auto Lab agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute for at least sixty (60) days before initiating formal proceedings.

Binding arbitration. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, our services, or your use of the Site, that is not resolved informally, will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The seat of arbitration is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The arbitrator’s award may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class action waiver. YOU AND THE AUTO LAB EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. Arbitration will be conducted only on an individual basis.

Exceptions. Either party may bring an action in small-claims court for disputes within that court’s jurisdiction, and either party may seek injunctive relief in court for infringement of intellectual property or for unauthorized access to the Site.

30-day opt-out. You may opt out of the arbitration and class-action-waiver provisions by sending a written notice to info@theautolabphilly.com with the subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out” within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms. The notice must include your full name, address, phone number, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out. Opting out will not affect any other part of these Terms.

18. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to Section 17, exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any court action permitted under these Terms lies in the state or federal courts located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and each party consents to personal jurisdiction there.

19. Miscellaneous

  • Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any Work Order, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Auto Lab and supersede prior understandings on the same subject.
  • Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
  • No waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right or provision.
  • Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
  • Changes. We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will provide prominent notice. Continued use of the Site or services after notice constitutes acceptance.
  • Force majeure. We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control (severe weather, parts-supply disruption, labor events, power failure, epidemic).
  • Headings. Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.

20. Contact us

See also our Privacy Policy.