edsco
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 11:24 AM |
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Should i refuse to pay?
Hi people - sorry for the lengthy post - your advice please.
Your advise please. I decided to get a professional bodyshop to fit and fettel all my fiberglass bodywork to my car. Number of reasons why I did
this but that’s another discussion. I took my car up to his place of work agreed a charter of work with him. This included initially for £800
alignment of body panels, fill, sand and prep bodywork, paint, laqueer etc. Cheap I know, but the work was to be done in and around other jobs. What
isn’t covered in that and decided upon later was for him to fit the lights (front and rear to body work) and mesh up the vents etc Off his own back
he offered to make me a front splitter and install gas struts on the rear clam (struts never got done btw).
Now I am not normally one for airing my dirty laundry in public, but things are getting ridiculous with the amount of time it has taken for this guy
to actually finish the job. Took the car to him at the beginning of March (2011!). Finally got it back about 5-6 weeks ago only to find the paint
coverage in areas is sketchy, drips etc and some massive scratches where they had buffed it up.
I called him over to allow him to make a menze and give him the chance to rectify all the things I wasn’t happy with and about a week after collecting
from him, he sent some guys round to collect the panels. After having loaded a side pod into the van it was evident the rear clam wouldn’t fit so
agreed for them to fix the panel they had then bring it back, swap and do the other.
I have been pestering the guy for some time now and he promises me it will be finished today. Got used to that line over the past few months. And
still the rear clam is in my garage and the side pod not painted.
Other than the body work, all the fixtures and fittings I had bought have gone walkies, he has replaced some to be fair but not all.
Managed to loose seat belt mount….how, I don’t know esp they were screwed into the car when I took it up there.
The holes in the dash for some of the buttons are too big so has meant I have had to replace with something else.
The front splitter is wavy along the leading edge…really…why bother doing it at all if it isn’t going to be done right, and the way it’s been attached
has meant I can’t physically mount the front of the car on properly.
And what has pee’ed me off most of all was that I had to spend 2 days cleaning all the fiberglass dust and old sanding cloths left behind in the
vehicle. Had to remove the radiator, parts of the engine to be able to get behind things, basically not a part left untouched. Some areas the dust
was over half an inch thick. Even the headlights had managed to get dust in them.
Now for fairness I am not going to mention the company in question. But if I get some of the parts back today and I get presented with an invoice
(something I have been asking for, for a couple of months now), am I within my rights to issue him an invoice detailing what it is cost me to replace
items, time cleaning the car to how I gave it to him, straighten things out, replace fixtures and fittings (buttons, seatbelts), lost time on the
project i.e 5 months in total. Or refuse to pay all the bill. Whilst I a happy to pay for what I think is fair I am half expecting a bill for
£1500…which I know is cheap for all the work he has done but the time taken to do it all is ridiculous.
To top it all, I get a phone call from saying effectively I am holding him up finishing the remaining panels as I was given the spare paint from the
job 6 weeks ago…..the cheek. I explained I do not have the paint. You have it still. No no…99% sure you have it when you collected the car from us.
Err no!! Cheek of it!
There is quite a long list of things I am not happy with, he is more than aware of this list but even after having ample opportunity to make a menze I
am still waiting for just one panel to be touched up and returned to me and has taken 5-6 weeks so far to get it back to me.
Am I being unreasonable getting annoyed with the whole thing? Should I negotiate a discount? Should I refuse to pay at all?
Those that know me I am very tolerant and extremely forgiving person, but this is making my blood boil with the shear amount of wasted time that has
gone on and the fact I am apparently holding him up.
edsco
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hicost
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 11:43 AM |
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Hmm
Difficult really, if you pay someone to do a job between jobs and admit it was a cheap price / job I am afraid you will only get one thing back. A
cheap job.
Not trying to sound harsh but you have fallen into their trap and they have just rushed it through in a couple of days. Bodywork is all about
preparation, if they have not allowed the time you will not get the job.
I would get your car back and then approach them and tell them you are not happy and only pay what you feel is okay. If they argue, park it next too
another of their jobs and point out the difference. You are a paying customer after all.
I would take it to a better spray shop, be honest and tell them you tried to get a cheap job and it has gone wrong. They may well give you a good
price for doing it properly.
Best of luck
James
"I cant do that without accidentally grabbing hold of the work of the divine potter"
 
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flibble
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 12:05 PM |
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I don't care if he gave you a cheap price and fitted it in around other jobs, he agreed to do it - if he'd said "I can do it cheap
but it'll look a bit crap" then you'd have no come-back. As it is, I'd say if the job is a bad one (and it sounds a bit rough)
then you have every right to withhold some money, if not all of it.
