Advice On How To Deal With A Panel Beater

[Jap_Muscle]

Hi Guys,

So ive saved up enough cash to fix up some minor scratches and annoying little things on the car and decide to bring it to a very reputable bodyshop to do the job. We agreed on a spesific price and day of completion and i left the keys to the car.

As you can guess, not only did the price jump, but its going to be another week to finish the job.

How do people deal with things like this?

Edited May 26, 2011 by Jap_Muscle

[Paradizzle]

What was the shops reason for the price jump and delay in having your car ready?

[paulr33]

how do you think?

you go and talk to them

why post for that? do what anyone would do. ask why? why did it vary? why were you not informed?

[Jap_Muscle]

.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Jap_Muscle

[Jap_Muscle]

  On 26/05/2011 at 6:58 AM, Paradizzle said:

What was the shops reason for the price jump and delay in having your car ready?

i cant say without risking some sort of backlash but i can tell you its a joke of a excuse and rather then telling me when it happened, the shop decided to wait till i called him for a update.

  On 26/05/2011 at 7:01 AM, paulr33 said:

how do you think?

you go and talk to them

why post for that? do what anyone would do. ask why? why did it vary? why were you not informed?

i planned to have a chat to him in person as his mobile, workshop number are switched off all of a sudden. And his quick responses via sms seem quite slow now.

I guess what im asking is in the event that things go sour. how do people deal with people who have you car at ransom?

[Paradizzle]

Start a lynch mob, yelling and burning sticks will soon make him think twice about holding your car for ransom... but seriously as Paul said ask why you were not informed. If you had been informed of the issue would it have prevented you from continuing with the work? How much extra $$ are we talking?

[R31Nismoid]

You go to VCAT or whatever it is.

If you don't have a written quote though, you are in a very tight place.

Verbal agreements - whilst agreements - are he said/she said. So there is no set chance you will even win, and the business operator will know this and most likely come out with paperwork (reciepts of parts, work job sheet etc to justift cost) and you'll have nothing.

[Jap_Muscle]

  On 26/05/2011 at 7:29 AM, Paradizzle said:

Start a lynch mob, yelling and burning sticks will soon make him think twice about holding your car for ransom... but seriously as Paul said ask why you were not informed. If you had been informed of the issue would it have prevented you from continuing with the work? How much extra $ are we talking?

Hi Paradizzle,

Again it is very hard to post the reason incase of risking further problems. You have a point in regards to preventing work from continuing if i was notified. But it does leave a sour taste in your mouth when as a customer you are not notified of a massive delay in the job + a price hike.

  On 26/05/2011 at 7:43 AM, R31Nismoid said:

You go to VCAT or whatever it is.

If you don't have a written quote though, you are in a very tight place.

Verbal agreements - whilst agreements - are he said/she said. So there is no set chance you will even win, and the business operator will know this and most likely come out with paperwork (reciepts of parts, work job sheet etc to justift cost) and you'll have nothing.

I was afraid this was the case. But thank you very much for letting me know about VCAT. I will remember next time to get everything written down on paper.

Thanks guys

[xALmoN]

pm panel shop?

and i guess your only choice at this moment in time is to suck it up and pay up i guess, take it as a lesson learnt. Always get a written quote before commencement of work. Delays are one thing, suddenly having the price increase is the worst.

How much more did you have to pay?

[adis]

If you cant tell the story so people can comment and help out, why post???

Why exrra cost?

How much?

Etccc

[paulr33]

report it stolen

[femno]

  On 26/05/2011 at 7:59 AM, Jap_Muscle said:

massive delay in the job +

You call one week a massive delay? Haha...

[SS8_Gohan]

1 week is not a massive delay, and when it comes to panel beating, i would not be worried at all about that sort of time-frame

not that this situation at all warrants this, but you wouldn't go to VCAT, it would be consumer affairs first and then VCAT.

what was the orig quote price and what was it bumped up to and why?

PM shop name and i might be able to help out

[Kinkstaah]

I would be very happy if my car was only 1 week late, hell I'd be happy if my car was only 1 year late.

I dare say most people suck it up and pay the extra costs, though most people also shouldn't do that.

[Downforce]

dude lesson one - unless you're very good mates with the workshop ALWAYS agree on the work to be done with a price up front, and get it in writing.

Any variations to the quote should be be run past the customer first, none of this surprise shit at the end. It's disappointing to see workshops still operate this way.

[Jap_Muscle]

f**k me....

So here's a update guys, I got the car back but the f**king head f**k tk get there, read on.

So I call the panel shop on friday (3 days in advance) after already giving him a extra weeks extension to confirm the car will be indeed ready. I explain to him how i expect him to be professional and to keep me up to date the minute there are any delays and no further price hikes. The original quote of $980 went up to $1500. He go back and forth but eventually He gives the all clear and reconfirms pickup on Monday @ 2pm

Monday afternoon when I walk out the door to lick up the car I get a txt (not a phone call) saying he needs until Wednesday (extra 2 days). I immediately call him back but you guessed it. Voicemail, after another ring 5min later and another 15min later the phone turns off.

