Help me solve this dilema !

steven polaski · steven polaski's Garage

I brought my car in on may 1st to be painted. I was told a month now it's coming up on a month and a half and it's just sitting there in parts ! I gave him a $2,000 dollar deposit on a $ 7,000 dollar paint job if I go in and yell I am afraid I will pay the price in poor quality. Does anyone have any ideas how I can motivate this garage for this work ? Thanks in advance.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Did you sign a contract with the shop? If it was my car, I would just get my out of there and find another shop to do the work.

How do you know if they are going to do a good job? To finish the job quickly, they may just do a lousy job just to get you out of their hair.

steven polaski · steven polaski's Garage

I have a contract but thats not the question I know they do great work and I know I will loose 2 thousand if I pull the car out . The next guy is going to see this mess flatbedded in and charge through the roof plus the time won't be shorter because everybody is busy. I was just was wondering if anybody had any good ideas so my next conversation with these guys is going to speed up the process.

MotoSook · 06-16-2005, 02:17 PM

Obviously, you should first try to reason with them. If they have such a good rep., and can demand 9k for a paint job they may just be overloaded. Your best bet is to try and make your job the next in line. You already know you'll lose if unless they finish the job...

Do they leave your car out there like that all the time?

steven polaski · steven polaski's Garage

No they just rolled it out to clean the shop.

NOH20 · 06-16-2005, 06:35 PM

Write the manager a letter stating that you took your car to his shop because of the good work they do and the excellent reputation they have. Make him understand that you have waited what you beleive is an acceptable amount of time to have your car completed.

By pumping their ego you may get them motivated to complete your car. IMHO, taking a negative approach never does any good.

Best of luck.

pbs911 · pbs911's Garage

Ahh the old car in the paint shop. Nobody, I mean nobody is more flacky than painters IMeductedE.

Same thing happended to me years back. It took 7 months for a job Iwas quoted 2 weeks to perform.
You have two choices. Pull it from the shop and demand you money, or suck it up and drop by the shop to put some friendly pressure on the owner. A six pack of their favorite beverage will work wonders.

Good luck. I hate painters!

M.D. Holloway · 06-16-2005, 07:31 PM

Tell them your going to your friendly neighborhood PCA Regions Newsletter's managing editor to write a story about it in their next edition - or better yet you write the story and they may publish it if you don't get too nasty. Show the biz a copy prior to publishing it.

No biz worth their chops is gonna want to mess with a demographic like PCA members.

Hayabusa · Hayabusa's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by pbs911
A six pack of their favorite beverage will work wonders.

I agree with that. Walk into the shop unannounced with a couple of pizzas on EVERY Wednesday around 11:30 and EVERY Friday around 5:00 show up with really good "Bubba Beer".

Put yourself on their level and let them know you appreciate the hard work they do.

On those Fridays, grab the manager, walk him over to your car and hover around it for a couple of minutes pointing out the details of work or work to be done. "Hey this is looking good!" or "I can't wait to see that done!" ,,,etc., etc.

Do that for three to four weeks straight.

They'll remember you for sure.

afterburn 549 · 06-16-2005, 08:55 PM

Well if they are a real good shop and have not tuched your car.....why would they not give you a full refund?? and besides that why would they even ask for a deposit!!........somthin stinks there

david.avery · david.avery's Garage

I had a shop in Bolton CT do that with my car. After 10K of bodywork, they would leave it outside in the rain with no windows. One surprise visit had them out there with beach towels drying the bare metal they had just welded on the floorpan.

Be careful with these guys; sometimes paint shops have a bad rep for living very hand to mouth to the point of flaking on insurance. My 911 was turbo bodied, and my 930 tail was stolen from this same shop. It was only when I came and dialed the local police station that I found the real deal with my missing parts.