As a contractor I used to give out a whole range of prices for jobs, on the ones where I'd given a low price I still wouldn't have been
paid if it wasn't up to scratch (nor expected to be paid).
Personally I hate causing a fuss, I kind of envy those who raise merry hell and get what they paid for no matter what!
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owelly
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 12:05 PM |
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As far as I'm concerned, you've paid them to do a job to a standard, and they havn't done it. The price they quoted is their problem
if it was too cheap.
Tell them you're going to take it for a second opinion and bill yhem for the cost to put it right.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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JonnyS
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 12:14 PM |
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You have to give them chance to rectify, you can't just go to someone else. Send them a letter by recorded delivery stating the issues etc. Get
them to reply, again in writing stating what they will do for you. Then if it all goes t!ts up you are covered.
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edsco
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 12:57 PM |
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Maybe it didn't come across in the original post, but i do at least have the car back just minus a few panels as i wasn't prepared to
loose the car again for an indefinite amount of time.
I have given him every chance to rectify the issues, supply me with the parts they have lost etc. I think 6 weeks is long enough to date to sort out
the issues.
I really feel he just cant be bother any more. Dont get me wrong, i am happy to pay, but pay how much is really my point to all of this, as the job
is still not finished and this has been going on since the start of March.
Like was said in previous post...the guy knows it was cheap, but assured me nothing left his bodyshop in a shoddy condition.
edsco
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hicost
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 01:38 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by edsco
Like was said in previous post...the guy knows it was cheap, but assured me nothing left his bodyshop in a shoddy condition.
Well as I said take it back and show them what you are not happy with, put it next to a job he has just done and point out the problems.
Have you a quote in writing, does it specify everything you asked and he agreed?
If not you are going to waste time and more money chasing this down? I hate cheap jobs; they always bite your arse.
It’s alright everyone saying you have this right and that right but you try making it stick.
"I cant do that without accidentally grabbing hold of the work of the divine potter"
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 02:39 PM |
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I would collect the panels from him and move on. Don't pay anymore, your not going to win if you continue to allow him to work on the car.
He's never going to want to do it properly due to the time it's taken so far.
If you think the initial payment you made covers the work he's done then good you've not really lost much.
Ben
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Litemoth
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 04:23 PM |
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Tell him what you want him to do (in writing) - clarify what it is you think you agreed between you and pay him what is reasonable for works completed
so far (explain this in writing also).
Give him a reasonable time (and then some) to respond and/or recify it. (Put a date in writing)
Explain that if this work isn't completed by the date you will be taking it elsewhere (reputable establishment with full paperwork-producing
capabilities) for finishing and expecting him to pay (or a proportion thereof) If he doesn't, you can take him to the small claims court. The
written stuff mentioned above and being (and being seen to be) reasonable will be important if you do.
The problem you have here is that you have no agreed schedule of work or itemised quotation. You should always have this stuff agreed in writing, up
front with a cost and completion date. Easy for me to say now of course.
Best of luck.
By the way it's "make amends"..not "make a menze"...
[Edited on 4/8/11 by Litemoth]
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scootz
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 05:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben_Copeland
I would collect the panels from him and move on. Don't pay anymore, your not going to win if you continue to allow him to work on the car.
He's never going to want to do it properly due to the time it's taken so far.
If you think the initial payment you made covers the work he's done then good you've not really lost much.
+1
It's Evolution Baby!
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 05:58 PM |
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+2. Put it down to a bad learning experience and move on.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 4/8/11 at 06:10 PM |
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Because I can be a sly git might I suggest you offer to pay him, but when he presents you with the bill present him with a bill covering the costs of
rectifying his shoddy job and pay him what you "owe" him
Otherwise +3, or just go down and get your bits back.. Got away with not paying for a carp repair once by walking in first thing and asking if I can
just have my flaming car keys now..
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edsco
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| posted on 5/8/11 at 01:20 PM |
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Thanks guys for your input.
Ninehigh - i think i share the same sly streak. As and when and if i do get presented with a bill, i have drawn up all the work i have had to do to
get the car back to its original state i sent it to him....2 days cleaning (my time aint cheap!)...but reflects what he is charging me to be fair,
parts i have had to replace etc... Quite a modest notional sum.
Anyway, like i said in previous post, promised it back Wednesday and today is Friday and still no sign. 7 weeks!!
Suppose i should put it down to experience.
I dont like moaning about things, but when something likes this comes up from time to time it really makes me mad.
Cheers folks
edsco
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02GF74
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| posted on 5/8/11 at 01:37 PM |
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cut your losses and get out. make sure the bodyshop has none of your stuff.
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froggy
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| posted on 5/8/11 at 02:41 PM |
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im in the trade and would suggest you get your bits and chalk it up. 
[IMG]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r187/froggy_0[IMG]
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