The next morning (wednesda) 9am I call again and manage to get through. I can hear how surprised he is that it was me (he must of forgot). He goes on to say that he had to fire his previous spray painter and things are going slow. I go on to ask when he fired him and his response was last week.

I tell him that I called him only a few days ago to confirm delivery so how did this happen? His response is the same and how his certain it will be sorted out. He asks for 1more day ( Thursday @ 11pm) and it will be done. I go on to tell him how tomorrow is the absolute last day and that if it wasn't ready, I would just take the car and to forget about the job. He assures me it will be done.

Thursday morning, (yesterday) I wake up, have a nice breakfast and leave the house around 10 to catch a bus to the panel shop. Nice day, a decent 19degrees. Mornings wrong. I get off the bus and walk the last 300m to the shop.

f**king unbelievable, this flamin mongrel msgs me again at 10.45am and says "I'm sorry for the f**k around but the panel shop is not answering"

I say to my self "wat f**king panel shop? Your the panel

Shop!"

My pace picks up and before I know it I'm at the doorstep of the panel shop. The dickhead is on the phone with my car sitting outside with dried White liquid marks all over the car + a missing side skirt.

I approach the guy and ask "what's going on?!? What do u mean the panel is not answering"

His response " my independent panel beater isn't picking up his phone. He left Hallam at 9am" he uses a tone almost like I asked something stupid. Condescending n shit.

I continue to tell him that the agreement was that you do the job, why did you handball it to some no body? And why the hell is my car covered n shit? Whew is my other side skirt? All you were doing is repairing a frontbat, rearbar and side skirt.

He says that it's nothing very easy wash, and then ignores the question and says his not sure where his friend is.

Buddy, listen to me. The car was suppose to be rdy 1.5weeks ago. You were suppose to do it. Your freiend left Hallam at 9am it's 11.30. What the f**k do you think he is doing. Hallam is only 15min away.

Shit goes back and forth and the discussion ends like this.

He dosnt know where is friend is

He left a message

He tells ms to just wait

He goes back inside and starts some other job

Un f**king believable is how I feel at this point. I walk over to the car to inspect the job. f**king fantastic.

Not only has this f**k not repaired the bar. His just painted over it. You can see the uneven surfaces and holes in certain places. I call the guy out of the shop to talk about it.

I show him what I'm unhappy about and point out that I originally told him that I wasn't to happy about the extensions but was happy to accept it cuz k thought u were doing a good job. But what is this?

His response,

" ahh well man, can't do nothing now."

Me

"what kind of an atitude is this man?"

Him

"if your not happy with my service I'll knock off $100bux"

Me

"the quote to repair the bar was $180, you havnt even done that"

Him

"that's a I can do mate"

And he walks back into the shop.

I follow him in and ask him where his friend is. His response is the same. His on his way I don't know how long. I ask him to keep calling but he says he dosnt want to anymore. I ask him "considering the poor service up to this stage I think you should. "

He responds again that his on his way and just to wait. His getting upset at this point.

I continue to explain to him that I'm not happy, half the cars missing, your friend is MIA, the job that you have done is poor, is this how u run a business?!?"

The flamin mongrel says his business dosnt work on this stuff anymore. I say "that's a surprise, you didn't say shot when I asked you 2weeks ago" WTF is your business if you don't do panel work.

He pauses and then says "I don't have to tell you"

I laugh and tell him his a joke.

I'm getting pretty tired typing this out so I'll cut it short. I end up waiting infront of his shop for 4hrs and eventually his friend shows up with a painted side skirt. He screws it on and I go to sort the bill out.

I hand him $1450 which is $100 off for the shot repair job and I ask for a receipt.

Him

"you want a receipt, extra 10%".

I'm going off my rocket in my head but I've had enough and just want to get it over with. I Hand him the 1450 in cash and leave.

Before all this happened I contacted VCAT about my options and they were very limited. Combined with a possible 5-8month turn around time on cases I didn't even want to waste my time.

What's worse is community forums ain't allowing dickheads like this to be exposed incase of being sued. I feel gutted about this whole exp and wish I could warn ppl.

Lesson learnt, get everything in writing.

[Jap_Muscle]

And this guy is very reputable and known in the import scene. I strongly urge anyone who is getting work done in the Clayton area to PM me to make sure it's not this idiot.

[vspecIInur]

That is so f*ked up dude. If I found out my car was involved in some shit, I wouldn't waste my time and would've reacted in own way of dealing with things......

But yeh, at the end of the day, everything that's in writing and agreed upon is evidence, not mouth to mouth. Too bad your down clayton way, I know someone complete oppostie side of town who is absolute anal about the jobs he does.

[R31Nismoid]

You can warn people via PM, always been possible.

The rules we have here regarding slander etc, are to ensure SAU does not have to go through any trouble/issues.

It's served us well for almost 10 years and will continue to do so for many more - son of rajab knows you won't pay our legal bills

[femno]

Fark that is pretty farked up mate. I wouldnt have paid for work not done.

PM sent for curiosity of who this is.

Additionally, if anyone is the Clayton area wants a panel beater who really does top notch work, you must go to MP Smash Repairs 1455c Centre Road Clayton, ive been a customer for years and his work is unbelievable; my car is proof of this